Helen & Adam’s Wedding at Clearwell Castle

Helen and Adam chose the beautiful Clearwell Castle for their wedding, giving them an incredible setting for the entire day, from getting ready in the morning through to a brilliant evening of live music and celebrations.

One thing they were clear about was that they didn’t want their wedding day dominated by photographs. Both were quite camera shy and wanted me to concentrate much more on capturing the day naturally, with only a limited amount of time spent on couple portraits.

For such a stunning couple, they really didn’t need to worry!

Getting Ready with Helen at Clearwell Castle

I started the day with Helen as she got ready at Clearwell Castle.

This part of a wedding gives me a chance to capture all those smaller moments before the ceremony begins. The finishing touches, conversations, excitement and anticipation all become part of the story.

I kept the photography relaxed, allowing Helen to enjoy getting ready while I photographed what was happening around her rather than constantly asking her to stop and pose for the camera.

It also gave me the opportunity to capture some beautiful photographs of Helen before it was time for the ceremony.

Helen & Adam’s Clearwell Castle Ceremony

The ceremony itself was another part of the day where I could concentrate on documenting what was happening naturally.

Rather than interrupting moments, I photographed them as they unfolded, capturing Helen and Adam together and the reactions of the family and friends who had joined them.

Once the ceremony was complete, everyone headed outside to the front of Clearwell Castle.

Family Photographs on the Castle Steps

The impressive entrance and steps at the front of Clearwell Castle made a fantastic setting for Helen and Adam’s group photographs.

We captured the larger groups first before moving through the smaller family combinations. Having such a distinctive backdrop meant the photographs immediately had a real sense of where their wedding had taken place.

I always try to keep this part of the day organised and moving. Group photographs are important, but nobody wants to spend a large part of a wedding standing around waiting for photographs when there is a celebration happening around them.

A Dove Release with Their Children

One particularly special moment came when Helen and Adam’s children took part in a dove release.

It was something completely different to photograph and, more importantly, involved their children in a memorable part of the celebrations.

These are often the photographs that become particularly meaningful afterwards. They are not simply photographs of how the wedding looked, but reminders of the people and little moments that made the day personal to the couple.

Keeping the Couple Portraits Relaxed

Helen and Adam had already told me that they didn’t want to spend too much time having posed photographs taken.

That is never a problem.

Not every couple enjoys being in front of a camera and wedding photography shouldn’t become something you have to endure before you can get back to your guests.

We kept their portrait session relatively short, using the beautiful surroundings of Clearwell Castle to capture a selection of photographs of them together without making it feel like an extended photoshoot.

I gave them some gentle direction where it helped, but otherwise allowed them to relax, interact and simply be themselves.

The rest of my time could then be spent concentrating on the candid photographs they really wanted, capturing conversations, laughter, reactions and all the little things happening around them throughout the day.

A Brilliant Evening at Clearwell Castle

As the evening celebrations began, the atmosphere changed again.

Helen and Adam had an amazing live band, and they were absolutely brilliant.

Live music can completely transform the evening of a wedding. Once the band got going and everyone started enjoying themselves, there was no shortage of moments for me to photograph.

This is where candid wedding photography really comes into its own. Rather than directing what happens, I can work around the room capturing people dancing, laughing and enjoying the celebration.

A Beautiful Clearwell Castle Wedding

Helen and Adam’s wedding was a wonderful day to photograph, and their approach suited them perfectly.

They didn’t want hours of posing or to feel as though their wedding revolved around the camera. Instead, we kept the formal photography focused, captured their family groups on the castle steps and created a small collection of relaxed portraits together.

That left plenty of time for me to photograph the day as it actually happened.

From Helen getting ready and their ceremony through to the dove release with their children and an amazing evening with the band, their Clearwell Castle wedding was filled with moments worth remembering.