Set in the beautiful Vale of Glamorgan countryside, Hensol Castle has to be one of the most impressive wedding venues in South Wales. With its historic castle, beautiful grounds, lake and incredible interiors, there are so many opportunities for photographs throughout the day. As a Hensol Castle wedding photographer, I had the pleasure of photographing Caitlin & Morgan’s wedding here, and what an amazing day it was.
Hensol Castle is one of those venues that really does have a bit of everything. You have the grandeur of the castle itself, the sweeping staircases and character inside, but then you step outside and have acres of countryside and the lake surrounding you. From a photography point of view, it gives me so much variety without having to take the couple away from their guests for long periods of time.
One of the things I love most about photographing weddings is simply documenting everything happening around me. The nerves and excitement in the morning, people seeing each other for the first time, the little reactions during the ceremony and all those moments between friends and family that can so easily go unnoticed. Caitlin & Morgan’s wedding was a perfect opportunity to photograph the day in that relaxed, natural way.
Wedding Photography at Hensol Castle
The castle itself makes such an incredible backdrop for a wedding. Inside there are beautiful historic rooms, huge windows and those amazing staircases, while outside you have the stone exterior of Hensol Castle, the gardens and the lake.
I always think a venue like Hensol works particularly well with my style of wedding photography. I want the photographs to show how the day actually felt rather than spending hours turning the wedding into a photoshoot. Most of the day I’m simply watching what is happening and capturing those genuine moments as they unfold.
For the couple photographs, I like to take people away for a couple of short walks at different points during the day. Usually only 10 or 15 minutes at a time. It means Caitlin & Morgan could enjoy their wedding and spend time with everyone they had invited, while we could still make the most of the incredible surroundings at Hensol Castle.
The lake and grounds are obviously beautiful for photographs, particularly as the light starts to soften later in the day. I absolutely love this part of a wedding. After everything happening during the ceremony and reception, it gives the couple a little bit of time together away from everyone else and normally creates some of my favourite photographs from the whole day.
Hensol also gives us plenty of options if the Welsh weather decides not to cooperate! Which it didn’t for Caitlin & Morgan right at ceremony time. It settled enough for the ceremony to begin, but gave us a downpour mid-ceremony! haha. To be honest I think this just added to the lushness of the day. The interiors of the castle have so much character though, that there are still loads of opportunities for photographs without having to rely completely on being outside.
As we moved into the evening, the day became much more about documenting everyone enjoying themselves. Speeches, drinks, laughter and then the party. I love staying around after the first dance because this is so often when people completely forget about the camera and some of the funniest photographs of the wedding happen.
Caitlin & Morgan were brilliant to photograph and I loved being able to tell the story of their wedding against such an incredible South Wales backdrop.
My Approach at Hensol
If you’re planning a wedding at Hensol Castle and are looking for relaxed, natural wedding photography, I’d love to hear about your plans.
My approach is mostly documentary, capturing the real moments and people that make your wedding unique, mixed with some beautiful portraits of the two of you without anything feeling overly posed or taking you away from your guests for hours.
Having photographed at Hensol Castle, I also know how much variety the venue gives us throughout the day, from the castle interiors and staircases to the lake and surrounding grounds.
If you’re looking for a Hensol Castle wedding photographer, get in touch through the contact form on my website and we can have a chat about your wedding, your plans and the kind of photography you’re looking for.
Suppliers:
Venue: Hensol Castle
Florist: Apple Blossom in May
Stylist: The Install Co
Dress Designer: MWL Bride
Dress Boutique: The White Collection
Suit Shop: Dyfed Menswear
Make Up Artist: GC Glam Bar
Hair Stylist: Hair by Sasha
Live Music: Music HQ
Cake Maker: Bespoke Bakes by Lisa
Saxophonist: Lloyd LED Sax
Photobooth: Ultrabooth
