Why Clock Barn in Whitchurch is the Perfect Wedding Venue (And Why I Love Being Their Recommended Photographer!)
As a Hampshire based wedding photographer, I’ve had the total privilege of shooting at many incredible venues, but there’s one that consistently stands out: Clock Barn in Whitchurch. Having worked there extensively over the last ten years, I thought it was about time I put together all of my hints and tips to make the day run as smoothly as possible; plus I’d love to show anyone considering booking it why it’s definitely the best and most beautiful venue around!
Firstly, let’s start with the prep room. Everything is onsite and close together, making it super easy and convenient to get ready in close proximity to your partner but without being seen. The prep room is spacious and with lots of mirrors, plus they’ve even added hooks on the wall to be able to hang your outfits up for some really lovely photos. I’ve also seen the delicious breakfast you can request – perfect for starting a very busy day full of energy!
I always ask my couples to pop together a little pile of anything they’d like photographed, like jewellery/an invite/perfume etc, and I’ll get a nice photo of everything together when I arrive. There’s a wicker basket in the prep room so they can gather everything together in there and I’ll be able to easily find everything if they are busy getting ready when I arrive. Another tip is to take all of the labels, stickers and plastic covers off the dresses and hang them up on the wall; this keeps everything out the way and looking nice for photos too. I ask my brides to tell me if they would prefer for the dress to be kept hidden all morning though as I wouldn’t want to ruin that surprise!
One of the best bits about the prep room is that there is another private room off to the side; ideal for the bride to put her dress on! One of my favourite parts of the day is capturing the reactions of family members and the bridesmaids seeing the bride for the first time – it’s always a very special and emotional moment.
Of course, we must not forget the boys. There’s a lovely second prep room for them as well, plus the path outside is the perfect backdrop for popping on button holes and grabbing some nice photos of the guys.
There are so many gorgeous ways to style the main barn and you can choose a multitude of ways to configure the ceremony. The most popular way tends to be with the registrar at the dance floor end (which is also my preference as the light is best this way) but you can also opt to have the registrar by the bar end or even have the chairs in a semicircle to the side.
You can even opt to have the ceremony in the snug room or the dance floor area for those smaller, more intimate weddings where you’d like your guests to feel closer to you.
Did you know that you can now choose to have your ceremony outside at Clock Barn? Either in the garden by the Farm House or in the paddock out the back – absolutely perfect for those who love the great outdoors and love feeling closer to nature.
During the ceremony I stand next to the registrar to capture the people walking down the aisle, and to be able to also photograph your partner waiting patiently for you to arrive. Wonderfully, my cameras are silent to I’m happy to report you’ll barely notice me there and I won’t distract you from the important words being said to each other.
Once the ceremony is over, CONFETTI! Another of my favourite parts of the day. I’ll organise everyone outside in two lines, to give you a good old confetti soaking as you come outside and join everyone.
Top tip – the bigger the pieces of confetti, the better! Tiny flakes of lavendar tend to look like flies which nobody wants, so big, fat petals or better yet, biodegradable paper balls look the best! I also recommend getting lots, so however much you think you need, whack another 50% in there. If you want to save a bit of money, there’s no real need to pay for confetti cones or bags, just get it all poured out in baskets and ask the bridal party to pass it around for everyone to grab a handful.
After the confetti, it’s time for the candids! This is one of my favourite times at a wedding – it’s when everyone is most excited, with their prosecco or cocktail in their hand, hugging and congratulating you both. I spend a good 45 minutes, getting lots and lots of wonderful natural moments of your guests mingling, chatting and just having the BEST time. These types of photos will also make up the vast majority of your gallery.
When you’re ready, it’s time for your couple shots! At Clock Barn, we’re totally spoiled for choice with places to go – so here are some of Zahra & Joe’s photos to give you an idea of what you can expect. My favourite places are the country road outside, the clock itself (iconic!), the willow tree and the flowers outside the farm house. I also love the paddock – the sun sets out there so I tend to save this area for your evening sunset shots!
Here’s a few more for Helen & Sam.
For the family formal photos, I love to give a mix of formal and informal, so that I can make sure they are to everyone’s taste. For example, I’ll always take a ‘neat and tidy’ photo first, then get everyone in closer for a cuddly photo to make it extra lovely and natural looking.
After the family photos, we can do some bridal party photos, and can of course have some fun with these!
Before everyone goes in for dinner, I’ll spend a little time photographing the room and all of those gorgeous details that make the dining room truly unique to you.
At Clock Barn you can choose to have your speeches either before or after dinner. There are definitely pros and cons to both – before dinner gets them out of the way in case anyone is super nervous, however then there’s a danger of them running too long and affecting the food. After dinner keeps the speakers waiting a little longer, however I find then the guests are more relaxed with happy, full tummies and, having had more bubbles, tend to enjoy them even more.
Have you seen at Clock Barn you can opt to have the ‘surprise’ course? Guests absolutely love it and I in turn love photographing their faces when they see it!
Spring and summer weddings bring my favourite bit – the evening sunset photos. If we’re lucky, we’ll get a golden hour with gorgeous low, soft light to shoot in; plus it’s often a great chance for the two of you to sneak off together and take a breather and let it all sink in. Why not stick a couple of bottles of cheap fizz in the boot of the car for a champagne op photo! (Spoiler – it doesn’t have to be actual champagne!)
Of course not every wedding has to have a cake – some people don’t fancy it or some have doughtnuts or brownies or some go all out and have a huge, spectacular one! Whatever floats your boat, there are absolutely no rules so why not have fun with it.
And then we have the party! A band, a DJ or both, this is often the part people look forward to the most. If budget allows, I really recommend booking a DJ or musician who offers full day packages, to play your music as you walk down the aisle and during the drinks reception and meal as this makes the day flow together so much more smoothly.
Thank you so much for reading, I hope this is helpful! I’f you’d like to chat to me about photographing your wedding at Clock Barn or anywhere else for that matter, please feel free to get in touch here.
