Kirsty & Andy’s Winter Wedding at Stanhill Court Hotel, Surrey

January weddings get a bad reputation. The light is low, the guests arrive in coats, and everyone’s slightly recovering from Christmas. But Kirsty and Andy’s day at Stanhill Court Hotel in Surrey had something going for it that most summer weddings don’t: nobody was pretending it was warm outside, so everyone just got on with being inside together, which is usually where the good stuff happens anyway. I’d met them both the year before for a pre-wedding shoot, so walking in on the morning felt more like catching up than starting from scratch. That helps. A lot.

Stanhill Court in January

The hotel does well in winter. Stone, dark wood, the kind of interior that doesn’t need sunshine to look good. These opening shots give you a sense of the place before the day gets moving.

Getting ready

The bridal suite had everything laid out, dress, shoes, rings. The kind of quiet before a day that’s about to get very loud.

The ceremony

This is the part of the day I always want to get right. The vows, the faces in the front row, the moment just after the kiss when nobody quite knows what to do next. Cold Januaries don’t change any of that.

Portraits outside: briefly

We did go outside. Briefly. It was very cold, and I kept it short on purpose. A few minutes, a handful of frames, and then back in. The photos don’t look rushed because they weren’t, we just didn’t linger.

The reception, and that game..

The twelve days of Christmas game at the reception was the moment of the day. I won’t try to explain the rules because I’m not sure I fully understood them at the time, but the room was loud and Kirsty and Andy were right in the middle of it. That’s the bit I’d have missed if I’d been packing up early. Toasts, dinner, cake, dancing, all of it is here, but that game sits somewhere in these frames as the thing I’ll remember most from this one.

Early January is a strange time to get married, and I mean that as a compliment. The guests who show up in January are showing up because they want to be there. Kirsty and Andy’s day had that feeling all the way through, and Stanhill Court kept everyone warm enough to enjoy it. If you’re interested in wedding photography, get in touch I’d love to hear from you.

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Location: Stanhill Court Hotel, Surrey · @stanhill_court