Preview: Rachel & Matt’s Wedding Photography at Buxted Park Hotel

My coverage of Rachel & Mat's wedding day started at Buxted Park Hotel where Mat and his groomsmen were getting ready in the George V suite. Being typical guys, this didn't take long and after a few shots in the room, I took them outside for some pictures on the steps before taking a short drive over to Rachel's parent's house to join her and her family.

In true style, Rachel's dad drove her to the church in a stunning red Jaguar XK150 which definitely turned a few heads as it passed. Their wedding ceremony was conducted by Father John Wall and took place at Holy Cross church in Uckfield which Rachel has a long connection to, having been baptised there. It was a beautiful ceremony and I loved the inclusion of the church black labrador who greeted guests on arrival, was good as gold throughout the ceremony, and sat next to me when I was taking some photos from the back of the church.

After congratulations outside the church, Rachel and Mat drove off in the red Jaguar, enjoying their new relationship status and the feel of the classic car, taking a scenic route to Buxted Park. Once everyone had arrived, I photographed the family groups and the guests enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.

The speeches were all brilliant, but the best-men's speech (4 best men) was a particular highlight with some great photos of the groom from the past adding hilarious visual aids to their stories. These were clearly a tight-knit group of friends.

As the day moved on, the heavy rain from the morning seemed more and more of a distant memory, and to all of our surprise the sky turned blue and the sun shone gloriously. I made full use of this change of weather, taking Rachel and Mat for more portraits around the grounds.

The unlifted restrictions meant changes had to be made for the first dance plans, but I'm so glad they worked out the way they did. Instead of being inside on such a beautiful evening, Rachel and Mat had their first dance at the top of the steps outside, with their guests looking on from below. Given the choice, I would have opted for this any day of the week.

Congratulations once again to Rachel & Mat! It was a real pleasure.