Possibly Gosport's Best Kept Wedding Secret

If you were to drive into Gosport on the main Forton Road, you could be forgiven for driving past one of Gosport's best kept wedding secrets and not even noticing: St John the Evangelist's Parish Church of Forton.

It is a brick built church set back off the Forton Road which may not catch your eye but once you go inside you'll be amazed. It opens up into a glorious architectural space that you wouldn't be surprised to see in a cathedral, yet it is but a humble parish church for a relatively small region of Gosport.

Unusually for a church, the nave is North-South, consequently if there is any sun at all it pours through the windows above the altar like a heaven-sent blessing.

Katt and Dan got married in this gorgeous Gosport church in the November of 2011.

Katt had her Bridal Prep round her Dads' house...

...ably tended to by her Maid of Honour.

The church itself, despite its magnificence inside, has relatively small grounds, nevertheless there are a number of places suitable for outside-the-church portraits.

Katt and Dan went on to the Holiday Inn, Titchfield for their Reception and had a fantastic time with their guests.

Whilst Katt and Dan were the undisputed stars of their wedding day...perhaps the unsung hero of their day was the true magnificence of the church they were married in.

by Steve Dunster

Love & Marriage at The Solent Hotel

Carmen and Mark were married in The Solent Hotel near junction 9 of the M27 in Whiteley near Fareham, Hampshire.

Carmen had her Bridal Prep round her mum's house...

...and Mum did a fabulous job at one of the most important tasks during Bridal Prep, lacing the bride's dress.

The ceremony in the Solent Hotel was really touching...

...and one of their friends played the guitar for them.

We took a few portraits in the distinctive Solent Hotel entrance...

...and a few more in the garden area just outside...

 

...then it was inside to complete the portraits.

It was a very gentle and affectionate wedding...

...and it was an absolute pleasure to photograph.  Lovely people. We wish Carmen and Mark all the very very best in their marriage together.

by Steve Dunster

Wedding at The Hampshire Court

Lance and Sarah were married at The Hampshire Court Hotel, Basingstoke, Hampshire.

Sarah looked fabulous...

...and so did her bridesmaid sisters.

It was lovely weather but was chilly so we didn't spend long taking photographs outdoors.

The Hampshire Court staff we very accommodating and allowed us to move tables and sofas and plants around to put together a wonderful set for some family photographs of  Lance, Sarah and their beautiful little girls.

Their First Dance was really something. The connection between Lance and Sarah was really on display and their guests loved it.

...and of course the day was about the bride and groom...but this day was also about sisters.

by Steve Dunster

New Year's Eve Wedding

Jack and Katie had their gorgeous New Year's Eve wedding in the picturesque village of Corfe in Dorset. We had met Jack and Katie earlier in the year when we were photographing their friend's wedding.

It was delightful to see Katie during her Bridal Prep, she was so excited.

Katie's Bridal Prep was just up the road from Corfe at Kingston Country Courtyard where she had a sumptuous bridal suite with lots of light and plenty of room and a four-poster bed.

They were married in the Parish Church right in the middle of the "chocolate box" village of Corfe which still had its beautiful street Christmas decorations on display.

We were very grateful to the National Trust for letting us shoot some bride and groom portraits in the gate house of Corfe Castle so we could have a photograph of them with the distinctive silhouette of the Castle's Keep.

We were also able to shoot a few wide shots of the happy couple on the cobbled bridge to the castle with the village in the background...

...plus a tight shot of Jack and Katie with the pastel shape of their church in the background. 

It was then back to Kingston Country Courtyard where they had their Reception and First Dance in a very nice barn conversion.

When we had asked Jack earlier as to what sort of dance he had planned...he said, "Nothing special"...to start with things went according to his plan...

...then THIS happened and there were cheers of delight from all their guests.

Jack and Katie are a lovely couple and they got married in a very special part of the world and on a very memorable day...many of us husbands might wish we had an equally memorable date for our wedding anniversaries...no excuses Jack!

by Steve Dunster

A Very British Wedding at Victoria House

Arron and Sarah had a fabulously British wedding back in the Spring of 2011. Their wedding venue was the breathtaking Victoria House in Hamble, Hampshire.

Victoria House was built at the height of the British Empire and was originally part of the British Empire's flagship military hospital complex at Netley and still oozes class and the very best of Victorian Britain.

Sarah looked fabulous and her veil really set off her face and hair.

During their wedding ceremony, Arron looked at his gorgeous bride...a look which wonderfully portrays his feelings for her.

They were married in St Philip Howard Church, in Fareham which was very welcoming and the guests had tea and cake after their ceremony.

Arron and Sarah laid on a big red bus, resplendent with wedding ribbons, to transport their guests from the church to Victoria House. It was the perfect choice to add to the Britishness of the day.

Arron and Sarah of course had another British icon as their wedding car...

...and their choice of London Bus Red as their wedding colours, the whole ensemble looked very patriotic.

It was then off to the garden area of the Victoria House grounds for portraits...

...a lovely backdrop for portraits, it would even have been a perfect backdrop for a costume drama.

The room for their Reception was light and airy. Adorned with napkins and bunting the colour of a Guardsman's tunic, this too looked wonderfully British.

The tables were cleared and Arron and Sarah had their First Dance as man and wife...

...followed immediately afterwards by a very touching dance between Sarah and her father.

Arron and Sarah's wedding was full of love and gentleness...and was a wonderfully British wedding.

Highlights of our 2013 Weddings

2013 was a fantastic year for us and in putting together some highlights we hardly know where to begin. But the first notable thing was the weather, 2013 was a spectacularly good Summer.

We didn't just have amazing weather we had romance...

...and intimate moments.

We had grooms in fast cars, this groom got to drive his friend's Mercedes SLS...

...and this groom got a Ferrari California.

We also had fabulous brides...

...fizzing in expectation before their ceremony...

...during Bridal Prep.

We've had brides on stairs...

...on grass...

...in amazing venues...

...and even on a vintage fire escape of an ageing cricket pavilion we found just round the corner from the venue.

We had a groom secretly bring the bride's horse to the wedding. It was a complete surprise to the bride and guests until after the ceremony.

We even had a blue rhino at a wedding...it was actually part of a series of rhino sculptures funded by Marwell Zoo for charity during the Autumn.

We even had a wedding on Red Nose Day.

We had a groom on a Buckeroo ride...

...and a bride at the cricket crease...

...and the "boys" against a cricket sight screen.

We've had glorious sun and fabulous venues.

We've had cosy Christmas weddings.

We've had drama...

...and fun...

...and elegance...

...and style...

...great groups...

...and fantastic confetti

...and private moments.

We've had reflections in mirrors....

...and reflections in water...

...and reflective moments...remembering loved ones.

We've had walks through Spring petals...

...and walks through the grounds of grand venues.

We've had fabulous cakes...

...and creative themes.

We had special moments in the last few minutes of daylight...

...and even just after the sun had gone down.

Even after dark and in the rain, we had some great times. Here the groom wanted a shot with himself and his groomsmen looking at the pocket watches he'd given them as presents.

Of all the special weddings we had in 2013, surely the most extraordinary was the hand-fasting ceremony at Stonehenge at sunset just after the Summer Solstice.

We had lovely weddings at lovely venues...but best of all we had lovely couples...

...whose love for each other was a privilege to witness.

Jacqui and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our couples, all their guests and all their wedding professionals for our time with them during 2013...it was indeed an exceptional year.

Thank you

by Steve Dunster