Helmingham Hall, a Countryside Garden Estate in Suffolk, England Elopement Photo Story Award

Claire and Steve share a nervous moment, waiting for their wedding ceremony in the Great Hall at Helmingham.

We’ve all been through tough times over the last couple of years. At one point, it felt as though the job of a wedding photographer as we’d previously known it would never exist again.

It was at this darkest time, Claire and Steve contacted me about photographing their wedding at the historic Helmingham Hall in the Suffolk countryside. Since moving to Suffolk ten years ago, I’d shot numerous weddings on the grounds and gardens here but this was my first opportunity to cross the moat and shoot a wedding in the house itself. The Hall has been the home of the Tollemache family since construction began in 1480. It remains their home and the current generation maintain the five hundred year tradition of raising the drawbridges every evening. 

Government restrictions meant that only very small weddings were permitted at the time, but this fitted perfectly wth Claire and Steve’s plans and on the day I was privileged to be one of just seven people present; Claire and Steve, the registrars, two staff from the Hall acting as witnesses, and myself. 

The ceremony took place in the Great Hall, one of the oldest parts of the house, which had an almost palpable presence and sense of history. I knew I wasn’t alone in feeling this - momentarily catching the registrar’s eye, it was clear she shared the sense of occasion.

Following the ceremony, the couple took tea in the beautiful walled garden which included a cake inspired by the Douglas Adams novel ’The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’. A shared love of which brought Claire and Steve together.   

Claire makes her entrance as Steve looks on.

Claire and Steve share an embrace after the ceremony.

A shared love of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy brought Claire and Steve together. 'Don't Panic' felt an appropriate statement for the times we've been through.

View along the tree-lined avenue towards Helmingham Hall.