Natural wedding photography is an art form all on it’s own, though with this venue and couple, it was all made easy. What an absolutely amazing day full of fun and laughter.
Nestled in the heart of Dorset, Kingston Maurward is an 18th-century Georgian manor house that perfectly blends stately elegance with a relaxed countryside vibe. As a premier Dorset wedding venue just outside Dorchester, it offers a stunning, exclusive-use setting featuring 750 acres of sprawling parkland, sweeping lawns, and a tranquil lake.
Ceremony & Reception Options
Couples can choose from intimate indoor ceremonies in the main house—such as the romantic Old Library or the airy Whatmoor Room—or opt for outdoor “I dos” in the vibrant Red Garden or on the terrace overlooking the lake. The venue holds a civil ceremony license and can host up to 96-100 guests for intimate indoor ceremonies, or much larger receptions. For evening celebrations, the modern Maurward Hall can accommodate up to 212 guests for dancing.
From a photographer perspective
This is the first time I have been to this venue and I found it very well run and incredibly easy to work with. The staff were very helpful and wanted to work with me to get the best images at the right time. I would definitely recommend Kingston Maurward as a venue to consider for natural wedding photography in rural Dorset.
Based in Christchurch in East Dorset I have been a Wedding photographer for 30 years. If you had asked me whilst studying photography at college if I would be a wedding photographer, that shy individual would of laughed and said definitely not. What can I say – I warmed to it. I now look back at my time as a wedding photographer with great affection and long for those days of delivering bride and grooms memories of their big day.
I use a perfect blend of natural portraits and documentary style photos to storybook your wedding. Yes, the traditional group photos are there as well but with a bit of fun & cheekiness attached. I promise – no stodgy photos of family & friends, in a line up, with no emotion.
My mission with my wedding photography is to deliver you some great photographs of your day. This is done by standing back and letting the day flow. If guidance on posing is needed I will do it in a fun way. Experience gives me lots of tricks at my disposal.
When taking me as your Wedding photographer you do have a choice of either having me for 4 hours or the full day. 4 hours generally gives you the main chunk of the day and full day coverage can be from the moment you get up to the end of first dance.
This couple decided to have me for the full day. Sarah booked this amazing air-bnb a couple of miles from the venue and we had such fun whilst they were getting ready. It gave them time to get used to me being around. I like to blend in the background and have that fly on the wall coverage.
The venue was outstanding and was a perfect fit for this couple. The weather wasn’t supposed to be as good as it was. It stayed dry until we were inside.
Lets face it – these two are complete naturals in front of the camera. I love to keep it as relaxed as possible and just let the day happen. We had such a good time and I will always treasure our time together.
