A Beautiful Winter Wedding at Edes House

Sarah & Matt celebrated the new year with their wedding

A winter wedding at Edes House in Chichester

Intimate ceremony, Bishop’s Palace gardens portraits & a cosy afternoon tea reception

Some weddings are big and bustling.
Others are small, quiet, and wonderfully emotional.

This beautiful winter wedding at Edes House was the latter – a truly intimate micro wedding with just their closest family and a handful of friends, focused entirely on what mattered most: each other.

And honestly? These are often my favourites to photograph.

A winter wedding in the heart of Chichester

Tucked away in the centre of Chichester, Edes House is a very special venue for small weddings and elopement-style ceremonies. Its Georgian rooms feel warm and elegant, and with the Bishop’s Palace gardens next door, offers the loveliest backdrop for relaxed portraits – even in January.

With soft winter light and crisp blue skies, the day couldn’t have been more perfect.

This couple had booked just two hours of photography coverage – enough time to capture the ceremony, some relaxed portraits, and their afternoon tea celebration. Proof that you don’t need a full-day package to tell the story beautifully.

The view from Edes House to Chichester Cathedral

A ceremony full of heart

With mostly family in attendance, the ceremony felt incredibly personal.

There’s something special about smaller weddings – every face in the room means something. Every smile feels bigger. Every tear feels closer.

Standing opposite each other, hands held tight, they barely took their eyes off one another. It was one of those quietly emotional ceremonies where you could feel the love in the room.

No fuss. No pressure. Just the two of them saying “yes”.

Exactly as it should be.

First kiss as a married couple at edes house

Portraits in the Bishop’s Palace Gardens

Afterwards, we slipped outside for a gentle wander through the Bishop’s Palace gardens.

Winter weddings often get overlooked, but they’re honestly so underrated for photos. The low January sun, bare trees, and soft golden light create the most romantic, timeless feel.

Nothing posed or stiff – just a walk, a few laughs, hands intertwined, and a chance for them to breathe and soak it all in together.

My approach is always relaxed and documentary-led, so it felt more like a stroll than a photoshoot. Which is exactly how couple portraits should feel.

Afternoon tea with their favourite people

Instead of a big formal reception, they chose a cosy afternoon tea back inside Edes House.

Cake. Sandwiches. Tea. Lots of chatting. And a couple of quite excited grandsons to keep everyone on their toes

It was simple, joyful, and completely “them”. Sometimes that’s all you need.

“We weren’t even going to book a photographer…”

My favourite part of this story? They almost didn’t book a photographer at all.

We first met at one of Edes House’s wedding fairs, where they told me they weren’t sure they needed a photographer for such a small wedding.

But after chatting about how quickly these days fly by – and how the little in-between moments often become the most treasured memories – they changed their minds almost immediately.

And I’m so glad they did. Because these are exactly the kinds of days worth remembering.

The hand squeezes.
The granchildren giggling under the chairs.
The quiet “we did it” look after the ceremony.

These moments matter.

Planning a small or micro wedding?

If you’re planning an intimate wedding, registry office ceremony, or micro wedding, you don’t need hours and hours of coverage or anything overly formal.

You just need someone there to gently capture it all as it unfolds.

I offer shorter coverage options specifically for small weddings at Edes House and similar venues – perfect for: