Nancarrow Farm Wedding - Nicky and Will

I was asked the other day what do I do if it rains on a wedding day? It’s a good question. Because, sometimes weddings are wet. Really wet. Torrential rain wet. Which is a good point to introduce todays couple. Nicky and Will had returned from their home in Australia to get married at Nancarrow Farm in Cornwall. A Nancarrow Farm wedding is a splendid affair. It really is a special place (and best of all only 8 miles from where I live). Nicky and Will had chosen to get married just before Christmas. Which was where the fun started. Winter weddings can be a lottery weatherwise. But then so can summer weddings (I once photographed in a flooded marquee during one particular summer storm). But things were looking a bit stormy for Will and Nicky. The start of the day for this Nancarrow Farm wedding actually was not too bad. The accommodation at Nancarrow Farm consists of beautifully converted old farm buildings. Working as a wedding photographer in Cornwall I get to visit a lot of wonderful wedding venues, but Nancarrow rates as the best. The bridal party though can normally be found in a building called ‘The Chicken Shed’. Everything went smoothly and all was good. The rain started lightly but it wasn’t a problem. Nicky and her bridesmaids were enjoying the preparation and there was a real sense of excitement.

To church from the Nancarrow Farm wedding

As I left for the church at St Agnes, the rain had started to get harder. By the time I reached St Agnes it was heading towards epic proportions. Having met up with Will, outside of the St Agnes Hotel I found shelter under the church lynch gate. Getting Nicky into the church was going to be a fast affair. Luckily, as Nicky arrived the rain decided to back off. The entry to the church was relatively dry. Once everyone managed to get into the church the ceremony went without a hitch. As we left the church, the rain decided to build to another level. With 120 people to arrange into lines for confetti, once again we were going to have to work fast. From the cover of the church, Nicky and Will were judging the sprint from the church to their waiting car. It was going to be a fast confetti explosion. Walking backwards with an umbrella in the rain whilst taking photos always serves to keep your wits about you. Somehow all managed to get through the affair without getting too wet.

Nicky and Will are married so they went to a wet and windy cliff

The next part of the day proved to be the most challenging. Nicky and Will both wanted to get some photos on the coast before heading on to their Nancarrow Farm wedding reception. So off we went. Nicky and Will had booked videographer Mike from Puravida to document their wedding day. In the driving rain and swirling winds. It was going to be challenging. My approach to wedding photography is to work quickly, but by the time we got to the coast, the weather was even worse. A run from the car. A photo on the cliff a short bit of video. A run back to the car. That was it. The weather would not allow any more. I am not sure how Mike and I got through that bit of the day. But we did. As a bonus the location we had chosen was devoid of people. It really was that wet.

We return to the wedding reception at Nancarrow Farm

We headed back to the Nancarrow Farm. The guests were sheltering in the ceremony barn. Which was just the right place to be. A roaring wood burner. Mulled wine. Fairy lights illuminating the barn. It was amazing. The weather did not matter. Everyone was dry and warm. Which is one of the wonderful things about a Nancarrow Farm wedding. In the summer you can sit out in the courtyard and bask in the rural splendour of this wonderful wedding venue in Cornwall. In the winter, Nancarrow Farm changes into an intimate undercover wedding venue. It was just lovely.

The weather was not letting up, but the guests managed to transfer safely over to the Oak Barn for the wedding breakfast and speeches. Which was warm and toasty. That is another thing about a winter Nancarrow Farm wedding in the winter, it is so warm. Which in a venue of that size could be a real challenge.

A break in the weather. Nancarrow Farm shines at night for Nicky and Will’s wedding

So back to the weather. As the wedding breakfast came to an end darkness was descending. This also heralded a break in the rain. It was enough to get outside for sparklers and also get some more shots of Nicky and Will. Which brings me back to the original question of what do I do if a wedding day is wet? Well, there are two things. Firstly, you work fast. Secondly, there are always opportunities, no matter how bad the weather is. You just have to make sure you can grab them when you can. This Nancarrow Farm wedding was no different. The weather was, to be honest, appalling. It didn’t phase Nicky and Will and it certainly didn’t phase me. Because that is the reality of the job that I do. It may rain. Cameras are surprisingly waterproof. I am surprisingly waterproof. So it a bride and groom are happy to go outside, I am happy to go outside. You just need to sometimes adapt your plans. Oh and the rustic barn at Nancarrow Farm just looked splendid at night. Absolutely gorgeous.

The end of the day winding road home

Back to this Nancarrow Farm wedding, the evening party started and the guys started to party hard, I stayed to photograph some dance floor action. It had been a superb day. In the end, the rain had just added to the sense of adventure. As I drove the country roads home I could just start to see the moon starting to shine through a break in the clouds as the sky started to clear. It didn’t matter. Nicky and Will had conquered the weather and so had their Nancarrow Farm wedding.