The Ravenswood Wedding Photography

Jess & James

Some info about this wonderful wedding gem:

I seemed to have spent just as much time in Sussex in 2022, as I did in Surrey... which isn't a bad thing as it's home to some of the UK's best wedding venues. The Ravenswood is a beautiful 15th Century Manor House located in the stunning countryside of Sharpthorne, smack bang in the middle of Ashdown Forest, West Sussex. They offer civil ceremonies for up to 150 guests and evening receptions for up to 300 (that's pretty much everyone you know). They have 18 acres of land, a getting ready room, Honeymoon Suite, a further 33 bedrooms and exquisite menus catering for all dietary requirements. They also have the cosy Rosewood Cottage for nearly-weds and your wedding party to spend the night before the wedding. Sleeping up to 8 people Rosewood Cottage comprises 4 double bedrooms, a lounge/dining area and a fully fitted kitchen. The grounds are very well kept and host a boat house, ruins, bird cage, four lakes, a secret garden and a little castle... so ya know... not bad eh?

The Outside Ceremony:

The Ravenswood has some beautiful spaces for wedding ceremonies, inside and out. Jess & James were really excited to have their ceremony out in front of the purpose constructed gazebo, which has the most amazing Wisteria growing all around it (absolutely stunning in May). I was so impressed with how the team ushered all the guests into the ceremony area so smoothly, and snuck Jess & her bridesmaids through back doors so that they could make their entrance without anyone seeing them beforehand. One thing I love about outdoor ceremonies, you can throw confetti over the couple as they walk back up the aisle at the end, which is exactly what they did. It means that you don't have to arrange it somewhere else and it makes the ceremony exit look 10x better!

After the ceremony:

Following a few family photos outside in the beautiful garden, the guests enjoyed some drinks, canapés & lawn games. The weather was absolutely glorious and meant that we could all stay outside until called in for the wedding breakfast. I quite often aim to take a few relaxed photos of just the couple when the light is at its very best, which is normally the last hour of sunlight on a bright day. This means that the bride & groom are not completely blinded by the sun (good thing) and there's a deep richness to the end result. We were planning to go outside and explore the stunning grounds at The Ravenswood just after the wedding breakfast... but I noticed that the weather was starting to change. I checked my DarkSky App (the best app for checking what the weather's doing via live satellite views) and saw a massive storm just to the west... heading our way! I checked back on Jess & James, who had just finished eating and broke the news... to which they replied... "LET'S GO NOW!!!" We managed to grab fifteen minutes in the final moments of sunlight before the heavens opened and went all torrential. Fortunately, we got back inside just in time... watched the most spectacular "bounce rain" which cleared up within half an hour... then went back out with all the guests for some sparkler photos. It was like nothing had happened, remarkable!