Lewtrenchard Manor Wedding: Anna and Chris's Intimate Day on Dartmoor's Edge

After months of cancelled and postponed weddings in 2020, it was a huge relief to finally pick up my camera for a wedding again. My first wedding under Covid restrictions was for Anna and Chris, a couple from London who wanted to marry back in Devon, where Chris grew up.

They’d found a venue unlike any other, and I think I enjoyed it almost as much as they did.

Lewtrenchard Manor

Lewtrenchard Manor sits in a secluded valley beneath Dartmoor’s tors, near Tavistock. It dates back to the early 1600s, and history is everywhere you look: carved wood, leaded windows, open fires and gardens full of hidden corners.

A couple of weeks before the wedding, I met Anna and Chris at the venue to walk the grounds together. We got on straight away, and I could have spent the whole weekend exploring.

The hidden acer trees, the stream and a couple of little stone bridges stood out immediately. I shared my ideas with Anna and Chris, and we planned how to weave each spot into their day without taking them away from their guests for long.

A Small Wedding With a Big Heart

Restrictions meant a maximum of 15 guests, social distancing throughout, and face masks for everyone except the couple during the ceremony.

Rather than let that dampen things, we leaned into it. With so few guests, every person in the room mattered, and the day felt calm, close and unhurried. There was time for proper conversations, for quiet moments, and for Anna and Chris to actually take it all in.

The ceremony took place in the Gallery, a grand panelled room that suited them perfectly. My job was to find the angles, the light and the timing to tell the story of the room and the two people at the centre of it.

The Wedding Breakfast

After they’d said their vows, we all sat down to a wedding breakfast that did the setting justice: soup and fresh bread, a delicious main and sticky toffee pudding to finish.

For a few hours, Anna and Chris could forget everything happening in the world outside and simply enjoy being married. You could see it in the way they looked at each other.

Looking Back

As the day ended, I took a moment to reflect. That first Covid wedding was different in so many ways from anything I’d photographed before, but it was exactly the same in the way that matters most: the love between two people, surrounded by the people who mean the most to them.

Lewtrenchard Manor is a place I’d love to return to again and again. Its size and character make it ideal for small weddings, and the grounds are a dream for relaxed, natural couple photos.

Planning a Small Wedding in Devon?

Intimate weddings are some of my favourites to photograph. My Elopement package is designed for exactly this kind of day. Have a look at my Devon wedding photography or get in touch to tell me about your plans.