bride thrown in the air by guests captured by rockbeare manor wedding photographer Rich Howman
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Rockbeare Manor Wedding Photographer


There’s something special about weddings at Rockbeare Manor! Set in 100 acres of parkland, the Grade I listed Regency manor house is a striking building with a sense of timeless elegance. It’s an awesome place to capture award winning wedding photos, and the image above actually received ‘Editors choice’, ‘Best of Week’, and the highly acclaimed ‘Best of Year’ Award from the lovely people at MyWed. Which maintains my position in MyWed’s top 50 wedding photographers in the world! Yay!

High ceilings, huge windows, chandeliers, and the perfectly symmetrical, crisp white exterior make working as a Rockbeare Manor wedding photographer really exciting to my (slightly overactive) creative brain!

Weddings at Rockbeare Manor

A huge shoutout to the amazing team who organise weddings at Rockbeare Manor, nothing is too much trouble, and they put couples at ease knowing they’ve thought of everything.

The Drawing Room is brilliant for getting ready ahead of your wedding at Rockbeare Manor, there’s even a balcony for some champagne toasting in the sunshine with your loved ones before the ceremony. The Billiard Room is another ideal spot for putting the finishing touches to suits and ties, with a chilled, classic vibe that makes me think of groups of gents sipping whiskey and making grand plans!

Rockbeare Manor wedding photography

There are so many inspiring places for capturing creative portraits as a Rockbeare Manor wedding photographer, the quality of the light here is really incredible and the symmetry is a real treat! (Did I mention I’m obsessed with symmetry?!)

bride and groom laughing in front of wisteria wall by rockbeare manor wedding photographer, rich howman

Whether you decide to get married in the Grand Ballroom, or on the beautiful terrace overlooking the Devon countryside, there’ll be plenty of opportunities for me to capture stunning Rockbeare Manor wedding photography. There’s space for up to 160 guests to join you for your wedding breakfast in the Grand Ballroom, and up to 200 for the evening party – and party you will! With exclusive use of this place you can let your hair down and dance into the night – you can even make sure of the 13 luxurious bedrooms and turn it into a mini-break for some of your guests.

Rockbeare Manor Wedding – Cassidy and James

I joined Cassidy and James on a lovely hot day in May (it really felt like summer was on the way!), to photograph their long-awaited wedding at Rockbeare Manor. I brought my dream team along as we were also filming their day as well as photographing it! Cassidy had her heart set on the venue right from the start, no seriously… James proposed on Christmas Day and she’d already asked for the wedding brochure from the Rockbeare Manor wedding team by boxing day!

We’d seen Rich’s work first hand and we couldn’t wait to be his bride and groom for the day.

Cassidy and James – Rockbeare Manor Wedding

As chief wedding planner, Cassidy really put together a team of brilliant suppliers and her vision for the day was made into a beautiful reality. Enjoy a few highlights that capture how it felt to be there on the day, and some of the magic of their gorgeous venue that they can look back on forever!

bridal prep captured by rockbeare manor wedding photographer, rich howman

Getting Ready

I arrived as Cassidy and her bridal party were having their hair and make-up done by Yjumye from the Glam Bar Exeter. They were enjoying the luxury of Rockbeare Manor’s amazing Drawing Room, overlooking stunning parkland from the French windows onto the beautiful balcony, with the morning sun streaming in, it was so romantic! The updo Girl, Ellie Ferrari was working her magic, chatting away and putting the finishing touches to Cassidy’s amazing locks… I don’t think I’ve ever photographed a bride with longer hair, it was incredible!

The bouquets were made by Beth, from Ditsy Blooms, with a soft mix of delicate blooms and eucalyptus foliage with a pop of pink and blue.

I found James in the billiard room with the boys, who were getting ready in their suits from Jonathan Hawkes, whilst playing a few frames and enjoying a drink together. They were having a good laugh, as well as helping each other out with buttonholes, shoelaces, and medals (did I mention we had wedding guests from the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force?)

I love this photo of Cassidy as she stands looking out of the window in her stunning dress from Abella Bridal Boutique. Would you believe it was actually a wildcard dress suggested by Leanne the boutique owner? The soft light was perfect, and it captures how happy and composed she was throughout the morning prep (she’s such brilliant fun to be around).

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Now, I love waiting to see a Dad’s reaction as he sees his daughter in her dress for the first time on her wedding day – but this one was really special! He couldn’t contain his joy! Cassidy also wore a necklace that belonged to her Great Grandmother, as something borrowed (and very beautiful), in memory of her late Grandfather.

The Ceremony

Their wedding ceremony at Rockbeare Manor was absolutely beautiful. Surrounded by family and friends, Cassidy walked down the aisle to James on her father’s arm. Everybody reached for the tissues as James choked back tears of happiness when he saw Cassidy walking towards him in her wedding dress for the first time! And of course, I had a tear or two in my eye at that moment as well. It doesn’t matter how many weddings I’ve photographed, it always gets me!

The Reception

After saying “I do” and getting showered with confetti, they enjoyed drinks with their family and friends on the beautiful lawns in the sunshine. We took some family group photos, and then the immortal “friends photos“. which involved a piggyback race, a game of British bulldog, and an impromptu river crossing! So much more fun than a lineup!

As the guests made their way to the wedding breakfast, I took Cassidy and James for a walk around the beautiful grounds. As a Rockbeare Manor wedding photographer, I’m always spoiled for choice with gorgeous locations for newlywed photo shoots. The afternoon light was absolutely stunning, and we finished in the elegant room on the first floor overlooking the parkland and river, bathed in the balmy soft afternoon light. So romantic and memorable, with the smell of incredible wisteria dancing in the summer breeze.

Their wedding breakfast was also bathed in light, tastefully decorated with their cherry blossom theme and simple, elegant table decor. After a delicious dinner, there were speeches… with some brilliantly funny “drop the mic“ moments, and tender, emotional, heartfelt stories.

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Rockbeare Manor Wedding Photographer 98

Bella Dolci did an incredible job of making their stunning cherry blossom cake, which was the perfect addition to their theme for the day.

Evening Reception

The after-party was such awesome fun, with entertainment from Retro Disco (who played ALL the best tunes to get everyone dancing!). There were hugs and laughter all night as we celebrated with this beautiful couple on their first evening of married life together! Their smiles and connection throughout the day were a real inspiration and having dodged a pandemic, the celebrations were long overdue!

I’d also like to extend a big thank you to Phil & Rach for their help on and before the day – Legends!

Get in touch

If you are looking for a Rockbeare Manor wedding photographer then I would love to join you, just get in touch to check my availability and we can start making plans. I’ll be back there for another wedding later in the year too and I’m just as excited every time I return! If you like country house weddings, you might also like to check out this wedding at Orchardleigh House, and my work as a Hedsor House wedding photographer.

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