Chenies Manor House

The gardens are why photographers like Chenies Manor, and in spring they do half the work: blossom over the paths, tulips in the sunken beds, and enough of it that we hung the dress off a branch rather than a wardrobe door. It’s worth giving us longer in this Buckinghamshire garden than you would somewhere else. A white gazebo, leafy arches, topiary, old brick walls and clipped lawns all sit within a couple of minutes of each other, so you change backdrop five times without really walking anywhere. Couples often marry outside under the ornate white ironwork gazebo on the lawn, and drinks and the marquee go on the lawn with the brick front behind you. There’s a proper getting-ready room with mirrors and space, which keeps your morning calm and gives us somewhere to work. Inside, the beamed hall is the darker, warmer room and it suits the dancing better than the vows. Leave the last of the light free: the lawns open west, and low sun across the grass with a stone urn in frame is usually where your favourite portrait comes from.