Stunning Winter Sunrise Wedding at The Roman Baths
When super easy-going couple Olivia and Andy contacted me to photograph their sunrise wedding at The Roman Baths, I was — as they say, all over it.
They described their plans for an intimate ceremony in this historic setting, with the ancient baths as the backdrop, subtly illuminated by fire pits and accompanied only by the sound of early-morning birdsong. The fact that this most atmospheric of weddings was due to take place just one week before Christmas made it even more appealing.
The plan for the rest of the day was wonderfully chilled. A short walk into the beautiful city of Bath for breakfast and coffee at a local café, a wander through the Christmas market and nearby sights, before everyone headed off to The Manor House a few miles away for a couple of hours’ rest. Later, the group would regroup for an evening celebration filled with wonderful food, drink and dancing.
“We can only say amazing things about Damien. We are delighted with the images, delivered only a few weeks after the wedding. Damien was our immediate choice due to his focus on relaxed and candid shots, capturing the feelings of our guests and so many wonderful little moments of the day that we didn’t even realise were happening.
He was easy to chat with during the enquiry stage and we immediately connected over wanting a meaningful and relaxed feel to our images — nothing posed or forced. The photographs are so crisp and beautifully capture the light throughout our day.
Damien sent us five images just two days after the wedding, followed by a stunning and incredibly tasteful ‘best of’ slideshow set to music, which made it so easy to share our memories with friends and family, before receiving the full gallery. We can’t thank you enough for giving us lifelong memories of our day.”
Wedding at The Roman Baths
I’ve been lucky enough to photograph weddings at some truly remarkable venues, but for pure wow factor, a wedding at The Roman Baths is very hard to beat.
As someone who isn’t naturally a morning person, the 6am winter alarm from my nearby accommodation was a shock to the system — though the anticipation of the day ahead certainly helped. On arrival, it was still completely dark, with no hint yet of sunrise ahead of the 8am ceremony.
I spent some time photographing the venue while it was completely empty, soaking up the atmosphere before guests slowly began to arrive. There was a shared sense that something unique and special was about to happen — a quiet excitement in a venue that is both awe-inspiring and deeply historic.
A close friend of the couple, who is a piper, played as Olivia arrived. The acoustics of the surrounding stone buildings, combined with the steam rising from the baths in the cold morning air, created a genuine hairs-on-the-back-of-your-neck moment as she made her entrance.
Following the short, intimate and deeply personal ceremony, including readings from three of the couple’s friends, we took the opportunity to capture some relaxed couple portraits around the site. From there, everyone stepped out into the streets of Bath and made the short walk to a nearby café for a very welcome hot coffee and breakfast.
Wedding Photography in Bath
With everyone refuelled, we took the opportunity for a confetti shot beside a nearby Christmas tree before Olivia and Andy and I went for a gentle stroll through the city centre. Bath was just beginning to wake up for the day, providing the perfect backdrop for some relaxed, informal couple photographs.
Bath’s beautiful Georgian architecture complemented Olivia and Andy’s stylish attire perfectly. After capturing a selection of natural portraits, we headed over to The Manor House to prepare for the next part of the celebrations.
The Manor Holcombe
The Manor Holcombe is a stunning country home set within the Somerset countryside. This magnificent Georgian manor house has been a family home since 2015 and, rather than feeling like a traditional venue, it has the warmth and character of a lived-in space — something that suited this wedding perfectly.
The wedding party had exclusive use of the house for the weekend, though the focus of the day was very much on relaxed celebration rather than formality.
While guests took time to settle into their rooms, the newlyweds and I enjoyed a walk around the house and grounds, capturing informal portraits along the way. Their terrier, Peanut, joined us and featured throughout the day, very much part of the family and integral to the relaxed, non-traditional feel of the wedding.
All of the staff involved were friends of the couple. Drinks were served at the bar by close friends, while a family friend of Olivia’s acted as head chef, carefully preparing the canapés and the delicious wedding breakfast. The dining room looked breathtaking and felt incredibly festive.
Although Olivia had insisted there would be no speeches, a few impromptu words from both the bride and groom naturally unfolded. These unscripted moments were heartfelt, genuine and deeply moving , often even more powerful than anything pre-prepared.
The rest of the evening was spent enjoying drinks and dancing, with music provided by another friend who brought along decks and a sound system to keep the party going.
A special mention also goes to Lucy, the live event artist who worked alongside me throughout the day. Lucy spent hours creating beautiful painted portraits of guests, and it was a joy to watch her work. The finished artwork was stunning, and guests were completely bowled over when they saw the paintings she had created.
If you’re planning a wedding at The Roman Baths and are looking for relaxed, natural and non-traditional wedding photography, I’d love the opportunity to return and capture something equally atmospheric for you. Please take a look around my site to get a feel for my work and my love of both traditional and unconventional weddings.
