Barnstaple Wedding Photographer
Documentary wedding photography, based on Exmoor
Barnstaple is the town at the centre of North Devon, with the Taw estuary running out past Braunton to the surf beaches at Croyde and Saunton, Exmoor rising to the east and the cliffs of Ilfracombe and Combe Martin to the north. It’s fifty minutes from my house near Dulverton, over the moor and down through South Molton, and North Devon has given me some of the weddings I’m proudest of.
I’m a documentary wedding photographer. I don’t stage the day; I pay attention to it. North Devon weddings tend to be outdoorsy and informal, with a lot of weather, a lot of sky and a lot of people in the same place for a whole weekend, and that’s the sort of day my photographs do best in: the real moments, the beach at dusk, the speeches that go on too long and the dancing that goes on longer.
Weddings I’ve photographed around Barnstaple
Tunnels Beaches at Ilfracombe, the Victorian bathing beach reached through hand-cut tunnels, is the North Devon venue I’ve photographed most often: Amy and Neil’s wedding and Rachel and Tom’s, both with the ceremony on the terrace above the sea. Ash Barton Estate at Braunton, a country house with a barn, a lake and a wildflower meadow, is where Alex and Laura married over a long weekend. I’ve photographed three weddings at the Sandy Cove Hotel above Combe Martin, with the sea below the terrace; Hannah and Jack’s wedding at Bydown, near Swimbridge, ten minutes out of Barnstaple; Riche and Poppy’s wedding at St George’s church in Braunton with their portraits on the beach at Croyde; a wedding at Country Ways near Umberleigh; and a wedding at Eggesford, down the Taw valley towards Chulmleigh.
The coast is the point
If you’re marrying anywhere between Croyde and Combe Martin, I’ll build the day around getting you to the water for twenty minutes at the right time. Croyde and Saunton face west and get the sunset square on; Woolacombe is a long walk of sand; Ilfracombe’s harbour and the Tunnels’ cove are sheltered when the wind is up. For couples marrying inland, the Taw and Torridge estuary at low tide, Braunton Burrows and the lanes around Bydown and Swimbridge are all within fifteen minutes of the town.
North Devon weddings in pictures
Croyde, Ash Barton Estate and Tunnels Beaches.
Venues around Barnstaple
- Tunnels Beaches, Ilfracombe: ceremonies on the terrace above the cove, the sea on three sides.
- Ash Barton Estate, Braunton: house, barn, lake and meadow for a weekend wedding.
- The Sandy Cove Hotel, Berrynarbor: a terrace over the sea between Ilfracombe and Combe Martin; I’ve photographed three weddings here.
- Bydown House, Swimbridge: a Georgian house and gardens ten minutes from Barnstaple.
- Saunton Sands Hotel and the beaches at Croyde, Saunton and Woolacombe for ceremonies and portraits.
- St George’s, Braunton, St Peter and St Mary Magdalene in Barnstaple, and the village churches of the Taw valley.
- Country Ways, Umberleigh, and the farm and tipi weddings between Barnstaple and the moor; see farm and marquee weddings.
Good to know
Travel. North Devon is a normal day for me; nothing to add. Tides. The beaches change completely with the tide, so I’ll check the tables for your date and suggest the best half hour. Wind. Veils and the North Devon coast have an understanding: I’ll find the sheltered side. Light. West-facing coast, so the sunset is the show; in summer it’s after nine, so plan the first dance around it rather than before it.
Taking a limited number of weddings for 2027 and 2028
If my way of working sounds like your kind of thing, I’d love to hear about your plans. Drop me a line with your date and venue and I’ll tell you straight away whether I’m free.
