Almonry Barn Wedding Photographer
Natural, documentary wedding photography by Patrick Newnham
Almonry Barn stands at Muchelney, a mile south of Langport on the Somerset Levels, next to the ruins of Muchelney Abbey and the village church. The barn is eight hundred years old, a listed threshing barn with its original oak doors and the old threshing machinery still in place, and it’s run by a family who take on a limited number of weddings a year and give each one their full attention. I photographed Neill and Kirsty’s wedding here in September, with the Levels doing their long, silver, end-of-summer light outside.
The barn is the kind of building that photographs itself: stone, timber, candle-coloured lighting and a roof you can’t help looking up at. The ceremony happens inside or in the garden, the church is a short walk away for couples who want it, and the Levels around are flat and wide and full of sky, which means the sunset comes right down to the ground. It’s an intimate venue by choice, sixty to a hundred guests, and it suits couples who want a wedding that feels like a gathering rather than a production.
How I photograph a wedding
Documentary first. I don’t run the day or stage it; I pay attention to it, and I keep the formal part to ten minutes of group photographs and twenty minutes of portraits in the best light we can find. Natural light, no flash during ceremonies, and editing that will still look right in twenty years. I take a limited number of weddings a year, which is partly how I get to give each one my full attention.
Good to know about Almonry Barn
Size. Sixty to a hundred for the ceremony and the meal, exclusive use. Light. The Levels keep the sun until it touches the horizon, so there’s no rush on the portraits in summer; in autumn the mist at dusk is worth planning for. Flooding. Muchelney is famous for it in winter; the barn sits above the worst of it, but I’ll check the roads before a wet-season wedding. Travel. Just over an hour from me and well within Somerset; the Yeovil page and the Somerset page cover the area.
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.
