The Mermaid Inn – Wedding Photography in Rye

Mermaid Inn Wedding // Marie & Nicholai

Rye; the impossibly beautiful medieval town in East Sussex, with its quaint cobbled streets and ancient pub The Mermaid Inn, steeped in maritime history and tales of smuggling, was the setting for Marie and Nicholai’s wedding earlier this summer. The couple live in Norway, and I wondered when they booked me why they had chosen Rye, beautiful as it is. There was a reason, and a good one; Nicholai’s parents had married in Rye, in the same church, with their reception at the same hotel, 40 years ago to the day. It’s enough to make you glow inside. Marie got ready at The Mermaid Inn, a most lovely and Olde Worlde inn as you could hope to find. Built in 1420, and with Norman cellars dating back to 1156, The Mermaid has a rich history of  smuggling and stories of hauntings. There were no ghosts to be seen on the day I was there, just the stunningly beautiful Marie getting her hair and make up done and looking alarmingly reminiscent of Grace Kelly. The boys were also getting ready at The Mermaid, and it was just a short stroll across the rooftops and through an open window (yes, really) to capture them getting ready. On to St Mary’s Church for the ceremony. Some churches, and the ministers who run them, can have very strict rules on photography. From being made to stand at the back or even outside under the watchful eye of a verger who’s sole purpose is to prevent you from lifting your camera. Not so at St Mary’s, where the verger and the Reverend Frost were so accommodating and laid back, and made sure I had access to all areas of the church in order to photograph the ceremony. The ceremony itself was lovely, with the piano being played by Marie’s grandmother, and the church’s cat, Sylvester, on hand to keep an eye on things. Back out into the glorious July sunshine, the bridal party and myself headed down to nearby Winchelsea for some portraits. It was a brief visit as the wind was a little vigorous to say the least. Drinks and canapes were enjoyed back at The Mermaid before the guests sat down to eat. It was here that my day ended, and I left this gorgeous couple and their guests to enjoy their dinner and their evening. A lovely Rye wedding, favourites are below