Darren Charles Holloway Photography

Once the initial excitement of getting engaged settled down I felt quite daunted at the prospect of organising our wedding especially as I hadn’t lived in the Sussex area for very long. Darren Holloway was recommended to me by our wedding venue, Ashdown Park Hotel and after viewing his website I was very impressed.

I met with a few photographers, but I have to say Darren Holloway was my first choice even before we met. He was very enthusiastic and helpful on our telephone consultation and I wasn’t disappointed when we met. Darren suggested our initial meeting should take place at Ashdown Park Hotel, which worked well. Darren showed us examples of the kinds of photos we could expect on our day as he knew the venue very well, which was a real plus point if the weather wasn’t kind to us on the day. Darren was very professional and friendly and we straight away felt at ease with him.

We met with Darren again a few weeks before our wedding day in September and we provided him with a list of the ‘must-take shots’ we wanted during our wedding day and we agreed the timings for the day. Every contact we had with Darren was friendly, helpful and he really did reassure us that we were in safe hands.

On the day of our wedding Darren arrived on time (if not a little early) with his wife and they worked really well together. They took some really nice photos without me even knowing they were there at times and their direction on the staged photos was brilliant, they were extremely organised and completely put you at ease and they knew exactly what would work and we were not disappointed with the final photos.

We decided to have a photo storybook of our wedding day and we are so pleased we did as every time we look at it our day completely comes to life again and that’s all thanks to Darren and his expertise.

We would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Darren as a wedding photographer, no request was too much for him and we were over the moon with the photos. In fact the only issue we did have was choosing the final photos for the photo storybook as there were too many good photos to choose from.

Chris and I first met Darren at the luxury wedding fair at Ashdown Park Hotel (our wedding venue). Immediately we felt at ease and loved the fact that Darren had also been married there, so his passion for the hotel, its grounds and the fact that he knew all the best places to have shots taken (wet or dry weather permitting!)) gave us a sense of relief.

We felt strongly that we didnt want a "pushy" photographer that would wind our guests up, and loved Darrens professional and calm manner in which he consulted with us.

After meeting Darren once more at the venue to discuss general ideas and the types of packages on offer, we had another face to face at our home.

Darren spent a great deal of time understanding the structure to our families, and the shots that we wanted to get of various groups and individuals.

On the day itself we had scorching hot weather, and he did well to keep us relaxed under the heat and general emotions of the day!

I would recommend Darren to any discerning Bride and Groom.

Michelle

Darren put us at ease as soon as we met him. He provided excellent examples of the various albums and storybooks that were on offer with his packages, listened to our requirements and advised us of the most suitable options.
His knowledge, manner and service was by far the best we had seen from the people we had spoken to. Once we had chosen Darren, his communication was first class, leaving us in no doubt as to how the day would run from a photography perspective. He listened to our needs and continued to advise as and where necessary.
On our wedding day at The East Sussex National in July, Darren and his wife Kate ran as a professional and efficient unit. With their easy going manner, they made the bridal party feel totally relaxed and ensured that all within their power ran to time and adjusted quickly when delays outside of their control occurred. They had obviously done their homework on the venue and knew the prime locations for the photos. After the service we decided we would like a shot of our guests in the stunning reception area of the venue looking down from the balcony above. Darren’s creativity shone through and he immediately made the suggestion of arranging the guests to form a heart shape with the bride and groom in the middle, which produced an absolutely fantastic photo.
The after day service was equally as good; the storybook that we chose is top quality and our parents are absolutely delighted with the smaller versions we ordered for them.
We highly recommend DCH Photography for your wedding; an excellent service and products that you are extremely proud to show your friends and family, totally capturing the most amazing memories of our magical day.
Martin and Mel Solly

We knew from the first moment we met Darren, he was the going to be our photographer at our wedding.
The photos are absolutely stunning and we expected nothing less. Darren is very organised and knows exactly how to make you feel comfortable whilst you enjoy the best day of your life. We can not thank Darren and his wife, Kate enough for working so hard on our wedding day and creating the most amazing pictures and album we could of possibly wished for.
Thank you for capturing the best day of our life

Mr & Mrs Witherden
(Saturday 1st July 2017 Wedding)

It is not difficult to provide a glowing review for Darren given the excellent service he and his lovely wife Kate provided for the wedding of our daughter Emily at Ashdown Park Hotel in June.
Their manner from start to finish was a perfect blend of professionalism and friendliness which put everyone at complete ease. We first met Darren when he came to our house to show us evidence of his work and we were immediately impressed not only by the quality of his photography but his friendliness and easy going going attitude. Darren provided us with a comprehensive choice of packages all competitively priced. We were keen that the photos taken at the wedding should be as natural and relaxed as possible, a step away from the more formal posed shots so often taken at weddings and the photos Darren took captured this perfectly. At our initial meeting he took the time to talk us through exactly what to expect from both himself and Kate on the day and they more than lived up to expectation. On the day itself they arrived promptly at the house and took all the photos very quickly and efficiently. Kate was very on the ball helping Emily with her dress and veil to ensure Darren got the perfect shots. Darren and Kate worked very quickly as a team and took many photos in a very short period of time before moving on to the venue. Being a recommended photographer for Ashdown Park Hotel meant Darren has a lot of experience photographing at the venue and this was reflected in the pictures he took. We did not want Emily and Chris to be taken away from their guests for a long period of time after the ceremony whilst the official photos were taken, which happens at so many weddings, and Darren took this on board. As he is very familiar with the venue Darren was able to quickly move Emily and Chris to different locations within the stunning grounds to maximise the potential for different settings for the shots. This then gave Emily and Chris a more varied selection to choose from when presented with all the proofs at the end. Following the wedding Darren has dealt with any queries straight away. The only difficulty we have had has been narrowing down the selection of photos to get printed. To conclude, we would highly recommend DCH Photography for your wedding based on the wonderful photos and friendly efficient professional service Darren and his wife Kate provided.

My now husband and I got married at the Ashdown Park Hotel on booking we received a list of their recommended suppliers. This list included 2 photographers, one of which being Darren. When comparing both on their websites I was instantly more drawn to Darren's style of photography. I also preferred the way Darren's packages were set out as it was easier to understand what would be included.

We arranged to have our first meeting at the venue. Not having any experience with professional photographers and not having any clear understanding of what we were particularly looking for, Darren could not have helped us anymore if he tried. He talked us through what he offers and showed us many examples of his wonderful work and we knew from that meeting we did not need to find anyone else. The fact he was recommended by our wedding venue, had done many many weddings there and even got married there himself made us feel he was perfect for our wedding.

Throughout the planning process we never had to chase Darren (unlike some other suppliers) for anything such as making arrangements to discuss final details. No question was too big or small for Darren and his communication was fantastic, very quick to respond.

We had a zoom meeting to discuss all final decisions such as photo arrangements, timings and Darren really helped to guide us - being our first weddings we obviously did not know what to expect! Darren really helped us to understand how the day would run, think his explanations was what gave us the best understanding of how the day would go.

On the day Darren and his wife went above and beyond, they were here there and everywhere! Rushing between myself and Mark to get photos of the morning getting ready. Looking back at photos Darren captured of our ceremony myself and Mark both commented on how we did not even notice him during the ceremony taking pictures, he is very discreet and so professional in his work. We could not have asked for anymore from Darren on the day, they were fantastic and made sure everything flowed nicely from photo to photo.

When we received the prints, wow, we were honestly blown away at how beautiful they were. There was over 300 photos in total and we had chosen a story book with the option for 75-90 photos and it really was hard to whittle them down as they were all so fantastic. We have now received our storybook and it is just perfect and we will cherish it for the rest of our lives.

We could not recommend Darren enough if you are looking for a photographer, thank you again for everything.

Best wishes,

Courtney & Mark Bates

We chose Darren to be the photographer at our wedding and it was one of the best decisions we made. From the first meeting Darren was always friendly and made us feel at ease. In the first meeting he showed us his work, his albums and storybooks spoke for themselves, his work is beautiful. Moreover, Darren himself is is an extremely knowledgeable, experienced and professional photographer. During the first meeting Darren provided us with all of the information we needed, and throughout the process his communication/responsiveness was great. He responded efficiently to any emails / queries which we had. We got married at Ashdown Park Hotel in the month of September, so there were no guarantees what the weather would be like on the day, however Darren covered this during our first meeting. He knew the venue extremely well and was able to put our minds at ease that whatever the weather on the day, he had a plan and knew where to get the most beautiful shots. As for the day itself, Darren and Kate were both extremely friendly and efficient, making everyone feel at ease, laugh and smile all whilst snapping the most beautiful shots and ensuring every important moment was captured. We are so happy and pleased with our photos. We highly recommend Darren Charles Holloway Photography - Excellent service and photos. Darren - thank you so much for everything. Alex & Ryan

Darren was referred to us by Ashdown Park Hotel, and after having a chat with him we knew he was going to be great to work with. We did do some research - as you do - and his fees were extremely reasonable. As our wedding was just a little affair, we had Darren with us on his own - but it was like he was everywhere! He was there to meet my husband at the registry office, he was right outside when I arrived as well (telling us exactly where to go) and he made it to the hotel before us for some really beautiful arrival shots there. He had said early on that we might need to be prepared for some unreliable weather - being that it was in September - but he knew Ashdown so well that it didn't feel like the weather impacted us very much. Darren was always friendly, helpful and responded quickly to every email. On our zoom calls we could have discussions and plan finer details - a lot of things I had not even thought of being that our wedding was so tiny (!) But he was so helpful and we were very grateful for that. Our photos' arrival after our wedding was right on schedule - and it was quite a surprise when our USB arrived, by how beautifully it was done - I'll keep this a surprise but we were very made up with it! Thank you so much, Darren, we are very grateful for all your help!