A Wookey Hole Wedding – Gloriously Geeky Cave Adventures

A Wookey Hole Wedding Fit for Time Lords and Legends

I’ve known Andy and Dan for years through my work as an event photographer with Fantom Events. So when they asked me to photograph their Wookey Hole wedding, at that Wookey Hole – filming location for Doctor Who: Revenge of the Cybermen and The End of Time – I had a rough idea of what I was walking into.

Rough. Not complete. Because honestly? A wedding in a cave is still a wedding in a cave.

Scouting the Caves: Planning a Wookey Hole Wedding

About six months before the big day, we headed down to Wookey Hole during a wedding fayre to do a proper recce. I’ll be honest: I usually shoot light, airy weddings. The idea of photographing a ceremony underground was… intimidating.

Questions were flying:

What’s the light like down there?

Would it be pitch black?

Would I trip, fall, and sacrifice my camera to the Witch of Wookey Hole?

Thankfully, the visit answered most of that. The caves were atmospheric rather than impossible, and the Wookey Hole team were absolutely brilliant – knowledgeable, calm, and genuinely helpful. It also helped me make one very important decision.

Prime lenses. All day. All the light. No regrets.

Andy and Dan's Wookey Hole Wedding. They're being chased by a Cyberman.

Gear Choices for a Low-Light Cave Wedding

When the wedding weekend arrived, I left nothing to chance. Alongside my on-camera flash, I packed my trusty Rotolight Aeos and Neo 2s in case the caves needed a little extra oomph.

In the bag:

Two Sony camera bodies

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 (my absolute favourite)

35mm f/1.4

A variety of macro and wide lenses, just in case.

For a Wookey Hole wedding, low-light performance isn’t optional – it’s essential. And thankfully, my lovely Sony cameras and prime lenses absolutely delivered.

Friday Night Bingo (and a Surprise Drag Debut)

The celebrations kicked off on Friday night with bingo, hosted by Andy’s fabulous alter ego, Izzy Harjett. A local legend in Norwich, this was the first time many family members had met Izzy – and yes, there were giggles. Lots of them.

I was there to capture the warmth, the nerves, and the laughter. A perfect start to the weekend.

Izzy Harjett entertains the night before Andy and Dan's wedding at Wookey Hole Caves

The Ceremony: The Witch’s Kitchen at Wookey Hole

Andy and Dan were married the following day in The Witch’s Kitchen, rumoured home of the Witch of Wookey Hole herself. Andy had wanted to get married here since childhood, which made it all the more special.

For the Doctor Who fans: this cave featured in Revenge of the Cybermen (1975), and legend says the Witch’s Curse plagued the production with accidents, ghost sightings, and even Elizabeth Sladen needing rescuing from the freezing River Axe.

Given the wedding had already been postponed twice due to COVID, you might wonder…

Did the curse strike?

Nope. Not Even a Little.

The day ran smoothly from start to finish.

All the planning paid off. Fast primes soaked up the ambient light, supported by a single Rotolight Aeos positioned at the back of the caves for gentle fill. The Sony’s low-light performance was indispensable – exactly what you need for a Wookey Hole wedding without turning it into a flash-heavy nightmare.

Adding to the fun, Fantom Events regular James Burgess was on hand to terrify guests in glorious 1970s sci-fi style. There was even a screen-used Stormtrooper present, just in case anyone stepped out of line.

Andy and Dan getting married at Wookey Hole Caves

A Wedding Unlike Any Other

Between the penny arcade, paper-making demonstrations, and the utterly unique setting, this was a wedding unlike anything I’d photographed before. Joyful, unapologetically geeky, and completely them.

Planning Your Own Wookey Hole Wedding?

If you’re planning a Wookey Hole wedding and want photography that embraces the atmosphere, the chaos, and the magic (without taking itself too seriously), I’d love to hear from you.

For geeky, laid-back wedding photography – at Wookey Hole or anywhere else – drop me a line using the button below.