Celia Mannings Photography Testimonials

Celia is a photographic genius! She photographed our wedding last summer, and really put us at ease! My husband and myself were really nervous about having our photo taken, but Celia totally put us at ease and really fitted into the day perfectly! All of our guests commented on how professional and lovely she was, she really did make our special day extra special, and our wedding photos were more then we could have ever dreamed off, we have recommended her to everyone, and now my brother has booked her for his wedding next year as we all loved her and her photography so much! Thank you Celia, a true star! x

When we starting planning our wedding, one of the most important things for us was finding the right photographer to capture the day. We fell in love with the images on Celia's website and needless to say, we now treasure our wonderful album - having Celia weave her magic for our big day was one of the best decisions we have ever made!
Our wedding images tell the whole story of our wonderful day...the emotion, the happiness, the fun and most importantly the love. Words cannot express how fantastic we felt Celia was throughout the whole experience - she did everything she could to capture our day on film, in the way we wanted but with the highest amount of skill and warmth.

We booked Celia Mannings to capture our wedding last March at Hunstrete House. Celia’s photos are extraordinarily beautiful and although I had already seen her work she far exceeded our expectations. She worked tirelessly all day taking literally hundreds of pictures hardly taking a break. After coming back from our honeymoon she took the trip across to see us and spent an evening showing us her amazing work. My family and friends were equally thrilled with her work and I believe some contacted her afterwards for additional work for themselves. Not only would I always highly recommend Celia’s work I couldn’t imagine using another photographer in the future.

I had the pleasure of seeing Ms Mannings work at a recent friends wedding last year.

I must say that the results are absolutely outstanding! She has a real gift when it comes to photography. In addition I can honestly say I have not come across someone who remains the constant professional when undertaking her work. On the day she had to undertake her work with a mix of civilian and Armed Forces guests, Ms Mannings attitude and passion for her art enabled the end results to surpass anything I have seen from wedding photography.

Celia was our photographer at a 2 day wedding party held on Burgh Island in July 2010. We were impressed by her commitment and creative determination to capture the whole 2 and a half days, from the arrivals to the departures, even waking at 5am to make sure the groom and best man's sailing adventure out at sea during a storm was not missed. Our guests were impressed that she knew their names immediately and this was thanks to fabulous planning with Celia and me going through the guest list just weeks before at a pre-wedding shoot at home. As a result, Celia missed nothing and the album we have created is more special than we could have imagined, and we imagined a lot! Thoroughly brilliant, I'd recommend Celia for any special occasion where a real feel is desired with beautiful attention to detail and a friendly personal touch. Thanks Celia. Tracie and Jon xxx.

Celia brings a wealth of experience, expertise & creativity to her photography, clearly evident from the fantastic wedding pictures she produced for my wife and me this year. Not only does she deliver breathtaking results at great value for money, she is fun to be around and a pleasure to work with.

I thought I am not worthy of being treated like a star. I never thought photography and fun could share the same sentence. I am now guilty of being pampered like royalty and being so instantly at ease. I have been caught in raw emotion not the usual strained cheese. Now as I stand in awe at the first picture I’m in that I’ve ever really loved. Somehow, I am worthy. Now I can never accept anything less. Celia is a true professional, absolutely amazing, photography at its best. My wife and I are absolutely thrilled with the pictures that Celia has taken of us. The reviews are all true. I hope Prince William and Kate Middleton have the fortune of having a true Celia Mannings photo shoot as everything else is a mere imitation.

Thank you Celia.

Sam and I got engaged in December and married 7 months later in Bathampton. I was not the slightest bit concerned about finding the right dress or venue as I knew that would all work out but my one big concern was how on earth I was going to find the right photographer. Having spoken to a few friends to had recently tied the knot the one resounding piece of advice that I heard time and time again was not to scrimp on a really good photographer. They all had, stating that at the time it appeared to be the most obvious way to make the biggest saving meanwhile budgets which had been set for other items were exceeding all limits. Needless to say they were all bitterly disappointed and very upset with their wedding photographs.
I can say hand on heart that Celia was the most amazing photographer I could have ever asked for.
I initially came across a collection of Celia’s work at a potential wedding venue we were looking around. The venue was no good but I kept flicking through Celia’s photos and was struck by how beautifully natural they all were. They were not posed in any way and every photo I looked at had something very special about it. She had captured a real moment in time. They say a picture can tell a thousand words and Celia certainly has the ability to do that in the click on a camera button.
Celia, Sam and I all met in the beginning of the year for a coffee and she took us through her portfolio of photos and we chatted at ease about our wedding day, the type of wedding it would be and all the little bits of detail that we would be having. She was very engaging and was so easy to chat to. We spoke about the type of wedding photos we would like and indeed the ones we were not keen on. Photography is something very dear to my heart as I also dabble in a bit myself so I was delighted to see and to hear about her work and quite how passionate she was about it. My mind was made up from the first 3 minutes of chatting to Celia. Sam, like most men wanted to go away and think about it as, like our friends he thought that perhaps the photography was an area we could cut back on. After not much persistence I managed to convey to him the importance of the right photographer for our wedding day. When the day has passed and all you have to remember are your memories and photos I wanted to make sure that the photographs were something I could look back on with tears of joy, laughter and happiness.
We received the photographs yesterday, 2 days after having got back on honeymoon. How wonderful to have received that that quickly. I cried a lot! Tears of happiness I hasten to add. I don’t know how she does it but she managed to encapsulate so many wonderful special moments. There was not a single person at our wedding that did not have their photograph taken and I am sure they didn’t even realise that were being photographed. That is the wonderful thing about Celia’s photography it’s so non obtrusive.
Sam and I are SO pleased with our wedding photos. I could not have asked for anything more. They are perfect in every way. So now, when people ask me what my one piece of advice is when organising a wedding I say, finding the right photographer. Do not try and to scrimp on your wedding photography, you get what you pay for.
Celia, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. No doubt you will have a lot of people coming your way as I have been singing your praises to everyone that will listen.

Celia's work is absolutely stunning. She captures emotions in beautiful pictures that will give you goose bumps, guaranteed.

A Wedding day speeds by and is gone before you can blink. The moments that you look back on and remember are captured perfectly by Celia's photographic art. The spirit of the day can live on through out your life, as Celia does not take pictures, she takes priceless windows into the best days of your lives.

I find Celia professional and friendly and she knows how to put you at ease. To see the real people in the pictures, their personalities, their emotions, then Celia comes highly recommended.

Celia photographed my Seventy Birthday Ceilidh and she succeeded in catching all the party atmosphere of dancing with young and not-so-young thoroughly enjoying themselves.

More than that, her candid photographs of family and friends delighted all who saw them and there was more than one comment about "the best photo I've ever had of me".

All in all I have a wonderful souvenir of a milestone in my life thanks to Celia.

Hi Celia,



Thanks once again for all your help and for capturing our day so perfectly. The feedback form our families and friends has been fantastic regarding your pictures, with very much love, Amanda

I was a bridesmaid at a wedding and I really like Celia's photography because you don't have to pose - you can just relax and you look lovely.
I helped Celia with some of her photographes and helped to look after the smaller bridemaides who were four and five and tickled them to make them laugh.
I liked it best when Celia took the photos of the bride and groom dancing because she captured the movement of the dancers- it looked very natural and fun. By Megan, aged 10.

A talented, dedicated, caring professional who is an absolute delight to work with and that comes from an individual who
has never liked having her photo taken!
I first met Celia 2 years ago whilst scouring wedding fayres. What struck me immediately about Celia, was how easy she was
to talk to, down to earth, enthusiastic and passionate about her work yet also interested and caring about the 'Bride and Groom'
and their Big Day.
I'm delighted to say that Celia agreed to photograph our wedding and she proceeded to turn two individuals who were uncomfortable
in front of the camera, into a beaming happy couple, relaxed on their wedding day - a revelation! I could relax on the day as I was
completely at ease with Celia (even in my dressing gown!) and confident of the work she could produce, thanks to the pre-wedding
lifestyle shoot. Other friends I know have not been so lucky with their photographer; what a shame on such a special day.
We arrived back from Honeymoon in a daze; did it all really happen? Could we remember anything? Cue Celia!
Celia came round to our house with a slideshow of our wedding photos. Every moment, shared look, expression and detail of the day
had been beautifully captured by her - I nearly cried - there was my day being played back to me as a story through photos - what
an amazing talent! Not just "and this is us posed by the church/car/with bridesmaids/parents..." but the real emotions of the day.
You work hard to plan your Big Day; attention to detail etc and here was someone that appreciated and reflected it back both in her
ethos and also her photos.
Our finished album is a fantastic keepsake that I will be delighted to show anyone and look at again and again! Thank you Celia.

Hi Celia,



WOW I’m speechless they look incredible.



My only concern now is choosing which ones to have!!!



Thanks ever so much Celia.

Dearest Celia,



Thank you so much for all

your efforts & hard work on our wedding photographs.



We are so excited to see the finished album, & know it will be absolutely

beautiful and of the highest standard. You really do take the loveliest photographs,

and have managed to capture so many memorable moments perfectly!



I have to say it was also such a pleasure to have you there on the day –

I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else! And the guests all adored you too!!



With lots of love

& thanks

Celia, the album is absolutely amazing and we both love it; you have done such a great job. Just would like to say thank you so much for everything that you have done for us; you were amazing on the day and the fact that you came and took time out to meet all our family is something we will never forget. It has been a pleasure working with you and just hope that we don't loose touch.

How does one put into words the exceptional quality of work produced by Celia Mannings.



We were indeed fortunate that our daughter chose this exceptionally gifted photographer to record her Wedding Day.



During the speeches our "New" Son in Law presented both sets of parents with a canvas print of the happy couple from the life style shoot, (pre wedding) which was a delightful gift we all love.



The wedding Album, like no other we have seen before & so beautifully presented, tells the wonderful story beginning with an early morning "Mist" over the venue continues throughout the day and evening and almost until close of day. How many photographers capture so much & are willing to give this amount of "Their" time. Nothing was too much trouble.

Another surprise we were shown by Celia was, to capture the "Mood" most eloquently, a few photographs were produced in Black & White.



Celia was prepared to spend time explaining & showing the difference these adjustments can make in certain circumstances - always looking for the best way to present a picture to tell the story.

This lady and her work are a sheer delight

I first met Celia in May 2009 when she was the photographer at a wedding I attended at Burgh Island. She is the complete opposite of the usual pushy, intrusive type of photographer one encounters at some weddings. I hardly noticed that she was there at all, but she spent the whole day mingling unobtrusively with the guests taking beautiful natural photographs. I was so impressed with her stunning pictures, so later in the year I asked her if she would photograph my five grandchildren. She came to the house and spent the whole afternoon with us and I now have a beautiful large canvas on my wall of the children running together in the garden which gives me enormous pleasure. She is not only a very talented photographer but a lovely person who we now count as a friend.

Celia came to our house in Buckinghamshire in August 2009 for a lifestyle shoot. We had a lovely relaxed afternoon whilst Celia took literally hundreds of photographs of my 3 children and my 2 young nephews. She put us all at ease and my children enjoyed every minute. They were photographed whilst playing indoors and outside in the garden giving each other piggy backs, running and playing on the swings. My youngest nephew (aged 22 months) was somewhat challenging to photograph but Celia was totally unphased and utterly patient and eventually managed to capture him looking angelic. I am absolutely delighted with the beautiful photographs of my children and they have been much admired by all who see them. Celia is very talented and I would whole –heartedly recommend her.

Celia Mannings' work is superb.

She goes way beyond the usual formula of picking up those personal touches which mean something to every bride - the shoes before they are worn, the flowers before the service, the bridesmaids before they are "made up". She captures the EMOTIONS that are seen in the faces of all the guests. I was particularly impressed with the way she discretely waited for those all-important moments (the rude joke, during the best man's speech, the fond look from father to bride, the words of thanks from the groom and his love for his new wife), then CAUGHT them!

Celia is also discerning enough to know which people enjoy the camera's focus, and which do not! She is able to portray a PERSONALITY through her work.

The album she has created re-tells the day, and as I look through the photos, I re-live every memory with pride, pleasure and love!

This is especially important for me, as I live in Australia, and do not get to see my daughter and her husband very often. ALL of my Aussie friends have commented on Celia's stunning work, without which, our memories and emotions would fade.

Thank you, Celia for this priceless treasure!

I married Liam Collins on Wednesday 5th August 2009, after 2 years of meticulous planning. We searched for several months to find the right photographer and found it to be quite a difficult task. I always wanted to have the photographer at the wedding from the very beginning to the very end, and few people were willing to stay for as long as I would have liked. That's why I was so pleased to meet Celia - her photographs are beautiful, the quality of her albums is outstanding and she is a really lovely person. We got on so well and I never worried that she would irritate me on the wedding day - I could foresee myself getting stressed in the morning and the last thing I wanted was another person to irritate me. I first spoke to Celia in February 2008, 18 months before the wedding, and we communicated so much in those few months. I never felt that I was being a nuisance with my endless questions, and at one point, when I asked to have another look at the albums, we went out for a walk together! (I don't think this is a normal part of her service, I have an obsession with dogs and was very excited to meet hers!)

The first time we got to see Celia "at work" was when we went for our engagement shoot in April 2009. I'd been a little bit worried about it, I don't mind having my picture taken but I find it hard not to do a cheesy grin, and I didn't know if I'd be able to fight the urge. Within a few minutes though, Celia had shown me a few photos on her camera's screen and I was reassured - they looked how I look normally, but better! Seriously, I don't know how she does it! When we saw the engagement shoot photos we were really impressed, she'd managed to get so many of us and (in an entirely not bigheaded way) we looked amazing!

On the wedding day, Celia arrived at about 9am (I had no concept of time on the morning of the wedding, but I know it was before breakfast.) While I was getting ready she took photos of everything: I showed her into the room I was using which was filled with 2 years worth of wedding junk, and she took photos of everything! She also took loads of photos of my bridesmaids, and they all seemed to relax around her - that was something I'd worried about as several of them had said they weren't comfortable with someone taking their photo when they were in their pyjamas and looking scruffy. I felt that Celia was always around, joining in the fun of getting ready, but also doing an amazing job of calming me down when I got stressed. I'd decided from the outset that I wanted Celia to sit down and eat with us, and I'm pleased she did. She's very intuitive and skilled at understanding people, and the photos that she took of our friends and families are amazing. We saw so many photographers who could get good photos of the bride and groom and details, but not of the guests - Celia took good photos of everyone and everything. We've seen our photos now and are waiting for our album - we hardly had to wait any time at all for them to be ready, I have never known someone to work so hard! They're all stunning and we had a real job narrowing it down. We're both so pleased that we chose Celia to take our wedding photos - I am absolutely confident that we made the right decision. Our photographs are beautiful and I know I will be looking at them hundreds of times. Liam and I were so happy on our wedding day, and looking at the photos will bring that feeling back if we are ever feeling blue. And on top of the beautiful photographs, I am pleased that I was able to meet Celia - she is so kind and thoughtful and undoubtedly the best wedding photographer.

My father heard about Celia’s photography through one of his golfing friends and before we knew it I was meeting Celia for coffee. Immediately I took to Celia’s relaxed and informal style - something that was going to be very important on the day as I knew she would be with me throughout the whole of it.
Celia took a lot of time prior to the wedding in preparing every last detail from where the sun would be at certain times of the day through to the names of all our family and friends. She made it her job to know the wedding location thoroughly so she knew where to take the best photographs. It was a manic day with everyone wanting a piece of us but Celia took charge so she could take all the group and individual photographs we had requested and in military precision and timing! As a result Celia worked so hard, starting very early and staying with us until the first dance - which was late! So many of our guests commented on how hard Celia worked and how in control she was.
The follow up was superb. Celia created a ‘show’ for us to screen all our photographs and helped us put our album together so as to flow like a story. Celia goes the extra mile to produce the best quality images.
For me, I was always keen to have photographs that showed emotion and detail, colour and spontaneity. Celia captured it all for us. In addition Celia was just a wonderful calming influence throughout the day for me despite being the hard worked photographer! I would never use anyone else for an occasion where I wanted exceptional photographs….and memories.

We first met Celia Mannings in 2006 while fund-raising for our son’s forthcoming charity challenge. Celia didn’t hesitate to support us, both by participating in the fund-raising but also taking photographs of our son for some publicity material. The results were outstanding. Celia was so natural and friendly that our son was completely relaxed and it showed in the photos.
Surprisingly, there was no hint of him feeling self-conscious. Since then my husband and I decided to treat ourselves to photographs of all three sons for our Christmas present as we didn’t have any pictures of them as young men since they moved away from the family home. Celia managed to put them all at their ease and produce some wonderful shots of them individually and together. Not only are they great photographs but they capture the different personalities of each of them perfectly. Celia also willingly took some stunning shots of our oldest son and his girlfriend, who happened to drop in while Celia was with us. Our only problem was choosing which photos to have from the large number taken, but Celia’s advice and approach to the viewing makes that bit easy and fun as well.

Celia’s enthusiasm and passion is infectious and her approach so relaxed and down-to-earth that the photos reflect the whole atmosphere of the “shoot”. Actually, it’s a bit misleading to call it a shoot as it feels more like a visit from a good friend who happens to be very talented with her camera. Our photographs are the best Christmas present ever – the one on our bedroom
wall, of our three sons together, makes me smile every morning. We would not hesitate to book Celia again for any future photography. The whole process was easy and fun and produced results that could not have been bettered – why would we ask anyone else when Celia has so quickly become a friend and exceeded our expectations with her exceptional photography.

When my then fiancé (now husband!!) and I were planning our wedding, picking suppliers was one of the things we worried about the most. It’s such a momentous day in your life, you want to make sure everything is perfect and that no-one lets you down - we truly struck lucky when we found Celia Mannings!

From day one when we met Celia at a local wedding Fayre we knew we had made the right choice. Looking at the photographs she had brought along with her - I think we may have been the first people to cry at such an early stage!!

The lifestyle shoot before hand completely eased any fears we had about having our picture taken and Celia was a big part of that. She created a reassuring atmosphere and we both relaxed and enjoyed the afternoon! The pictures themselves blew us both away! What made them even more special was that she completely captured us as a couple.

One of the main things that completely stood out about Celia is not only how happy we were with her service, but also the comments that we received from other guests. I didn’t expect other people to notice the difference in service like we did, but for weeks afterwards we were constantly getting comments regarding how lovely she was, how nice it was to be at a wedding and not to have photo orders barked at them and how she really fitted into the wedding, rather than just being someone on the outside looking in. I think that is a true testament to Celia’s approach and why she gets such amazing results. She knows people and has an eye for capturing moments that sometimes you yourself couldn’t even see how important they would become. Some of the most stunning pictures that we have are the ones that are of hugs between family, someone wiping away a tear when they thought no-one was paying attention (Celia was!!) or when me and my new husband shared a glance that completely encapsulated how truly happy we were.

I would thoroughly recommend Celia time again and time again!! Not only for the fantastic pictures that she has taken for us, but also for the service we received from day one – Celia was part of our wedding experience as a whole. She was an absolute joy to have at our wedding and we won’t be able to thank her enough for the beautiful memories that she has given us.

I first met Celia at a local wedding fair and from our first discussions I knew that Celia would be the right photographer for our wedding! We had a photo shoot prior to our wedding which gave us the opportunity to get used to being phographed and to get to know Celia and for Celia to understand more about us and our requirements. I feel that Celia gives a personal service which is great on a day that means so much to you - as a wedding does. Celia is very passionate about what she does and this rubs off on others too. We were really pleased with the photos which were a good mix of details, people shots and the venues. The photos tel a story of the day and I canʼt wait to see the album because the quality of print and design arelike nothing I saw anywhere else! I would definately recommend Celia!

Like most people my husband and I are not fans of having our photograph taken, so we were looking for a photographer who would make us and out guests feel at ease, capture the essence of our special day without dominating, and make us look fantastic (of course). Celia delivered on all counts. She did a pre-wedding shoot with us that not only helped us to relax in front of the camera, but also gave us some precious photographs of our six-week old son. Before our big day Celia met with us to make sure all of the details that we wanted to be captured would be. She also visited the venue before hand to make sure she was familiar with the layout and so that she could plan where to take the group shot of our guests. The resulting pictures and album that Celia put together were stunning. Celia’s work really does ooze quality, so if quality is what you are looking for I would highly recommend Celia as your wedding photographer.

Having considered not getting a professional photographer in for our wedding on 28th December 2007, I am now so relieved to have met Celia at a wedding fair. First impressions of her were that she was extremely passionate about what she does and was genuinely interested in getting to know me, my fiancé and any other key members of our wedding party.
She came to visit us prior to the wedding at our home, where she could get to know us and our family (we both have 1 child each from previous relationships). Her professionalism shone as she put both us and our children aged 9 & 10 at ease over coffee and cake!
On the day she arrived and just snapped away whilst chatting to me and my nearly stepdaughter as we got ready, then disappeared to ʼthe menʼs campʼ and did the same there. She knew all the names of our wedding party as she had asked at the pre-wedding visit and had looked at photos we had of our family.
Celia has the most amazing ability to make everyone around her feel relaxed and comfortable as she chats and snaps, thus producing the most wonderful, natural pictures.
Being able to view the pictures on Celiaʼs website was brilliant for our families as it gave them the opportunity to browse them at their leisure.
The finished product was just exquisite, a most wonderful record of the day. I particularly liked the pictures she took of various items of relevance throughout the day such as the favours on the tables, my shoes, signs from the venue and she even took pictures of our childrenʼsʼ personalised baubles on the christmas tree. These all helped capture the day perfectly. I would definitely recommend Celia to all my friends both for weddings and for family life style shoots.

I commissioned Celia to photograph my family so that we had some family portraits and she was excellent. Her work is top class and her approach is very refreshing. She really knows how to make people feel at ease and how to take the stress out of a family photo session. She even managed to get my parents to look relaxed!

We first met Celia back in early 2006 when she was just starting out in Wedding photography. From that very first meeting she felt like a friend and made us feel at ease. She was not our official photographer but came along to our wedding in June 2006 to help build up her portfolio. She was
there from the very start of the day through to the evening and captured some truly beautiful images. Celia is one of the most inspirational photographers I have met and instinctively knows the right photographs to take. Her pirctures are exquisite and show not only a personʼs image but also their personality and emotions. She captured every moment of the day, from the tears of joy when I was given a surprise gift from my husband before I left for the church, to the joy and happiness of all our family and friends and then to the fun and laughter at the reception. Every last detail and smile was captured and we have to thank Celia for giving us such a wonderful record of our day. All our family and friends remarked at what a lovely person Celia is and how well she fitted in with the day, it was just like having anouther guest. On meeting Celia and seeing the
beautiful photographs she took at our wedding, both my cousin and our friends have had Celia take their wedding photogrpahs. Both of these weddings were not traditinal and yet she captured the essence of both the weddings in exquisite detail. I can not recommend Celia enough, she is
passionate about her photography and truly cares about your day. We are so pleased the Celia came to our wedding as we cherish her pictures more than the official photographs. Celia gave us one of the best gifts ever - our
memories in print. Thank you.

Celia is a wonderful photographer - she always manages to capture peopleʼs faces beautifully, and her photos are full of life and character. I used her pictures regularly in my magazine - she always came up with the goods, and frequently gave us a terrific cover shot. She is also wonderful at putting people at ease and finding the angle to show them at their best. Sheʼd be my first choice as a portrait or wedding photographer for my family.

We had a mad wedding that was billed ʼBollywood meets Riverdanceʼ! We wanted a photographer who had an artistc streak and could pick up and photograph all the colourful events in a natural way. Celia did not let us down! We were amazed at the quality of her images. She has such a fantastic eye for detail, and yet during the day, we were not even aware that she was there. Some of the photoʼs she took could easily be displayed in a gallery.... we thouroughly recommend her!