I’m very familiar with this wedding venue. I’ve photographed many celebrations here so I know my way around very well. It’s a stunning location and Emily and Adam decided it would be the perfect place to host their day.
Bridal prep in the Cristal suite
Emily enjoyed a relaxed start to her day, beginning with hair and makeup with her bridesmaids in the Cristal suite. This suite provided the wedding party with plenty of space and lounge areas, as well as a fridge prepped with orange juice and fizz to ensure a completely stress-free morning.
Groom’s prep in The Lodge
Across the grounds, the groom and his party began the wedding day in The Lodge. The Lodge is a wood cabin, set in the grounds of West Tower, and is built to impress. There is a TV, gaming set up (with FIFA), seating area, and a fridge to keep the beers cold. With such an ideal set up Adam, the groom was able to calm any nerves while waiting for his future wife by having fun with his closest friends.
Finishing touches in the Bridal suite
Following the all-important prep, Emily went up to the bridal suite to put on her dress, ready for the wedding ceremony. She’d mentioned to me how she was always looking for the perfect princess dress, so I made sure to get a shot where her dress was centre stage.
Wedding ceremony
Despite opting for a summer wedding, Emily and Adam chose to host their wedding day ceremony indoors, of course not wanting to risk any unfortunate weather surprises! The ceremony was hosted in the ballroom, a large hall with huge, light-catching windows framing views over the gardens. Setting up the ballroom with classy, white and gold floral decorations, Emily and Adam customised the hall to make their perfect ceremony space. After the ‘I do’s’ the newlyweds exited to a burst of confetti, and enjoyed a walk in the grounds, during which I was able to photograph their special and natural first moments as a married couple, (while the wedding guests made use of the ice cream cart!).
Wedding breakfast
The wedding breakfast took place in a beautifully decorated ballroom, and while the wedding guests enjoyed some delicious food, Emily and Adam had some fun surprises waiting! Towards the end of the meal, one of the waitresses burst into song, shocking the wedding guests and kicking off the evening entertainment. The singer got the guests up on their feet, singing and dancing and getting the party started, ready for the evening reception.
The couple enjoyed an intimate first dance which quickly merged into a remix with ABBA’s ‘Gimme, gimme gimme’ to get all guests onto the dancefloor to close the night.
Final surprises
As the day drew to a close and the wedding reception ended, Emily and Adam took their evening guests outside for one last surprise: a fireworks display! They made for some beautiful shots.
Get in touch
Whether it was the ice cream cart, the singing waiters, or the fireworks display, Emily and Adam gave their guests a celebration to remember, and it was an honour to be able to document their big day. If you’re looking for a wedding photographer to do the same for your special day, please do get in touch!
