Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the gorgeous Peckforton Castle, to photograph the lovely Ellie and Fadie’s wedding day. Built in the 19th century, this jaw-dropping castle, along with its beautiful grounds provided the perfect location for this couple’s fairytale wedding. Maintaining its former glory, Peckforton Castle boasts many of its original features, such as the stone archways, ornate tapestries, marble floors, and stunning stained glass windows. Deep in the Cheshire countryside, the castle is set on an impressive 36,000 acres of land, a rare and beautiful sight that provided the perfect backdrop to document Ellie and Fadie’s special day.
Bridal preparations in the Lodge.
The morning for the bridal party took place in the lodge- a spacious and picturesque setting- as the large windows filled the room with beaming sunshine on the wedding morning. This paired with the high ceilings of the lodge captures long hours of perfect natural light, which is always a treat for myself as the wedding photographer, as it allowed me to focus on catching unposed, intimate moments between the bridal party- without having to worry about adjusting my camera settings. The lodge was once the gatehouse to this incredible wedding venue, so is situated towards the front of the grounds, providing the bride with a quiet and peaceful space to prepare for her big day.
As we move further into the stunning grounds, we will find the groom, along with his wedding team, getting ready in one of the many rooms in the main castle. Similarly to the lodge, the hotel rooms provide an elegant, beautifully lit backdrop- again making it easy for me to capture the special moments between the family.
Ceremony in the Great Hall
Further into the day, the wedding ceremony was conducted in the Great Hall, a room that truly invites gasps and jaw drops when you first enter. Boasting beautiful archways, high ceilings, huge windows, gorgeous tapestries and even an overlooking balcony, this hall entirely captures the essence of the luxury castle. The room was dressed up with impressive white florals, and this working with the dramatic, medieval architecture made for a truly majestic setting.
I was lucky enough for this wedding to get the chance to work with Herve Gillet, a long time friend of mine, and another widely experienced wedding photographer. With the job shared between the two of us, it gave us the added advantage of being able to capture unposed, natural moments, displaying two angles of the wedding service. This collaboration also allowed us to make use of the stunning balcony feature – getting snaps of all the guests dress to impress, of course while still focusing on the ceremony itself.
Food and drink in the Drawing room.
We moved with the wedding party into the Drawing room, yet another astonishing feature room in the castle. The Drawing room is the largest area of the luxury castle, filled with ornate chandeliers and red velvet drapes to frame the windows, this room encourages a warm, romantic atmosphere, perfect for this lovely couple’s day! Here, the couple, as well as their guests, enjoyed a midday meal and drinks reception while taking in the style and beauty of the room.
Relaxed portraits around the castle
Following the meal, myself and the newlyweds took to the woodlands surrounding the castle, making use of the grounds as the perfect backdrop for some casual portrait photos. The couple were blessed with glorious sun on the day, so we were able to easily capture the true fairy tale experience that Ellie and Fadie were looking for.
Party and Belly dancing
As the evening began, the whole party moved back into the newly transformed great hall – freshly kitted out with a big central dance floor and ideal party lighting. The evening entertainment is kicked off with an exciting performance from a belly dancer- raising the energy of the guests for the night ahead. To close her performance, the dancer invited all of the guests to share the floor with her- kicking the night off with a bang and a full dance floor.
Quick photo with the Tall Toastmaster
On this occasion, I had the pleasure of working along Stefan aka The Tall Toastmaster. We couldn’t resist grabbing a quick photo together.
Ellie and Fadie’s wedding at Peckforton Castle was a beautiful celebration of love in a suitably beautiful setting. It was an honour to document their special day and capture their celebrations. If you’re planning your wedding and looking for a photographer to capture your love and celebrations, please do get in touch!
