The wedding of Del & Chris at the North Lakes Hotel, Penrith.

Many things dictate how you shoot a wedding day. Weather is one factor and also after a consultation with the couple to be photographed, what they want to get from the photography of their wedding day. Del and Chris were very happy to let me call the shots on their day and also to let me decide on the locations for photography at the hotel.

Working at the North Lakes means that because of its location, you are always trying to avoid photographs that have the nearby M6 in the background and there are two ways to do this. The first involves shooting in the traditional locations at the hotel and the second involves blurring it out to the point where it is invisible. After a recce of the hotel which is the home of one of my favorite wedding fairs held each January (one for the diary) I decided that there was more to the gardens than meets the eye. I set about on the day exploring some newer angles in some well trodden locations and to good effect.

During the group shots Elliot (Chris and Dels’ son) ran into a tree giving himself a rather nice shiner in the process, so we had to pause for ten mins while we got something cold to put on his cheek. This gave me time to move my kit inside to avoid the rain and I shot some very nice groups in the dining room instead. Sometimes compromise can be a blessing.

It was another outing for my new Magneflash though which performed admirably. The first dance was Islands by the Amazing XX and for a couple that are all about the music they listen to and the festivals they attend I thought that this was the perfect choice. Here we go, a beautiful wedding for an old friend that ensured that we were older friends by the end of it. Thankyou for allowing me to capture the events of your wedding day, It was epic!

Hairdressers on the morning before a wedding in lakeland
Just starting to get ready I met Fay and Del at the hairdressers to catch some early nerves.
friends getting ready for a wedding at the North Lakes.
Getting ready with some friends, Del didn’t really show any nerves. Loved the shot of her doing her lipstick in the mirror.
Blog about wedding photography at some of the best hotels in the Lake District. The North Lakes.
Dels’ dress was from the wedding Warehouse in Carlisle and looked amazing.
Nervous bride at the North Lakes Hotel in Penrith.
I think this is where I shifted into high gear as the room that Del was getting ready in was more of a meeting room than a nice bedroom. It was rather hard to take a bad picture of Del though.
Loving the flooring. Very executive wedding
The best thing about the room that Del got ready in was the floor… Very Tron.
Alternative wedding image at the North Lakes Hotel.
This is one of my favorite images of the year so far and is splashed all over my new flyers. It is very different.

After a mess about with the girls I decided to get ahead of them and head around to the room where the civil ceremony was to be held. With friends in the audience it was great to see so many smiling faces. There were a few children there too which is great as they are much easier to photograph than adults. I got a great shot of Elliot pre-tree bash too.

Amazing Harpist in Penrith photographer.
The amazingly talented harpist who was there to provide the entrance music for Del.
Page boy at a civil partnership in Penrith.
Elliot looked as nervous as Chris!
Photography of a wedding in Cumbrias Eden Valley
Fay, Dels’ bridesmaid looked lovely too and it was left to Ken to walk Del down the aisle. A really nice moment.
Marriages and weddings in Penrith are always fabulous.
We aren’t really allowed to shoot during a ceremony, but using a silent camera allowed me to grab this shot.
Funny moment during a wedding at the North Lakes.
Did someone say something funny?
Beautiful bride image taken in Penrith.
Yes Del has very cool tattoos. She also photographs really well too.
Luxury wedding photography in Cumbria and south west scotland.
The gardens are really nice at the North Lakes but you do have to hunt for good angles. This was taken by lying down on my side.
Funny wedding image taken at the North Lakes
Elliot is really funny. This was a result of me sticking my tongue out at him… Hilarious.
No sign of a road in this neck of the woods but a lovely group shot.
The haze behind is the rain heading in. I think that its rather effective.
Giggling bride on her wedding day.
These two always have a giggle.
Self picture of a bride and her friend
That will be on facebook in 20 seconds.
Wedding guests natural reportage images in the Lakes
Natural images are important too to tell the story of a wedding day.
Rock n roll bridal image
Had to produce something a little more Rock ‘n’ Roll for Del. This was shot right at the end of the daytime celebrations.

As the nights events started I arrived back after picking up some giant sparklers from a friend. These were to be used to create a beautiful night lit image of Del and Chris. They worked a treat as you will see below.

First dance to the beautiful Islands by the xx
An awesome first dance to the beautiful ‘Islands’ by the xx. I do photograph better when it is not Lone Star ‘amazed’ as the first dance.
Sparkler image of bride and groom.
I knocked the focus out intentionally here to create a softer image. What is testament to the the equipment I use is that this shot was lit only with sparklers!

Thanks again both, your wedding was amazing to cover and the fact that you were up for all of my mad ideas paid off in the end.

The wedding of Matt and Carrie at the Roundthorn, Penrith….. I knew instantly.

A lot of the weddings that I photograph come from afar to get married in the Lake District and Eden Valley. Photographing these weddings is great and always varied, but it is always nice to do a wedding for a local couple. Carrie and Matt originally booked me for one date and venue and then booked me for another date and another venue. It was luck or maybe even fate that allowed the second date to be free, but I think every photographer has a date that is free throughout the peak season that just doesn’t book… Almost like it is meant for a higher purpose but usually ends up being a day for a barbecue or a trip to the Metro. This day and this date was meant for Matt and Carrie.

Karma!

I do quite a few weddings at the Roundthorn each year and there are several sneaky places around within a couple of miles that lend themselves to moving a bit off piste with photography. This time I chose with Simon from Courting Whale an abandoned quarry, popular with dog walkers and the like… We prayed for sunshine and got it. The resulting images were perfect. The resulting film from Courting Whale was also perfect we were blown away with how it turned out, like schoolboys finding a massive conker… The link to Matt and Carries trailer is at the end of the images. Simon will have to teach me to embed things properly.

I am banging on about this a bit now, so here it is, The wedding of Carrie and Matt, on the fringe of the Lakes, On a dappled sunny day, up on a hill with plenty of champagne and dancing.

Wedding prep at the North Lakes Hotel Wedding photographers at the Roundthorn Penrith Roundthorn photographs Weddings Photography in the Eden Valley Wedding Photographers Penrith and Keswick

 

Carrie and Matt Couring Whale

 

Emma and Phil: Inn on the Lake… Kindly sponsored by Jägermeister

Wow, Emma can dance, a lot of the time it seems too. It also seems that the outside weddings at Inn on the Lake have really become popular. The pagoda come bandstand that Gary and the team have installed next to the Ullswater shoreline is fantastic. Not to mention the addition of a new Orangery, phase one of redevelopment at the Inn on the Lake which will make shooting weddings there much easier, as it is only for hotel guests not associated with the wedding, so no more ‘are they or aren’t they?’ at the wedding moments in the future.

Taking everything into account and reflecting on Emma and Phils’ wedding got me to thinking. Mainly about the people who I have photographed at the Inn before but also about the kind of people that Inn on the Lake may attract in the future. Every bride and groom there, have been easy going and relaxed on their wedding day. Now, I don’t know if this is down to the sort of couple that Inn on the Lake attracts or possibly some other phenomenon, (not barometric pressure or what they had for tea!) like location? There really is nowhere else like it and stacks of venues huddle into the Lake District and photographing at them is really amazing but Inn on the Lake seems to be the one that I come back to, like a worn in pair of loafers or my wifes’ spaghetti bolognese. Inn on the Lake is the only one where I compromise little and create lots.

Emma was slightly nervous on the morning and Phil was really really not. I wanted time alone on the morning of our wedding to take stock, but Emma and Phil wanted to be surrounded by those closest to them. Several events followed which made the day an awesome portfolio of photographs and a lot of fun to boot. To name but a few: An excellent best mans speech, a more than understanding registrar from the Penrith office, Some Jaegerbombs and a bride and groom who were as natural in front of the camera as they were with each other. Half way through the day I was happy with the results and by the end of the day I was ecstatic.

So… Emma danced lots, including as she was being married by the registrar. Everyone had an a-m-a-z-i-n-g time and confetti seemed to be thrown at every corner of the hotel. Phil got through his speech and the first dance involved everyone at the wedding and really made the walls of the Ramblers shake. Job done…

wedding photographers in the lake district, ullswaterwedding photography from inn on the lake in glenriddinginn on the lake weddings and eventsweddings photographed by the lake districts wedding photographerawesome rock 'n' roll images from a cumbrian wedding at inn on the lakecumbrias finest photographer at inn opn the lake, glenridding

The wedding of Helen and Steve at Morland House – Another level.

Neglect is a terrible thing and I have been so busy I have really neglected to post anything new. I will be swift to rectify this in the clear air that is the next fortnight. Helen and Steve, wow. What a brilliant day, so well themed and personal, made up of elements from where they first met to a garden party styling that suited their personalities perfectly. When someone puts their stamp on a wedding like this, you can’t fail to produce a brilliant portfolio.

Helen and Steve first met at Morland House, so as they now do weddings with space for a massive marquee, it seemed appropriate for their wedding to take place there. The grounds are staggering for a start, a beautiful walled garden and breathtaking winding paths that lead down to the river… It is a true photographers playground.

Thanks also go out to Simon Love at Courting Whale for producing a video that really is mind blowing to go alongside the images from the day which can be seen in an older blog post. Thanks also go out to Bakerwood for providing an awesome venue on a lovely spring day (thankfully), so enjoy the portfolio, big as it may be. Selecting the images to go into the blog was hard I shot so many on the day. These are my selection..

A fabulous venue at Morland House near Centre Parcs and Whinfell ForestGreat wedding images from Cumbria photography.

 

A beautiful wedding at Morland Church

 

Photography in CUmbria and south west scotland

 

 

Wedding photography at Morland house near Penrith, Cumbria

 

 

Why photograph weddings on film?

A conversation that I had on a blog recently with a friend of mine who has a studio in Bowness-on-Windermere set me off thinking about why I still shoot on film as well as digital. I thought I might clarify this for anyone wanting to book me to photograph their wedding and also add my two cents to the wider debate on film vs digital etc….

Digital images are synthetic versions of their film counterparts, so a digital image is one that seeks to replicate and improve upon the older film process that we used to use to create our photographs. Film is an organic or largely chemical process which works on the same principal as digital of having something behind a focused glass lens to capture an image of whatever your camera is pointed at.

vintage lake district wedding photography
Film: fuji 400 pro vc: camera Nikon F4: 85mm lens.

I found that when post processing my digital images on the Mac that i was striving to achieve a filmic look from the effects that I was employing on the images, bearing in mind that this period was after I had already invested significantly into digital technology, learned how to use it and done my Adobe Photoshop accreditation.

The reality of the situation was that if I shot film, I would make my images look exactly how I wanted them to look in camera. This would mean that whatever came out of the dark room to be scanned would be the finished image, plus a little retouching for imperfections. However……….. There is no denying that digital has its advantages of which the chief advantage is cost. Memory cards can be used for an indefinite period as long as you format and keep them clean, to clean a sensor on a digital camera costs around £35 every two or three months of heavy usage.

Film costs around £7 for 36 images once chemicals to process the film and scanning time at the computer are taken into account.

award winning wedding photography in the lake district
Shot on a Nikon F4, Ilford HP5 400 film with a 50mm F1.4 lens.

I decided that I would work on a percentage at all of my weddings from 2010 up to the weddings that I will be shooting in 2012 and 2013. That split would be 80-20. 80% digital and 20% film, carrying two cameras at once with the digital backup in my bag so I can always shoot on either, freeing me up to shoot the images that I want to shoot on film and the bulk digitally.

There is no doubt that I am an oddity in this respect as far as how I work with the two mediums together and I can find no-one locally doing anything similar or even considering using film based alternatives to digital.

Digital rules the roost in wedding photography because the technology allows us to do things that with film were impossible, so film has been left behind with only Kodak pushing the technology and Ilford in financial trouble and Fuji struggling to justify opening its plant to produce the stuff.

The future for film looks grim……

Ilford xp2
shot on a olympus om40, kodak tri-x 400 film and a 50mm f1.8 lens

Does this then mean that images like these will become a thing of the past? Shoe boxes of photos in the cupboard will no longer exist because they are all online in our cloud storage and film cameras will become obsolete with expensive ones going to museums and collectors and the cheap ones going to the dump? For all intents and purposes, yes is the answer. Film will die eventually, no matter how many resurgences it goes through as its production cost will become astronomical. A cost that will be passed onto us as photographers which we can little afford.

wedding photography in penrith
shot on a canon eos 50e with a 70-200 f2.8 lens. Ilford fp4 100 film.

So we have resolved that film is expensive and because it is no longer a popular medium, the emulsions used to capture images on film are at least ten years old and it takes a lot of time to develop and get right……

 

But just look at it.

The range of tones that film can capture, the subtle way that with care you can make light fall off a subject, its muted but accurate colours  and the sharpness and clarity with which it delivers black and white make film completely unique.

Its not about delivering an image that your clients are happy with but rather an image that your clients are ecstatic with, being able to reproduce images from negatives that are real and have a permanence, with a tactile finish to each negative and print.

From my own point of view the smell of chemicals used to develop the film at home will be a memory that my little girl can revisit hopefully when she is old enough to pick up a camera. Seeing the negatives soaped and coming off the reel for the first time and knowing that what is on that strip of negatives is going to look exactly how I saw it in my mind when I pressed the shutter on the camera.

mia bridal Carlisle and Lake district
shot on a Nikon F80, 50mm f1.4 lens and Ilford HP5.

The reason that my images look so different to everyone else’s is because I use techniques and processes that nobody else has the time or patience to use. My background is in modelling, editorial, fashion and studio work, so my influences are different to everyone else’s too and I take ideas from all over the media from MTV to Vogue, Harpers, ID and a pile of American wedding magazines that I subscribe to and love.

Film is perfect for vintage styled or themed weddings of which I have a few this year and am really looking forward to. The future is without any doubt digital and what I continue to use for at least 90% of my photography and 80%-90% of weddings, but as long as my clients still demand the type of images that only film can produce, it will always accompany the digital.

Vintage weddings in the Lake District
Shot on a Nikon F4 with an 85mm f1.8 lens and fuji 400 pro film

The Wedding of Scott & Donna Steele, Inn on the Lake.

Some days you just get lucky with certain shots that you take and no matter how much preparation you put into setting up a perfect sunset shot on the front of a beautiful steamer, something random comes along to make that shot even better. As you can see in the shot below taken on Ullswater on an evening cruise, the surprise came in the form of two Eurofighter Typhoons screaming over our heads and directly into shot. You had to be there…. No really, you had to be there, so in many ways I have the RAF to thank just as much as Donna who remained composed throughout.

Donna, the lake district and the RAF
The lucky shot.

Donna and Scotts wedding was an absolute dream to shoot from start to finish. Jonathan and the staff at the Inn on the lake were impeccable as always and made things flow as smoothly as possible. Sailing with Ullswater steamers was a great way to finish the day that since Scott and Donna come from Scotland, had a distinctly scottish feel to it including piping and an addressing of the haggis  by the excellent and Talented Roddy the Piper.

wedding makeup Lake District, photograph.
Lyndsey the excellent makeup artist perfecting.

The makeup was applied by the amazing Lyndsey Findlay from the Girls’ home town of Glasgow who was also a guest at the wedding. I was mighty impressed with her makeup style. The girls looked very natural and the smokey look to Donnas eyes was perfect.

Inn on the Lake wedding Dress.
The Dresses laid out in the girls room.
Wedding shoes, bespoke.
You can keep your Jimmy Choos and give me Auntie Viv anytime.
Inn on the Lake, Gazebo on the Lawn.
Inn on the lakes new gazebo. very idyllic.

Donna and Scott chose to get married outside which was a great idea considering that there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It rained all the way down and most of the morning, but the heavens ceased pouring and only started pouring again once we were all inside. Its like me and mother nature had a deal that day as the cruise was nice and sunny too.

Wedding image, Lake district photographers.
We nipped down to the lake and in the grounds for a few more pics.
Bride wedding image at inn on the lake
Donna on the way down to the lake.
jetty image bride and groom
Scott and Donna walking back off the Jetty see their gallery for more.
confetti vivienne westwood.
A confetti shot with a difference.
Lakeland Bridal image
I love my job 🙂
cumbrian wedding images
These beautiful trees were the perfect frame.
confetti on bridal shoes, glenridding
These shoes are very, very cool.
Sports car wedding Lake District
Had to get one with the Aston.
ulswater steamers, glenridding.
Donna and the unintentional shot of the royal ensign.. ahem.
Half way down the lake on the cruise in the Northern lakes.
Donna and Scott at the front of the boat looking towards Pooley Bridge.

All in all the day could not have been topped off in any other way. Scott and Donna chose the Lake District to get married in, they chose a beautiful location, had beautiful weather, did everything with a little style and panache and I was lucky enough to have been their photographer.

To see more images from their wedding, please view the your pictures section where, if you so wish, you can see the entire day at inn on the lake in full.

Rachel & Shauns wedding at Greystoke Country House, Penrith.

Greystoke Wedding
Shaun & Rachel at Greystoke Country House, Penrith

Just a few images from Shaun & Rachels wedding at Greystoke Country House near Penrith. Rachel looked amazing in a full length gown from Country Dreams bridal shop in Carlisle. The colour scheme was a deep red with a vintage bus supplied by  Cumbria Classic Coaches of Ravenstonedale, Cumbria. The wedding was a laid back day with the beautiful backdrop of Greystoke, followed by Carlisle Golf Club, just outside Carlisle for the evening reception. Everyone getting on the bus got a cool ticket as a little momento of the day, which I thought was a lovely touch and we were treat to a lovely sunset over Carlisle with some lovely mist on the golf course. With Wedding Photography, consistency is the key to a successful set of images and amazing album as an end product, so I am putting quite a large selection up here for people to see how a day flows. All of the suppliers did a great job too so if anyone would like to contact them, just click on the highlighted links above. Thankyou Shaun & Rachel for allowing me to create some great images from your day.

Greystoke Castle
Penrith Cumbria Wedding Photography.
Sean & Rachel at Greystoke
Cumbria
Sean & Rachel first dance.
Sean & Rachel
Carlisle Golf Club

Ade & Bex at Morland Church followed by a marquee by Bakerwood.

Ade and Bex booked me to cover their wedding at Morland Church with a marquee as a follow up in one of Ades’ parents fields. The setting for this wedding could not have been better and everyone had a ball. The gates were tied in the traditional Cumbrian way at the church too and cost a few quid to cut free. Bakerwood supplied a massive marquee which was placed in a family owned field in Newby, just 5 mins drive from the church so we had lots of time for photographs and to catch people mingling.

This post is very image heavy, but this was a long day with a ton of great images as a result and I wanted to show everyone the great locations available to anyone getting married up this neck of the woods.

The sun shone, birds sang, people smiled and we went to work producing a portfolio of nearly 850 images. I would put the kettle on….

Penrith weddings
Lots of the Girls getting ready and the curious cat.
photographs by lake district
Lots of the boys getting ready and larking about on tractors.

Bex’s dress was supplied by Jacinta Cooper and the team at Kokoa bride in Penrith. Jacinta even came along personally to fit Bex into the dress.

penrith bridal shops
Bex during her dress fitting
Penrith wedding photographers
Lacing up the dress at the back. Nice when it is done by a professional.

 

Cumbria and the borders.
Reportage shots should all be black and white… If only.
wedding photograph with a tractor
One last shot at the farm..

Once we were at the church in Morland, people were starting to come in from all over, so we used this time to capture some of the guests arriving down the church path. There must have been ten people looking out for the bridesmaids arriving!

morland church weddings
guests arriving at Morland Church.
ideas for uk weddings
The arrival of thew Bride…
Grasmere photographers
Moments before heading in..

The Vicar at Morland could not have been any better. Vicars that realise that you have a job to do too and know that you will be as unobtrusive as possible are worth their weight in gold. It falls to the inexperienced photographers in rural churches to turn the milk sour. We on the other hand were as quiet as mice.

Bridal photographers in cumbria
What a great church.
bride and groom kiss in penrith.
3..2..1..applause.
Images near derwent.
Signing the register.
fine cumbria
I think people brought extra confetti.

 

cumbria and lancashire
This shot looked great in colour and much much better in black and white.
marquee weddings international
The walled gardens next to Morland church made for some great photographs.

Over the road from the church is a garage that is fairly beaten up and weather worn. It was a location from the moment that I clapped eyes on it as the huge green door would look great as a backdrop for a country wedding. Before I finish, the cars were supplied by Cars of Distinction, but not this one below!

 

country bridal
The car at the garage ran out of tax in 2002. I’ll bet it hasnt moved since way before then.

 

 

cool car in morland.
the car at least served the purpose of being a reflective makeup checker.

 

lakes images beautiful
I will use my digital crowbar and cram in one more from the garage.

 

volkswagen photographs from events.
The boys (and some of the girls) are massive vw fans, so I made them some Beastie Boys style chains. P.S. RIP: Adam Yauch

 

guests photographed in cumbria
Some of the guests, as we arrived with a little time to spare before going in for the meal.

 

carlisle photographers.
After the meal, time was ours in abundance so we used it to grab a few more shots in the village.

Ades’ grandfather had a commemorative bench nearby and it was lovely to photograph the two of them sitting on it and around the pond. That aside, we went to Adrians grandmothers back garden which has some beautiful trees in the old quarry at the back. I was blown away by this location.

penrith suit hire and wedding dress shops, Kokoa Bride
Bex’s dress looked incredible in the evening light… Good choice.

 

eden valley wedding images with cars of distinction.
Work it girl!.. She’s a natural and they are few and far between.

 

weddings on bowness on Solway
What a great Bride to photograph. This might be my favourite of the day.

Sorry that this post is so long, but we managed to cram in a huge amount in the time that we spent at Adrian and Rebeccas wedding. There are fewer places in Cumbria with as much to photograph as in the Morland area. I have another wedding in Morland church next year and am looking forward to it immensley. Thankyou Adrian and Bex.. All of your images are online now and guess what? You are on the blog!!!!!

 

 

The best of 2011…. more to follow.

I have compiled a set of images from 2011 that I consider to be my personal favourites. This may give people who are looking at my site and blog a little more insight into what I am looking for as a photographer. In here there are a mix of set-up images and also some photojournalistic style images and I have put in only one from each wedding that I have attended and there are still more to come from weddings that haven’t even been blogged yet!

lake district photographers international
David and Abigail at the Merewood Hotel, Windermere

I chose this for the amazing setting, the fact that we fought to get to the location in the first place as it is actually at the Cragwood Hotel. After all that, this image really was worth the effort.

greystoke castle
Rachel & Shaun at greystoke, Penrith.

I chose this image of Shaun and Rachel from a mountain of images shot on the day because it really does sum them up. The colouring reflects the vintage feel of the wedding too. Rarely am I happier with a posed image than with this one.

 

wedding photography at the punchbowl
Nicola and Tom at the Punchbowl Inn

Tom & Nicola had two photographers on the day and this was one of my favourites. We jumped back from the church in Grassmere to take this at St Johns in the Vale and is just off the road. We fought a bit of rain to get this shot but it was well worth it.

wedding photography at Armathwaite Hall
Andrew & Jill at Armathwaite Hall Hotel, Bassenthwaite.

This is by far my favourite of Andrew and Jill and I think it is theirs too. The depth and height of the trees adds a real perspective to it and by muting the colours is is far less green than the original. Armathwaite hall has so many locations for all types of weather conditions and it is a real treat to photograph weddings there.

wedding photographers at rheged
Andrew and Kelly at Rheged, Penrith.

Some brides and grooms are up for anything.. Andrew and Kelly were no exception as they jumped at the chance to have images in the IMAX at Rheged. The screen wasn’t actually on and the light is coming from a flash positioned on a boom in front of the screen. Certainly one of the most unique shots from their wedding and a personal favourite. The rest of their images will follow in a blog post shortly.

wedding photography at inn on the lake, lakeland
The wedding of Dawn and Mike at Inn on the Lake, Glenridding

I know that this is quite an odd choice for a favourite, but in a fraction of a second this moment was gone and this was the only time I could get a clean shot as everybody piled onto the dance floor. All of the elements that were required to take it came together for a 60th of a second. A firm firm favourite from this year.

wedding photographers in Carlisle
Lucie & Hamish at the Heather Glen Hotel, Ainstable, Carlisle.

This is again, just another moment. I will even admit that this image was not part of Hamish and Lucies’ final selection for their album, but it is one that really makes me smile. Maybe you had to be there to feel the nerves and excitement to appreciate this quiet moment, shot from the hallway. The room was bathed in beautiful sunlight and apart from a little colour correction, this image is largely untouched in photoshop.

 

wedding photographers in wigton, cumbria, the greenhills
Joanne & Paul at the Greenhill Hotel, near wigton.

Joanne said that she wanted something different as a portrait of herself to run alongside the more posed images of her from her wedding day. I love it because this window has been used a thousand times by nearly every photographer covering weddings in Cumbria and after a moment to think, I decided on a partial silhouette. Its a first from me and maybe a first for the Greenhill?

The roundthorn wedding photographers.
Victoria & Kevin at the Roundthorn Hotel, Beacon Edge, Penrith.

Victoria was luminous on her wedding day and photographed with ease from start to finish. This image stood out mainly because of how it flows from top to bottom and really shows off the vibrancy of her dress, even in mono.

Barrow in Furness wedding photographers
David and Michelle at Abbey House Hotel, Barrow

As far as classic wedding imagery goes, this is it for me and I really could create images like this one all day long. This wedding was shot as part of our two photographer team at Icon Wedding Photography, where you get the option to have two full time professional photographers covering your wedding day. Abbey house is a beautiful venue and one of my favourites in south Lakeland too. There is so much to see there and its potential for great wedding images is huge. We were even shooting once it got dark which I will show you all in a later post.

wedding photography at armathwaite hall, bassenthwaite
Matt & Adele at Armathwaite Hall

Matt was getting a real roasting here from his best man, who’s wedding I also covered. Its not a traditional wedding picture and Adel isn’t even in it, but  for me this image sums up these two to a tee. For more of Matt and Adels’ images search the blog as there are heaps on the blog. Armathwaite hall delivered us a lovely low sunset in their fantastic grounds.

wedding photography at inn on the lake
Mike and Katie at Inn on the lake, cumbria.

Talk about smiling from start to finish and there was no telling them both to be natural either… They just did it. Inn on the lake is rapidly becoming my home venue as year on year my weddings there increase. Its no bad thing as it is without doubt one of the best hotels for photography in the lakes. This image is an alternative to the normal stand at the end of the jetty and have a snog or look longingly at each-other pictures… I tend to have an alternative for every stayed or overdone picture. Jonathan and Gary are some of the best planners around too and make every wedding run like a well oiled machine.

racecourse wedding photography, carlisle
Melissa & Lee at Carlisle Racecourse

This shot of Melissa getting ready opens up Melissa and Lees’ album and spreads 24 inches across the page. Its a real knockout image taken on my Yashicamat 66 and is as smooth close up as it is from afar. I could have chose from hundreds of images of this wedding but I just love the expression on Mels face and the fact that she is in her dress and no-one else is ready. Carlisle racecourse is a fantastic place for a wedding and as an alternative venue to big country piles it makes for a very different setting and a very different style of photography.

graysonside wedding photographers
Nick & Maggie at St Begas and Graysonside, Cockermouth

Nick and Maggie seem to pop up on this blog a lot after having their wedding and pre wedding photoshoot done by Lake District. This image is timeless and has one of the most picturesque churches in the Lake District as the backdrop. Without doubt one of my favourites this year. Graysonside, Nicks family home is also now a wedding venue, so if you are looking at this and don’t have a venue yet, have a look at their site by clicking here.

hundith hill wedding photography
Stacey and Stephen at Hundith Hill, Cockermouth

Just over the road from the above venue at Graysonside is Hundith Hill, the chosen location of Stacey and Stephen. The rain really didn’t stop on the day, so I shot some bits inside while we waited for the weather to subside. The wall frames Stacey in this shot and makes the image really pop out. Staceys’ looks are flawless and make for a perfect bride who thankfully quite enjoyed being photographed.

weddings at the greenhill hotel
Rachel & Ian at the Greenhill Hotel, Red Dial.

Just remembering that I have to choose one image from each wedding for this exercise, this is Rachels’ favourite image and its mine too. The light is quite flat as we were in the shade but the dying embers of the evening summer sun can be seen lighting the staircase inside. The Greenhill Hotel, is where I shot my first big wedding after moving back from the North East, so is kind of a special place for me and I like to think that this is a nice portrait of the hotel too.

wedding photographers at smiths
Rachel & Rick at smiths hotel Gretna.

Caught this as we were setting up for a shot on the balcony outside Rachel and Ricks suite at Smiths. Its safe to say that this one had preference over the setup image by quite a long way.

crighton rugby club wedding photography
Sarah and Peter at the Crighton

Another wedding that is yet unblogged but expect to see it in the future. Sarah and peter had the worst mother nature could throw at us and still smiled all the way through. I stepped in a puddle but still managed to deliver over 400 images of a fantastic day for them both.

inn on the lake glenridding
Scott & Donna at Inn on the Lake

This has to be a wedding photograph that will live in infamy for me and one that I have clients ask about all of the time. This version is untreated with the union Jack left in. See the blog for more images from their beautiful wedding at Inn on the Lake.

weddings at the grange, grange-over-sands
Victor and Jennifer at the Grange Hotel

So 2011 ends where it all started, at the Grange with Victor and Jennifer. This was a wedding that I felt really at home with. Vintage styling and a really lovely couple who have left me some very nice comments on their blog post. This shot was captured as they walked away from their wedding breakfast and really was a lucky shot. I love it.. Adam from Lake District Wedding Photography.

Mike & Katie at Inn on the Lake, Glenridding.

Photographing Mike and Katies’ wedding was a day of going with the flow of events and capturing a lot of things in a spontaneous way. It rained on and off for the whole day, so most of the shots taken were taken between showers. At the end of summer especially in one of the wettest places in the country, you have to expect a few light showers. The sunrise driving from Caldbeck to Ullswater that morning was biblically beautiful, which is quite apt considering that I was about to photograph one of my favourite weddings of the year.

Wedding photographer international
A mix of everyone getting ready. Note the photograph 3 in and 1 row down. Priceless.

The thing about photographing at Inn on the Lake is that there is almost too many locations and possibilities. Its one of those places that I never get tired of shooting at and I am there quite a lot. With Mike and Katies Wedding, I think that they set out to create a day that was about close family and friends and I think their images are quite intimate in that way. It was strange to approach a wedding at a venue that I cover so often in such an unusual way. This is by no means a bad thing as it gives their images an even more unique angle.

Bridal wedding images Cumbria
It was asking too much to hold it together for that long.

All of the groomsmen are rugby players and photographing them messing around in their room down the hall made me laugh out loud. It was quite a contrast to the lovely time that the Girls were having down the other end of the hotel. Mike got all of the boys survival bags filled with Lynx, cufflinks and most important of all Red Bull.

Cumbrian wedding photographer
This was in the spur of the moment. I was actually photographing Katie. I love it though.
Flower shops Penrith
The flowers were beautiful.
Ushers arriving at wedding
Mike and the boys arriving at the church in Pooley Bridge

Mike and Katie were married at St Michaels Churchat Barton near Pooley Bridge, which is like no other church that I have seen before. The Church has a large tunnel leading through the centre and the altar is through the tunnel about 15 yards from the congregation. This did allow me to slip from front to back quite easily though and the Vicar was a gentleman.

Wedding in Pooley bridge, Cumbria
Katie and Raif arriving at the church
Bride on her way to church in the lake district
Katie heading up the path.
lake district ceremony
Mikes nerves were quickly evaporated once katie had arrived and on time too…ish.
bride and groom inn on the lake
In the grounds of the church. It was fantastic and very charming. Very Lake District.Some sunshine at last.
inn on the lake
Katie looked amazing and was so natural to photograph.
ullswater ceremony
Raif talked about the stag in his speech and how for the first time he has tried a Jaegerbomber. What a great speech.
Lake district first dance.
A lovely first dance image from a couple who laughed and smiled all day.

What a great wedding to do. Mike and Katie were awesome on the day. Thanks go to Raif for ‘cracking the whip’ as he said when I was too short to shout through an open window and thanks to Mike and Katie for letting me capture a unique and close event, full of emotion and laughter.

Lake District Wedding Photography Cumbria

Current Offer

A full day’s wedding coverage (8hrs)

Includes a USB drive of images.

Option of a half-price photobooth (£200)

All for only: £899

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Lake District Wedding Photography, 21 Mill Road, Glasson, Cumbria, CA7 5EE [email protected]