Real Weddings Archives | Stacey Oliver Photography

A blog category where you can find all the North Wales and North West weddings Stacey has photographed

A beautiful real life wedding at Chester’s Rowton Hall

Back in the summer I was honoured to shoot the wedding of Hannah and Chris, who got married at St James’ Church, Christleton, Cheshire, which is just on the outskirts of Chester. We then headed to the gorgeous Rowton Hall in Chester for the wedding reception and evening party. I’m excited to share these lovely images with you: Rowton Hall is a bit of a hidden gem in Cheshire and made the perfect backdrop for some fantastic wedding photography.

Hannah and Chris’s wedding morning

My day began when I joined Hannah and her bridal party at the family home for bridal prep. It’s always such a pleasure to be invited to someone’s home on such an exciting morning, and I had a great time capturing images of Hannah with her sister and friends getting pampered, with hair and make up by The Bridal Beauty Company.

I stayed until Hannah had slipped into her gorgeous dress from My Funny Valentine, helped by her sister before the big reveal to her dad: a part of the day that I always love!

Terri Jarvis Photography was second shooting that day and got shots of the boys at St James’ Church she met Chris along with his groomsmen who were waiting excitedly for the bride to arrive and the big day to really begin.

The church ceremony was full of love and emotion- as these photos of Chris prove!

We then captured some brilliant confetti shots before heading on to Rowton Hall, Chester for the wedding reception.

Rowton Hall, Chester, Cheshire

Rowton Hall is an historic Georgian Manor House set amidst 8-acres of tranquil grounds and gardens and yet just minutes away from the Roman City of Chester.

Rowton Hall is the perfect venue for anyone wanting to get married amongst the beautiful Cheshire countryside. The Hall is nestled in 8-acres of gardens and manicured grounds, and Hannah and Chris took full advantage of the stunning grounds as the ideal place to welcome their guests to the venue. The guests enjoyed arrival drinks on the lawns, and enjoyed playing lots of garden games in the sunshine. We also captured some great group shots, as well as some wedding photography of Hannah and Chris enjoying their first bit of time alone as man and wife.

Then it was time to head inside for the wedding reception. Rowton Hall has some beautiful rooms characterised by period features and elegant décor. The decadent chandeliers, original feature fireplaces, oak staircase and large garden view windows are a wedding photographer’s dream!

I then managed to sneak Hannah and Chris away for some couple’s wedding photography outside in the twilight: I love the romantic images we captured during this little shoot.

We then went back inside the venue for the evening party where everyone had a fantastic time dancing to music by The Funtime Frankies. I captured some images of the happy couple cutting the cake, enjoying their first dance, and having a wonderful time with their friends and family- which is just how every wedding day should be!

Cheshire Wedding Photographer

As a wedding photographer, it was a real pleasure to shoot this wedding: it was such a fantastic day filled with lots of love, laughter and tears. It was also lovely to see some of my past couples and even future couples too!

If you’re thinking of getting married at Rowton Hall, Chester and would like to have a chat about your wedding photography I would be delighted to hear from you! Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

November 15, 2022

Blog, Real Weddings

A dream outdoor wedding at Soughton Hall, North Wales

Soughton Hall in North Wales is one of my favourite venues to shoot at, so I was thrilled when Lucinda and Tom asked me to photograph their wedding at this beautiful venue.

I’m a wedding photographer in Chester and North Wales, and Soughton Hall is actually just down the road for me, based in Flintshire. It’s one of the venues I shoot at most frequently, and it’s not hard to see why it’s such a favourite for couples who are getting married. Set on the border of Cheshire and North Wales, Soughton Hall is a stunning Georgian country house approached down a sweeping driveway and surrounded by landscaped gardens.

As with so many weddings recently, the path to Lucinda and Tom’s wedding date wasn’t always a smooth one. This lovely couple originally booked me for their wedding in June 2020 and due to COVID restrictions it didn’t go ahead, and they moved it to the following year. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do their new date – argh! But low and behold the date got moved again and yes, bingo I could do it this time! And I’m so glad I could, as it was the perfect day full of love, laughter, and even a beautiful outdoor ceremony…

Lucinda and Tom’s Soughton Hall Wedding

I joined Lucinda and her bridal party on the morning of the wedding to capture some bridal prep shots. As a wedding photographer, I love being involved in bridal prep: it’s such a fun and exciting part of the day.

Soughton Hall has beautiful rooms to get ready in, and I enjoyed photographing Lucinda’s gorgeous dress from Cherish the Bride with the backdrop of the bridal suite.

Lucinda and her bridal party were pampered by Samantha Gannon, Freelance Hairstylist and Bridal hair Specialist, and their make up was by Sophie Griffiths. All the girls looked beautiful and we took some fantastic photographs of them all enjoying getting ready and having a great time together before the big event.

One of my favourite parts of being a wedding photographer is witnessing people’s reactions when they see the bride for the first time in her dress. Lucinda’s bridesmaids were completely overwhelmed with how beautiful she looked and it made for some lovely wedding photography.

I then headed outside to find Tom and his groomsmen, two of whom were adorable page boys- Lucinda and Tom’s sons Bobby and Franky.

A dream ceremony at Soughton Hall

Soughton Hall is the ideal venue to have an outdoor ceremony, with the breathtaking backdrop of the Hall and surrounded by the North Wales countryside. However, we all know that the weather doesn’t always play ball and sometimes plans can change, but luckily for Lucinda and Tom the sun shone and they got their dream outdoor ceremony.

It was such a happy, emotional ceremony and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house (especially from the groom!)

Following the ceremony the guests enjoyed mingling in the grounds and I took the opportunity to capture some lovely wedding photography of everyone enjoying themselves, especially Lucinda’s nan who is 92 years and absolutely incredible: she absolutely loved her granddaughter’s wedding day!

Outdoor wedding photography at Soughton Hall

One of my favourite things about Soughton Hall is the grounds and gardens: I’ve captured some stunning photographs there and it never disappoints. So I was pleased to get the opportunity to slip away with the bride and groom for some shots before the wedding breakfast.

As a wedding photographer, some of my very favourite photos from Soughton Hall have been taken in the venue’s picturesque Secret Garden. Overlooking the southern façade of the Hall, and shaded by eucalyptus trees, this atmospheric garden really is perfect for some magical wedding photography, whatever the season. Lucinda and Tom’s images are beautiful and such a moving reminder of their special day.

Lucinda and Tom’s Wedding Reception

We then moved inside for the wedding breakfast. Couples getting married at Soughton Hall tend to choose the marquee for their wedding reception: it’s a lovely, elegant space that lends itself to any type of venue dressing. The Marquee overlooks the wooded gardens and is accessed directly from the house through a glass walkway.

After dinner I was able to pop outside again with Lucinda and Tom to capture some beautiful wedding photography in the late-afternoon sun. We took advantage of Soughton Hall’s elegant exterior to create the perfect backdrop.

Then it was party time, with entertainment from The Beat Pilots.

It was a fabulous day and it was wonderful to see so many happy faces. Thank you Lucinda and Tom for inviting me to be your wedding photographer at Soughton Hall, North Wales: after 3 date changes we got there in the end!

August 13, 2022

Blog, Real Weddings

A fairytale wedding at Tyn Dwr Hall

As a wedding photographer in North Wales, Tyn Dwr Hall is one of my absolute favourite venues to shoot at. This beautiful venue boasts all the features that are straight from a wedding photographer’s wish list: think handcrafted fireplaces, stained-glass windows and dark wood staircases inside, and romantic waterfalls bordered by trees and wildflowers outside. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when the lovely Emma and Matthew Dugdale asked me to photograph their wedding at Tyn Dwr Hall.

Emma and Matthew’s wedding took place on 11th March 2022- the perfect Spring wedding date. However, as anyone who lives in North Wales knows, the weather can’t always be relied upon, and it rained for most of the day! However, Emma and Matthew just embraced the weather, which made for some uniquely beautiful photographs:

The day began with one of the most unusual bridal gifts that I’ve seen in my time as a wedding photographer. One of the things I love about my job are the personal touches that couples bring to their wedding day, and Matthew certainly didn’t disappoint with his gift for Emma: private registration plates for each of their cars!

Wedding Photographer North Wales

Matthew stayed over in Tyn Dwr Hall’s Yew Tree cottage the night before the wedding, which gave me the opportunity to capture some great shots of him leaving the cottage and heading up to the Hall to get ready, along with his groomsmen.

Emma wore a beautiful bridal dress from Wed2B, and her gorgeous bouquet was by Vivid Floral Design in Wrexham. As a wedding photographer, one of the reasons I love Tyn Dwr Hall is the stunning dark wood staircase: it makes for the ideal photo opportunity and the images I shot of Emma walking down the stairs show this to perfection.

The ceremony took place at 1pm, and Emma was walked down the aisle by her lovely uncle, as sadly both of Emma’s parents have passed away. The photos I captured of Emma meeting Matthew at the end of the aisle, with her uncle looking on proudly, are the kind of emotional moments that really do make being a wedding photographer a dream job.

Tyn Dwr Hall’s Garden Room is the perfect space to celebrate, with lots of natural light streaming in through the large floor-to-ceiling windows that look out across the grounds and rolling hills. The room was beautifully-dressed by Uplift Event Hire, and I captured some fantastic shots of Emma and Matthew’s family and friends relaxing and enjoying themselves at the wedding reception.

North Wales Wedding Photographer

Wedding Photographer North Wales

Emma and Matthew’s wedding really was the dream day for me as a wedding photographer: a gorgeous bride and groom looking so happy, surrounded by fabulous family and friends, and all at one of North Wale’s most stunning wedding venues. Which just goes to show: no matter what the weather, your wedding day really will be the most magical day of your life.

If you are planning a wedding in North Wales, and have fallen in love with Tyn Dwr Hall as much as I have, please contact me to chat more about wedding photography at this stunning venue.

April 6, 2022