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

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A Romantic Wedding at Tower Hill Barns

One of the perks of my job as a wedding photographer is seeing some of the nation’s most beautiful venues in all their glory. I’ve shot weddings in castles, in churches, in stunning hotels and they all have their unique charm.  

In August, I was lucky enough to shoot not one but two weddings (in the same week!) at Tower Hill Barns, a place described on their website as “oozing rustic charm”, and even that description doesn’t do the place justice!  It’s absolutely magical!  Tower Hill Barns is a venue I had never been to before but is now one of my absolute favourite places to photograph. 

Emma and Chris were first up, with an outdoor ceremony under the old 19th-century railway bridge at the venue. I’ve known Chris for a number of years as my husband used to play football with him, so I knew this wedding was going to be a fabulous day. 

There is something very special about outdoor ceremonies.  I love them. Maybe it’s the fresh air and the smells of summer that help to make the atmosphere so much more romantic.  It certainly gave me goosebumps during the ceremony!  

The guests gathered to see Emma walk down the aisle, and she was the picture of calm and beauty as she did. She was one of those brides that was chilled and took everything in her stride, she looked breath-taking. 

One of the highlights of the day was during the ceremony, when Emma’s nieces, Megan, aged 8, and Jessica, aged 6, read out a poem called “Getting Married Means You’ll Have…” It’s a lovely, funny poem and the girls read it beautifully.  For them to do that at such a young age and in front of 100 guests was a proud moment for everyone. They were amazing.   

Soon it was time for photographs with the newly married couple and I had the most fantastic time.  The best thing about Tower Hill Barns is that whichever way you turn, you spot a photo opportunity. I was absolutely spoilt for choice and got some truly stunning photographs. 

As I left after a day of joy and happiness, I had a huge smile on my face, knowing that I would be back at this most wonderful of venues in just a few days time.

 

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A Perfect Day At Delamere Manor

Sometimes, the planets align, and you end up meeting your dream couple, shooting their dream wedding and getting to see the most amazing dream venue ever!

This is what happened when I met Jen and David. I knew straight away that Jen would be a joy to work with as her happy, relaxed personality shone through.

On the day of the wedding, Jen and her three bridesmaids got ready at Jen’s mum’s house. When I arrived to start capturing the preparation shots, Jen was just so excited, beaming away – she had such a lovely glow about her.  In my mind, I instantly thought I’ve never seen someone so happy. Usually, brides are quite stressed when they’re getting ready, but she was just loving the moment. Everyone else was quite emotional when the bride was ready in her dress. I managed to get a gorgeous picture of her coming down the stairs and mum & Dad at bridesmaids were waiting at the bottom, it was so moving.

The wedding took place at St Laurence’s Church in Frodsham, and as Jen walked down the aisle to meet her soon-to-be husband, you could just see the happiness bursting out of her. As she reached the front of the church, Jen turned to David, and my heart missed a beat as I captured the most beautiful look of love between the bride and her groom.  

Although it was a bit of a wet day, it certainly didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits! Despite the weather, there was ample opportunity to get some great shots with the help of some umbrellas – especially when it was time to throw the confetti (thankfully nobody threw a brolly by mistake!).

After the ceremony, it was onto the wedding venue. All I can say is WOW!

Delamere Manor was recently awarded the English Wedding Awards ‘North West Most Romantic Wedding Venue’, and it’s not hard to see why. Oh my goodness, I’ve never seen such a beautiful setting. I honestly can’t find enough superlatives to describe this spot. Perhaps knowing that it once belonged to Take That’s Gary Barlow will give you some idea of the grandeur of the place. It’s been lovingly refurbished since Gary lived here (about ten years ago) and it truly is stunning.  For me, it was a dream location. It couldn’t have been more perfect if Gary himself had turned up to serenade the guests!

Everything was perfect – from the setting to the food, to the state-of-the-art disco room, which used to be Gary’s recording studio, to the glass-fronted courtyard where everyone gathered for a fabulous Caleigh. I can’t stop smiling thinking about it! I don’t think anyone missed a go on the dancefloor – even David’s grandad who was celebrating his 90th birthday that day got up for a bit of a jig.

This really was a perfect day. It was about love and family and friends. It was about being together with those you love to celebrate in the very best way.

I always try to capture the happiness of the bride and groom’s day but with Jen and David’s wedding, it was really quite easy to do.

North West wedding at Delamere Manor. Couple walking through confetti

 

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A Stylish Wedding in Windermere

Back in the days when I worked in newspapers, I worked with Sam (the groom)’s sister at the Daily Post. Even though I was in professional photographer mode, it was really nice to be able to spend the day with her and shoot her brother’s wedding.

The Belsfield Hotel is part of the Laura Ashley hotel group, so as you can imagine, the décor and styling of this venue are good enough to feature in any glossy interiors magazine. Sat at the edge of Lake Windermere, the views from the hotel are exactly what you would expect in an area of outstanding natural beauty, sweeping landscapes and dramatic expanses of water – although there was a little too much water on the day!

 

Puja and Sam

Samuel and Puja at The Belsfield, Laura Ashley Hotel in Windermere.

The heavens opened from the moment the bride and groom woke up in the morning and thunderstorms were forecast for later in the day. Although the rain was pouring down, spirits were high as Puja was getting into her dress, the backdrop of the Cumbrian hillsides and the lake looking spectacular despite the heavy showers. The view truly was stunning.

 

Thankfully, the thunderstorms kept away, but the rain meant we were inside for the photographs. Luckily, we were in one of the most elegant hotels I’ve ever seen, and we ended up doing pictures of the happy couple on the stairwell, which actually is my favourite shot of the day!

We made our way to Puja and Sam’s room, The Grand Wedding Suite, with the intention of getting some more romantic shots. Literally, as they walked through the door, blue sky popped through the clouds and the sun started shining. We quickly went outside and made the most of the amazing location.

After all the rain, the day ended with one of the nicest sunsets you can imagine.

It was a perfect end to a perfect day and to top it all I have just found out I won a gold award with The Guild of Photographers for the image of Puja on the staircase.