Tag Archive for: Belsfield Hotel Wedding

A Golden Moment

To say I love what I do would be an understatement. Meeting amazing couples, being lucky enough to share the biggest day of their life and getting to make memories that will last a lifetime is enough reward for my job, and I cherish that enormously.  

It’s so lovely though when your work is recognised away from the wedding day, and it’s not just the Bride and Groom that think your photographs are wonderful! 

I’ve been a member of the Guild of Photographers for two years now, and every month they have a competition that members can enter.  It’s only been in the last eighteen months that I’ve been brave to enough to enter some of my favourite shots. Having your work looked at by your peers and voted for by some of the top photographers in the country is nerve-racking, to say the least!    

I recently submitted a picture I took at the wedding of Puja and Sam at the Belsfield Hotel in Windermere.  It was one of those days where rain almost stopped play, and we were inside for most of the photos because of the wet weather. The hotel is part of the Laura Ashley chain, so we were spoilt for choice with the gorgeous interior and I took a shot of Puja on the stairwell holding her bouquet.  It was a beautiful shot and my favourite of the day – and also the one I entered into the competition.   

To my absolute delight, I got a call to say I had won a Gold Award in the wedding category, which is very rarely handed out, so for me to get it was a massive achievement and a real honour. When I found out I was literally screaming around the house! I told Puja and Sam that one of their wedding photographs had won and they were just as thrilled, it’s one of their favourite shots of the day too.  

Winning the Gold Award means I now have enough awards to become a lifelong member of The Guild, which supports top photographers around the world, from wedding photographers to arts and documentary specialists.  

I can’t tell you how much this means to me, and to be honest I’m still a little bit in shock! 

You can see the winning shot below.

Let me know what you think, and please do get in touch if you think I’m the kind of photographer you’d like for your special day.

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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.