Seb and Natalie’s Peak District Wedding

I don’t even know where to begin with this wedding. It was perfect, and I mean perfect in every way!

Meeting up with Seb and Nat previously to photograph their engagement shoot (check the blog here), I knew their wedding was going to be special. With bridal prep and the reception at a beautiful cottage owned by Peak Venues and the ceremony and drinks taking place at a firm favourite of mine, Haarlem Mill- there was two beautiful countryside locations adding an amazing dynamic and feel to their wedding.

While Manifold Barn is technically a holiday cottage, it was a great bridal prep and reception location. Surrounded by rolling farmland and cows, it had a stunning interior and layout that created an intimate setting, perfect for a very very hot UK summer’s day. Tara/Knott did the styling and boy did they do a great job. Seeing them in action was very inspiring, and the finished product way second to none.

While the styling was underway, Zest Catering got busy in the kitchen, making the wedding breakfast and also began preparing the reception meal for later. The wedding party, in the next room, got busy with hair, make up, and mimosas of course!

Hair and make up was done by Tansy Hair and Beauty who are a lovely and very talented team. Here’s some antics from the morning…

This was also the opportunity, for me to see Nat’s dress for the first time. It oozed class, and when trying on the dress at Charlotte Elizabeth Bridal, Nat knew it was “the one”. Fun fact about Charlotte Elizabeth Bridal by the way, they have just been named a national finalist by Muddy Stilettos for best bridal store! I’m not surprised, they are brilliant so check them out!

With the bride and her entourage putting the final touches on their look- I jumped in my truck and headed over to Haarlem Mill, to catch up with Seb and his best men in the “bridal suite”. The banter was flying the moment I stepped in the door- it was a lot of fun.

Nat and her bridesmaids arrived, as well as one heck of an adorable (and sassy) flower girl. I had to throw these in here before the ceremony, because the lighting was perfect.

As the guests arrived, it was almost ceremony time. The industrial styling of Haarlem Mill with its wood, brick and large windows provides a look and feel perfect for any ceremony.

I was smiling the whole time watching these two make their vows. As newly weds, we all headed into the separate bar area of Haarlem Mill, for a drinks reception. My Pepsi with ice went down a treat.

The guest were then shuttled off to the reception barn, while Seb and Nat took some time to themselves and we headed for couples shots. They may not have thought it at the time, but Seb and Nat were naturals in this photoshoot. From Haarlem Mill to the fields of the barn venue, we were spoilt for choice. I am obsessed with these shots.

Not too sure if it was the heat, or the amount of running around I did this day, but according to my Garmin watch, I burned 4500 calories this wedding. Even I am impressed with that.

The reception itself was a blast. The vibe was perfect, and everyone was having a seriously good time. The speeches made me laugh out loud and as I sat outside on a picnic bench taking a moment to myself, eating some of the best food I have ever had as a photographer at a wedding (well done Zest Catering), I remember thinking to myself, how perfect of a day this was.

Congrats you two x

Before I go! I also photographed Seb and Nat’s wedding party a month later. Here are some gems from that day; oh and there was pie for dinner (does it get any better?). For the party, the suppliers are as follows:

Venue: Haarlem Mill

Giant “Love” letters: The Sweet Station

Baked goods: Best Bakes

Band: Facsimile

Ellie + Nicholas

While medium to large weddings are awesome, I love, and I mean love a small wedding. Ellie and Nicholas chose this route for their wedding day, and were joined by 11 of their closest family members (although a couple friends found out the time and “crashed” for a couple pictures after the ceremony). This made for an intimate, laid back wedding which was an absolute joy to photograph and be a part of.

The bride and groom didn’t want bridal prep shots, so I met the groom and his mates at the Registry Office, went for a coffee and had a chat, before Ellie and her family showed up. The rest went as follows…

The ceremony was held at the West Bridgford Registration Office, Nottingham and with summer starting to take effect, it was a beautiful location for a wedding like this with flowers in full bloom. The sun was shining, it was warm (ish) and the hustle and bustle of West Bridgford in the background created a great atmosphere for their wedding day.

While Nicholas looked brilliant in his suit, Ellie stole the show (sorry mate). She chose the perfect dress and looked stunning.

And then we were onto the couples shots. A quick squeeze in my wife’s tiny Abarth 500 (my Land Rover was in the shop- shock), and we were off to explore the vast countryside of Burton Joyce. I know the area well, and there are so many small lanes, fields, water, and spots where the sun hits beautifully at golden hour.

I stood back with a long lens, and let Ellie and Nicholas enjoy the fact that they only said “I do” 30 minutes prior. For a couple who never have been in front of a camera before, their nerves certainly vanished, and they were amazing. With only the odd prompt, they did their thing, and I got to do mine. It was such a fun, enjoyable shoot.

We then jumped back in the car, and drove to the Park in Nottingham City Centre. The Park has serious charm and plenty of character to it, with historic gardens, houses, old steps and doorways. Ellie and Nicholas were having their reception meal for their 11 guests at Browns Restaurant, so this close location was perfect.

Thank you so much both of you for asking me to photograph your wedding day. I loved every moment of it.

Getting married or want to Elope? Although the majority of my weddings usually are full blown morning till evening full coverage events, I am more than happy to photograph more intimate weddings, or be flexible if you only need a photographer for shorter periods of time.

I have different packages available, so please email me or drop me a line to chat! While I have very limited availability for 2023 (try me, I have the odd date free), I am taking bookings for 2024 and 2025 currently.

Until next time-

Neil

It’s all in the details…

Location: West Bridgford Registry Office, Nottingham

Reception: Browns Restaurant, Nottingham (although I wasn’t required to photograph the meal, it is a great place in Nottingham)

Flowers: Florence and Flowers or check out their Instagram

Hair: Serenity Layne, Lady Bay Nottingham or check out their Instagram

S+N’s Peak District Engagement Shoot

Super excited to start off my new website with a blog on two fabulous people!

When I told Nat and Seb to meet me at the bottom of Stanage Edge, I knew it would be a risk with the wind… And when I mean wind, I mean gales so strong they could easily blow you off your feet. That being said, it wasn’t raining (bonus), and the views over the edge were stunning. We hiked up, and I got out my telephoto lens to stay back, and let Nat and Seb have a moment or two to themselves.

We then drove to Eyam, which is a historic and quaint village to continue shooting, but first stopped off at Village Green, an amazing independent cafe, for a seriously tasty brunch, before heading out around the village.

The colours of the village, and empty streets made this a brilliant location for an engagement shoot, not to mention, the Stanage Edge wind didn’t follow us. We had such a laugh getting these shots, and talking about their upcoming wedding, which by the way is at the wonderful Haarlem Mill (Nat so happens to run this venue), and I can’t wait for it. It is definitely going to be a party.

Neil