The morning...
Claire and Justin chose the stunning Mitton Hall in Clitheroe, North West for their wedding reception and as the base of them getting ready on their wedding morning. Mitton Hall, North West is a stunning 15th Century manor house that offers a taste of the old with the new. The original manor house is simply stunning with so much original character that you can't help but feel at ease when you walk in and smell the open fire burning. The reception room offers a more modern feel with large amounts of light from large windows and a lovely skylight, the perfect place to host your wedding!
The morning started with lots of laughter in the wedding suit, a room available so brides to be can get ready with plenty of space. I'd met Claire and Justin for a pre-wedding shoot so knew their morning was going to be lots of fun. Justin was getting ready down the hall so I made a dash over to his room to check in with him and his Best man and captured a few pictures of them getting ready.
The service and the reception...
The service took place at the Church of St Marys and all Saints in Walley, North West. It is believed that a Church was on the same site during the Anglo-Saxon times but the current building dates from the 13th century. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building!
When Claire arrived it had started to rain but this didn't dampen her spirits as she smiled from ear to ear while leaving the wedding car and all the way into the church. Her Dad walked her down the aisle and looked real proud while Justin waited excitedly at the opposite end.
Once the service was finished it was back over to Mitton Hall to continue the wedding celebrations. Everyone headed into the reception room which was decorated with vintage jars and blush pink roses which looked amazing in the amazing wedding. We had a small break in the rain so decided to run outside to get some couples portraits before heading back inside allowing me to capture natural, documentary photos of the guests enjoying themselves.
The speeches and evening reception...
Where do I begin with the speeches? Can I call them speeches or should I call them stand up comedy? Seriously, some of the naturally, funniest speeches I've had the pleasure to witness with everyone, including the staff, laughing until they cried! I knew they'd be great from the pre-wedding shoot but wasn't expecting this. I'm surprised I had any sharp photos as my cameras was shaking from laughing so much!
After the speeches we made the most of the dark and had a few more photos done around the grounds. It was great to experiment with some off camera flash and to capture the rain outside while in the doorway.
When the evening guests arrived it didn't take long for the party to start with everyone piling onto the dance floor before the first dance had even started! Once the first dance was done it filled up with even more people and the party was truly underway!
Being a North West wedding photographer at Mitton Hall is such a pleasure as the venue offers so much for it's couples. Amazing character, a bridal preparation room, lovely grounds, delicious food and lots of stunning natural light in the reception room. I'd highly recommend checking it out if you're planning your wedding!