Winter wonderland at Stirk House!
Rachel and Craig found me while I was exhibiting at the Great Northern Wedding Show with Little White Books. They came to my little wedding den to tell me all about their winter wonderland wedding that was to take part at their local church before heading over to Stirk House, Lancashire. With their wedding being 2 days after Christmas it seemed real fitting to have a winter wonderland theme!
Wedding vows at St Hilda's church, Tottington.
I arrived at a very cold St Hilda's Church where the cold December wind was blowing fiercely across the open countryside, but with sun shining and clear skies I knew it was going to be a great day for a winter wedding! Craig arrived with his Groomsmen in high spirits and got straight to work greeting guests and showing them to their seats.
When Rachael arrived she was beaming from ear to ear. I knew from our previous meetings that she was always wearing a smile and that smile wasn't going to disappear today! As she made her way day the aisle with her Dad and took her position next to Craig, the winter light was wonderful flooding in through the church windows.
Winter weddings can be a gamble with the weather, but when you get a day like today, the light is truly amazing giving you a lovely warm glow and some lovely contrasting shadows!
Wedding reception at Stirk House, Lancashire
This was my first time at Stirk House and having been passed it several times I was super excited to be taking pictures there! Situated in the Ribble Valley, Stirk House was built in 1933 and is now an award-winning venue and restaurant situated on 22 acres of land. With it being a winter wedding, exploring the large grounds would have been a little harder given the wet weather but even staying close to the venue you still have an amazing choice of locations for your photos.
We arrived just in time for everyone to find their feet before we headed out to make the most of the amazing sunset for some portrait photos. The winter sun kept us warm enough to enjoy being out and it was well worth it as you really have to make the most of light during this time of year while you have it!
Once we'd finished outside I spent the time before the wedding breakfast capturing some candid photography of the guests having a great time. I love to capture natural images of the guests and telling the real story of the wedding day.
After the food and speeches we headed back outside into the winter chill to capture a few night time portraits. At this time of year it's great to work with some off camera flash to create something extra special! Once we'd defrosted it was back inside for the first dance and evening party!
If you're looking for a Lancashire Wedding Photographer to capture your wedding at Stirk House, then be sure to get in touch! I love to capture the wedding day as it unfolds naturally, without setting up moments so that you can re-live the day as it was.
Want to see more work? Then click the blogs before to see more weddings!
