Stirk House Hotel Wedding Photography

How would I personally describe a wedding?

I see weddings as families uniting together whilst simultaneously creating unique memories that will be cherished for years to come.

Margaret and Stephen’s wedding was personal, emotional with real, honest emotion that poured from their souls. I feel so honoured to have witnessed such a beautiful occasion between these two families.

The couple came round to chat about the plans they had for their wedding day feeling nervous as the big day approached. I’m so pleased I was able to make them feel relaxed towards being in front of the camera because this enabled me to document the true feelings on their wedding day.

The bride was getting ready at her home in Lancashire with her family. I was greeted by the super talented make up artist Sonara Parker! I love working with Sonara, she’s so amazing at painting faces but also has the same calming personality as myself which makes it always a pleasure to work alongside her! The bride was sipping champagne whilst being pampered with her daughter, who was also her bridesmaid.

The extremely elegant wedding dress was absolutely gorgeous! Backless, long flowing material with long sleeves, possibly one of my absolute favourites of all time! The bridesmaids all wore Ted Baker dresses in a beautiful teal colour. Being the extremely creative family that they are, the grooms son made matching bow ties from the fabric alternations for all the groomsman. An extremely personal touch. I also loved that all the boys had pink socks which complimented the dresses perfectly!

Margaret and Stephen married at St John’s the Baptist Church in Burnley. I know the wedding ceremony itself was extremely important to the couple and also the church itself held a lot of value in the family. It’s always so nice when traditions are passed down through generations of a family. The brides son Dominic walked her down the aisle which was extremely touching for everyone to witness. One of the bridesmaids also sang the most gorgeous melody during the ceremony! Following the beautiful wedding service we had the most spontaneous confetti throwing. It was absolutely brilliant to witness all the family and friends having the most incredible day!

On our arrival to the newly renovated Stirk House Hotel we were greeted by the master of ceremonies Dave, who is an absolute legend! I always love photographing weddings in such an idyllic setting! The dramatic rolling hills of the Ribble Valley make the perfect backdrop for beautiful wedding photographs! The landscaped gardens within the grounds are perfectly manicured for gorgeous wedding photographs all year round! Whilst the interior of the newly renovated English Manor House provides you with endless locations for photographs even on those rainy days.

Speaking of rain, I promised Margaret that I seem to be some kind of lucky charm when it comes to weather on wedding days. I’m not sure how I manage it, I never check the weather because it’s the one thing I nor anyone else has any control over. I do however seem to somehow have the best moments of sunlight even on the rainiest of wedding days. This was no exception! It was glorious! We made the most of the sunshine as we walked the grounds of the hotel. We sneaked in some natural romantic portraits just before the heavens opened! You can see the love between these two, I just know they are going to have a long happy healthy marriage as they were so connected to each other, like the kind of true love you only ever see in films!

The speeches were so heart warming as all the children from both sides of the family spoke of their love and emotion towards their parents marriage. Telling stories about their relationships, on how they had grown as people but more importantly on how perfect these two are together! It was full of emotion but deep from the heart. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have captured these fleeting moments that I know will now represent the bond of this marriage.

During the evening reception I took the newlyweds off for no longer than ten minutes for some more creative and stylised evening portraits. Stirk House has so many options inside for great wedding photographs, I loved finding and creating unique imagery for the couple.

Thank you so much to Margaret and Stephen for letting me in but also for allowing me to document and witness such an incredible day in their lives. I will treasure the true love and memories between their family and friends for a long time to come. A massive shout out to my bestie and awesome second shooter for the day Neil Redfern, you’re help and enthusiasm on the day was amazing, thank you!