Candlelight and romance is enough to get any wedding photographer excited, and Sarah and Jonty's wedding day at Stanley House Hotel and Spa had both in abundance. With the possibility of Lancashire weddings being curtailed by a move to a Tier 3 Covid lockdown, we didn't really know what the day would look like until it was happening, making this intimate wedding celebration even more special to photograph.
It was a gorgeous, sunny, autumnal day and Stanley House Hotel and Spa looked breathtaking with its 17th century manor and luxury spa sitting proudly amongst the colourful oranges and greens of the lovely Lancashire countryside. I left videographer James making the most of the morning light and grabbing some flyover footage with the drone whilst I headed up to the cozy hotel room where bridal preparations were in full swing.
Luxury wedding venue
As I arrived Sarah and Angela were relaxing with a glass of fizz, whist the gorgeous bridesmaids were having their hair done by the fantastic OMD Hairdressing and planning maximum fun for the rest of the day. The natural light in the room was perfect for some unobtrusive shots of preparations upstairs and I started happily snapping away, whilst downstairs Jonty had arrived with Best Man aka brother Matt, who enjoyed a pre-match beer together in the sunshine.
Sarah's cousin Richard soon arrived to walk Sarah downstairs and down the aisle. Sarah's twenties-style sparkling dress from Phase Eight was such a perfect choice and Sarah shone in it. Richard couldn't quite believe his eyes when he popped his head around the door - what a great wedding moment to photograph! We got some fantastic shots of the whole bridal party making their way out of Sarah's room and down to the wedding suite, everyone full of excitement and looking fabulous in their dresses.
Romantic, candle lit wedding ceremony
Although he would later deny it, a visible nervous Jonty couldn't hide his happiness as the bridesmaids appeared, shortly followed by his gorgeous bride. The room had been beautifully decorated with fairy lights, candles and flowers. Sarah walked down the aisle on cousin Richard's arm and Jonty welcomed her with a not-so-sneaky kiss, only to be told to wait until later by the registrar!
After the ceremony, Sarah & Jonty made their way back up the aisle and enjoyed some well-deserved champagne. The wedding party moved into a different room whilst the awesome Stanley House team prepared the main room for the Wedding Breakfast. We moved into a room full of purples and reds and great big windows looking out into the grounds, which was great for shedding new light on the all the vibrant outfits. Delicious canapés were washed down with more fizz and the world felt like a very happy place!
Creative wedding photography
After the much-complimented Stanley House Wedding Breakfast and speeches with a lovely mix of heartfelt words and humour, we were able spend a little time on couple shots out in the grounds. There is so much opportunity to get creative at Stanley House and I was spoilt for choice on locations and ideas! Sarah and Jonty really put their trust in me for this, and I hope they are as delighted with the results as I am!
As a documentary wedding photographer it was a real pleasure to tell the story of Sarah and Jonty's joy and laughter-filled wedding day. I hope that you enjoy a peak at just some of the highlights below.
Massive congratulations to the wonderful Sarah and Jonty, and high fives for squeezing the wedding day in before Lancashire went into Tier 3 at midnight. Thank you so much for having us Xx
For my other blogs, family photography and wedding photography please head over to my website: https://www.heatherbutterworthphotography.com/blog