Shrigley Hall Wedding - Charlotte & Nick’s summer wedding
Some weddings have a little bit of everything, and Charlotte and Nick’s wedding at Shrigley Hall was certainly one of them. A beautiful historic venue, a first look with Dad, confetti, crazy golf, a golf buggy adventure and a dance floor that got properly going. All in all, a pretty brilliant way to spend a Saturday!
Getting ready at Shrigley Hall
Charlotte spent the morning getting ready in Shrigley Hall’s triple deluxe room, a brilliant space set aside for wedding preparations and big groups. With her friends and family all together, there was plenty happening before the day had even properly begun.
Meanwhile, Nick was getting ready with his mates. Two different preparations, two sets of people, and all those little moments building up to the main event.
One of my favourite parts of the morning was Charlotte’s first look with her dad on the beautiful Art Deco main staircase. These moments are always worth making time for. No big production needed, just a dad seeing his daughter ready to get married, and a moment between the two of them before the day carried on.
An intimate ceremony in the Ellen Turner Suite
Charlotte and Nick’s ceremony took place in the Ellen Turner Suite. It was an intimate start to their married life together, surrounded by the people who matter most to them.
My approach throughout the day was to let things happen naturally. I’m not there to turn your wedding into a photoshoot or spend the day telling everyone where to stand. I’d much rather capture the real interactions, the looks between family members and the little moments you might not even notice happening.
Once the ceremony was over, it was time to head outside for confetti and group photographs in front of Shrigley Hall’s grand entrance.
Group photos might not be the most thrilling part of a wedding day, but they’re often the ones that end up meaning the most. Parents, grandparents, siblings and all those important people together in one photograph. We get the list sorted, gather everyone up, crack on and get you back to enjoying your wedding. Nobody needs to spend half the afternoon standing in a line!
Crazy golf, canapés and a sunny courtyard
With the formalities out of the way, the celebrations continued outside in the courtyard. It was a hot day, perfect for drinks, canapés and catching up with friends and family.
And then there was indoor crazy golf!
Because why settle for a standard drinks reception when you can add a little friendly competition? It gave guests something fun to get involved in and another opportunity for those unscripted moments I love photographing. The best bits are often the things nobody has carefully planned for the camera.
A golf buggy adventure to Shrigley Waterfall
When it was time for Charlotte and Nick’s portraits, we headed off on a little adventure in the golf buggy.
Shrigley Hall has some lovely spots for photographs, and the famous waterfall was high on our list. Getting away from the main celebrations for a short while gives you both a chance to catch your breath, have a chat and enjoy a few minutes together.
We took some photographs by the waterfall, with the beautiful surroundings making a cracking backdrop. And, of course, there was plenty of laughing along the way in the golf buggy. It’s hard to take yourselves too seriously when you’re bouncing around on a little buggy together!
We also stopped on the drive, where we had a view stretching out towards Manchester in the distance. It’s one of the things I love about making portraits at a wedding: finding a few different settings, taking a relaxed walk (or buggy ride, in this case!) and creating a set of photographs that feel special without keeping you away from your guests for ages.
My aim is always to make portraits you’ll genuinely want to put on the wall, while keeping the whole thing easy and enjoyable. No awkward posing marathon, no disappearing for an hour. Just the two of you, a little time together and some beautiful photographs to remember it by.
The wedding breakfast in the William Turner Suite
After our buggy adventure, it was back to the celebrations for the wedding breakfast in the William Turner Suite.
The meal is always a great chance for everyone to settle in, enjoy some good food and share the day together. And with all the different parts of Charlotte and Nick’s wedding already behind us, there was plenty to look back on before the evening celebrations began.
Cracking wedding dancing
Then came the dancing!
Some wedding receptions take a little while to warm up, but Charlotte and Nick’s evening got going nicely. A packed dance floor, guests throwing themselves into it and the sort of atmosphere that makes photographing a wedding reception such good fun.
This is where documentary photography really comes into its own. I’m not going to stop the dancing to arrange a photograph or ask everyone to do something again. I want to capture the action as it happens: the big moves, the laughing faces, the friends having the time of their lives and all the brilliant little moments in between.
By this point, the shoes might be getting a little uncomfortable and the dance moves might be getting a little questionable, but that’s all part of the fun!
Charlotte & Nick, thank you!
Charlotte and Nick’s wedding at Shrigley Hall was a fantastic mix of family moments, a beautiful ceremony, a sunny courtyard reception and plenty of fun throughout the day.
From Charlotte’s first look with her dad on the staircase to photographs by the waterfall, laughing around in the golf buggy and a cracking evening on the dance floor, there was always something happening.
And that’s exactly what I love about wedding photography. You get to spend the day with your favourite people, enjoy the moments as they happen and trust that the photographs will bring it all back afterwards.
Charlotte and Nick, thank you for having me along to photograph your wedding. What a day!
Planning your own wedding at Shrigley Hall? If you’re looking for a relaxed, family-friendly wedding photographer who’ll capture the real moments, get the family photographs done without fuss and make time for some beautiful portraits of the two of you, I’d love to hear about your plans.
