Shrigley Hall Wedding - Liv and Sam

A beautiful summer wedding in Cheshire

Liv and Sam’s wedding at Shrigley Hall had a bit of everything: a beautiful Cheshire setting, plenty of family and friends, an excellent view of Manchester, a very good dog, and a dancefloor that stayed busy well into the evening.

Liv spent the morning getting ready at Shrigley Hall with her friends, her mum and her mum-to-be. They had one of the Hall’s larger rooms, which is perfect when you want to get ready together rather than squeezing everyone into a tiny bedroom. There was plenty of space for everyone to relax, get ready and enjoy the build-up to the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Sam was getting ready with his mates in another part of the Hall. With a couple of shots to settle the nerves and a cracking view stretching across Manchester from their room, they had their own version of wedding morning preparations going on.

Then it was time for Liv to make her entrance.

Shrigley Hall’s main staircase is seriously impressive, and it made the perfect entrance as Liv made her way downstairs before heading into the Ellen Turner Suite, where all their friends and family were waiting.

Liv and Sam were married surrounded by the people who mattered most to them. Once the ceremony was over, it was time to get outside and make the most of Shrigley Hall’s grounds.

And there’s plenty of them.

We headed out around the championship golf course for some portraits of Liv and Sam. Rather than keeping them away from their guests for ages, we took a nice, quick walk and made the most of the scenery. Fifteen minutes or so is plenty of time to create some proper wall-worthy photographs without turning your wedding day into a photoshoot.

Of course, we also had to make time for the dog.

Liv and Sam’s dog joined us for some photographs in front of the Shrigley waterfall, which is a pretty spectacular backdrop. Getting your dog involved in the wedding can sometimes require a little planning, but when they’re part of the family, I think it’s worth making the effort.

Once we'd got the portraits done, Liv and Sam were back with their guests and able to carry on enjoying their wedding.

Later came the speeches, with lovely words from Liv’s mum and sister. There were plenty of stories, memories and laughs shared with everyone, making it a really personal part of the day.

And then it was time to party.

The DJ absolutely smashed it, and the dancefloor was busy from the moment the music started. After a day of family, friends, photographs and plenty of emotion, everyone had clearly decided it was time to let their hair down.

For me, this is what makes a wedding like Liv and Sam’s so enjoyable to photograph. There was no need to manufacture moments or spend hours lining people up for photographs. The important people were there, the day unfolded naturally, and there was plenty going on to photograph as it happened.

A beautiful venue, a brilliant bunch of people, a gorgeous dog and one seriously good party.

Not a bad way to spend a Saturday in Cheshire.