One of the things I love about being a wedding photographer is getting to visit amazing venues in amazing locations across the country. Last year I had the pleasure of capturing Charlie & Andy amazing wedding at Cressbrook Hall which is located in the picturesque Peak District. I remember driving home from that day with a big smile on my face thinking, (a) What a day & (b) I hope I get to come back here again. Fast Forward a year and there I was, back at Cressbrook Hall for Laura & Clint’s wedding day. and once again I was to be a Peak District Wedding Photographer. Could this day be just as awesome as my first visit?……Hell Yeah it could 🙂

Starting at the Cressbrook Cottages in the morning, Laura was surrounded by her squad and getting her bride on with a helping hand from the hair and makeup team ‘Salon of Marple’ . It was a cool chilled morning with slightly nervous bridesmaids practicing their aisle walks & a few cheeky glasses of bubbly for everyone…The perfect start.

The ceremony was held outside in Cressbrook Hall’s stunning grounds which overlook the rolling hills of the Peak District. It is seriously one of the most beautiful backdrops to a wedding ceremony you could ever wish for. Most of the rest of the day was spent outside due to the sun blessing us with its presence. Even the speeches were moved outside to take advantage of the weather.

Now I must say every wedding I have shot will never be forgotten. Every single on is special for a verity of reasons however, this one will stick with me for a very long time because of the following.
After dinner, we decided to do a short portrait run back up at the cottages. Because everyone except me had drunk, I was given the keys to the old Land Rover that had brought Laura down to the venue in the morning. Doesn’t sound like much craziness could happen right? Well, Ive never had the pleasure of driving a Land Rover before, or any car that doesn’t have power steering. Couple that inexperience with the extremely tight corners of the Peak District country lanes and you get me stuck in the middle of the road after trying/failing to do a U-turn. I was on a hill, couldn’t get the biting point of the gears and every time I tried, I rolled a little closer to stone wall. With Laura & Clint in the back laughing at my misfortune, I put a brave smile on my face, but truth be told, I was bricking it. I was preparing to either abandon the vehicle in the middle of the road, which would block access to three turnings, or crash it in to a wall. The only thing that saved me was a passing guest that talked me through what I should do and we had a very lucky escape. 5 mins later, when I dared to get out of first gear, we smashed the portraits and I was a pro Land Rover driver.

The evening Dancefloor was packed and was crazy busy. I stayed until pretty much the end and Laura found herself in the centre of the dance floor with her mum and sisters being worshipped by her guests…The perfect end.

Getting to come back to Cressbrook Hall was special, but it’s the people that make a wedding and these peopled ROCKED hard. Thank you so much for having me guys…I love it all. peak district wedding photographer 1