Wedding photographer’s website

Lake District wedding photographer Mark Battista Photography

Wedding photographer review

We had such a great experience with Mark!

He instantly made us feel at ease – really chilled, funny and easy to get along with, which made the whole shoot so relaxed.

On top of that, his photos are amazing. He captured everything beautifully without it ever feeling forced.

Would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a Lake District wedding photographer who’s both professional and a joy to be around.

Venue name + review

The Gilpin lake house

The Gilpin was everything we could have hoped for and more.

The setting is absolutely beautiful, with the Lake House overlooking its own private lake – so peaceful and special.

The staff were amazing, so attentive and friendly, and they really made us feel looked after.

The food and service were faultless from start to finish.

Honestly, it was the perfect venue!

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

The bride wore a beautiful ivory dress, while the groom looked smart in a blue suit, matching the style of our guests.

Our flower girl looked adorable in her own elegant dress, which tied everything together perfectly.

Florist name + review

Bluebell & Ivy Professional florist – unreal and so so perfect!

The post A beautiful intimate Lake District wedding for Lois & Marcus, with Mark Battista Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

The wedding day was possibly a less adrenaline-filled occasion, but full of heart and soul. With images beautifully captured by Lake District wedding photographer Mark Battista, the couple celebrated with their closest family, ending the evening in their wedding outfits and slippers playing board games and eating cheese in their cosy, intimate and charming country house venue. It sounds utterly perfect.

Do scroll down for heartfelt supplier recommendations from beautiful couple Kian and Tony, along with the lovely story of their secret wedding and why they chose a quieter celebration over a big party.

Lots more, as always, on our instagram @englishweddingblog

Wedding photographer’s website

Lakes photographer Mark Battista – www.markbattistaphotography.co.uk

Wedding photographer review

Mark was an absolute dream to spend our wedding day with. His photography knowledge and skills were amazing. We knew what we wanted photo wise but had no idea how we’d make it happen but Mark did. We had our sneak peek photos back in the early hours of the following day and they took our breath away. They are everything we wanted and so much more. We received our remaining photos a few weeks later and they were incredible. We would 100% recommend Mark, a friendly, down to earth bloke who is insanely good at what he does.

Your best wedding moment or memory

Some of our most cherished moments include seeing each other for the first time at the aisle, Kian’s first look with our boys and the peaceful time we shared together on the jetty whilst Mark ran to the other side to capture photos.

We also loved spending the evening laughing and enjoying the company of our guests whilst eating cheese and biscuits and playing board games with a glass of wine.

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

We booked our day in September 2023 and married in May 2025. We kept it secret from all our friends and family apart from our 2 boys, Tony’s Mum, our witnesses and their partners.

After Kian lost her Mum in January 2022 we felt like it would be more noticeable that she wasn’t there if we had a big wedding plus to be honest, it wasn’t what we wanted, we are not big party people and prefer a quieter vibe.

Sitting around eating cheese and biscuits, in our wedding clothes with slippers on, playing board games, laughing and drinking wine was absolutely perfect.

Whilst we initially worried about how some family and friends would react everyone was genuinely happy for us and very supportive. We have no regrets, it truly was the perfect day.

I guess a Mountain Goat tour isn’t really traditional either? For us, we live in the Lake District and we love hiking and cold water swimming, we wanted that to be part of our day in some way, plus we knew the photos with those backdrops would be incredible!

Venue name + review

Lindeth Howe.

We chose the venue because it is in the Lake District, a place that means a lot to us and holds so many special memories. It had such a unique, quirky charm with incredible decor that really stood out.

On top of that, it offered the perfect package for an intimate wedding which is exactly what we were looking for.

As soon as we visited we knew it was the right place for us. We wanted the day to feel intimate, relaxed, and full of personality, something that truly reflected us.

The venue’s unique decor and cosy atmosphere gave us the perfect backdrop. The space already had so much character, so we just added small touches to make it feel like “us.”

It turned out exactly how we hoped, stylish, a little quirky and full of heart.

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

Kian: an art deco inspired wedding dress with plunging neckline and white sandals. Although, whilst up in the mountains I wore my Hunter wellies and even an IKEA bag!

My necklace had my Mums ashes in and was a gift from Tony. It was from a local company called Cumbria Castings.

Tony: Navy 3 piece suit with brown shoes.

Hair + makeup name + review

Lucy Pearson. Lucy was absolutely amazing. From my trial right up to our wedding day Lucy has been there every step. From my panicked, “what if you’re ill?” questions to my bust lip 7 weeks before our wedding, sharing tips for protecting my make up from tears, attaching my veil, to buttoning my dress on the day, nothing was too much for Lucy. She kept me at ease, the morning of my wedding felt like my matron of honour and I were getting ready with a friend we’d known forever. I can’t thank Lucy enough. The time and effort that she put into our day means so much to us. We had the most amazing day and I felt so good. My make up lasted all day and my hair didn’t move at all!

Florist name + review

@megsmake_s on Instagram. Megan was amazing, we sent many pictures with ideas of things we liked. She advised on what would and wouldn’t work together and the end result was perfect. They fitted our style just right.

Favours

The Cakeup Artist: Abbie made our wedding favours and they were so delicious! We love treating ourselves to Abbie’s bakes so we knew we needed to treat our guests and vendors too! @cakeupartist.x on Instagram.

Wedding rings

Affinity jewellers: Kians ring was custom made to fit around her uniquely shaped engagement ring. It is perfect!

Cake maker name + review

Lindeth Howe. It looked and tasted amazing!

Cake topper: OtisOfCreations on Etsy.
Flowers: @megsmake_s on Instagram
Cake board: The Range

Tell us about your wedding ceremony / celebrant / readings?

Our boys walked Kian down the aisle. Our ceremony was small, intimate, with happy tears and lots of laughter. We’d both written our own meaningful vows and read them during the ceremony.

The post A secret wedding, full of heart, for Kian and Tony. With Mark Battista Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Have a fabulous bank holiday weekend everyone!

Wedding photographer’s website

Jaye-Peg Photography https://jayepeg.co.uk

Wedding photographer review

Jaye was absolutely brilliant with us from start to finish!!! Meeting Jaye a couple of times before our wedding along with her funny & quirky sense of humour made us both feel really at ease, which was lovely when it came to our big day!

Jaye was amazing at capturing beautiful pictures & memories, our wedding album is so beautiful!!!

Her work is brilliant & to a high standard!!!

We couldn’t be happier, thank you Jaye!!!

Your best wedding moment or memory

Apart from getting married our best wedding moment was when we had Back Chat Brass (brass band) come playing into our wedding reception as a surprise to our guests. They were amazing & we had so much fun!!! ?

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

We had an intimate wedding with immediate family only & had our fur baby Millie (dog) as a flower girl. It was lovely to spend time with both of our families & to have Millie there, it was beautiful!!!

Venue name + review

Low Hall The Lakes.

Low Hall were fantastic!!! They looked after us really well & made sure everything ran smoothly on our special day! Thank you Low Hall!!!

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

Shireen: I absolutely loved my dress! I wore a bespoke a-line v-neck wedding dress with lots of lace & embellishment. I had a long vail which had lace too. My dress was Spanish Baroque in style.
Phil: I wore a navy waistcoat & trousers with a textured white shirt, forest green tie & tan brogues.

Dress or suit shop name + review

My dress was from Elite Bridal. Elite Bridal were absolutely fantastic!!! They looked after me brilliantly from start to finish!!! Nothing was too much trouble & they pulled out all the stops to find me my dream dress & vail. They made my whole experience really special!!! Thank you so much Elite Bridal!!!

Florist name + review

Cumberland Flower Farm.

Harriet’s flowers are to a very high standard home-grown with such expertise, care & hard work!!! Harriet was great from start to finish!!! Nothing was too much trouble!!! It was lovely to meet Harriet, this is a lady that works so hard & it shows in her work!!! We were absolutely blown away with our beautiful flowers & our bespoke arrangements were amazing!!! Our flowers were everything we wanted & more!!! Thank you Harriet!!!

Cake maker name + review

Sally Cooper Cake Artist.

Sally is amazing at what she does!!! She was really attentive when it came to what we were wanting for our bespoke wedding cake especially as our cake had to be gluten free aswell. Sally took care of everything for us & our cake was beautiful!!! Thank you Sally!!!

Stationery maker’s name + review

Ivy & Gold.

Ivy & Gold were amazing!!! When it came to our bespoke wedding stationery they were really attentive & helpful. Our stationery was excellent quality & we were over the moon with the results!!! Thank you Ivy & Gold!!!

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

When it came to decorating & styling our wedding venue, I (Bride) really wanted to go down the DIY route. I had a strong vision so I was able to collect bits through my line of work (Assistant Manager in Charity Retail) as well as buy things new.

From having morrocan lanterns to recycling gin bottles decorated with lights, putting together dried flower sprigs to having a tree of life macrame dreamcatcher that we had bought while on holiday in Rhodes!

We had a tree of life sign that had been made by a Blacksmith which Phil backed with wood to make as a feature.

Julie at Lune Valley Crockery did a brilliant job styling our wedding tables incorporating cut glass items that I had collected. We even had a piñata for good measure!

Very special speeches

When it came to the speeches Phil’s brother (best man) gave a lovely speech full of laughter & sentiment. We were absolutely blown away with the speech that my dad gave (Father of the Bride) not only did he say a few kind words but he also sang a song full of sentiment. It was a lovely surprise & now a beautiful memory of the day!

Hair + makeup name + review

Hair for a Wedding, Gemma Louise Bridal Hair & Makeup. Gemma was fantastic!!! She was really attentive when it came to creating the look that I was wanting & she gave me great advice too. She made me feel at ease with her friendly & bubbly personality, she was a ball of good energy! I was really happy with the results!!! Thank you Gemma!!!

—topg

The post Shireen & Phil’s colourful wedding at Low Hall the Lakes with Jaye Peg Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Wedding photographer’s website

Lake District wedding photographer Jaye Peg Photography

Wedding photographer review

Jaye was very engaging from our first meeting by helping us navigate our way along our wedding planning journey.

We took the opportunity to have a prewedding photoshoot in April where we were put at ease as she got to understand us and vice versa, this really benefitted us on the day as we knew what to expect.

Throughout the day Jaye was excellent in making sure that all our guests were involved in all the photos giving us ample brilliant images to chose from.
To top it all off when we received our album, we were left speechless with how stunning it was!!

Your best wedding moment or memory

Coming back to the hotel and hitting the dancefloor in the evening!

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

Looking back on our wedding there were a few things that we did differently to give it a personal touch. During the ceremony, David surprised me by composing the music that I walked down the aisle to. Speaking of walking down the aisle, both my parents walked me down the aisle.

We also had both sets of parents sign as witnesses to us getting married.

As we got married at our reception venue, we treated all the guests to a boat ride on Lake Windermere between the speeches and the evening reception. We found this to be ideal for us and our guests to relax before the party started.

Venue name + review

Cragwood Country House Hotel, Windermere. Absolutely amazing venue that offered ample views and access to the lake!! The venue offered us the intimacy and space that we were looking for. Holly and Hannah, the wedding coordinators, were very helpful and understanding of all my phone calls and emails particularly in the months leading up to the wedding.

Venue styling

We had Mr & Mrs Jones, Bowness-On-Windermere style our venue. On our first meeting, Yvonne managed to describe what we wanted the venue to look like throughout the day. Even when we changed or added details, they successfully accommodated the decisions without overloading the look.

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

Even though most of our wedding day would not fall under the ‘traditional’ bracket, I still wanted to incorporate the ‘Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue’ wedding tradition. My something old was my grandma’s garter that she wore on her wedding day, that was then passed on to my mum for her wedding day and finally down to me. If possible I would like to continue this tradition in the future. The something new was my wedding dress which was a classically timeless dress designed by Sassi Holford, that helped me achieve my idea of feeling like me but elevated and gave me the confidence I needed for the big day. My something borrowed was my wedding jewellery that came from my mum that fit into the overall colour scheme. Finally, my something blue were Sophia Webster heels that were the absolute perfect shade of blue with a sparkling heel.

Looking at what David wore for the day, we decided to go for something different to his usual colour scheme. By doing this it allowed us to narrow down the choices of suits that were available. Eventually, we decided on a Guthrie and Valentine suit in light grey. This had the added bonus in coming in a darker grey, which we chose for all the groomsmen as well as our dad’s! We paired all the suites with a burgundy tie and each member of the groomsmen were gifted a personalised tie pin.

Dress or suit shop name + review

Zoe’s dress was selected and purchased at Julia Tasker Bridal Couture, Bowness-On-Windermere. Julia was absolutely amazing from start to finish in helping me find the right style of dress, through the processes of measurements and fittings, to receiving it in time for the big day.

David’s suit and tie was purchased from Slaters Menswear in Liverpool. Slaters Menswear were very informative about how a suit should feel and selecting the right size suits for every member of the wedding party as well as giving advice on alternative options to belts to those who needed it.

Zoe’s wedding and engagement rings are both part of the Compose by Clogau collection. David’s wedding ring was designed by Brown & Newirth jewelers.

Florist name + review

We were lucky enough to have David’s mum, Sharon, sort out and craft all of our flower arrangements for the day. This including everything from the bride, bridesmaids and flower girls’ bouquets, the buttonholes, flowers for the table decorations as well as all the other flowers needed to decorate the venue.

Cake maker name + review

The Icing On The Cake, Kendal. Debbie managed to capture our idea of having a traditional wedding cake that had personality perfectly! The idea was that we would have a three-tiered cake that for the most part was a white wedding cake, yet on one portion of the cake there were elements of David and I shown. This included a hand painting of the image that appeared across the majority of the stationery – the view from the jetty that David proposed on. Followed by a variety of key characters from our favourite films, Harry Potter & Star Wars, and a recognisable icing model from Mario Kart. We topped the cake with a laser cut sign reading “We Solemnly Swear That We Are Up To No Good!”.

Stationery maker’s name + review

Lauren Young Illustration. Lauren managed to capture our vision for how we wanted our stationary to look to a tee! After sending over the initial ideas and photos, she expertly hand painted the photos and transferred them to a digital form so that we could layer the text over it accordingly.

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

For our seven table names we asked Zoe’s dad, Clive to 3D print the individual shapes of each lake that we chose within the Lake District.

Hair + makeup name + review

Steph and Louise at Uglee Betties Beauty, Carlisle. I honestly couldn’t imagine anyone else being part of our special day! Being able to feel confident in Steph and Louise to make the right choices, even if it meant diverting slightly away from the original idea!

The post Zoe & David’s UK destination wedding in the Lakes, with Jaye Peg Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Wedding photographer’s website

Mark Battista – https://www.markbattistaphotography.co.uk

Wedding photographer review

Mark photographed our wedding day and he was fantastic. I tend to be camera shy especially when it’s someone else taking the photos rather than a selfie but Mark put me at ease, I felt instantly comfortable as he was cracking jokes from the off. Mark gave clear prompts so that you didn’t feel silly posing. When doing the couple photos he made it into a sort of game and just made it more of a laugh rather than being super serious. We received our sneak peek and I was blown away, as I said I don’t like my photo taken but I absolutely loved the photos Mark took. Everyone commented on how Mark was always there at the right time to get the perfect shots and how by evening time he mixed in so well with everyone it was as if he was a guest. I’d 100% recommend Mark and I’m desperate for a reason to book him for photos again!! I’d also recommend considering his extended night coverage optional add on as we got some fantastic photos of guests dancing and some gorgeous photos outside the venue with fairy lights.

Your best wedding moment or memory

We were so thrilled to have our dog Diesel at our ceremony and for photos. He’s part of our family so the day wouldn’t have been perfect without him there. Emily from Tails & Trails Dog Walking Services (www.facebook.com/TailsandTrails.cumbria) was amazing, she was so good with Diesel and he absolutely loves spending time with her. Emily made sure we didn’t have to worry about a thing regarding Diesel and getting him in our photos.

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

We stayed together the night before the wedding and woke up together and had breakfast. It helped calm our nerves as it made the morning feel much more relaxed and normal!

Venue name + review

Greenhill Hotel Wigton We loved the scenery and the highland cows were a huge bonus!

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

My dress was a vintage style, I actually didn’t know until after purchasing that the style name was “Chloe” from a designer called Brighton Belle by True Bride! When I saw it on the receipt I knew it was meant to be! Jonathan’s suit was a lovely sage colour, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to go sage or not but loved the suit as soon as he saw it.

Dress or suit shop name + review

My dress was from the Bridal Factory Outlet in Northallerton and Jonathan’s suit was from Skopes.

Florist name + review

To have & to hold handmade favours I got my bridal bouqet from here and also our buttonholes and corsages, I loved my flowers so much and they were artificial which means I get to keep them forever.

Cake maker name + review

Cakes by Alison Fawkes – www.cakesbyalison.co.uk

We loved our cake so much, it was a huge centrepiece and also a talking point of the day. We got so many compliments about how unique our cake was. I (chloe) have a photography hobby so the images on the cake were a mix up of photos I had taken around the farm.

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

We made our own invites and seating plan using canva. We also DIY’d the top table decor including the long garland, the two planters on either end and the little sheep ornaments in the middle!

First dance

We had Never Gonna be Alone by Nickleback as it was personal to us, we had it chosen as our first dance song long before Jonathan had even proposed!

Hair + makeup name + review

My cousin did my hair as a wedding gift! My makeup was done by Kelly McCall MUA

The post Chloe and Jonathan’s farming themed wedding in Cumbria, with Mark Battista Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Wedding photographer’s website

Lake District wedding photographer Mark Battista https://www.markbattistaphotography.co.uk/

Wedding photographer review

Mark was simply phenomenal from start to finish. From our initial reaching out to recieving the final photos, Mark’s professionalism, creativity and genuine passion for his work shone through at every step.

On the wedding day, Mark seamlessly blended into the background capturing candid moments without being intrusive. Even was chased around by the kids during the night do! (Sorry!)

Mark knew how to guide us for posed photos whilst still being natural, he even captured heartfelt moments that we didn’t even realise he was taking!

When we received the final photos we were blown away by the quality and attention to detail. Every image told a story and emotions were felt. Mark has an incredible eye for detail, making every photograph like a piece of art.

We truly felt like Mark cared as much about our wedding as much as we did and that was so special.

Your best wedding moment or memory

Nothing will beat that feeling of meeting each other at the end of the aisle for the ceremony! We had Beauty and the Beast playing (saxophone version). This song means so much to Katie as it has been her favourite film since she was a little girl. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house! Reuniting after a night apart, Sam was crying, Katie was crying, it was the most special moment ever.

Videographer name + review

Dominic – @brainblinkproductions
Dominic was an absolute dream to work with! He captured every special moment of our wedding day with incredible skill and creativity. On the day, he was professional, unobtrusive, and worked seamlessly with our other vendors. The final video was breathtaking—perfectly edited with stunning visuals, emotional highlights, and music that brought everything to life. Dominic’s storytelling talent is unmatched, and we’re so grateful for the timeless film he created for us.

Venue name + review

Lodore Falls Hotel and Spa

Lodore Falls was the perfect setting for our wedding day! The stunning scenery, modern interiors, and warm, attentive staff made it unforgettable. Everything was beautifully organized, and the team went above and beyond to ensure every detail was flawless. Our guests couldn’t stop raving about the breathtaking views and delicious food. Lodore Falls created a magical atmosphere that made our day truly special. We can’t recommend it highly enough for anyone looking for a picturesque and stress-free wedding venue!

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

Katie wore ‘Mackenzie’ by Morilee. It is a stunning ball gown with an off the shoulder sweetheart neckline. The dress was designed with frosted beading and 3D petals.

Sam wore a light grey suit from Moss Bros with sage green detailing from the tie and pocket square. He had his suit custom fitted with an embroidered addition on the inside of his blazer which said both our names and the date of our wedding.

Dress or suit shop name + review

Katie got her dress from Ava Rose Hamilton. The girls at the shops couldn’t be more attentive, they have great eye for detail and they were so helpful in helping me decide what accessories to pair with my dress. Niamh who helped me in my appointment helped me feel so confident in any dress I wore, I came out of the shop glowing!

Sam picked up his suit from Moss Bros this was ideal for us as they have shops all around the country and as his groomsmen were from different cities and towns this made the process so easy. The whole suit buying process was very streamlined and Sam looked very dapper!

Florist name + review

Evergreens Keswick Debra!

What a lady! As soon as we had our first consultation with Debra we knew she was the one to go with! Her knowledge and expertise of flowers and what’s in season when is second to none. We told her our budget and she was very realistic on what fit in our budget, there was no false promises. On our wedding day our flower displays were incredible, we had so many compliments on the attention to detail on the flower arrangements and that’s all thanks to Debra!

Cake maker name + review

Cakes by Alison Fawkes

We had our consultation with Alison, we showed her our inspiration pictures and she personalised our ideas into our dream wedding cake that matched our theme perfectly. We had 3 layers each with different flavours, red velvet, salted caramel and lemon drizzle. Each layer went down a treat with our guests, so much so we had none left to take home with us! An absolutely incredible cake!

Wedding stationery and personal touches

We made all of our stationery ourselves! From invitations, to name places, table plan and menus. We loved having a little crafty side project to do as we felt it brought us together in the stress of wedding planning, it was so good to have little touches of our own work around our wedding.

Wedding readings?

We had 2 readings during our wedding. Katie’s long term best friend read Union – Robert Fulham. This reading explained our relationship journey perfectly. Sam’s dad read An Apache Blessing. Again this was relevant to our journey walking through all the weathers, caring for each other and being together for as long as we live.

First dance and dance floor fillers!

Our first dance was Take on the World – You Me at Six

We did a surprise for Katie’s parents after our first dance. We got everyone up and we all danced to True by Spandau Ballet, this was their first song. Katie’s mum especially was really touched.

We wanted something different and this song was perfect. It’s a song we used to listen to at the start of our relationship, our favourite line is ‘nobody knows you the way that I know you’ and this couldn’t be more true.

Our night do playlist was very Indie based and they were a hit on the dancefloor! Including:
Not Nineteen Forever
Seventeen Going Under
Handbags and Gladrags
Oh Caroline
Human
You’ve got the Love

Hair + makeup name + review

For hair we used @hairbymorganuk

Katie has known Morgan for a few years and can trust that she will do a great job as she knows her hair type. Katie’s hair lasted all day and stayed in place, it looked more relaxed in the evening which was what we wanted, the curls stayed in place all day and night. We used to have trouble keeping my hair curled so I’m so glad she mastered it!

For makeup we used @kabin9beauty

Again, Katie has known Kirstie for many years and had complete trust in her. The makeup for both Katie and her bridesmaids did not budge all day, she did an incredible job at making us look natural and glam, perfect soft wedding makeup. Very happy!

The post Katie & Sam’s beautiful and timeless Lake District wedding, with Mark Battista Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Scroll down for Amanda & Keith’s wedding story and supplier recommendations, and check @englishweddingblog on instagram for more!

Wedding photographer’s website

Lake District wedding photographer Mark Battista

Wedding photographer review

Mark was both invisible and also great fun on the day – not sure how you can be both those things but he was! He made everyone feel at ease and managed to get all the shots we wanted without anyone feeling like they were spending time away from the party. And we were thrilled with the results. There’s not a single photo of us or of anyone that we don’t like and we had a real dilemma trying to choose our favourites to get printed for our home.

Your best wedding moment or memory

We wanted lots of colourful flowers everywhere and at one point the band started playing Flowers by Miley Cyrus. The guests loved that and everyone was stealing flowers from the display and putting them in their hair and clothes and then throwing them at the band. It was at the end of the night so we didn’t mind one bit and it was just a lovely surprising moment seeing all our family and friends having such a good time together.

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

We have a blended family and we asked our children to be our best men and maid of honour. We then swapped out the traditional run of speeches and had our children do a speech and we also did a joint speech together where (because it was a small wedding) we got to mention and thank all our guests. It brought everyone into the speeches and also brought our nuclear family into the core of it and it also meant we had a lot more female representation than you normally get at weddings – an equal mix of genders.

Venue name + review

Broadoaks is a beautiful place, very traditional but modern in their approach to the wedding. Our event planner was amazing and nothing was too much trouble for her. The outside space where we got married was incredible too.

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

I started off looking for something sleek and simple but every time I tried a dress on it got bigger! So I didn’t think I’d end up with the type of dress I got but I was over the moon. I had a cape for the ceremony which I loved. And I adored my headband from Etsy. The cape and headband made me feel very regal I have to say!

Dress or suit shop name + review

Ava Rose Hamilton in Colne. This is an incredible shop where they put so much effort into the bridal experience. And nothing was ever too much bother for them.

Florist name + review

Brackens of Bowness. The flowers really made the wedding for me. It looked stunning. And it was such an easy experience too. I talked to Kevin at Brackens and he knew what I wanted in about 3 seconds. I wasn’t even sure how to get across what I wanted until he told me what was in my head. And then on the day he just sorted it. It was totally stress free and I can’t tell you how much I loved what they did with the venue. Loads of guests commented on the flowers.

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

Can’t help falling in love by Elvis. We didn’t want a first dance (couldn’t handle all that attention!) but the band cheekily asked our wedding planner what song we walked down the aisle to, which was this Elvis song. We chose this song to remember my husband’s dad Bill who passed away a couple of years ago and it’s such a beautiful and fitting song for a wedding. The band played that song and got us on the dance floor and we then grabbed my new mother in law and the three of us danced together and it was a beautiful way to bring in Bill to the wedding.

Hair + makeup name + review

Amy Brown make up – what a brilliant lady Amy is! Exceptionally talented, funny, helpful, lovely to spend time with.
Holly at Loubellai – Holly was amazing and gave me the most beautiful Hollywood curls that lasted all day and made me feel like a 1940s movie star.

The post Fabulous flowers for Amanda & Keith’s Lake District wedding, with Mark Battista Photography appeared first on English Wedding.

Have a lovely weekend everyone! Here’s Hannah & Danny’s Lake District wedding to make you smile and inspire your planning!

Wedding photographer’s website

Mark Battista https://www.markbattistaphotography.co.uk

Wedding photographer review

Mark is an exceptional wedding photographer! He was fun, professional, and took amazing photos. We had such a blast on our wedding day and he fit in perfectly. We’re so happy with the photography! He gave really clear directions, and was well prepared for the slightly adverse weather conditions with a supply of umbrellas and a can do attitude! We had such a wonderful day, big thank you to Mark for capturing our Lake District wedding so beautifully.

Your best wedding moment or memory

Danny’s best moment: The choir singing as Hannah walked down the aisle.
Hannah’s best moment: Honestly the entire day! I can’t pick a favourite!

Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)

Our friends/bridesmaids sang as Hannah walked down the aisle as one would in a church service, however this was a civil ceremony. It added something so special to the atmosphere of the day.

Venue name + review

Eden Wedding Barn

Extremely professional, the day ran incredibly smoothly. The in-house catering by Southcott was incredible! They ensured the whole day went perfectly.

Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!

Danny had a suit hand made when we visited Vietnam in 2019. For the wedding we wanted a unique colour of suit – everyone wears black, navy or grey! Danny got in touch with the tailors in Vietnam to find out if they could make him another suit, and luckily they still had his measurements! So via video call he selected the fabrics and designed the suit you see in the photos custom.

Hannah’s dress was picked out on a trip with her mum and chief bridesmaid, Meg. I fell in love with it the moment I tried it on. It’s whimsical, fun, elegant, the whole package! I chose not to have a veil, but to have drapes from my shoulders instead as I thought that was a bit more unique and meant I could have flowers in my hair.

Dress or suit shop name + review

The White Yard

Florist name + review

Rocke ‘n’ Roses

Daisy created the most beautiful flower arrangements which perfectly fit our vision for the day. The flowers were fun, colourful and fragrant.

Daisy also managed to create a fresh flower hairpiece for Hannah which survived all day without wilting at all. She was so creative, and utterly professional. She took it in her stride when we added a couple of last minute bouquets for the mums!

Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?

• • • • Meg, one of our bridesmaids, hand drew our wedding welcome sign.
      • Ben (Hannah’s brother) created our table plan from hand folded paper cranes, fishing line, an Ikea clothes rail, and A5 cards with names and table numbers on.

    

    • Alison (Hannah’s mum) made the wedding cake and decorative sugar flowers by hand.

  

  • Our friends formed a small choir and sang during the ceremony which was utterly magical.
  • Sarah (Danny’s mum) kindly made tags to put on the chairs in the pews to reserve seats for immediate family and the bridal party near the front of the venue.
  • John (Hannah’s dad) drove her to the venue in a 1961 Morris Minor 1000 which Hannah’s Grandpa had driven her mum to their wedding in back in 1995 and has been in the family ever since. He put a lot of work into restoring the vehicle for the day.

• • Hannah decorated the wedding car herself.
  • Elaine, one of Hannah’s relatives, created the floral buttonholes as a gift to us.
  • Hannah and the mums worked together to create the table numbers using old childhood photos of us at the corresponding ages.
  • Hannah and her bridesmaids collected glass vases from charity shops and saved jam and sauce jars for over a year for putting candles and small floral arrangements on the tables in.
  • Danny’s mum made the golden capes he and his best man wore later in the evening.

• A family friend, Jenny of Jolly biscuits by JD, hand made custom biscuits for every guest which were their name cards at dinner.

Wedding transport

We arranged transport for our guests to and from the venue with Cumbria Classic Coaches who had such fantastic touches – the bus destination was “Wedding Special”, they had custom tickets for our guests with the date and our names on, a guest on each bus got to wear the conductor hat and use the ticket machine, and they decorated the coaches beautifully!

Wedding readings?

JRR Tolkien – Poem for his wife I Will Love You Forever, from the ‘The Amber Spyglass’, by Phillip Pullman

First dance song? Playlist recommendations?

La Vie En Rose by Louis Armstrong played live by Eden Valley Ceilidh Band
We would highly recommend booking a live Ceilidh band and caller for a wedding. It was the most fantastic fun!

Finding choral music appropriate for a civil wedding ceremony proved very difficult! In the end we chose:

• Rise up my love by Healey Willan
• The Road Home by Stephen Paulus
• My heart in Thine by Charles Villers Stanford

Hair + makeup name + review

Enhance Hair and Beauty for hair. Christine was so patient with my finicky hair which was refusing to hold a curl! She cut my hair through all my childhood and still does my mum’s hair, so it was lovely to be in such trusted and experienced hands.
Hannah did her own makeup.

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