Summer Black Tie Wedding at Alrewas Hayes Staffordshire

Editorial Wedding Photographer in Staffordshire

From the very beginning, Abi & Marcus knew they wanted a wedding that felt relaxed yet stylish, fun for their guest and true to who they are as a couple. They definitely achieved that and then some! The couple, call Cheshire home, but as Marcus grew up in Staffordshire, it felt right to host their wedding in the Staffordshire countryside, at Alrewas Hayes.

Abi ditched the idea of formal bridesmaids and instead got ready with her closest girlfriends – her university crew – and the room was filled with excitement, support, and plenty of happy energy. Family plays a huge role in their lives, reflected perfectly in Marcus choosing his dad and brother to stand by his side as Best Man and Usher.

Getting Ready Wedding Photos at Alrewas Hayes

A big tip when you’re choosing your wedding venue is to think about the space you’ll be getting ready in. Alrewas Hayes has the perfect set up – a dedicated beauty room where your make up artists and hair stylists can create their magic and then the stunning Theodore Suite, that you can keep tidy and get dressed in. It really does create a lovely calm atmosphere just before you get married. Once make up was finished Abi headed over to the luxury Thoedore suite to get dressed and have a few photos with her family, before she headed down to to the ceremony

Ceremony wedding photos at Alrewas Hayes

Abi looked stunning as she held her Mum’s hand and walked down the aisle to Marcus. The Orangery was styled with stunning florals by Lily at Flower Design Lichfield, which created a perfect backdrop for their ceremony.

Confetti & Drinks Reception

Straight after the ceremony and a few hugs and kisses, I like to organise the confetti throw. There’s a great little spot at Alrewas Hayes, where you can have a few moments to yourselves, away from the eyes of your guests, while I set this up and get everyone organised. Abi & Marcus went for large white petals for their confetti, which looks amazing in photos. Drinks flowed in the courtyard gardens and the guests mingled, enjoying the live music

Relaxed Editorial Wedding Portraits

While guests were enjoying the canapés and everyone had had chance to mingle.  We had a wander in the grounds, so that I could capture some relaxed editorial wedding portraits. I don’t like to take you away from your guests for too long for your couple photos. All I need is just fifteen minutes with you before you go into dinner and another fifteen minutes after dinner. This will give you plenty of time to chat to guests during your reception but still have beautiful photos of the two of you.

My main priority is for you to feel relaxed and comfortable I like to take what I called planned candids, or ‘plandid’ as I call them. Although the photo will look and feel natural, I have considered the background and the light and given you some gentle guidance, such as walking together, looking back at each other or holding hands. The results look polished but still natural. I love creating portraits that have an editorial feel to them, that wouldn’t look out of place in a magazine.

  Just before your guests head in to dinner, I think it’s lovely for you to see the room before anyone else and to be able to take it all in while it looks perfect. Abi & Marcus created such a classic chic look in the Lakeside Marquee, with stunning pastel blue and white florals, elegant tapered blue candles, crisp white table linen and bespoke embroidered napkins with each guests initials, which was such a lovely touch.

Family Group Wedding Photos at Alrewas Hayes

Family Group photos were short and sweet, with parents, grandparents and siblings. I like to use either the garden area of the upper courtyard or the front of the house, for family group photos at Alrewas Hayes. On this occasion we stayed in the garden, so the live music could still be enjoyed

Making an Entrance & Speeches

Abi & Marcus created such a fun atmosphere for their wedding breakfast. They made their entrance to guests waving napkins and the band entertained everyone from raised podiums, throughout the meal. There was such a great party vibe!! The speeches are one of my favourite parts of a wedding. It’s where I get to hear all of the funny shared stories and it’s so lovely to hear how much love there is for the couple.

Cocktails and Party Time

After dinner ocktails flowed and the party mood continued.The stunning mural at Alrewas was a perfect backdrop for some portraits whilst enjoying an Espresso Martini!

Wedding Photography

Are you planning a wedding at Alrewas Hayes and looking for a Staffordshire Wedding Photographer? I’d love to hear from you! My style of photography is relaxed and timeless. My editing style is light and bright, with true to life colours. If you’d like to see more of my work, head over to the portfolio page or my blog to see more weddings. Get in touch on the contact page to find out if I’m available for your date and let’s have a chat! Finally a huge thanks to Abi and Marcus for choosing me to be their Photographer.