S & E's Beautifully Stylish Wedding at Island Hall
Island Hall has a way of making a wedding day feel like it belongs in a different century, in the best possible way. S & E’s day had all of it: a bedroom full of nervous laughter, a walk down a staircase that has seen two hundred years of family history, vows under a tree older than the house itself, and a marquee lit up on an island reached only by a footbridge. Island Hall is one of the venues I come back to again and again, it’s featured on my guide to the Top Five Wedding Venues in Cambridgeshire, alongside the rest of my favourite Cambridgeshire wedding venues. Here’s how the day unfolded.
Getting Ready In The House
S got ready with her bridal party in one of Island Hall’s bedrooms upstairs, a quiet, light-filled room that made for some of my favourite images of the whole day. When it was time, she made her way down the house’s ornate central staircase, the kind of architectural moment you can’t manufacture on a blank canvas venue.
Vows Under The Great Oak
S & E were married outside on the lawn, in front of family and friends, under the great oak tree that anchors the whole garden. Island Hall itself stood behind them as a backdrop, real light, real reactions, and a setting that needs no dressing up.
Over The Bridge To The Island
After the ceremony, drinks flowed on the lawn while the light softened. Then the whole party made the walk over the footbridge onto the island itself, where a marquee had been set up for the reception, private, self-contained, and genuinely unlike anywhere else I shoot. There’s something about crossing water to get to your own reception that changes the mood of a day.
A Stylish Reception On The Island
The flowers throughout the marquee were by Feather and Ferns, soft, seasonal, and completely in keeping with the setting, and the food came from Little Piggy Catering. Both know this venue well, and it showed.
Portraits Through The Grounds
My favourite part of most weddings, and this one was no different: twenty minutes alone with S & E, walking through the grounds while everyone else had a drink. No posing, no lists, just following the light and letting them be a couple rather than a bride and groom for a bit.
On The Day
- Venue: Island Hall
- Flowers: Feather and Ferns
- Catering: Little Piggy Catering
- Photography: Juan Muiño Wedding Photography
Getting Married At Island Hall?
If you’re planning a wedding at Island Hall, or a venue like it, I’d love to hear from you. Take a look at my wedding photography packages to see how it works.
Lanwades Hall Wedding : Richard and Nicola
Richard & Nicola
I love a Lanwades Hall wedding, not just for the venue itself, beautiful as it is, and not just for the brilliant suppliers this venue attracts, but for the type of couple who chooses to celebrate here. Nicola and Richard were exactly that kind of couple, relaxed, warm, and completely unbothered by a camera being nearby.
If you want to see more of what the venue itself looks like, our Lanwades Hall wedding photographer page has a full breakdown of ceremony spots, timings and what to expect on the day.
Arriving in Style
Bridal prep wasn’t actually in Lanwades’ own bridal suite this time, Nicola got ready at the equally glamorous Bedford Lodge, which meant she arrived at Lanwades in a vintage Bentley courtesy of Cambridge Wedding Cars.
The Ceremony
Lanwades has a way of making a ceremony feel both grand and completely personal at the same time, the Edwardian architecture giving every walk down the aisle real weight.
Portraits with the Bentley
That same vintage Bentley gave us a natural backdrop for portraits along Lanwades’ tree lined avenue, one of my favourite corners of the whole estate.
Confetti and Drinks
The drinks reception is where Lanwades weddings really come alive, and Nicola and Richard’s confetti moment was one of the most joyful I’ve shot all year.
The Wedding Breakfast
Lanwades’ dining room feels like a home rather than a hired venue, impeccably styled by the owners, closer to a boutique hotel than a typical wedding marquee.
Speeches
Night Portraits and Cake
Once the light dropped, Lanwades’ formal gardens turned into one of my favourite backdrops for a quiet couple portrait, before we headed back in for the cake.
The Mariachi Band
Not every Lanwades wedding gets a mariachi band, but Nicola and Richard’s did, and it turned the evening into something genuinely unforgettable.
Getting Married at Lanwades Hall
Lanwades Hall, Kentford, Newmarket, CB8 7UA. Tel: 01638 311 788.
If you’re planning a wedding and still deciding on a venue, Lanwades Hall is genuinely worth visiting before you make your choice. And if you’d like to talk through your day, including the extras available beyond core coverage on our wedding photography add ons page, just get in touch.
Chippenham Park Wedding: Jacquie & Rhys
Every time I pull through the gates at Chippenham Park I get the same lift, it's one of my favourite venues to shoot. Jacquie and Rhys's wedding is one of the days that reminds me why.
A Relaxed Start
Jacquie's prep was held in the Chippenham Park Bridal Suite, one of the most beautiful rooms I've photographed in, spacious, elegantly decorated, and easy to work with as the light moved through the morning.
A Judgement Call
The weather wasn't going to behave. Becky, Chippenham Park's wedding coordinator, made the call to move the ceremony indoors, into one of the venue's stunning rooms. Jacquie and Rhys said their vows to the sound of a summer rain storm outside, and it passed within the hour, that's Chippenham's weather for you.
Onto The Grounds
Guests spilled out onto the grounds around the marquee once the rain cleared, and with permission from the team, we made our way to the bridge for a few more portraits.
"I got to witness the best first dance I'd shot in years. Jacquie and Rhys had been practising, and it showed, they spun around that dancefloor like they'd been on Strictly."
Staying To The End
Because I stay through to the end of the celebrations, I also got to photograph family and friends dancing the night away, a little less polished than the first dance, but just as much fun.
A Perfect Day
Everything about this wedding worked, the decor, the running of the day (thank you, Becky), and most of all Jacquie and Rhys themselves, who didn't stop smiling. A huge thank you to them for their patience through "just one more" shot, and to Becky, Hugo and Becca and the whole team at Chippenham Park, who always make me feel welcome. Evening film by David Grace at DG Pictures.
Getting Married at Chippenham Park?
See the full guide to photographing your day, ceremony options, timing, and what happens if it rains, or browse more real Chippenham Park weddings.
Chippenham Park Wedding Photography The Chippenham Park Guide