Dorfold Hall Wedding photography
Richard & Kate
Stunning portraits in the beautiful grounds of this exclusive, luxury country estate. By Dorfold Hall wedding photographer, Phil Salisbury.
Surrounded by an 800-acre country estate in Cheshire, Dorfold Hall is a beautiful Grade I listed stately home just outside Nantwich, and only 30 miles from Manchester airport. With over 400 years of history, the 17th century building has been tastefully restored, combining oak panelling and ornate plasterwork with all the stylish, modern luxuries. I’m a recommended Dorfold Hall wedding photographer and I really love working there – the interior is incredible, and there are plenty of opportunities for epic portraits in the grounds! From the shimmering lake, to the tree lined driveway – I love capturing award winning wedding photos at Dorfold Hall. As a Manchester wedding photographer its an honour to be a recommended supplier at Dorfold hall, it gives a beautiful contrast to city shooting.
Dorfold Hall is a flexible, exclusive use venue that can accommodate weddings of up to 180 guests. Hire can extend to the entire weekend to prolong the celebrations, perhaps having dinner the night before your wedding and having a celebratory lunch the day after. The awesome staff are always on hand to help make sure your day runs smoothly, nothing is too much trouble and they’ll go the extra mile to create the wedding of your dreams.
This was certainly an emotional one! This family orientated couple struggled with restrictions, which meant a lot of their guests were unable to attend in person – technology saved the day though, and they still made it magical.
Kate got ready with her bridesmaids in the King James bridal suite and dressing room. This is something I really enjoy when working as a Dorfold Hall wedding photographer, the space and light of the suite is just perfect for capturing bridal prep. Kate’s dress from Justin Alexander, looked incredible in the light from the windows.
Kate’s family joined her via a video message on a laptop, it was a complete surprise to Kate so there were a few happy tears. I love this shot of Kate and her bridal party enjoying those moments together. One of the really nice things about the layout of Dorfold Hall is that you can sneak out of the bridal suite to get a view of your guests from the Drawing Room as they start to arrive.
I was joined by my second photographer on the day, as Kate and Richard really wanted to make sure every element of the day was documented to share with their families in future. This is an important part of the story telling in their final gallery, it’s something I would recommend to all my couples, if your budget allows.
Richard and Kate had their ceremony in the Coach House, a 200-year-old building in grounds of Dorfold Hall. With its huge oak double doors, high ceilings and chandelier, it’s a light and airy building ideal for a summer wedding. The white washed walls make it a blank canvas, and Richard and Kate had the place decorated beautifully on the day, with stunning flowers by Red Floral.
The coach house also has a gallery area, which was the ideal place for my second shooter to get a higher viewpoint for a photo of the whole room. It’s great to get Dorfold Hall wedding photography from multiple angles, it gives an overview of the whole day and your guests as they celebrate with you.
After the ceremony we got some brilliant confetti shots – with Richard getting a direct hit from a handful of confetti, straight to the face!
Richard and Kate’s young son was a big part of their day, he was happy and smiley throughout and I caught some really adorable moments between them as a family. One of my favourites is of him ‘helping’ straighten out his mum’s wedding dress (by standing on it!). They are such a family orientated couple, which made it even more difficult for them that not everyone could join them on their wedding day – so the additional messages from family and friends really helped to make them feel like everyone was part of it.
Loving, personal touches were added to the day, with tea on the tables sent from Kate’s uncle’s farm in Taiwan. Her auntie also made shortbread for everyone to enjoy! As everyone sat down to enjoy the amazing food provided by The Cheshire Dining Experience, their Wedding Painter, Stuart Barkley started capturing their day on canvas (which was fascinating to watch!). Richard and Kate made a great choice for their evening entertainment, Skylight Function band got the party started and provided the tunes, and good vibes for everyone to get on the dance floor.
Dorfold Hall wedding photography gives me the chance to use the stunning buildings as a backdrop for beautiful portraits. Artistically framing the couple and making the most of the spectacular views across Cheshire in the summer sunshine. They hold weddings here all year round and I love the way the colours of the landscape change through the seasons.
Are you getting married at Dorfold Hall? I’ve love to chat with you about your day, so please do get in touch. If you are looking for venue inspiration then you can check out some of my award winning wedding photography across the UK.
