Elegant Outdoor Wedding at Capesthorne Hall
Polly & Andrew
Timeless elegance, personal touches, and a stunning venue for Polly and Andrew’s outdoor wedding at Capesthorne Hall, captured by Phil Salisbury.
Capesthorne Hall is a prestigious, historic building with real wow factor! Polly and Andrew got married at one of my favourite venues to visit as a Cheshire wedding photographer. Their outdoor wedding at Capesthorne Hall was timelessly elegant, with all the traditional elements as well as some personal touches to make the day their own.
I joined Polly as she got ready with her bridal party, with Make-Up Artist Lauren McCabe and Maisie from Absolutely Flawless Hair. Polly was super relaxed, calmly enjoying the process of preparing for the day, and even getting involved with steaming dresses for her bridesmaids. It was also a chance for her to meet her young niece for the first time, as she’d made the trip over just for the wedding.
Meanwhile, Andrew and the boys were enjoying a Greggs breakfast and some drinks before getting into their suits from Peter Posh, with some laughs about the challenges they were having putting things on in the right order!
As the girls finished getting ready, the boys were already outside helping to set everything up for their outdoor wedding at Capesthorne Hall, overlooking the lake. They were also carefully making sure their buttonholes were fixed firmly in place as guests started to arrive.
After checking everything was running to plan, Excel spreadsheet guru Polly was helped into her beautiful, intricately embellished, Essence of Australia wedding dress from Cheadle Bride. She had a few quiet moments and an emotional hug with her very proud Dad, before heading outside with her bridal party. Her beautiful bouquet from Precious Things was full of green foliage, white berries and eucalyptus, as well as white roses, with a little splash of blue to match the dresses worn by the bridesmaids.
Polly walked down the aisle on her Dad’s arm, with everyone enjoying a burst of sunshine as their ceremony began. The couple had written their own vows, which made their ceremony really personal. The weather really was on their side, and the surrounding gardens looked gorgeous in the gentle sunlight.
After saying I do, and having a quick glass of fizz to celebrate, Polly and Andrew were showered with confetti (including one expertly thrown entire basket, right at the end!). Then they enjoyed canapes from Vanilla in Allseasons Catering, golf, hugs and garden games on the lawn. It’s amazing how competitive the grownups get when ping pong and cricket are involved!
I captured some relaxed, elegant group portraits in front of the lake with the sunshine twinkling on the water in the background, then it was time for a little wander around the grounds with Polly and Andrew.
For their photos together as newlyweds, I took Polly and Andrew for a relaxed stroll around the lake and along the tree lined paths through the estate. We made the most of the beautiful light, and I gave them a chance to have some time to themselves for a moment, while I captured them smiling and laughing together.
Polly and Andrew were welcomed to their wedding breakfast with applause and cheers in the Lakeside Wing, which had been decorated with more stunning flower arrangements and décor from wedding stylist and event florist, Precious Things. The heartfelt and funny speeches included a Red Arrows guest appearance, and some embarrassing stories from Andrew’s best man (there’s always got to be a head-in-hands, cringe moment for the groom!)
As the estate was illuminated with gorgeous golden hour sunlight the wedding guests started to enjoy some vening wedding games so I quickly took Polly and Andrew outside to capture a few more creative portraits. The sun shining through the trees allowed me to create some stunning silhouettes in the woodland. Part of what I love about capturing award winning wedding photography is finding the light to frame moments and delicate touches that really show the love between a couple.
We returned for their evening reception, which started with cutting their impressive from Cherry Blossom Bakery, and then their first dance where Polly was whisked off her feet and spun in the air. Daytime Polly turned into TURBO Polly, and everyone piled on to the dance floor to join them and get the party started!
There were plenty of laughs, high fives, a giant pair of neon green sunglasses, and Andrew’s Dad impressing with some brilliant dance moves as the party went crazy! Working alongside videographer Dave Bone was great fun, and we both got stuck in capturing all the action.
With kids and grown ups going bonkers on the dancefloor, it was non-stop action all night. The DJ and saxophone duo from Musique created the perfect atmosphere for everyone to let their hair down. At one point, Andrew was lifted off the floor, and hoisted in the air with some fairly questionable manual handling techniques from his groomsmen! The night continued with a dance-off, spin the bottle, and a hilarious limbo competition, all surrounded by tonnes and tonnes of love.
As an experienced Capesthorne Hall wedding photographer, I love seeing how every celebration is different, and getting right to the centre of the party on the dancefloor. Polly and Andrew had such a beautiful day, and their lovely friends and family made it an absolute pleasure to capture. Thanks for having me, you brilliant bunch!
My signature style is all about capturing these moments throughout the day, from the laughs and the jokes to the happy tears, and the crazy dance moved later. I’m a Manchester wedding photographer, but I work across the whole of the UK (and I’ll definitely jump on a plane with you if you are getting married abroad, like these guys who had their wedding in Alicante and this Cortona wedding!)
Check out more Capesthorne Hall wedding stories here.
