Hazelwood Castle Wedding Photography

There are wedding days that feel busy from the second you arrive. Then there are wedding days that breathe.

Lauren and Richard’s May wedding at Hazlewood Castle sat firmly in the second category. Calm. Relaxed. Emotional in all the right places. A wedding day built around people rather than performance.

As I arrived beneath clear blue skies, I was greeted by one of the most surreal welcomes I’ve ever had at a wedding venue. Two peacocks wandering the grounds. One of them an incredibly rare albino peacock, while the other stood proudly displaying its feathers in full show. It honestly felt like stepping into a period film before the day had even started.

And that set the tone perfectly for everything that followed.

Bridal prep was peaceful from the very beginning. No chaos. No overcrowded room. Just Lauren, a couple of bridesmaids, a bridesperson, and a morning that unfolded naturally without pressure.

Those quieter mornings are often where the real moments live.

There were bursts of laughter throughout the prep, including a moment where Lauren suddenly started doing press-ups to warm herself up before the ceremony. Completely unexpected. Completely hilarious. Exactly the sort of real memory couples actually want to remember years later.

There were softer moments too. A video call came through from friends or family, bringing another layer of emotion and excitement into the room as the morning built naturally toward the ceremony.

Lauren also knew her makeup artist personally, which added another level of comfort to the atmosphere. Nothing felt staged or overly structured. Everybody simply settled into the day together.

One thing I brief every couple on before a wedding is that I work with full access to the day. I’m there throughout the entire story, not just selected moments. The calm moments matter just as much as the loud ones. Sometimes more.

That approach allowed us to capture everything honestly as it unfolded.

Lauren is a former professional dancer and honestly, she looked like she’d stepped straight out of a Disney film.

Stunning feels too small a word.

As she stepped into her dress, one of the bridesmaids became visibly emotional. You could feel the energy in the room shift immediately. The excitement suddenly became real.

Alongside me on the day was Janina from Reportage Studios, who was covering Richard’s morning preparations and capturing the ceremony room before Lauren’s arrival.

Meanwhile downstairs, Lauren’s father waited for her at the bottom of the staircase for their first look.

That moment hit hard.

A pause. A look. Tears from both of them as they wiped their eyes before heading toward the ceremony together.

No dramatic posing needed. Just genuine emotion.

The ceremony itself was beautifully simple. Quaint, relaxed, and full of warmth without ever feeling overly formal or drawn out.

As Lauren walked up the aisle with her father, the smiles said everything. Her mum became emotional during the ceremony and throughout the room there was this overwhelming feeling of happiness from family and friends simply witnessing two people they loved getting married.

When the ceremony ended, Lauren and Richard made their way back up the aisle to huge applause with their arms raised in celebration.

No stiffness. No awkwardness. Just pure joy.

After the ceremony, the couple chose to do a receiving line which created endless hugs, kisses, laughter, and conversation before guests gathered outside for confetti.

The staircase at Hazlewood Castle created the perfect backdrop as Lauren and Richard walked down together before entering a tunnel of beautiful rose petal confetti.

Huge smiles. Champagne flowing. Guests fully present in the moment.

Exactly how a wedding drinks reception should feel.

Family photographs followed, alongside an intentionally short portrait session. Two or three minutes at most.

That was important to Lauren and Richard.

Too many couples accidentally sacrifice their own wedding experience chasing photographs for hours. Lauren and Richard understood something most people don’t. The wedding itself matters more than creating content.

So we worked quickly, naturally, and let them get straight back to their guests.

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The grounds at Hazlewood Castle are sensational in spring and the drinks reception beside the pond created a genuinely cinematic atmosphere.

Live music drifted across the grounds, what I believe was a cello performance, while guests relaxed in the sunshine with canapés and champagne.

There was also a magician entertaining guests throughout the reception, which brought constant laughter and reactions from every direction.

Those unscripted interactions are gold at weddings.

Not because they look impressive online, but because they create real memories between people.

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Speeches, Tinder Jokes & Flying Eyeballs

The wedding breakfast entrance brought another huge reaction from guests, with phones immediately appearing as Lauren and Richard entered the room before sharing a beautiful kiss that perfectly set the atmosphere for the speeches.

And then came the flying eyeballs.

As an icebreaker during the speeches, a pair of novelty glasses appeared with spring-loaded eyeballs attached, instantly cutting through nerves and sending the room into hysterics.

The speeches balanced heartfelt emotion with brilliant humour throughout.

Richard spoke about meeting Lauren on Tinder, joking that he’d spent years swiping right repeatedly waiting to meet the love of his life… before finally swiping right on Lauren.

It landed perfectly.

Natural humour always wins over forced speeches.

A First Dance Built For The Spotlight

The evening celebrations continued with the cake cut before everyone gathered for the first dance.

And this is where Lauren’s background as a professional dancer really came alive.

The dance floor setting inside Hazlewood Castle was stunning already, but together Lauren and Richard completely owned the room.

Richard is naturally more reserved, but throughout the day his personality gradually unfolded more and more, especially once they hit the dance floor together.

That balance between them worked beautifully.

As the evening continued, guests packed the dance floor, shots started appearing, and friends who had travelled internationally to celebrate joined the party properly. Many of them were dancers too, which only raised the energy even further.

The night eventually ended in the most fitting way possible.

Lauren and Richard performing a robot dance together while everyone around them laughed.

Perfectly unfiltered. Completely them.

Ending The Story Properly

Before leaving, I captured one final image from outside the castle looking back into the building as the celebrations carried on inside.

For me, those ending photographs matter.

Not because they’re technically impressive, but because they close the story honestly. The final quiet frame after an entire day full of movement, laughter, emotion, hugs, champagne, dancing, tears, confetti, and chaos.

Lauren and Richard created a wedding day that never tried too hard to be anything other than itself.

And that’s exactly why it was beautiful.