Classic Country House Wedding at Alrewas Hayes

If you’re planning your wedding and want it to feel relaxed and stylish, read on! Jessica & Daniel’s classic country house wedding at Alrewas Hayes in Staffordshire will give you lots of inspiration. They chose to have the ceremony and reception all in one place. This always lends a relaxed feel to the day, as everything is happening in one place and there’s no need to rush. The vision for this day was pretty colours, an abundance of flowers and lots of little personal touches. I think they pulled this off brilliantly!

When I arrived at the venue, Jessica was doing her own hair and make up and almost ready to put on her stunning Hermoine de Paula dress. Jessica gave her Bridesmaids free range to choose their own dresses, as long as they were floral and pretty. I love this idea and they looked gorgeous with the bouquet’s of sweet peas. Daniel looked really sharp in a three piece suit. His light blue waistcoat, picking out his Groomsmen’s light blue suits. I’m a huge fan of beautiful flowers and their day had these in abundance, supplied by the talented Poppy Scout. I mean just take a look at that gorgeous Flower Arch that provided a beautiful backdrop in the ceremony room! The stunning flowers continued with Jessica’s bouquet and into the lakeside marquee.

Classic Country Manor House Alrewas Hayes
  
Getting ready wedding photos at Alrewas Hayes

The Bridal Suite at Alrewas Hayes is a beautiful room, decorated in luxurious neutral tones. You can move across to this room, from the make up room, to get dressed. The advantage of having a venue with a seperate make up room and a bridal suite, is that the main room stays free of clutter and is a gorgeous calm space for some portraits before you head down to the ceremony. It’s also the perfect place to do a reveal photo to either of your parents and/or Bridesmaids, before you head down to the ceremony. I like to keep the reveal totally natural and just pop myself into a spot where I’m out of the way and can capture all of the emotions as they happen naturally.

Personal vows for a country house wedding

The wedding ceremony room at Alrewas Hayes, or Orangery, as it’s known. Is one of my favourites. It’s filled with great light from the full length windows that run the length of the room and is a great space for photos later in the day if the weather isn’t kind, or if you’re having a winter wedding. Jessica & Daniel had written their own personal vows to read to each other and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room. I absolutely love it, when couples do this. It really does make your ceremony even more special. If the thought of doing this in front of everyone terrifies you, I’ve had some couples take a private moment after their official ceremony and read their personal vows to each other in a quiet space.

Tips for great confetti photos at Alrewas Hayes

When it comes to confetti, there’s no such thing as less is more. Think more is more! The confetti photos are always some of my favourites. Just remember to keep looking up or at each other, or straight ahead like Jessica and Daniel did and enjoy it! The confetti won’t hurt you so try not to grimace or shy away from it. It’s a really fun part of the day and a lovely opportunity to capture some natural moments. The grassy area above the courtyard is a perfect spot for a confetti walk but if it’s a rainy day, why not have your guests throw confetti as you walk back down the aisle, for that ‘just married’ moment.

Relaxed couple portraits

When it comes to your couple portraits, I like to keep things moving and not over pose you. I’ll probably tell some rubbish jokes to make you laugh, so you’ll either find them funny or laugh in pity. I’ll also give you some prompts that will ease you into the photos. I like to put you at ease and make you feel like you can just be yourselves and with a little bit of gentle guidance, we’ll get those beautiful natural portraits. There are so many gorgeous locations at this venue for gorgeous couple photos and taking a little walk around the grounds is a great way to get those relaxed wedding photos, of you chatting together and just enjoying yourselves.

Fun Wedding Party Group Photos

The front of Alrewas Hayes Manor House is just one of the perfect backdrops to choose from for your group photos. I had lots of fun with Jessica, Daniel and their wedding party and it’s often those in between moments during the photos that my couples really love. So I’ll be sure to capture everything.

Marquee with pastel styling

The details for this wedding were so pretty! There were so many beautiful flowers in pastel shades and I loved how the couple chose to have their tables in a trestle style.

Speeches in the Lakeside Marquee

The speeches are always fun to photograph. I love hearing about my couples when they were growing up and if there’s a funny story being told, it means they’ll be great reactions from guests for candid photos.

Sunset Couple Portraits

So that you get to enjoy as much time as possible with your guests, I like to break up your couple photos into two short sessions. Usually fifteen minutes before dinner and fifteen minutes after dinner. The after dinner session is often my couples favourite. You’ve usually relaxed by then, as all of the formalities are out of the way and had a couple of drinks, which will also be making you feel a bit more relaxed. So we take a stroll and on a clear sunny evening, we might be lucky enough to capture some gorgeous sunset photos.

Wedding Photography

Are you getting married at Alrewas Hayes? I’d love to photograph your wedding! My style of wedding photography is very relaxed and informal. I love creating romantic and timeless photos, in true to life colour. If you’d like to check out more of my work at this gorgeous wedding venue, head over my dedicated Alrewas Hayes page, or have a look at my portfolio Ready to chat? Get in touch over on the contact page, I’d love to hear from you!