Blakelands Country House Wedding Photographer | Shropshire Wedding Photographer
“Just the best! Lisa was the first person we booked when we got our wedding venue booked — we knew we only wanted Lisa shooting our wedding and made sure to book her as soon as we had our date! Lisa went above and beyond in everything and is so understanding and easy to be around! Myself and my wife are awkward little beans in front of the camera and Lisa just knew how to put us at ease and made everything feel and look so natural! Our wedding day ended up being a little wet and she handled everything superbly and got the most gorgeous shots regardless, capturing the cosy and warm vibe perfectly. We had a great engagement shoot with Lisa as well which was just amazing and we will definitely be coming back to Lisa for years to come! We wish we could do it all again tomorrow — we are still quite speechless about how perfect our wedding day was and Lisa was a huge part of making it all go so perfectly!” — Daisy & Jack
Awkward little beans in front of the camera. Their words, and I love them for it.
Because here is the thing about people who describe themselves that way. They are almost never actually awkward. They are just people who haven’t been made to feel comfortable yet. Give them a photographer who isn’t asking them to perform, and something completely different happens.
That’s what happened at Blakelands Country House. Something completely different.
Blakelands in the Rain
It rained.
Not a drizzle. Not a light shower that everyone politely ignores. It rained in the way that could derail a day if you let it.
We didn’t let it.
Blakelands Country House has a quality that good venues always have: it holds its own regardless of what the weather decides to do. The warmth and character of the place doesn’t need sunshine to come through. If anything, a wet day at a venue like this produces something a bright blue sky day sometimes can’t. Cosiness. Atmosphere. The feeling of being gathered together somewhere sheltered and warm while the world outside does its thing.
The photographs have all of that in them. Every single one.
The Details
Daisy’s dress was Sassi Holford, found at The Dressing Rooms Bridal in Birmingham. I am a genuine admirer of Sassi Holford and the moment I saw Daisy in it I remembered exactly why. There is an elegance to that design that photographs beautifully in any light, rainy days included.
Jack and the groomsmen were in suits from Dapper Dan Suit Hire, sharp and exactly right.
The florals, confetti, styling and venue dressing were all in the hands of Country Foxes, and if you haven’t come across their work before, this wedding is a very good introduction to it. The whole space felt considered and cohesive and completely suited to the warmth and character of Blakelands. She also handled the confetti, which always matters more to me than people realise because a great confetti moment lives or dies on the quality of what’s being thrown and the people throwing it.
Hair was by Shannon @bridal_byshannon and makeup by Claudia @makeupby_claudiaclarke. Both looked stunning. The kind of looks that hold up beautifully across a full day of photographing, which not every hair and makeup does.
The Engagement Shoot
Daisy and Jack came to me for an engagement shoot before the wedding, which I always encourage and this is exactly why.
By the time we arrived at Blakelands on the wedding day, they already knew what it felt like to be in front of my camera. The self-consciousness that lives in most people at the start of a session was already gone. They trusted me and I knew them. That trust is visible in the photographs and it is not something you can shortcut.
The engagement shoot gave us a head start. The wedding day gave us everything else.
A Note on Booking Early
Daisy and Jack booked me the moment they had their venue. First supplier, before almost anything else was in place.
I don’t say this to flatter myself. I say it because the couples who book their photographer early are the ones who end up with the photographs they actually wanted, rather than whoever was still available when they got around to it.
If you have a date and a venue and you are waiting to sort other things first, please reconsider that order.
Supplier Credits
- Venue — Blakelands Country House
- Dress — Sassi Holford from The Dressing Rooms Bridal, Birmingham
- Suits — Dapper Dan Suit Hire
- Flowers, Styling, Venue Dressing & Confetti — Country Foxes
- Hair — Shannon @bridal_byshannon
- Makeup — Claudia @makeupby_claudiaclarke
Daisy and Jack, thank you for choosing me before you had chosen almost anything else. That still means the world. 🤍
Are you planning a wedding at Blakelands Country House? I would love to be part of it. Get in touch here.
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