THORTON MANOR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER – WATERSIDE PAVILION – KERRY and SAM
It’s a great day to be a Thornton Manor Wedding Photographer! Built in the 19th Century, Thornton Manor is an Elizabethan House with Grade II listing status. At one time it was occupied by the late Lord Leverhulme, but was built for Charles William Potts. Situated in the village of Thornton Hough, the house is surrounded by beautiful parks and gardens designed by Thomas Mawson. This, alongside the stunning countryside make this historic wedding venue the perfect setting for your dream wedding (and great for photographs too!).
Thornton Manor offers not just one, but four exclusive venues, meaning there is a unique range of magnificent spots for bride and grooms to hold their marriage ceremony and reception party, after which newly weds and their guests can spend the night in the stylish bedrooms or cottages.
Relaxed Wedding Photography
Kerry and Sam learned of photography business through an old school friend of mine, with whom Kerry had attended university. Kerry told me that she and Sam preferred a natural and relaxed approach to wedding photography, which is just a-okay with me.
Bridal Prep And a Little Champagne
I met Kerry and her bridal party at their hotel just round the corner from Thornton Manor. They were already in high spirits preparing for the big day ahead. Kerry quickly opened a bottle of bubbly, to the mild concern of one of her bridesmaids. Luckily, she pulled it off just fine and the cork was well contained. Each of the champagne glasses had the name of the bride and bridesmaids which I thought was a nice idea. Glasses poured it was time for Kerry’s hair to begin and following a few photos I followed the mother of the bride into another part of the hotel to find somewhere nice to hand the dress for a photo. I often don’t show photos of details in my blogs and portfolio, but don’t worry, I still take them.
We returned just in time to catch Kerry having her make-up done. I was happy with one photography in particular where I used the chest of drawers to create leading lines while also creating a reflection of the make-up artist. Kerry was over the moon when her flowers and bouquet arrived, but she didn’t have time to get too excited, because the father of the bride arrived shortly after. It was clear he was very proud of Kerry as soon as he walked in the room.
Hugs Before The Ceremony
I left Kerry to meet Sam at their wedding venue, the Dell Pavilion (formerly known as the Waterside Pavilion) at Thornton manor. He was in a great mood, sharing hugs with arriving wedding guests and having fun with the littlest of ring bearers, who in turn, was having a lot of fun making faces against the window! There were plenty of smiles and hugs all around as the wedding party awaited Kerry’s arrival and one of the flower girls had a lot of fun with her own camera. I bet her photos turned out better than mine! (Only joking).
Emotional Wedding Ceremony
When Kerry arrived she was met by one of her flower girls and then had a quick chat with her bridesmaids and the registrars. I noticed she was a little emotional as she was led down the aisle by her dad, with the flower girls dropping confetti before her. From this point the wedding ceremony was full of smiles and laughter from our happy couple and guests alike. The exchange of rings and that was that, they’d tied the knot to rapturous applause from the guests, especially the father of the bride.
Some downtime then onto the speeches!
Everyone moved outside for drinks, a natter, more hugs and a good bit of larking around from Sam and his groomsmen. The newlyweds and I went off for a few relaxed couple photos around the lake near the Dell Pavilion. It was great to be able to use the water in my compositions. There followed a bit more larking around, especially from the children, as people killed time waiting for the wedding breakfast. Once everyone was seated, Kerry had a quiet moment with her new husband, taking a little time to admire her new wedding ring.
The speeches were full of laughter and emotion. Kerry couldn’t decide to laugh or cry during her dad’s emotive speech. It was clear that father and daughter love each other very much indeed. The groom also brought his new wife to tears with his clear affection for her. The best man was not scared to rib our groom and this brought laughter and cheers from the whole room. The mother of the groom also shed a tear to two. But it was when Kerry got up to speak that the tears really started to come….from her bridesmaids! Kerry became so emotional she needed to turn her back to contain herself. Bless her. The speeches were ended with a double hug to both Kerry and Sam, which I was very happy to have captured.
Time to PARTy.....BUT FIRST, SOME FIREWORKS!
And now it was time for everyone to let their hair down and party. Guests mingled outside, many of the boys playfully wounded up Sam, while everyone waited for the room to be set up for the disco. A few shots and then the dancing began in earnest…..only for it to stop when some surprise fireworks were announced. All the guests were handed fireworks to play with while the spectacular fireworks exploded overhead. Some of the guests played ‘Harry Potter’ with their sparklers, making from some very fun wedding photographs.
The fireworks over, it was straight back to the dance floor for some serious moves to some great tunes. Things really fired up with Rudimental started playing, and then again when father and daughter, our bride and the dad, hit the dance floor a little later. At one point there was even dance off between two dedicated performers, who were watched eagerly by the rest of the wedding party. You could almost smell the competitiveness, but it was hard to pick a winner and the two gentlemen were clearly friends by the end. If I didn’t know already, it was also informed in the best way possible that it’s true what they say about what Scottish gentlemen wear underneath their kilts (nothing).
Huge congratulations to our new married couple, Kerry and Sam! I had a blast shooting your wedding, thanks ever so much for picking me as your Thornton Manor wedding photographer!
natural wedding photographer at the Dell Pavilion
Kerry and Sam opted for the Dell Pavillion, sometimes also known as the Waterside Pavilion. Situated in the centre of the estate, it is the perfect place for couples who are betrothed to say ‘I do’ and begin married life together. This rustic and charming wedding venue is a great location for those looking to have a more intimate ceremony and celebration. The rural greenery and hand-carved bridge are superb for a stroll and a little down time while your photographer takes a few photos.
Awesome Wedding Suppliers
Venue: Thornton Manor
