A Wonderful Wedding at One of Cheshire's Finest Venues

Capesthorne Hall is magnificent, undoubtedly one of Cheshire’s finest wedding venues.

Prior to Claire & Simon’s wedding, we carried out our usual reccy of the venue.  As soon as we turned up the long driveway, the views were breathtaking.  The beautiful gardens and the lake are so picturesque, no wonder this venue has been used in various films/tv shows.

When we asked Claire & Simon why the venue appealed to them, they replied: “We fell in love with it as soon as we saw it, especially the location, surroundings and it had a beautiful option for an outside ceremony next to the lake.”  It also has family connections for Claire, as her Dad used to enjoy fishing and attending angling working parties there, before he emigrated to France.

Claire & Simon met at High School, they’ve been friends for over 23 years and were in a relationship for 3 years before they married.

Simon got down on one knee, whilst walking around the lake at Claire’s parents in France on New Year’s Day 2017.

On the day of their wedding, Claire chose to arrive at the venue with her hair and make-up already done. Following a few natural photos, we left Claire with her bridesmaids so they could get dressed for the occasion, while we went outside into the grounds, to photograph Simon and his future stepsons.

With it being a March wedding, we knew the weather could be unpredictable, especially as we’d photographed a wedding just one week previous and experienced snow and very cold winds.  However, as luck would have it, Claire and Simon’s wish came true and they were able to hold their ceremony outside in the lakeside gazebo.

Claire & Simon didn’t see each other before the wedding and kept the tradition of spending the night before the wedding apart. Claire said it was a very special moment when she walked upto the gazebo and saw Simon waiting for her! Claire looked absolutely amazing in her wedding dress.  On speaking to Simon, he told us that Claire cried when she first tried it on, not that we’re surprised, as she looked ‘a million dollars’!

As Claire and her Dad walked up the gravel path to the gazebo, Claire’s garter slipped down her leg, causing them both to giggle. As they reached the guests, Claire lifted her dress and flicked her garter to some friends, asking them to keep it safe until later!

Claire’s most memorable moment of the day was during their service, when their ‘sand ceremony’ took place, which symbolised the two families being joined as one! Simon said his memorable moment was saying ‘I do’ for the first time, to the woman he loves and adores so much!

Once the ceremony was over, it was time for the group and couple photos and with Capesthorne Hall being such an incredible venue, we were spoilt for choice, so we decided to use several different picturesque backdrops.

Because of the time of year, the grass was a little soft and damp, which caused one of the guests to get her heel stuck in the grass and tumble over. Thankfully there was no damage done, and Simon thought it highly amusing!

Claire and Simon put their own personal touch to their wedding, and handmade various items, their favourites being the table plan and table centres.

The beautiful bridal bouquet complimented the wedding cake perfectly.  The soft green colour scheme, together with the green surroundings of the venue, made for some very beautiful wedding photos.

During the wedding breakfast, we felt very honoured, as we were invited to sit with the guests for the meal, which was amazing!

This was followed by the usual Father of the Bride and Groom speeches, but then there was one speech that we’ll never forget, which also surprised the bride & groom, it was by Claire’s eldest son Jamie, he had most of the guests in tears, including us, with his heartfelt and emotional comments!

The evening celebrations began with the traditional 1st dance to ‘Running Home to You’ by Grant Gustin, to the applause of all the guests.

We can’t express how much we both enjoyed being part of this wedding, it was perfect in every way! Thank to Claire & Simon for entrusting us to be your photographers and including us in your special day as you did!

Wedding Suppliers:

• Venue: Capesthorne Hall
• Catering: Vanilla in All Seasons
• Wedding Dress: Facebook Marketplace
• Groom’s Suit: Matalan and Ebay
• Bride’s Shoes: Debenhams
• Florist: Angela - Simon’s Brother’s Mother-in Law
• Makeup: Cheryl Hoyle MUA
• Hair: A great friend - Helen Cooke from JD Hair and Beauty
• Cake: A friend - Gin Kennish
• Music: DJ recommended by the venue