Delamere Manor is a beautiful, Cheshire wedding venue, so I was really looking forward to taking Jen and Andrews wedding photos here.

It was an absolute pleasure to work at Delamere Manor. This former home of Gary Barlowe sits in 100 acres of stunning Cheshire countryside and overlooks a 6-acre lake. It has ceremony options for everyone both indoors and out, so it’s perfect, whatever the weather. It’s fully deserving of its ‘Most Romantic Wedding Venue’ at the English wedding awards (where I won wedding photographer of the year too). What really makes it though are the wedding team, they look after their couples and guests so meticulously. They also were wonderful to work with, and really friendly (thank you).

All of the rooms and other spaces are finished to a very high standard, it all just feels special. Delamere Manor is the perfect backdrop for bridal preparations, with lots of open space and lovely bright spaces. As bridal prep goes, this is as relaxing a space as it gets.

Outdoor wedding ceremonies

Jen and Andrew had a gloriously sunny day, perfect for their outdoor wedding ceremony on the terrace. The terrace is a large space that overlooks the woodland area and is right by the house. The Cheshire West and Chester registrars are photography friendly and a pleasure to work with. Other outdoor ceremony options are the Jetty, a lovely setting beside the lake and just a short walk from the house. The summer house weddings take place in an idyllic setting with stunning views of the house and lake. Garden folly weddings take place under a Roman-style folly are great for both large and small weddings. Finally, there is the Pergola, perfect for smaller, more intimate weddings.

Indoor wedding ceremonies

If the weather isn’t suitable for an outdoor ceremony, don’t worry! The courtyard is also licenced for wedding ceremonies and is a fabulous, contemporary space. Its roof is fully retractable, so it can be indoors or outdoors if the weather is changeable.

And the good news is…. Confetti is allowed at Delamere Manor! Brilliant! Walking through a confetti storm is still one of the highlights of my own wedding, so I love it when a couple get to experience this.

After the wedding ceremony, guests have so many things they can before the wedding breakfast. Weather permitting they can explore the grounds, take a walk to the lake, Jetty and Folly. Alternatively, they can explore the house and enjoy all the beautiful artworks on display in every room.

The wedding breakfast

Of course, no wedding is complete without the wedding breakfast, and these take place in the courtyard. The courtyard is a large area which can be inside or out thanks to its retracting roof. Inviting the bride and groom into the room as they make their way from outside through to the head table is quite special. I have to say, the food served at Delamere Manor is absolutely top-notch, easily amongst the best I have tried.

Wedding speeches

And let’s not forget the speeches! The whole area is so rural as to be quiet, so it’s easy to hear the speeches; however, a PA system is on hand if you prefer). Jen and Andrew had two wedding speeches, the grooms and the best mans speech, both had all the guests roaring with laughter.

The evening party

The courtyard is also the location for the evening wedding party. It’s such a versatile space, large enough to have a generously sized dancefloor while still having plenty of space for a DJ, a band and guests. If it all gets a bit noisy for some guests, they can retire to the house to relax and chill. The fairy light covered ceiling is very pretty and makes for a romantic first dance (this is the winner of ‘Most Romantic Wedding Venue’ after all). After the first dance, you and your guests can party on until midnight before retiring to your room. Delamere Manor has 6 double bedrooms for guests.

Delamere Manor has disabled access to all main social areas and has a disabled toilet in the Orangerie.

I hope you enjoy these looking at these pictures. This is what happens when a multi-award-winning wedding photographer, works with an award-winning wedding venue.

If you are planning a Delamere Manor wedding, I’d love to hear from you, please get in touch.

You can read more about Cheshire Wedding Photography here

Fantastic Chester Grosvenor wedding

Ever since meeting Richard and Chris last year, I’ve been really looking forward to photographing their wedding at the Chester Grosvenor. Just as expected, their wedding was a fun-filled affair. The couple celebrated their wedding at the Chester Grosvenor in Cheshire. It was great to be photographing at the Grosvenor again, the Cheshire registrars are just fabulous to work with. I feel lucky to be photographing such an amazing couple in such a beautiful location.

Groom preparations

Richard and Chris got ready in a beautiful suite in the Chester Grosvenor. Richard and Chris both had bespoke and unique waistcoats to wear with their suits – they looked great! They and their best men had a really chilled, relaxing time together before the ceremony.

Wedding ceremony

The ceremony was a delightful service amongst close family and friends at Chester Grosvenor, Richard and Chris were in their element.

After the ceremony, Richard and Chris took a quick ride through the streets of Chester and had a ‘mock arrival’ and confetti walk.

During the reception, I captured all the fun as well as a few formal pictures.

Richard and Chris chose to have their speeches before the wedding breakfast. There was two father of the groom speeches, Richard and Chris made a joint speech followed by each of their best men’s speeches. I love the speeches because they are always guaranteed to raise a laugh. I always feel privileged to hear more about the couple.

After the wedding breakfast, Richard and Chris had put on various entertainment for their guests including a magician and a mini casino. Their guests loved this and got really involved.

They were blessed with gorgeous weather so I took advantage of the awesome light and took them for some cool couples portraits around Chester. I love taking couples out in busy centres as its such a buzz being the centre of attention with people congratulating them.

Dance floor antics and violins

The day flew so fast and it was soon time for the cake cutting ceremony and first dance. Richard and Chris wowed their guests with even more unexpected entertainment. They had a violinist lined up to enter the dance floor and play along to dance tunes. It was fascinating and really entertaining, I enjoyed it so much I stayed till the end of her first set.

Richard and Chris were fantastic to spend time with. I had a great day and know they’ll both be very happy.

I’ve been really looking forward to Samantha and Adam’s summer Palm House wedding. They are such a lovely, relaxed couple and the Sefton Palm house is, without doubt, one of my favourite Liverpool wedding venues. It’s impossible to get bored of photographing weddings here because both the Palm House and surrounding Sefton Park change throughout the seasons.

Samantha got ready at the house of her maid of honour, in Aigburth. They had a chilled and relaxed morning together getting their hair and makeup professionally done.

Once their hair and makeup was finished, it was time to get into their dresses.

Once Samantha was in her wedding dress. I took a quick couple of bridal portraits before heading to the Palm House to catch up with Adam.

It was busy outside the Palm House because the weather was beautiful.

Adam and one of the groomsmen swap notes.

Smile!

A nervous Adam waits for his bride’s arrival.

Whilst Adam waited in the Palm House, I made my way out to capture Samantha and her bridesmaid’s arrival in a cool vintage VW camper van.

Samantha and Adam’s first look.

One of the things I love most about summer weddings in the Palm House is the great light. There is always lots of it and it’s naturally on the right side at this time of day. It gives people that lovely little kick of light from behind that separates the couple from the dark foliage. Its, simply great for wedding photography.

Another reason I love shooting weddings at the Palm House in Sefton Park is the Liverpool Registrars. They are some of the friendliest in the country so I’m able to capture every moment unhindered.

I always think it’s important to capture the parents and other guests during the ceremony. I love everyone’s happy faces in this picture.

Liverpool registrars are good fun too, no boring ceremonies here.

A proud father and mother of the bride watch Samantha and Adam exchange rings.

Their first kiss.

Oops, better wipe that lipstick off :)

Everyone wants to capture a great shot of the happy couple walking down the aisle.

Especially me!

It was great to see Samantha and Adam spend so much time together. Here they are sharing a moment just after the ceremony.

Only organic confetti and petals are allowed outside the gates of the palm house. I love photographing confetti, it’s such a fun moment.

After the confetti, Samantha and Adam went for a spin the camper van and I couldn’t resist tagging along. I just left them to enjoy the ride while I captured a few candid moments for them. Summer Palm House weddings.

Once we got back to the park, I took a few quick posed pictures with the VW.

I’m always happy to take a few stylish group pictures.

And all too soon it was time for the speeches.

Here are a few classy couples portraits I took during a quick 20-minute session. I work fast, so as not to take you away from your guests for long. No summer Palm House wedding is complete without a trip to ‘Fairy Wood’.

Then I left them to enjoy the rest of their day.

It’s often still light for the first dance at summer Palm House weddings.

The band were fabulous!

Even Adam wanted to take some pictures!

The Palm house all lit up at night is quite a spectacular sight. Click this link if you’d like to know more about Palm house weddings and my wedding photography.

West Tower weddings

West Tower weddings are great fun to photograph. They are especially fun when you are photographing such a happy couple as Hannah and Ken. This was a new venue for me so I was really looking forward to photographing their wedding there.

West Tower wedding venue is in Aughton, Ormskirk and a lovely wedding venue. Their entire day was at West Tower so I was there from Hannah’s bridal preps through to their first dance.

As always, I started with Hannah’s bridal preps. West Tower’s guestrooms are beautifully decorated so they make a great background to the pictures I take. Hannah had a lovely morning getting ready for her wedding with her mother and sister.

The Lancashire registrars are photographer friendly this meant I was able to get great pictures of their ceremony. The wedding ceremony room at West Tower is big and spacious. This gives weddings an airy feel, this uncramped room is great for wedding photography. Therefore, I was able to move around freely photographing some beautiful moments I know they will treasure. Once Hannah and Ken had signed the register they headed back down the aisle.

The weather was lovely so, after the ceremony, Hannah, Ken and their guests were able to enjoy the grounds at West Tower. I took a few couples portraits of Ken and Hannah before it was time for their wedding breakfast. The catering at West Tower is excellent.

After their wedding breakfast, it was time for the speeches. This was followed shortly after by a great band and first dance.

Ken and his best man wait in the West Tower ceremony room for the arrival of the bride.

Hannah and her mum walk down the aisle.

A crazy amount of confetti.

Have you ever seen two people enjoying themselves on the dancefloor?

Tuscan wedding photographers have it good, stunning views and great light what’s not to love?

It went something like this….

Jeff, “Rob, Sarah and I are getting married”

Me, “That’s fantastic news mate, you guys are made for each other. I’m made up for you both”

Jeff, “Will you come out to Italy and shoot it for us?”

I was made up they were getting married and thrilled to be asked to photograph it – I love these guys. Sarah and Jeff are brilliant friends and also fantastic wedding photographers with lots of wedding photographer friends – so no pressure then!

The weather was horrendous when I arrived at Multipulciano Town Hall the day before to meet Sarah and Jeff. I couldn’t even see the top of the town hall for the heavy mist. Luckily the day of the wedding was spectacular, just as you’d expect in Tuscany in the summer.

Terre di Nano, Tuscany

Sarah and Jeff chose an absolutely stunning venue for their wedding, Terre di Nano, Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy. The word special doesn’t quite do it justice. It’s not just a beautiful place it’s also totally chilled and the people who run it can’t do enough for you.

Not many weddings start with all the guests chilling in the swimming pool but today was always going to be different and that’s exactly how it started.

I headed off to catch up with Sarah for her bridal preparations on the balcony looking out over the vineyard. It was an idyllic setting. Sarah, Katy and her mum spent the morning drinking prosecco while having their hair and makeup done. As everyone was based at Terre di Nano I was able to catch up with Jeff and the rest of the guests too.

It was soon time for me to head into the town centre for the ceremony.

Multipulciano Town Hall

Sara arrived in a glorious Fiat 500 Abarth, the original version, not the modern replica – it sounded amazing.

Sarah and Jeff’s ceremony was different from the norm being read in Italian, then translated to English and back again. It all went smoothly and the Italian officials were great. After the vows and the legal bit, the celebrant cracked open a bottle of prosecco and had a drink with them which is a lovely touch compared to back home (no alcohol is allowed in the ceremony room at any time)

Sarah and Jeff walked out into a shower of confetti after which I took a picture of everyone on the steps of the Multipulciano Town Hall. While their guests made their way back to Terre di Nano we were given the opportunity to go to the top of the tower to take photos with the magnificent view of Multipulciano. It sounded like a good idea but in reality, it’s not the best plan to have a bride in a long white dress and heels navigating what can only be described as the inside of a chimney. Dark, dusty, dirty with narrow stairs and no windows. Once we started our journey to the top we were not going to be thwarted and Sarah was a trooper. When we arrived at the top the views were as promised ‘spectacular’. We took a few more portraits inside the town hall before heading into a neighbouring town for a wedding portrait shoot…

…well that was the plan. Unfortunately, that gorgeous classic car decided to break down. The good folk of Multipulciano came to the rescue with advice in a foreign language and a push.

Back at Terre di Nano, the party was in full swing. There is so much I could say about this lovely wedding but I think I’ve probably waffled on enough when all you really need to do is look at the pictures below.

If you are looking for a Tuscan wedding photographer I’d love to hear from you.

I’ve been really looking forward to Mia and Josh’s wedding at Soughton Hall in Flintshire. After a fabulous fun engagement shoot I knew it was going to be a great day. I wasn’t wrong!

I had a lovely morning with Mia at her parents house while she got ready. I was treated to a piece of her mum’s ‘mars bar cake’ which you really need to taste! Once again Mia’s bubbly personality shines through in these pictures. Everyone was just so friendly it was a real pleasure to be there recording it.

Garston Bridge Chapel

Their wedding ceremony was taking place at Garston Bridge Chapel. I had not had the pleasure of photographing a wedding there before and what a great experience it was. Garston Bridge Chapel was a welcoming place with a genuine kindness about it. I was given free reign to photograph the wedding but stuck to my usual low-key style. Personally, I believe it’s better to get great wedding photos without being noticed. Something the pasta personally thanked me for after the wedding.

The service was lovely. It was obvious that the pasta knew Mia and Josh well which made for a personal wedding.

Soughton Hall Flintshire

After the service, we made our way to Soughton Hall Flintshire for the wedding celebrations. Mia and Josh had glorious sunny weather so their guests made the most of it by staying outside. I really enjoyed photographing this wedding at Soughton Hall, everyone was just so friendly. I’ve only met Mia and Josh a few times but it’s easy to see why they are such a well-loved couple.

Mia wrote “We absolutely love them! Thank you so much.” You’re welcome, Mia!

I love this picture, it says so much. The undivided love for this lovely young lady who’s clearly bashful at the prospect of hair and makeup.

When a bride catches her reflection in the mirror for the first time is one of my favourite parts of the day. A real moment for Mia, I love this picture.

Father and son share a moment, that thumbs up says it all.

I guess you could say Josh was happy! Its great when things like this happen – priceless!

So on a gloriously sunny day, I set off to the Vincent hotel in Southport to take Colette’s bridal preparation pictures. Colette was having a fun morning with her sister and nieces. Once ready I took a couple of stylish portraits and headed off to Meols Hall to catch up with Merf.

A Meols Hall wedding

Today’s service was going to be something quite different and special. Merf’s father was conducting their ceremony so this was a really personal wedding. Their wedding photography was really important to Colette and Merf and having your dad give the service guaranteed me having free licence to take the very best images. Unlike usual register signing Colette and Merf started with a black page each and wrote their own messages to each other. Meanwhile, a friend provided the background music to their Meols Hall wedding with his guitar.

After the service, everyone went out into the courtyard to enjoy the lovely weather and stunning grounds at Meols Hall.

Both Merf and his best man were fantastic speakers. Their speeches were witty and original and really fun to listen to their delivery. We were soon into the evening celebrations and their first dance. I think Colette and Merf had the perfect Meols Hall wedding, here are a few of my favourite images from their wedding…

I love this pictures of a really moving moment between Merf and his father.

I really enjoyed spending time photographing Colette and Merf in the grounds.

© Southport wedding photographer Rob Sanderson

Kate and Andrew’s lovely Colshaw Hall wedding was a real hoot to photograph. A lovely couple and great crowd.

I photographed Kate’s bridal preparations at Cottons, Knutsford. I’ve shot there many times. This time we had a bustling and full room with a happy atmosphere. I took some lovely moments while Kate and the girls did their hair and makeup. Once Kate was in her dress I did my usual quick bridal portrait session before heading off to Colshaw Hall for the service.

Colshaw Hall wedding

I arrived at Colshaw Hall and found Andrew having a laugh with his ushers and best men. The weather was beautiful at Colshaw Hall as I waited outside for Kate’s arrival. Kate arrived in a beautiful classic VW camper van. Kate and Andrew chose to have their wedding in ‘the stables’ a purpose built wooden structure inside Colshaw Halls grounds complete with clock tower. The Stables let in loads of light which makes it perfect for photography. Add that to the wonderful Cheshire registrars and their relaxed approach to wedding photographers and this becomes a great place to photograph a wedding in Cheshire. Cheshire wedding photographers are really spoilt with the unhindered access they give us.

After the service, everyone went outside into the sun. Unlike some venues, Colshaw Hall allows confetti which is great. I left Kate and Andrew to have fun with their friends while I captured the day in my usual unintrusive documentary photography style.

I also took a few family group pictures. This was followed by a short couple photo shoot around the stunning grounds before heading inside for the wedding breakfast and speeches.

After the speeches and cutting of the cake it everyone went into full party mode ready for the dj and of course – the first dance.

Kate and David had a lovely wedding at St Helens in Crosby and Liverpool Town Hall wedding reception.

St Helens, RC Church, Crosby

Unusually for me, I started at the church with the groom instead of with the bride. David had a huge smile on his face when I arrived and it was there all day. After capturing the guests having fun in the church I went outside to wait for Kate’s arrival.

Kate arrived in a beautiful vintage VW camper van. The VW was green coordinating perfectly with the bridesmaid dresses. The weather was a bit dull and threatened rain all morning. I had my trusty big white brollies with me which came in handy and made sure Kate arrived dry.

I had not photographed at St Helens before but was made really welcome. I was also allowed to photograph from any location which has allowed me to really capture this wedding. The overcast day meant for lots of beautiful soft light spilling into St Helens – great for photography!

St Helens church in Crosby is very photographer friendly, I really enjoyed photographing there.

Liverpool Town Hall wedding

Then it was into one of my favourite locations, Liverpool Town Hall for the wedding reception. As we arrived at the Town Hall the sun came out and stayed with us for the rest of the day. It had been a while since I last shot here it was good to be back.

After a few family pictures and some stylish couples pictures, I went back inside to continue my usual reportage coverage.

Kate and David had their speeches in the council chambers which makes this venue so unique. After the speeches everyone went back upstairs for the wedding breakfast before the night party. Kate and David had a live band and danced to Elbow’s ‘On a day like this’ – what a great song and perfect sentiment!

Here are a few of my favourite photos from their St Helens’ Crosby and Liverpool Town Hall wedding…

If you are planning a Liverpool Town Hall wedding I’d love to hear from you