Exquisite Lake District Wedding at Longlands in Cartmel

Hannah and Steven's wedding in the Lake District was one I'd been looking forward to for months. Having climbed Mount Skiddaw myself years back, I knew the landscape would be spectacular for photography. They'd chosen Longlands in Cartmel down in the southern Lake District, so I stayed overnight in a nearby coastal town before driving over that morning. The main house at Longlands, with its ivy covered walls, caught my eye immediately as I pulled up. This was going to be a good day.
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I Found Hannah upstairs getting ready with her mum, grandmother, and bridesmaids. One of the bridesmaids I recognised as I'd actually photographed at her wedding, which brought back nice memories. The florist arrived with the bouquet while I was there, adding another layer to the excited energy filling the room.
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Steven and his mates had been squeezed into the tiniest room in the house, classic wedding day hierarchy where the bride takes the best space. Despite being a bit cramped, they were laughing and joking about it, so I took them out to the spacious courtyard for some shots while they finished getting ready.
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Heading back upstairs, I walked in on Hannah reading a card from Steven, which turned into one of those really touching moments. The light coming through those big windows lit up everyone's faces, you could see the anticipation building. Hannah got into her Andrea Hawkes dress with its gorgeous veiled cape, and watching the wind pick up outside, I knew we were going to get some dramatic shots with that veil flowing.
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They'd chosen a local church for the ceremony. My favourite shot from the arrival was Hannah walking down the path with her dad, her veil billowing in the wind, both of them grinning widely. The ceremony itself was lovely, followed by a confetti moment on the same path outside.
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Returning to Longlands, the reception unfolded in the restored walled kitchen garden. The garden had been restored beautifully, flowers in full bloom and these wonderful scents filling the air. The pond in the middle meant I had to watch my step with all my kit, but at least the space gave everyone room to spread out and congratulate the newlyweds properly.
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Took Hannah and Steven off for portraits, and the veil moving in the breeze gave us some really striking shots. Once I'd got the group photos sorted against all that greenery, everyone made their way to the hay barn. No actual hay despite the name, but the place had real character to it. The space worked brilliantly for the wedding breakfast and speeches, with concrete walls that somehow felt cosy and windows that framed those hill views perfectly.
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Once everyone had eaten and the speeches wrapped up, we gathered at the front of the house for coffee and cake cutting. Hannah's grandmother presented her with this gorgeous piece of handmade embroidery depicting the couple and their wedding day, complete with warm hugs. One of my favourite unexpected shots came when a guest burst out laughing on the lawn as a curious herd of cows wandered over to join the celebrations. As the party began shifting back toward the hay barn, I grabbed my final portraits of Hannah and Steven bathed in that golden setting sun light.
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The evening kicked off with a ceilidh band, which always brings its own energy. Photographing ceilidh dancing is quite a workout in itself, you need to be nimble enough to capture the shot then quickly dodge out of the way before spinning dancers crash into you. After an hour of everyone working up a sweat, a different band took over with more modern music, maintaining the packed energy but with slightly less chaos.
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Driving home later that night, I was absolutely shattered but still buzzing from everything I'd captured. Long drive stretching ahead, but days like this make it all worthwhile.

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If you love Hannah & Steven’s Lake district wedding at Longlands you might enjoy Laura & Chris’ wedding in Hampshire or maybe Allistair & Ella’s marquee wedding in Dorset. 

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