Hannah & Stephen’s Wedding

Hannah & Stephen's The Last Drop Village Wedding

Wedding Prep

It was a lovely bright sunny day when I arrived at Hannah's Mum and Dad's house ready to start photographing the Bride and her team as they were all getting ready for the big day. Hannah's makeup artist and hair stylist were well underway with the Bridal Prep and with everyone wearing matching pyjamas and dressing gowns, there was lots of laughter and everyone was having a good time, there was a great atmosphere and excitement building now the wedding day was finally here. There were plenty of croissants, pastries and bubbly to go around, Hannah's Bridesmaids (along with their hairdresser) helped fasten her into her wedding dress, putting on her wedding shoes and with putting in her earrings too, Bridesmaids duties! The Bridesmaids hugged her as she waited, all ready to go, but for her Dad to see her in her dress for the first time before setting off to church. It was great to work with Pete Johnson Wedding Films again, it's always good when you're working with a videographer and you can just work around each other rather than against. For the 'reveal' photo as Hannah's Dad saw her for the first time, we were in the hallway and for us both to get the shot of Dad's reaction I was pretty much kneeling-crouching on the floor and with Pete shooting over my shoulder to get his footage too, teamwork! When you get to see just how much goes into the girls getting ready on a wedding morning, you also get to appreciate just how easy the lads have got it, it'd definitely be an eye opener for them, a quick shave, shower and a spray of aftershave, suit and shoes on, 30 minutes, maybe 40 tops if they're struggling to fasten the ties and done! Easy.

The Lads

On that note, Stephen was getting ready at home with his Best Man and the Groomsmen, it was only a couple of minutes away from Hannah's Mum and Dad's house so I was able to nip round there, getting a few photographs as everyone saw to the final touches, straightening ties, fastening cufflinks and helping out anyone struggling to work out how to knot a tie properly, that and fiddling with those tricky button holes are probably the two things you'll see near enough every time at almost every wedding and that was pretty much it for the Groom's prep, as I say we've got it easy! Anyway the wedding cars had arrived and then it was time to set off for the local church, St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Leigh, Wigan.

A Church Wedding

St. Joseph's Roman Catholic in Leigh, Wigan really is a beautiful looking church, founded in 1878 and has played a significant role in the life of the local community for over a century. Designed by architect Edward Pugin, St. Joseph's church is apparently built in the 'Gothic Revival style', what I can say it has a very striking and imposing tower and spire that dominates the local skyline. Inside the church it's beautiful and bright with tons of natural light flooding, features intricate stonework, stained glass windows, and a high altar decorated with elaborate carvings, it's very grand and is an amazing place to say your I DO's and it's pretty good as a backdrop for your wedding photographs too. Hannah arrived at church in the Wedding car with her Dad who then walked her down the aisle and he looked so proud linking the arm of his daughter, definitely a warm and fuzzy moment and as they walked down the aisle, Stephen wiping tears away from his eyes as saw Hannah for the first time walking towards him. The ceremony was a lovely traditional one, with the couple exchanging vows and rings in front of their family and friends with a couple of readings too, hats off to the young lad especially who delivered his reading perfectly, it takes a lot of nerve to stand up in front of everyone like that I'd imagine most adults would probably shy away from having to do it, so well done you! After the ceremony we took a few group photos outside and an awesome confetti shot, the more there is the better! Then it was off on the 30+ minute to The Last Drop Village Bolton to enjoy the rest of the day and party into the night.

In and Around The Last Drop Village Hotel, Bolton

The Last Drop Village Hotel is a picturesque wedding venue, hotel and spa located in Bromley Cross, Bolton, Greater Manchester overlooking the beautiful West Pennine Moors and is another stunning venue in the North West of England. It is set in a beautiful rural location, surrounded by stunning countryside and is a popular destination for weddings with its' picturesque collection of Georgian farm buildings dated back to the 17th century and now converted into small independent shops with a florist, hairdresser, antique, jewellery and craft shops as well as an artist studio, village pub and tea room, it's not just the spa resort and hotel. Apparently the story goes that the name was created as Mr Carlton Walker, the visionary entrepreneur who created The Last Drop Village. was celebrating the finishing touches on the restaurant. His friends offered him 'the last drop' of a bottle of wine to mark the occasion back in 1964. Although Hannah and Stephen were married in St. Joseph's church in Leigh, The Last Drop Village Hotel & Spa is licensed for civil ceremonies, allowing couples to exchange their vows on-site and there are a number of beautiful locations for the ceremony including the Mimosa Suite-a lovely intimate room with traditional wooden beams and stone walls in the heart of the hotel with a Courtyard Bar, decked terrace and hotel gardens, perfect for smaller weddings. There's also the Harmony Suite, another ideal space for intimate weddings with split level patio providing stunning views overlooking scenic wooded areas and spectacular views over Greater Manchester and access to the main garden areas and with its own private bar, exclusively for your use. There's also the Pennine Suite with floor to ceiling windows allowing natural daylight into the suite and giving you a stunning backdrop of the beautiful Pennine Moors creating panoramic views for a perfect photograph. The final suite available to choose for your big day is the Penny Farthing Suite and that's the one Hannah and Stephen had picked to hold their wedding reception at the Last Drop Village hotel. It's a beautiful space with separate rooms for the wedding breakfast and bar area, there's also an adjacent room for wedding ceremonies if you're planning on getting married there. With high solid wood beams and panelling walls giving it a lovely warm, intimate feel and is ideal for your evening reception as it centrally located in the Village with easy access to all facilities the hotel has to offer.

Wuthering Heights Vibe

I can honestly say that the Last Drop Village is one of my favourite wedding venues in the North West, sure the quirky little village itself is one reason but just a short stroll away and you're right in the rolling West Lancs Pennine moorlands, it's simply a stunning location for wedding photography. The moors offer a dramatic and picturesque backdrop, with rolling hills, rugged landscapes, and breathtaking views. One of the main reasons that the West Pennine Moors is such a fantastic place for wedding photography is the natural beauty of the area. The moors are home to beautiful meadows with heather, grasses, and wildflowers providing a stunning array of colours and textures to work with, wherever you turn there's something else to see, everywhere you look there's a unique backdrop, providing plenty of opportunities to capture stunning shots that reflect the couple's personality and style. Finally, the West Pennine Moors and The Last Drop Village are renowned for stunning skies and sunsets which can provide both dramatic stormy skies and warm and romantic light, the moors are particularly beautiful in the evening, as the sun sets over the rolling hills and the sky turns a rich shades of colours, beautiful and natural light for some amazing wedding photographs. Hannah and Stephen were absolute troopers and we headed into the hills after their wedding breakfast for some natural relax portraits of the two of them, taking the couple off somewhere is a great opportunity for them to take a breather during the hectic wedding day and they get to spend a bit of time together away from their guests but also pretty much guarantees some absolute wedding photo bangers-breathtaking!!

Party Time

Once the speeches are done and everyone has enjoyed the wedding breakfast there's often a bit of a lull in the proceedings before the wedding reception gets underway in the evening. Not this time! We had a mini football match with some of the younger wedding guests, very tempting to put the camera down for a bit and join in! You could really see the attention to detail Hannah (and Stephen) had put into planning their wedding day, I'm not just talking about their choice of lovely wedding decor but they'd also hired the fantastic "Dave The Caricaturist" to doodle anyone that was brave enough to have a caricature of themselves done and the same pianist that had played for them back in church had somehow (and I'm still not sure how they got the piano into the back of a car really!) made her way over to the Last Drop Village to continue playing for everyone during the wedding breakfast. Once the wedding cake had been moved into the middle of the dance floor and the wedding guests had gathered round to watch the newlyweds to cut the cake it was cleared to the side ready for Hannah and Stepehen's first dance before being joined on the dance floor by their family and friends, dancing long into the night entertained by the fantastic band, The Kickstarts.

Ready To Begin Your Own Wedding Story?

Book Stuart