Relaxed natural Nottingham Photographer
Real Wedding at The Walled Gardens, Beeston | Nottingham Wedding Photographer
Earlier this year, I photographed a summer wedding at The Walled Gardens in Beeston, Nottingham. This is a venue I had wanted to work at for a long time, so I was really looking forward to finally capturing a wedding there. Before the day itself, I visited the venue to check out the best locations for photos. This was especially important as the couple were getting married at a church first, which meant we would be going straight from the ceremony to the reception, leaving no time to explore the venue on the day.
The morning started with some getting-ready photos at the bride’s parents’ house, which was close to the church. The ceremony took place at St Wilfrid’s Church in West Hallam, a church I knew well from both growing up nearby and photographing a previous wedding there. It was a slightly nostalgic start to the day.
After capturing a few moments of the bridal preparations, I went ahead to the church to photograph the groom greeting guests. This is always a great opportunity for natural, candid photos. Once everyone was inside, I headed down the hill to photograph the bride travelling with her bridal party from her parents’ house to the church.
The ceremony itself was followed by a quick confetti shot outside in the church grounds before giving the couple some space to chat with their guests. Again, this gave me plenty of opportunities for candid photos. Once the guests started heading towards the reception at The Walled Gardens in Beeston, I stayed back briefly with the couple to take a few portraits at the church. They had a particular shot in mind at the back of the church, which we recreated before moving on.
On arrival at The Walled Gardens, the weather had completely changed—the grey skies had cleared and the sun was shining, which made for a fantastic setting. The couple wanted their day to feel as natural as possible in terms of photography, so I kept to the background, capturing candid moments of the guests enjoying themselves. After a little while, we gathered everyone for some quick family group photos, and then I took the couple around the gardens to a few locations I had already planned during my earlier visit.
Once the formal photos were complete, it was time for the speeches. Even though it was a bright day, I set up some lighting to make sure the photos came out well. From there, the rest of the day flowed naturally—cake cutting, the first dance, and more relaxed, documentary-style shots of the guests.
Before I finished for the evening, we headed outside for a sparkler photo with the couple and their guests, which is always a fun way to round off the day. We also took a couple of final portraits in the fading light before I wrapped up.
I really enjoyed photographing this wedding at The Walled Gardens in Beeston. It’s a relaxed and versatile venue, and the sunny day really made the gardens look their best. As a wedding photographer in Nottingham, it was great to finally work at this location, and it’s a venue I’d be very happy to return to again.
