Family played a huge part in Annie & Luke’s wedding in Cumbria – chipping in to make the flower arrangements the day before, crafting for hours on end – and the results are just lovely. This is a wonderful, intimate wedding at one of the Lake District’s most welcoming venues, and captured beautifully by one of my favourites: Cragwood Hotel wedding photographer Mark Battista. Mark’s a regularly featured photographer on English Wedding, and it’s been lovely reading the glowing recommendation Annie and Luke have written for him, as well as for Cragwood Hotel and North West wedding make up artist Lisa at Blusch.

Our wedding photography: Lake District and Cumbria wedding photographer Mark Battista

Booking Mark was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. From the moment he arrived, he made us feel so comfortable and relaxed, allowing us to truly enjoy every moment of our day. He was kind, helpful, and went above and beyond.

As we had a smaller wedding, he really got stuck in, got to know everyone, and so many of our guests commented on how amazing, friendly, and professional he was. It honestly felt like he’d known us for years.

I honestly don’t know where to start with the photos because I love every single one of them. I was a little nervous beforehand because I’d always dreamed of an outdoor wedding, but the Lake District had other plans! Even though there had been a heatwave just a few days before, it rained on our wedding day. Looking back, it honestly didn’t matter at all. We embraced it, and so did Mark. What could have been a challenge turned into something really special, and he made the most of every moment.

His style of photography is absolutely beautiful. The colours are so natural and vibrant, and every image feels full of life and emotion. He captured all the laughter, the happy tears, and so many little moments that we didn’t even realise were happening.

Looking through our gallery feels like reliving the entire day all over again. Every photo tells a story, and somehow he managed to capture exactly how the day felt, not just how it looked.

The rain actually made for some of our favourite photos. Mark was more than happy to head outside with us, and the results are incredible. He turned what I thought would be a disappointment into some truly magical memories that we will treasure forever.

The highlight video is something I’ll cherish forever—it makes me cry every single time I watch it because it brings back all the emotions from the day. It’s such a beautiful reminder of all the little moments that go by so quickly.

We are so grateful for the beautiful memories Mark has given us, and we can’t thank him enough. If you’re looking for a photographer in Cumbria who is incredibly talented, professional, and genuinely cares about making your day special, Mark is the one. We couldn’t have asked for a better photographer, and we will treasure these memories for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much, Mark!

Our wedding venue: Cragwood Country House Windermere

What an amazing day we had at Cragwood Country House! The venue is absolutely beautiful, even in the rainy weather.

The stunning surroundings and views made our wedding day feel so special, and the venue itself was the perfect setting for our celebration.

A big shout out to Cragwood for allowing us to use my mum’s vintage china for the afternoon tea. It meant so much to us to be able to add such a personal touch to our day.

The afternoon tea itself was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented, and our guests loved it.

One of our favourite parts of the day was the boat trip from the jetty. It was such a special experience and gave us the opportunity to take in the beautiful scenery from the lake, creating memories that we will treasure forever.

The staff were fantastic throughout the whole process and on the day itself. A special thank you to Matilda, who went above and beyond when the weather meant our plans had to change. My heart was set on an outdoor wedding, but despite the rain, Matilda transformed both the library and the dining room into beautiful spaces. Her attention to detail, creativity, and hard work made all the difference, and she helped create an atmosphere that felt every bit as special as we had imagined.

Thank you to everyone at Cragwood Country House for making our wedding day so memorable. We couldn’t have asked for a better venue or team to celebrate with!

Our wedding outfits

I found my dream wedding dress at Wed2B Liverpool, and it was the very first dress I tried on! From the moment I put it on, I knew it was the one. It was perfect in every way.

The groom’s suits were all from Moss Bros and looked amazing too. We couldn’t have been happier with our wedding outfits and would highly recommend both!

Annie’s wedding makeup

I can’t recommend Lisa – my amazing make up artist – at Blusch Makeup Artistry enough!

I hardly ever wear makeup and didn’t even have a trial, but Lisa made me feel completely at ease from the moment I arrived. It honestly felt like we’d known each other for years.

She talked me through everything step by step, making sure I was happy with every detail and checking if I wanted to change anything. My makeup was exactly what I wanted and stayed flawless all day—even through all the rain!

Lisa is so kind, talented and professional, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to any bride.

Our wedding styling and decor

We did it all ourselves, with a lot of help from my amazing mum and family, and we couldn’t be prouder of how it all turned out!

We found most of our decorations at car boot sales and charity shops, proving you don’t have to spend a fortune to create something beautiful. It took lots of crafting to make everything come together, from making the table ties to creating all of the flower arrangements, but every minute was worth it.

Our cake was from Costco, and my mum transformed it on the morning of the wedding—it looked amazing!

Our flowers came from Liverpool Wholesale Flowers Ltd, and they were so helpful from start to finish. The day before the wedding, we spent hours making all the bouquets and buttonholes ourselves. The kitchen was an absolute disaster by the end of it, but it was definitely worth it!

My lovely grandma also made all of our bunting by hand, which made everything feel even more personal and special.

If you’re planning your wedding, don’t be afraid to get creative and do things yourself. It saved us money, gave our day such a personal touch, and made it even more meaningful. We honestly couldn’t have done it without my wonderful mum and family.