This gorgeous pair won me over completely with their tractors and tattoos – hay bales on a wedding cake painted beautifully with trees and a bright red tractor has to be a first! Chloe and Jonathan broke tradition in what to me is the loveliest way of all: they woke up together on the morning of the ceremony, relaxed and ready to spend their entire day as a couple. I love that. Images from this adorable Cumbrian wedding are by Lake District wedding photographer Mark Battista. More, as ever, on instagram (tap) @englishweddingblog
Wedding photographer’s website
Mark Battista – https://www.markbattistaphotography.co.uk
Wedding photographer review
Mark photographed our wedding day and he was fantastic. I tend to be camera shy especially when it’s someone else taking the photos rather than a selfie but Mark put me at ease, I felt instantly comfortable as he was cracking jokes from the off. Mark gave clear prompts so that you didn’t feel silly posing. When doing the couple photos he made it into a sort of game and just made it more of a laugh rather than being super serious. We received our sneak peek and I was blown away, as I said I don’t like my photo taken but I absolutely loved the photos Mark took. Everyone commented on how Mark was always there at the right time to get the perfect shots and how by evening time he mixed in so well with everyone it was as if he was a guest. I’d 100% recommend Mark and I’m desperate for a reason to book him for photos again!! I’d also recommend considering his extended night coverage optional add on as we got some fantastic photos of guests dancing and some gorgeous photos outside the venue with fairy lights.
Your best wedding moment or memory
We were so thrilled to have our dog Diesel at our ceremony and for photos. He’s part of our family so the day wouldn’t have been perfect without him there. Emily from Tails & Trails Dog Walking Services (www.facebook.com/TailsandTrails.cumbria) was amazing, she was so good with Diesel and he absolutely loves spending time with her. Emily made sure we didn’t have to worry about a thing regarding Diesel and getting him in our photos.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
We stayed together the night before the wedding and woke up together and had breakfast. It helped calm our nerves as it made the morning feel much more relaxed and normal!
Venue name + review
Greenhill Hotel Wigton We loved the scenery and the highland cows were a huge bonus!
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
My dress was a vintage style, I actually didn’t know until after purchasing that the style name was “Chloe” from a designer called Brighton Belle by True Bride! When I saw it on the receipt I knew it was meant to be! Jonathan’s suit was a lovely sage colour, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to go sage or not but loved the suit as soon as he saw it.
Dress or suit shop name + review
My dress was from the Bridal Factory Outlet in Northallerton and Jonathan’s suit was from Skopes.
Florist name + review
To have & to hold handmade favours I got my bridal bouqet from here and also our buttonholes and corsages, I loved my flowers so much and they were artificial which means I get to keep them forever.
Cake maker name + review
Cakes by Alison Fawkes – www.cakesbyalison.co.uk
We loved our cake so much, it was a huge centrepiece and also a talking point of the day. We got so many compliments about how unique our cake was. I (chloe) have a photography hobby so the images on the cake were a mix up of photos I had taken around the farm.
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
We made our own invites and seating plan using canva. We also DIY’d the top table decor including the long garland, the two planters on either end and the little sheep ornaments in the middle!
First dance
We had Never Gonna be Alone by Nickleback as it was personal to us, we had it chosen as our first dance song long before Jonathan had even proposed!
Hair + makeup name + review
My cousin did my hair as a wedding gift! My makeup was done by Kelly McCall MUA
Imagine getting married in the Lake District in August – pure bliss! I’ve loved seeing all the lovely images of today’s beautiful bride and gorgeous groom as they said their vows in the heart of the Lakes. The setting’s out of this world. The photos by award winning Lake District wedding photographer Mark Battista capture the story of the day perfectly. An absolute dream of a wedding with stunning florals and a masterpiece of a cake – and as always, we’ll share more favourite images on instagram – follow @englishweddingblog and @markbattistaphotography
Wedding photographer’s website
Lake District wedding photographer Mark Battista https://www.markbattistaphotography.co.uk/
Wedding photographer review
Mark was simply phenomenal from start to finish. From our initial reaching out to recieving the final photos, Mark’s professionalism, creativity and genuine passion for his work shone through at every step.
On the wedding day, Mark seamlessly blended into the background capturing candid moments without being intrusive. Even was chased around by the kids during the night do! (Sorry!)
Mark knew how to guide us for posed photos whilst still being natural, he even captured heartfelt moments that we didn’t even realise he was taking!
When we received the final photos we were blown away by the quality and attention to detail. Every image told a story and emotions were felt. Mark has an incredible eye for detail, making every photograph like a piece of art.
We truly felt like Mark cared as much about our wedding as much as we did and that was so special.
Your best wedding moment or memory
Nothing will beat that feeling of meeting each other at the end of the aisle for the ceremony! We had Beauty and the Beast playing (saxophone version). This song means so much to Katie as it has been her favourite film since she was a little girl. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house! Reuniting after a night apart, Sam was crying, Katie was crying, it was the most special moment ever.
Videographer name + review
Dominic – @brainblinkproductions
Dominic was an absolute dream to work with! He captured every special moment of our wedding day with incredible skill and creativity. On the day, he was professional, unobtrusive, and worked seamlessly with our other vendors. The final video was breathtaking—perfectly edited with stunning visuals, emotional highlights, and music that brought everything to life. Dominic’s storytelling talent is unmatched, and we’re so grateful for the timeless film he created for us.
Venue name + review
Lodore Falls was the perfect setting for our wedding day! The stunning scenery, modern interiors, and warm, attentive staff made it unforgettable. Everything was beautifully organized, and the team went above and beyond to ensure every detail was flawless. Our guests couldn’t stop raving about the breathtaking views and delicious food. Lodore Falls created a magical atmosphere that made our day truly special. We can’t recommend it highly enough for anyone looking for a picturesque and stress-free wedding venue!
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
Katie wore ‘Mackenzie’ by Morilee. It is a stunning ball gown with an off the shoulder sweetheart neckline. The dress was designed with frosted beading and 3D petals.
Sam wore a light grey suit from Moss Bros with sage green detailing from the tie and pocket square. He had his suit custom fitted with an embroidered addition on the inside of his blazer which said both our names and the date of our wedding.
Dress or suit shop name + review
Katie got her dress from Ava Rose Hamilton. The girls at the shops couldn’t be more attentive, they have great eye for detail and they were so helpful in helping me decide what accessories to pair with my dress. Niamh who helped me in my appointment helped me feel so confident in any dress I wore, I came out of the shop glowing!
Sam picked up his suit from Moss Bros this was ideal for us as they have shops all around the country and as his groomsmen were from different cities and towns this made the process so easy. The whole suit buying process was very streamlined and Sam looked very dapper!
Florist name + review
Evergreens Keswick Debra!
What a lady! As soon as we had our first consultation with Debra we knew she was the one to go with! Her knowledge and expertise of flowers and what’s in season when is second to none. We told her our budget and she was very realistic on what fit in our budget, there was no false promises. On our wedding day our flower displays were incredible, we had so many compliments on the attention to detail on the flower arrangements and that’s all thanks to Debra!
Cake maker name + review
Cakes by Alison Fawkes
We had our consultation with Alison, we showed her our inspiration pictures and she personalised our ideas into our dream wedding cake that matched our theme perfectly. We had 3 layers each with different flavours, red velvet, salted caramel and lemon drizzle. Each layer went down a treat with our guests, so much so we had none left to take home with us! An absolutely incredible cake!
Wedding stationery and personal touches
We made all of our stationery ourselves! From invitations, to name places, table plan and menus. We loved having a little crafty side project to do as we felt it brought us together in the stress of wedding planning, it was so good to have little touches of our own work around our wedding.
Wedding readings?
We had 2 readings during our wedding. Katie’s long term best friend read Union – Robert Fulham. This reading explained our relationship journey perfectly. Sam’s dad read An Apache Blessing. Again this was relevant to our journey walking through all the weathers, caring for each other and being together for as long as we live.
First dance and dance floor fillers!
Our first dance was Take on the World – You Me at Six
We did a surprise for Katie’s parents after our first dance. We got everyone up and we all danced to True by Spandau Ballet, this was their first song. Katie’s mum especially was really touched.
We wanted something different and this song was perfect. It’s a song we used to listen to at the start of our relationship, our favourite line is ‘nobody knows you the way that I know you’ and this couldn’t be more true.
Our night do playlist was very Indie based and they were a hit on the dancefloor! Including:
Not Nineteen Forever
Seventeen Going Under
Handbags and Gladrags
Oh Caroline
Human
You’ve got the Love
Hair + makeup name + review
For hair we used @hairbymorganuk
Katie has known Morgan for a few years and can trust that she will do a great job as she knows her hair type. Katie’s hair lasted all day and stayed in place, it looked more relaxed in the evening which was what we wanted, the curls stayed in place all day and night. We used to have trouble keeping my hair curled so I’m so glad she mastered it!
For makeup we used @kabin9beauty
Again, Katie has known Kirstie for many years and had complete trust in her. The makeup for both Katie and her bridesmaids did not budge all day, she did an incredible job at making us look natural and glam, perfect soft wedding makeup. Very happy!
Finding amazing suppliers and trusting them to create something stunning will guarantee you an unforgettable wedding. For lovely Amanda & Keith, their dream team included Lakes wedding photographer Mark Battista, floral stylist Kevin from Brackens of Bowness and the utterly charming Broadoaks Country House. If I could start every year with a real wedding like this, I would!
Scroll down for Amanda & Keith’s wedding story and supplier recommendations, and check @englishweddingblog on instagram for more!
Wedding photographer’s website
Lake District wedding photographer Mark Battista
Wedding photographer review
Mark was both invisible and also great fun on the day – not sure how you can be both those things but he was! He made everyone feel at ease and managed to get all the shots we wanted without anyone feeling like they were spending time away from the party. And we were thrilled with the results. There’s not a single photo of us or of anyone that we don’t like and we had a real dilemma trying to choose our favourites to get printed for our home.
Your best wedding moment or memory
We wanted lots of colourful flowers everywhere and at one point the band started playing Flowers by Miley Cyrus. The guests loved that and everyone was stealing flowers from the display and putting them in their hair and clothes and then throwing them at the band. It was at the end of the night so we didn’t mind one bit and it was just a lovely surprising moment seeing all our family and friends having such a good time together.
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
We have a blended family and we asked our children to be our best men and maid of honour. We then swapped out the traditional run of speeches and had our children do a speech and we also did a joint speech together where (because it was a small wedding) we got to mention and thank all our guests. It brought everyone into the speeches and also brought our nuclear family into the core of it and it also meant we had a lot more female representation than you normally get at weddings – an equal mix of genders.
Venue name + review
Broadoaks is a beautiful place, very traditional but modern in their approach to the wedding. Our event planner was amazing and nothing was too much trouble for her. The outside space where we got married was incredible too.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
I started off looking for something sleek and simple but every time I tried a dress on it got bigger! So I didn’t think I’d end up with the type of dress I got but I was over the moon. I had a cape for the ceremony which I loved. And I adored my headband from Etsy. The cape and headband made me feel very regal I have to say!
Dress or suit shop name + review
Ava Rose Hamilton in Colne. This is an incredible shop where they put so much effort into the bridal experience. And nothing was ever too much bother for them.
Florist name + review
Brackens of Bowness. The flowers really made the wedding for me. It looked stunning. And it was such an easy experience too. I talked to Kevin at Brackens and he knew what I wanted in about 3 seconds. I wasn’t even sure how to get across what I wanted until he told me what was in my head. And then on the day he just sorted it. It was totally stress free and I can’t tell you how much I loved what they did with the venue. Loads of guests commented on the flowers.
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
Can’t help falling in love by Elvis. We didn’t want a first dance (couldn’t handle all that attention!) but the band cheekily asked our wedding planner what song we walked down the aisle to, which was this Elvis song. We chose this song to remember my husband’s dad Bill who passed away a couple of years ago and it’s such a beautiful and fitting song for a wedding. The band played that song and got us on the dance floor and we then grabbed my new mother in law and the three of us danced together and it was a beautiful way to bring in Bill to the wedding.
Hair + makeup name + review
Amy Brown make up – what a brilliant lady Amy is! Exceptionally talented, funny, helpful, lovely to spend time with.
Holly at Loubellai – Holly was amazing and gave me the most beautiful Hollywood curls that lasted all day and made me feel like a 1940s movie star.
Sharing weddings this beautiful brings me joy. I beam at my screen while I’m writing, I really do! Hannah & Danny’s day is glorious, full of colour and bursting with love. The happy couple look amazing, the venue is twinkly and cosy and rustic, the florals are out of this world and the photos by English Wedding member Mark Battista Photography are utterly perfect.
Have a lovely weekend everyone! Here’s Hannah & Danny’s Lake District wedding to make you smile and inspire your planning!
Wedding photographer’s website
Mark Battista https://www.markbattistaphotography.co.uk
Wedding photographer review
Mark is an exceptional wedding photographer! He was fun, professional, and took amazing photos. We had such a blast on our wedding day and he fit in perfectly. We’re so happy with the photography! He gave really clear directions, and was well prepared for the slightly adverse weather conditions with a supply of umbrellas and a can do attitude! We had such a wonderful day, big thank you to Mark for capturing our Lake District wedding so beautifully.
Your best wedding moment or memory
Danny’s best moment: The choir singing as Hannah walked down the aisle.
Hannah’s best moment: Honestly the entire day! I can’t pick a favourite!
Tell us anything you did differently – we love hearing about NEW traditions (or none at all!)
Our friends/bridesmaids sang as Hannah walked down the aisle as one would in a church service, however this was a civil ceremony. It added something so special to the atmosphere of the day.
Venue name + review
Eden Wedding Barn
Extremely professional, the day ran incredibly smoothly. The in-house catering by Southcott was incredible! They ensured the whole day went perfectly.
Tell us a little about your outfits – both of you!
Danny had a suit hand made when we visited Vietnam in 2019. For the wedding we wanted a unique colour of suit – everyone wears black, navy or grey! Danny got in touch with the tailors in Vietnam to find out if they could make him another suit, and luckily they still had his measurements! So via video call he selected the fabrics and designed the suit you see in the photos custom.
Hannah’s dress was picked out on a trip with her mum and chief bridesmaid, Meg. I fell in love with it the moment I tried it on. It’s whimsical, fun, elegant, the whole package! I chose not to have a veil, but to have drapes from my shoulders instead as I thought that was a bit more unique and meant I could have flowers in my hair.
Dress or suit shop name + review
The White Yard
Florist name + review
Rocke ‘n’ Roses
Daisy created the most beautiful flower arrangements which perfectly fit our vision for the day. The flowers were fun, colourful and fragrant.
Daisy also managed to create a fresh flower hairpiece for Hannah which survived all day without wilting at all. She was so creative, and utterly professional. She took it in her stride when we added a couple of last minute bouquets for the mums!
Any crafty projects or homemade styling touches?
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- Meg, one of our bridesmaids, hand drew our wedding welcome sign.
- Ben (Hannah’s brother) created our table plan from hand folded paper cranes, fishing line, an Ikea clothes rail, and A5 cards with names and table numbers on.
- Alison (Hannah’s mum) made the wedding cake and decorative sugar flowers by hand.
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- Our friends formed a small choir and sang during the ceremony which was utterly magical.
- Sarah (Danny’s mum) kindly made tags to put on the chairs in the pews to reserve seats for immediate family and the bridal party near the front of the venue.
- John (Hannah’s dad) drove her to the venue in a 1961 Morris Minor 1000 which Hannah’s Grandpa had driven her mum to their wedding in back in 1995 and has been in the family ever since. He put a lot of work into restoring the vehicle for the day.
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- Hannah decorated the wedding car herself.
- Elaine, one of Hannah’s relatives, created the floral buttonholes as a gift to us.
- Hannah and the mums worked together to create the table numbers using old childhood photos of us at the corresponding ages.
- Hannah and her bridesmaids collected glass vases from charity shops and saved jam and sauce jars for over a year for putting candles and small floral arrangements on the tables in.
- Danny’s mum made the golden capes he and his best man wore later in the evening.
- A family friend, Jenny of Jolly biscuits by JD, hand made custom biscuits for every guest which were their name cards at dinner.
Wedding transport
We arranged transport for our guests to and from the venue with Cumbria Classic Coaches who had such fantastic touches – the bus destination was “Wedding Special”, they had custom tickets for our guests with the date and our names on, a guest on each bus got to wear the conductor hat and use the ticket machine, and they decorated the coaches beautifully!
Wedding readings?
JRR Tolkien – Poem for his wife I Will Love You Forever, from the ‘The Amber Spyglass’, by Phillip Pullman
First dance song? Playlist recommendations?
La Vie En Rose by Louis Armstrong played live by Eden Valley Ceilidh Band
We would highly recommend booking a live Ceilidh band and caller for a wedding. It was the most fantastic fun!
Finding choral music appropriate for a civil wedding ceremony proved very difficult! In the end we chose:
- Rise up my love by Healey Willan
- The Road Home by Stephen Paulus
- My heart in Thine by Charles Villers Stanford
Hair + makeup name + review
Enhance Hair and Beauty for hair. Christine was so patient with my finicky hair which was refusing to hold a curl! She cut my hair through all my childhood and still does my mum’s hair, so it was lovely to be in such trusted and experienced hands.
Hannah did her own makeup.
