What you need to know to plan your Wedding in the Lake District.
If you’re dreaming of a Lake District wedding, you’re in excellent company. There’s nowhere quite like this UNESCO World Heritage Site – the lakes, the Cumbrian fells and mountains, a year-round beauty that feels like it was painted by a landscape artist.
With this guide you’ll be taken through everything that you need to know: a guide to the wedding venues, how to book a celebrant or registrar, the best times of the year to visit, how to plan, and how to choose the right photographer to bring it all to life.
Many couples choose the Lake District for wedding because of the stunning natural beauty of the region. The lakes, fells and mountains make a stunning backdrop to wedding photos. Having grown up in West Cumbria, it is a part of my DNA, and there is nothing better than travelling across the region to photograph weddings throughout the Lake District.
With many couples drawn to this beautiful countryside, the Lake District offers the perfect destination location for a truly picturesque wedding day and celebrations.
An introduction To Lake District Wedding Photography
We have lots of stunning locations and amazing wedding venues to choose from in Cumbria. From lakeside hotels to country houses, and barn venues to stately homes. The Lake District is the perfect destination location for an idyllic countryside wedding and where better to find someone to photograph your special day than a Lake District wedding photographer from the local area. Wherever you choose for your dream wedding I can be on hand to tell the story of your day. Capturing the joy and emotion, moment after special moment and producing memories for you to cherish and look back on for years to come.
Many of our Lake District wedding venues can cater for weddings of all sizes from couples eloping to large weddings with lots of guests to help you celebrate as newly weds.. My Lake District wedding photography packages include shorter coverage from just a few hours for smaller and micro weddings to all day coverage, starting with photos of you getting ready until your first dance and evening celebrations. There’ll be time for candid photos of you an your wedding guests, speeches and a cake cutting too. While we’re at it why not throw in a confetti throw and speeches before or after you’re wedding breakfast. When you’re ready for some alone time we can sneak off for some relaxed photos of you both, at your venue and/or a nearby location either beside a lake or one of Lake District fells.. When you see your photo gallery for the first time I want you to be able relive your day all over again through a variety moments that are candid and documentary when needed, relaxed and romantic when required, and ultimately imeless memories of all the happy tears, fun and laughter. It will feel like we’re old friends in no time and I can help you celebrate without being too much a third wheel as your Lake District wedding photographer.
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THE LAKE DISTRICT AT A GLANCE
LOCATION
KEY DETAILS
Why The Lake District Is One of The UK’s Most Romantic Wedding Destinations
The Lake District has a way of making every moment feel spectacular. The mountains and fells, picturesque lakes, and towns and villages that all look like they’ve come straight out of a Constable painting or from the pages of Beatrix Potter – it’s the ultimate backdrop for couples who want something breathtakingly timeless and quintessentially British.
It’s also a destination that rewards good planning.
Distances around the lakes can be surprising, light moves quickly across the valleys, and venues have quirks you’ll want to know about. That’s why having a photographer familiar with the area makes everything run smoother and your photos more breathtaking.
Loved by poets, landscape artists and authors and often featuring as a backdrop for TV and films, there’s a reason that people are drawn to the natural beauty of the Lake District. The landscape was carved by glaciers in the ice age, leaving behind deep valleys, sprawling fells and rocky mountains, and of course the many lakes that make up the region. It’s this beautiful backdrop that draws couples to get married in the Lake District, a World Heritage site that has no equal. Every photograph captures a beautiful landscape with you as the focal point on your wedding day. What’s not to love about that?
Best Lake District Wedding Locations
The Lake District is filled with lakeside hotels, country houses and wedding barns in off-the-beaten-track locations. Here are a few of the most popular venues for an unforgettable wedding day in this most beautiful of locations.
Here is a selection of popular Lake District wedding venues for couples planning a wedding in Cumbria. I regularly photograph weddings at each of these venues throughout the year and have also had my work featured on their websites and social media. They all offer something a little different and truly special for the ultimate wedding experience.
Broadoaks Country House
A country house with Edwardian architecture and contemporary charm. With beautifully landscaped gardens to create a sanctuary to pamper yourself and celebrate in style.
Lancrigg
A hidden gem at the foot of Helm Crag in Grasmere. Offering rustic elegance with 31 acres of lush gardens, a historic country house and modern wedding barn. A place where timeless charm meets modern luxury.
Low Hall The Lakes
A 17th century farmhouse and wedding barn set down a long driveway in beautifully secluded grounds. Complete with woodland and it’s very own stream that runs through the property Lovingly restored by owners Ben and Fran an opened in 2019.
When To Plan Your Lake District Wedding: Seasons, Light and Weather
The Lake District is internationally renowned as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most beautiful parts of the United Kingdom. With the towns of Windermere and Ambleside, Grasmere and Keswick, the many hotels and wedding barns, and the lakes, valleys and mountain passes, many couples are drawn to this beautiful countryside. This gives Lake District wedding photographers use of this gorgeous landscape to create some truly amazing wedding photographs. The Lake District offers the perfect backdrop for an idyllic and romantic wedding celebration.
Having grown up and lived most of my adult life in Cockermouth, which borders the northwestern fells of the Lake District National Park, I have seen how the beauty of the Lakes changes with each season. From cold winter walks to summer evening swims, each month of the year can hold something special for a magical elopement wedding.
Each season brings its own mood to the Lake District. The weather can be changeable and unpredictable, but here’s what couples should generally expect. from the different times of year.
WINTER
(late-Nov to early-March)
SPRING
(late-March to early-June)
SUMMER
(late-June to early-Sept)
AUTUMN
(late-Sept to early-Nov)
Essential Planning Tips for Your Lake District Wedding
Each season brings its own mood to the Lake District. Here’s what couples should expect.
Allow for extra time during your day
Travel from one location to another in the Lake District can takes longer than expected – especially during the busy summer season. Always allow extra time and generous buffers so your day feels relaxed, not rushed.
Have a wet weather plan
The Lake District is generally considered to be the wettest place in the UK. Each of the Lake District’s valleys can also have their own little micro climates, and the weather can be quite changeable between locations. While most couples will always hope for the perfect weather for their wedding it’s always best to have a wet weather plan.
Choose a local photographer
A local photographer will know the area and it’s associated quirks as well as any rules or requirements at your wedding venue. They’re worth their weight especially when it comes to liaising with your venue and other local suppliers, and also hwere the best locations are for your wedding photos and how to get there.
Real Weddings in The Lake District
Here are my recent blog posts about weddings in the Lake District as well as those from real elopement and wedding celebrations that show what’s possible in this gorgeous location.
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Hannah and Sean’s Merewood Country House Wedding
An intimate wedding in the Lake District Introducing Hannah-peg and Sean-peg, the newest members of the Jaye-Peg Collective, who were married at Merewood Country House overlooking Windermere in the Lake District. Hannah and Sean chose Merewood for a small, intimate wedding with their closest family around them. Everyone could stay together at the hotel, the…
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The Briery Wood Elopement of Jack and Hannah
Winter Wedding Photography | Ambleside I’m going to start a new thing. It’s a club. An exclusive club. Membership is strictly limited to a few select people who are not only very special but are also people that I totally dig. It’s not a cult. To be a member of my new club, the Jaye-Peg…
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The Cragwood Elopement Wedding of Carrie and Dan
Autumn Wedding Photography | Windermere I had to stay up late to finish editing (or wediting as I like to call it) Carrie and Dan’s photos from their elopement wedding at Cragwood Country House. Asides from cooking and dog walking, I was at my computer all day working on the photos that I’d promised them…
How I became a wedding photographer
I have always been very creative and imaginative, in fact the creative process is pretty spectacular when you think about it. Music, Art, Photography, whatever the medium, to make something that did not previously exist, or to bring something to life, is pretty special. As a young adult I studied music composition and songwriting, and went onto work in theatre as sound technician. I have always worked in the creative industries and my camera was never far from my side throughout. Taking photographs of friends, of people at work, at family gatherings and of places that were special to me.
A career change led to me retraining in makeup artistry and it was my very first photoshoot that really piqued my interest in becoming a photographer. Being creative and being artistic is in my bones and I get a great deal of joy from sharing that with other people, which is why I love weddings so much. The medium for my canvas may have changed over the years, from manuscript paper to a recording studio to someone’s face and skin to a camera sensor, but I am still creating. Creating moments in time to preserve memories from your wedding day through wedding photography.
Choosing Your Lake District Wedding Photographer
My tips on finding the right person with the right style for you, for your wedding day.
Wedding Photography Style
Every photographer has a different style, something that is unique and very personal to them and it is important that you find someone who is the right fit for you. When I photograph a wedding I document what happens in front of me as it happens. This helps me to tell the story of your day and is often described as documentary wedding photography but that is not all that I do.
I am not there to be centre of attention or to stage manage your wedding day for you. There will be moments when you’ll need me to take charge, such as group photos, and moments when I have merely capture what is happening in front of me, such as the ceremony and candid moments. There might be some gentle direction given on occasion and give you something to do while your having photos taken in the beautiful Lake District landscape.
The finished result should be timeless and not too stylised. I like colours to be rich in my photographs and I like to see warmth in a photograph.
So you could describe my wedding photography style as relaxed, contemporary and vibrant. A little bit fly-on-the-wall. A little bit “I’ve just had a brilliant idea, go and stand over there and trust me, this is going to look amazing!”
What to expect from you wedding photographer
Ask anyone who is married about what happened on their wedding day and they will tell you all about the love and joy, special moments and celebrations. What they will also say is that the day flew by really quickly and they wish that they had had more time. More time with friends and family, and to savour all of those special little moments.
Your wedding photography will give you that time back when you look at your wedding photographs in the years to come. A wedding photographer will capture all of those special moments so that your photographs tell the story of one of the most important days of your life.
The role of a wedding photographer is important, you are going to be spending the day with them so it is important that you get along, that you click. When it all comes together like that you will then have all of the right ingredients to create some very special memories of your wedding day. By the end of the day your wedding photographer will have taken some amazing photographs and you will both have a new best friend. If you think that I might be the right fit for you have a look at my wedding portfolio, check out my reviews and send me a message. I want you to have the best day ever, and it would be utmost pleasure to photograph it for you.
Why choose me as your wedding photographer?
I was born and raised in Cumbria in the town of Cockermouth which borders the Lake District National Park, and I know the local area very well. Having an extensive local knowledge as a lake district wedding photographer means that I not only know where to find local wedding venues, but I also know where to find great locations for some amazing scenic wedding photographs, using the Lake District as a backdrop. I have worked in the wedding industry in Cumbria since 2012, and have a vast array of experience working with clients from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds. This helps me to be adaptable when meeting the needs of a client. I am constantly developing my craft as a wedding photographer through training and personal development too. You are never too old to learn, and courses and workshops are a great way to work with, learn from and collaborate with other photographers. We can all learn from each other to improve our skill set and knowledge base, which ultimately benefits you, the client, on your lake district wedding day.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lake District Weddings
Here are the questions I am most commonly asked as an expert Lake Como wedding photographer. Use the Kadence schema-enabled accordion block below or swap for a Yoast FAQ schema block.
More Lake District Wedding Locations
Here are a few more great locations for a Lake District wedding.
Merewood Country House Hotel
An elegant 19th century country house set high above Windermere. With timeless charm, idyllic gardens and breathtaking views of Windermere and the surrounding Lake District fells.
Lodore Falls Hotel & Spa
An enchanting setting in the Borrowdale valley with views across Derwentwater to Cat Bells. With tranquil landscaped gardens and an award winning luxury spa set at the foot of the dramatic Lodore Falls waterfall.
Lindeth Howe
Once home to Beatrix Potter Lindeth Howe boasts tranquil gardens and an elegant and relaxing lounge area. An escape for relaxation, romance and the most unforgetable wedding celebrations.
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Cumbria and the Lake District
Cumbria is the most north westerly county in England and borders South West Scotland, and the counties of Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire and Lancashire. Cumbria also contains the Lake District National Park, the largest national park in Britain and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mountains and lakes of the Lake District were formed in the last ice age but the Lake District only contains one lake – Bassenthwaite Lake. The other lakes are a mixture of “meres” (Windermere, Grasmere and Buttermere, for example) or “waters” (such as Derwent Water, Ullswater and Coniston Water). Romans and Vikings have all settled in the Lake District and Cumbria. The Vikings gave the region many of the area’s place names such as thwaite (a clearing), fell (a mountain with grazing), force (waterfall) and gill (ravine). The Vikings also introduced Herdwick Sheep to Cumbria and sheep farming remains common throughout the county to this day. The Lake District has been a natural resource for metals and minerals, and has been mined since Roman times. Slate is still mined at the top of Honister Pass at Honister Slate Mine, and locally mined graphite helped establish pencil manufacturing and Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick.
One of the Lake District’s most famous residents was the poet William Wordsworth. He was born and spent his early childhood at Wordsworth Housein Cockermouth, and as an adult at Dove Cottage in Grasmere. As well as his famous poems about the Lake District Wordsworth also wrote a Guide to the Lakes in 1835. Another famous Lake District resident was Beatrix Potter, famous for her children’s books. You can visit The World Of Beatrix Potter attraction in Bowness-on-Windermere to see her stories come to life. More recently we have Alfred Wainwright who’s Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells remains popular amongst walkers and tourists.
Just outside the Lake District National Park you will find the coast of Cumbria and the Lakeland Peninsulas. In the south is Barrow-in-Furness, synonymous with naval ship building. As you head up the coast you come to Muncaster Castle by the coastal town of Ravenglass, which is home to the La’al Ratty narrow gauge railway and was also used as naval base by the Romans. Along the coast of West Cumbria are the industrial towns of Egremont, Whitehaven, Workington and Maryport. The village of St Bees is the most westerly point of Cumbria over looking the Irish Sea, with views towards the Isle of Man and beyond. In the north west of Cumbria is the Solway Coast where you will find views across the Solway Firth to Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland. In the north of the county, about ten miles from the Scottish border, is the border city of Carlisle.
Cumbria is a county seeped in history and the landscape of the Lake District was formed in the last ice age. With spectacular scenery and views there is no better place for a wedding than the largest National Park in the UK.
