A Rainy Peak District Wedding with Pugs and a Tipi | Derbyshire

Weddings

23 Apr

bride and groom dancing in a tipi at The Peacock in the Peak District

Some weddings just have a bit of everything.

A gorgeous couple, two very important pugs, a church ceremony, a huge tipi, a beautiful Derbyshire setting and enough rain to keep everyone guessing.

This was one of those weddings.

I photographed this wedding in the summer of 2019 alongside main photographer George Krousti and it has always been one of those weddings I've remembered fondly. I love photographing couples who are completely mad about their dogs, so the fact that this particular couple were pug owners definitely made me smile.

And it wasn't just the pugs that made this wedding memorable.

Groom preparations

While George photographed the bridal preparations, I headed off to photograph the groom.

When I arrived, the place was empty. Not long afterwards the groom appeared with breakfast in a brown paper bag, along with his best man and usher.

While they relaxed and got themselves organised, I photographed the details and all the little bits and pieces that tell the story of getting ready.

Shoes needed polishing, shirts needed ironing and there were bags, clothes and all the usual wedding morning paraphernalia to photograph, along with the groom himself, of course.

I always enjoy photographing groom preparations. There are usually plenty of opportunities to be creative and the atmosphere is often wonderfully relaxed.

A church wedding in Chesterfield

The couple chose the Catholic Church of the Annunciation in Chesterfield for their wedding ceremony.

It was my first time photographing a wedding there and I was made to feel very welcome. I was also given a helpful tour of the church and a rundown of the important things I needed to know before the ceremony.

The ceremony itself was beautiful and despite the fact that the rain was absolutely pouring outside, everyone was in good spirits.

Once the vows had been exchanged and the signing was complete, I headed over to the reception venue while George stayed to cover the rest of the church photography.

A tipi wedding at The Peacock Inn

The reception was held at The Peacock Inn at Cutthorpe, just outside Chesterfield.

And there it was.

The tipi.

Anyone who knows me will know that I love a tipi wedding.

There's something about a tipi that just works brilliantly for a wedding. You get that feeling of being outdoors while still having somewhere warm and dry to eat, drink and dance when the British weather decides to do its thing.

And on this particular day, the weather definitely had its own plans.

It rained. A lot.

But it didn't rain all day.

Eventually the clouds gave us a break and everyone was able to get outside. We even managed to get the confetti photographs and some lovely relaxed portraits of the bride and groom.

Those are some of my favourite moments from a wedding like this. Nothing too formal, nothing overworked, just the two of them enjoying the fact that they were finally married.

And, of course, there were the pugs.

A Peak District wedding full of personality

I really loved this wedding because it felt so personal to the couple.

From their much loved dogs to the tipi reception, the relaxed atmosphere and the decision to celebrate in this beautiful part of Derbyshire, it felt like a wedding that was completely theirs.

I've always loved the Peak District and the Derbyshire countryside, so being able to photograph a wedding around Chesterfield and Cutthorpe was a real pleasure.

This was also my first wedding at The Peacock Inn and I'd happily go back. In fact, I'd love the opportunity to photograph another wedding here, this time as the lead photographer.

Looking back at these photographs now, I can still remember the rain, the breaks in the weather, the tipi and just how much fun everyone was having.

And that's what I love about weddings.

They don't have to be perfect weather-wise to be brilliant.

Sometimes the rainy ones give you the best stories.

Here are some of my favourites from this lovely Peak District wedding.