A Beautiful Lanwades Hall Wedding | Suffolk Wedding Photographer

There are some weddings that you arrive at and immediately think, wow, this is going to be a good one.

This was definitely one of them.

Last May I travelled down to Suffolk to help my good friend Ryan photograph a beautiful wedding at Lanwades Hall near Newmarket. It was my first time at Lanwades Hall and, with glorious sunshine and an outdoor ceremony planned, we really couldn't have asked for a better day.

The venue was stunning, the gardens were looking beautiful and there was plenty going on throughout the day that made this wedding so much fun to photograph.

Groom preparations

I met up with the groom and the guys as they were getting ready and, as always, I really enjoyed photographing this part of the day.

I love groom prep just as much as bridal prep. The guys get exactly the same attention from me, although there is generally considerably less hairspray and lippy involved!

There is usually plenty of laughter, a little confusion over tie knots and, every now and again, someone reaching for a YouTube tutorial to work out how to tie the perfect Windsor knot.

It is those little moments before the ceremony that I love capturing because they are such a natural part of the story of the day.

Lanwades Hall, Suffolk

Lanwades Hall is a beautiful country house near Newmarket, set amongst extensive gardens and approached along a sweeping tree lined driveway.

This was my first visit and I have to say, I was seriously impressed.

The Hall itself is beautiful, but it was the combination of the house, gardens and countryside setting that really made an impression on me. If I were planning a wedding myself, Lanwades Hall would definitely be somewhere I'd be tempted to consider.

And on a sunny May day, it really was looking at its best.

An outdoor ceremony surrounded by wisteria

The ceremony took place outside in the sunshine with the rear of Lanwades Hall and the gardens providing a beautiful backdrop.

One of my favourite details from the day was the blooming wisteria surrounding the entrance for the bridal party. It looked absolutely gorgeous and made such a beautiful setting for everyone arriving for the ceremony.

I love wisteria and May is such a lovely time for it, so if you're planning a spring wedding at Lanwades Hall, you could be in for a particularly pretty backdrop.

The ceremony itself was lovely and it was one of those days where everything seemed to come together perfectly. Sunshine, beautiful surroundings and a couple surrounded by their family and friends.

A surprise from the bride

After the ceremony there was a wonderful surprise for the groom and the guests.

The bride, Amy, got up and sang.

And wow, she could sing!

It was such a lovely moment and definitely not something I was expecting when I arrived that morning. I love it when couples include something personal like this in their wedding day because it makes the celebration completely their own.

Dumb and Dumber make an appearance

Then came the speeches, although the Best Men had their own little surprise planned.

They made a very memorable entrance dressed as Dumb and Dumber, much to the amusement of everyone in the room.

The whole place was in uproar and they went on to deliver some excellent speeches.

There was so much laughter throughout the day and it really was one of those weddings where there always seemed to be something happening.

A beautiful Suffolk wedding

This was such a lovely wedding to be part of and my first time photographing at Lanwades Hall.

I came away from the day thinking what a beautiful venue it is and how much I would love to return. Suffolk is a little further afield for me but when a wedding takes me somewhere this beautiful, I certainly don't mind the drive.

Most importantly, though, it was a wedding that felt personal, relaxed and full of those little moments that make the day memorable.

And those are the weddings I love photographing.

Less posing. More feeling.

Planning a wedding at Lanwades Hall?

If you're planning a wedding at Lanwades Hall, somewhere else in Suffolk or further afield, I'd love to hear what you're planning.

I photograph weddings in a relaxed and natural way, concentrating on the people, the atmosphere and all the little moments that make your day yours.

If that sounds like your kind of wedding photography, get in touch and tell me a little about your plans.