Belton Woods Wedding Photography

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of capturing Alexandra & Alexander’s big day at Belton Wood Hotel in Lincolnshire, just outside Grantham.

They were both drawn to my documentary style as they were keen to have their day captured in a relaxed fashion so that both they and their guests could enjoy the day without any fuss from a photographer.

I loved working as a Belton Woods wedding photographer. The hotel boasts a number of function suites and Alex & Alex (or ‘Alex Squared’ as they had branded themselves for the day) used the Major Oak suite. The largest one, which was perfect to accommodate all 150 guests. Both bride and groom prep took place in the hotel as well, which meant I could cover both with ease. I love to cover groom prep as it helps to tell a complete story of the day.

If you are interested in booking me for your Belton Woods wedding photography please get in touch.

Below is a selection of images from the day.

EMOTIONAL CEREMONY

Guests also gathered at the hotel in the morning, rather than going straight to the church. The ceremony took place at All Saints church in the village of Coddington, about 20 minutes drive away. Alex & Alex had chosen Belton Woods for their wedding celebrations due to its proximity to Coddington. Alexandra had grown up in the area and went to the local primary school. Most importantly though, it was where her sister Katie is buried. Her family lost Katie when she was only 10 years old. It was important for Alexandra to return there for her wedding and include her little sister in the day.

After the ceremony and a few group shots in the church grounds everyone was bussed back to the hotel for the drinks reception in the grounds of the hotel. While guests mingled they were entertained by magician Sean Heydon. Sean would also perform during the wedding breakfast as he appeared to levitate one of the groomsmen, to the amusement of the entire room.

One nice touch that the bride and groom added to their day was a creche. With such a large number of guests there were a lot of children and one of the side rooms in the Major Oak suite was taken over by The Childcare Partnership and meant that the parents could enjoy some time child free.

LIVELY EVENING PARTY AT BELTON WOODS

In the evening guests were entertained by function band Beard of Zeus and DJ Mark Elliot (who had also provided some live music during the drinks reception). The dance floor was packed for most of the night and the groom led the way with some expressive dance moves. During the band’s last song guests formed a circle around the bride and groom who ended up performing an impromptu second first dance. I love to stay late and capture moments like this. Moments like these are easily forgotten and are an important part of the day. I believe it’s my job to capture them just as much as it is to capture things like the first kiss or the speeches. These are the moments which can be forgotten in the whirl of the day. I love that I can be there to make sure they are captured to be remembered and re-lived again and again.

Belton Woods is a four star hotel set in 475 acres of gorgeous Lincolnshire countryside. Boasting two PGA Championship-approved golf courses as well as tennis, squash, archery and even croquet. There’s a spa and heated swimming pool, a wide range of treatments and a fully-equipped gym. Perfect you wedding guests who might want to take advantage of a couple of days away.

Personally, I found it was a fantastic venue to work at as a wedding photographer. The Belton Woods staff were on top of the day’s proceedings and there is a dedicated suppliers room where I could eat hot food from a specially provided buffet. This meant I didn’t have to wait an age to get fed. After 7 hours on my feet shooting it’s nice to get food quickly during my break and nice to feel my efforts on the day are appreciated by the venue.

Alex & Alex’s suppliers:

• • Venue: Belton Woods
  • Dress Shop: Confetti & Lace
  • Suit Hire: Moss Bros
  • Cake: Tilly Eats Cake
  • Flowers: Helen’s Flowers
  • Hair: Ashleigh from Halam Salon
  • Make Up: Amy L Wilkinson
  • Cars: First Impressions Wedding Cars
  • Magician: Sean Heydon
  • Crèche: The Childcare Partnership
  • Band: Beard of Zeus
  • DJ/afternoon music: Mark Elliot
  • Videographer: One Fine Day

It was fantastic to be a Belton Woods wedding photographer and I enjoyed capturing Alex & Alex’s big day there. If you would like to re-live your wedding day through the real moments – both big and small – as I have done for them, please get in touch.