Fairytale Wedding at Harlaxton Manor
Where do I even begin with Harlaxton Manor, it really is one of the most spectacular venues that I have ever had the pleasure of shooting at as a wedding photographer. With its grand facade, it leads into a magical, intricate interior in which each room has its own unique theme. From the breath taking ceiling mural in the Gold room, the huge glistening crystal chandelier in the Great Hall and the glorious foliage in the conservatory, you will literally be blown away by each room you visit. I felt like I was in Disney’s Beauty & the Beast as I walked around. It’s not style over substance on this occasion either, the events & hospitality team really are second to none and the whole day ran like clock work and was very impressive.
Harlaxton Manor really does have it all as a wedding venue and the cherry on the cake about this venue is that it’s on my door step! I have spent years enjoying the grounds but it’s the first time I have ever been inside!
And with that, I am excited to share with you the wedding photography of Sophie & Tom at Harlaxton Manor from June 2024.
Let’s start with the wedding morning and the bridal suite where Sophie, her mum, maid of honour and two bridemaids joined her to get ready. The great thing about this suite is that it has a room just off the bedroom in which everyone can have their hair and make up done, leaving the main bedroom clear and free of clutter which is great for the bride and groom at the end of the night but also for me as a wedding photographer as it creates a nice clear space for portraits. As someone who spends a lot of time in bridal preparation spaces, this is an absolute blessing as these spaces (usually the main bedroom) can get extremely messy and chaotic so this is major win for Harlaxton Manor in my eyes.
Sophie wore a stunning Maggie Sottero wedding dress with detachable lace sleeves, bought at the same wedding dress shop that I bought my own at Belle & Bouquet. Her earrings were from one of my favourite brands that I have worked with Kiri & Belle who make handcrafted fresh pearl jewellery. And then the shoes, oh the shoes! Sophie wore a pair of gold, glittering Sophie Webster shoes and had a matching pair for her daughter. Finally, Sophie wore one of my own bridal robes, a short silky robe with feathered sleeves while she got ready. Find your wildheart bridal robe here.
Once Sophie was dressed, she headed downstairs to meet with the registrars and to greet her father for the first time that morning before the ceremony. What a beautiful and emotional moment between father and daughter. As a wedding photographer I never take for granted the privilege that I have to be able to witness all the intimate moments though-out the day of a wedding day.
Then we head in to the The Grand Hall for the ceremony, where Sophie walked down the aisle to the soft, alluring sound of a harpist to meet Tom. It was a beautiful and heartfelt ceremony shared with their closest family and friends.
After the ceremony we headed into the conservatory of Harlaxton Manor which is a botanical haven creating a beautiful backdrop for their group shots. Here are just a few from the day.
After a confetti shot, cocktail hour officially kicked off with canapés and champagne giving Sophie & Tom a chance to mingle with guests.
As a wedding photographer one of my favourite parts of any wedding day is the couples portraits. I had so much fun with Sophie & Tom. There are so many areas at Harlaxton Manor for portraits meaning that we managed to get such great variety of shots. I try not to take couples away from their guests for too long and like to split the portraits into day portraits and evening portraits. Taking around 15 minutes each time. We used the manor rooms and conservatory for their first portraits.
Sophie & Tom opted for an afternoon tea, which I can confirm was absolutely delicious (perks of the job!) It was followed by some incredibly heartfelt speeches and then the cutting of the cake.
So I have raved on about the inside of Harlaxton Manor but can we just take moment to appreciate the outside space too! See what I mean? What an absolutely dreamy Lincolnshire wedding venue.
And finally we head into the evening, when everyone starts to relax and the fun really starts. Tom’s friends chose to explore the venue while were doing the bride & grooms second portraits and they decided they wanted their own romantic shot, can you spot them holding hands walking down the steps? This is the part of the day where I really like to focus on the story telling. From children rolling down the hills, laughs with your best friend to tequila shots! Then the dance floor really came alive and was so much fun.
My final shot of the night was a mix of all the discarded wedding accessories I found including Sophie’s shoes, dress sleeves and Tom’s tie!
I cannot thank Sophie & Tom enough for asking me to be the wedding photographer for their fairytale wedding at Harlaxton Manor. A wedding that really did have it all and I am so lucky that I got to be a part of it. Sophie left these kind words on a google review for which I am so grateful. That’s all a photographer can ever hope for, great feedback and a happy couple!
“I would highly recommend wildheartphotography. On our day Helen had such an amazing vision & captured the most amazing magical moments. Helen was so professional from the moment she arrived to moment she left. On the morning of getting ready Helen even made me feel very at ease in the most stressful moments. I cannot thank her enough for all the time and effort she put into our day and also afterwards. Her photos are truly amazing.”
If you are on the hunt for a wedding venue I would definitely recommend taking a look around Harlaxton Manor.
They also hold a blue bell walk in the spring which I would also highly recommend. We go every year. If you click on the button below you can see the photos I took on our walk in the spring of 2022.