Wedding Photography at Peak Edge Hotel
Lainey and Chris
The Wedding Venue- Peak Edge Hotel, Chesterfield
"Peak Edge's rustic charm and open space!!!
We've always loved it at the Peak Edge and have shared some lovely memories with loved ones over the years, so naturally it seemed like the obvious choice.
It fit in well with our rustic theme and we absolutely loved the outdoor space. A beautiful backdrop for our photo's.
Of course, we also learned when making enquiries with them about our day that they had plans to extend the orangery and turn the space into more private space with weddings in mind - it was perfect for our small intimate wedding."
The theme of the wedding
"Our colour scheme was Blush Pink/blue & Sage Green. We didn't really set out with a theme but one of our reasons for choosing Peak Edge was because we loved the rustic fell of it so decided that rustic/vintage would be the way to go, it appealed to us both."
The Dress, Shoes and Flowers
"When I set out on my journey for my dress I had no idea of what silhouette I wanted, I just knew I wanted white lace with a fuller skirt.
I visited 7 different shops in and around Chesterfield and Nottingham and couldn't seem to find the perfect one - I think I tried on 20+ dresses over a period of about 4 months and tried on every type of silhouette but none of them seemed to grab me quite in the way I wanted it to. I finally found my perfect one at Nora Eve, it was an A-Line, Ivory Lace with a sweetheart neckline. It was the very first dress I tried that when I left the shop, I couldn't stop thinking about it - that's how I knew it was the one.
My flowers were from JJ's flowers on Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield. My bouquet was made up of Ivory and pale pink roses, gypsophila, a touch of blue through the bouquet and eucalyptus. I chose gypsophila bouquets for my bridesmaids."
The Make up and Hair
"My hair stylist was Louise at Hair Fairy Bride Specialists, and my make-up was by Donna at DGMakeup.
I had seen Louise's work a couple of times previously, she had done my Sister-In-Law's hair a couple of times for her friends’ weddings (she was a bridesmaid at both) and obviously the rest of the bridal party. so, I already loved what I saw from their weddings. My sister-In-Law had spoken very highly of her and said how comfortable Louise made her feel during the whole experience. So, providing Louise was available my decision was already made and I'm so glad I stuck with it. Louise treats you as an equal and doesn't try to push any opinions or experience on to you, she truly is there for you and to give you the best for your day - nothing is too much trouble. I keep going on her Instagram page even now to look back at the photos she took of my hair on the day - I love it!! it's amazing!
When it came to make-up, I wasn't entirely sure to start with, I hadn't any recommendations or had the experience of having a make-up artist make me over before, but when I went to see Louise at Hair Fairy Bridal Specialist, she advised that she'd just teamed up with a new lady that was available on my date and was experienced in bridal make-up. So, I went along for a trial with Donna, and I was not disappointed! Donna is just a beautiful individual inside and out, very professional at what she does but is just charming, she made me feel relaxed and we chatted like I had known her all my life. I told her what I wanted, and she got it absolutely spot on the first time around - it was perfect, and I came out of there feeling so glam which is exactly what you want for your wedding day.
Both Louise and Donna work perfectly together as a Team, the two of them made my day extra special, bringing such joy laughter to the morning before the ceremony."
The Groomsmen Suits
"The groomsmen suites were hired from Strides in Chesterfield. My husband had set out on his journey 100% certain he wanted a tweed/check of some description, in blue. Strides was there first appointment he and his 4 groomsmen went along together and found exactly what they wanted first time - I didn't see the suites until the wedding day and I couldn't have chosen better myself. They made the perfect choice, they all looked so smart and handsome - great choice!!"
How did you feel walking down the aisle?
"Nervous and excited all at the same time. I’d managed to keep it together all morning and didn’t feel the nerves at all until it came to me walking down the aisle. I remember looking at one of my friends as I approached our guests and she was crying, that was it, I was trying hard to hold back the tears. Then I saw Chris, and I was an emotional wreck..."
What did you think seeing your bride for the first time?
"I cried! A happy cry!
Seeing my wife to be and my daughter walking towards me hand in hand made my heart melt - I couldn’t help it, I just cried they looked beautiful, just stunning,"
How did you feel during the bride and groom photo shoot?
"Like a model and excited!! And I’m not a photogenic person but felt really at ease and enjoyed every moment.
After the wedding has ended and your left feeling a little disappointed that the day is over, you think about your photos and suddenly there is something else to be excited about"
"Photographers was something we had studied hard. Choosing a photographer wasn’t going to be an easy decision because we hadn’t used the services of a photographer before. We made enquiries with several photographers and studied their work on social media and websites, had conversations with them. We wanted someone that would capture our ‘in the moment’ photographs capturing everyone in their natural surroundings, enjoying themselves and the two of us in sweet moments that people won’t see us in every day. When we made enquiries with Frances everything was just so easy, she invited us to her studio and spent the time getting to know us, asking questions about our preferences for the day and showing us her portfolio making sure our preferences were met. She spent timer explaining to us what would happen on the day. Once we left her studio, it was very clear to us that she was absolutely the right decision, she was everything we were looking for in a photographer. It’s hard to imagine beforehand how a photographer can capture so many beautiful photographs and you not even know they are there half the time – incredible! She is so very professional at what she does and has a great eye for detail. Many of our guests commented on the day and after how hard she worked and how professional and friendly she is. Once the photographs came through, it was as exciting as the rest of the wedding day. It was very clear to see how hard she worked and equally as impressive at how many amazing photographs she produced without even realising she had taken them, which everything we wanted. They are amazing and certainly don’t disappoint – we absolutely made the right decision. I look through my photo’s every single week at some point without fail, we love them, particularly how well our day was captured. It’s like we’re right back there, in the moment every time we look at them."
Do you have a favourite photograph?
"We couldn’t possibly choose a favourite, there are so many great photos.
Before the day, I particularly wanted a really good one of us as a family (the two of us and our 8 yr old daughter), we didn’t have a family one of us together because it’s myself or my husband taking the photo usually, There are so many family photos amongst them, we have every single one on our wall or in our album."
The cake and first dance
"We chose Victoria at Pantry Door. We had read so many great reviews and received many recommendations from family and friends that had used Victoria for various celebrations time and time again. We went to Victoria’s house and tasted her cakes, and the rest is history!! She is a very calm person and absolutely knows her industry inside and out, very skilled and very professional. We changed our fist dance song a couple of times but finally decided on ‘A thousand years’ by Christina Perri. It makes my husband cry."
"It really was a first dance – in 17 years of being together we had never had a dance together like that – it was lovely! Once we had started dancing, it was just us (and our daughter half way through). Frances took a photograph of the 3 of us during the last dance, we were in an embrace, it is just simply stunning, it fills our heart with joy every time. Actually, this is one of my favourites!"
Standout memories from the day
"We remember every small detail. Because our wedding took place 5 days after the pandemic restrictions were lifted and because it was a small wedding (60 guests) it meant we could have everyone there as planned and everything we wanted for our day. All our guests there, we were able to have a dancefloor and have a dance for the first time in ages and it was the first time we had been together in such a long time – it meant everything to us. We were very, very lucky – we felt blessed! The weather played a big part too, as it does. We remember the week leading up to our wedding the weather had been atrocious, wind, heavy rain, you name it we had it so thing wasn’t looking too hopeful for our outdoor wedding. Something, we’d both wanted so much and meant a great deal to us. The day before our wedding the rain stopped, and the clouds started to break a little. I remember keep asking our wedding planner ‘do you think it will go ahead outdoor?’ but she wasn’t able to commit – it was the decision of the registrar on the day. So, although the weather was starting to look much better by 11am on the morning of our wedding, I didn’t know it was taking place outside until our wedding planner cam to the room to fetch me. This literally was the icing on the cake!"
"We hold the whole day so dearly because of various reasons. Following a long pandemic and restrictions the timing of our day was perfect, restrictions were lifted, all of our family and closest friends were present, the weather turned out good and we were able to have the day we’d hoped for. Every single person made our day what it was including our suppliers – we feel so lucky!!."
Any tips for future brides and grooms?
"Enjoy every single moment of your day because it goes so fast."
Any suppliers you’d like to recommend?
"We’d absolutely recommend all of our suppliers; we weren’t left disappointed in any but would particularly like to recommend the following suppliers because of their professionalism and skill and because they brought so much to our day."
Lainey and Chris's suppliers for the wedding at The Peak Edge Hotel, Derbyshire
Wedding venue- Peak Edge Hotel
Wedding photographer- Frances Milburn Photography
Wedding hair and make-up- Fairy Bride Specialist and DGMakeup
Wedding cake- Pantry Door
Grooms suits- Strides of Chesterfield
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