Hannah & Adam escaped to the country for their regal, stately wedding at Pentillie Castle.
I was delighted when I was contacted by the team at Pentillie Castle to see if I was available for the wedding of Hannah and Adam. Living just ten minutes away from this splendid castle, I have visited it many times over the years of living within it’s proximity, and was excited to document a wedding there.
The castle and it’s grounds are kept in the most pristine conditions, with it seems, not a petal out of place. The castle itself is truly magnificent but the greenery and the scenery lining the sweeping driveway up to the house truly occupies your eyes until you arrive almost right in front of the building itself with the statue of Sir James Tillie himself keeping guard of the grand, main entrance.
Hannah and Adam had chosen what turned out to be the hottest day of the year and fans were bellowing out cold air on the highest setting by the time I arrived in the bridal suite. I spent my morning dipping in and out of the bridal suite and getting all of the detail shots of the venue and the set up that the couple had chosen. One of my favourite parts of the day was being escorted around in the estate’s vintage Landrover with Chrissie, the wedding coordinator, driving us around even whilst wearing her signature stilettos! Hannah and Adam had chosen to marry in The Bathing Hut, right on the banks of the river and I was lucky enough to hop in the Landy and whizz down to take some photos of it empty while Chrissie added some finishing touches to the ceremony space.
One of the most amazing parts of this wedding and possibly of all of the highlights of my year was that due to the nature of Adam’s work, the couple were to be chaperoned for the day by four of The Kings Guards in full uniform including bearskin hats. I got the opportunity to photograph the uniforms before they were dressed but seeing them in full uniform and stood outside the front of Pentillie Castle was really a very special moment indeed. Not to mention the fact that I got to eat my lunch with them; definitely a perk of the job!
Hannah and Adam’s ceremony was fun and so personal, let by Adam’s best friend, Gottfried, who acted as celebrant for the couple. Despite the intense heat of day being increased even more so by the candlelit ceremony, there was laughter, tears, shots with the bottle caps on the guests noses (apres-ski style) and photographic evidence produced to show that it really was Gottfried who persuaded the two to get married! I thoroughly enjoyed learning even more about this lovely couple through the storied told and traditions followed in their ceremony.
The afternoon saw the heat from the sun intensify even more so and the guests enjoyed games on the lawn and drinks in the shade of the gorgeous blooms towering from the flowerbeds. It was a welcome excuse for both Adam and Hannah and myself to steal away for a little while to capture some photos of the two of them, once again chauffeured in the Landy by Chrissie. We visited some of the most secluded spots of the estate including the mausoleum lookout point (where Sir James Tillie’s remains are resting) and the notorious Lime Avenue.
On returning from our off roading adventure, the dining room had been set and was ready to host Hannah and Adam’s wedding breakfast. People often ask why it is called a wedding breakfast and it is because it is the first meal for the married couple; just like breakfast is the first meal of the day. However, the term breakfast seems a little understated for not only the creations that the caterers laid on but also for the banquet style setting of the grand room.
Due to the gorgeous evening weather and the sun disappearing slowly over the river, the speeches were conducted outside on the courtyard where Hannah and Adam’s guests laughed, chinked glassed and relaxed in the evening sun. The cake was also relocated to the courtyard and cut outside just as the last of the sun disappeared and we were then able to create a sparkler aisle leading down from the castle to the lawn. This wedding was an experience from start to finish, for all of the guests, for Hannah and Adam and also for me! There was never a dull moment from start to finish, and the festivities continued well into the night with a couple of incredible sets from I Love Amp, personalised Cornish pasties and Austrian Schuhplatter dancing!
