Rowton Castle Wedding Photography
This summer was the first time that I had ever had the pleasure of being a wedding photographer at Rowton Castle in Shrewsbury. This 17th century castle has walled gardens, woodland walks, hidden pools and 17 acres of grounds to stomp around on. My visit here was because of the wedding of Kayla & Nick, and their entire day was a chilled and informal affair…with a bloody big castle in the background!
With prosecco being consumed (after much faffing with the cork), I took a stroll over to the main castle to meet up with Nick and the lads to get some shots of them getting ready. For these photos, there was no messing about, as there were five blokes in a very small room in the summer. It was hot and sweaty, but not in a sexy way (despite how good looking all five gentlemen were – including myself!).
I was then back over to the Orchard Suite just in time for the finishing touches. Kayla looked stunning in her dress from David’s Bridal, and after her partners in prosecco all worked together like a well-oiled machine to help Kayla with her jewellery, the blushing Bride was met by her Dad. Father and daughter enjoyed a moment together before they took the walk down the aisle.
The ceremony took place outside in the picturesque gardens (well, it would be rude not to in such nice weather!), wonderfully styled by Rowton Castle themselves, and perfectly complemented by the beautiful flowers from Wendy Shaw. One of my favourite moments of the day was when Nick saw Kayla walking down the aisle, and he looked away from her to have a moment, recompose and then go back to admiring his beautiful Bride.
With the vows completed and the rings exchanged, guests covered the newlyweds in confetti before enjoying a drinks reception in the gardens. After a while, I collared the new Mr. & Mrs. for a quick portrait session before the speeches kicked off.
After the speeches, the guests tucked into a Hog Roast before being treated to a game of ‘Black Ball or Red Ball?’ by the Father of the Bride (if you’re unfamiliar, you may recognise it as the ‘Heads or Tails’ game). With the sun plunging, I grabbed Kayla & Nick again so we can get some epic sunset portraits and by now, these two were really in their stride when it came to being in front of the camera! After the sun dropped out of site, we took a moment to get a bad-ass photo in front of Rowton Castle!
Now, dear reader, I’m going to reveal something about me to you that I am sure you have already identified: I have a weird way of thinking. For example, I’m shooting a wedding in the glorious sunshine, and I have those epic sunset photos. Yet, throughout the day, I spent a lot of time thinking to myself “That’ll be a good spot for a silhouette.”
So, after the cake cut and the first dance, I decided to hang around. Part of the reason for this was because I love a damn good party, and the photos of the dodgy dancing that comes with it, but mostly because I wanted grab Kayla & Nick for one last walk. They were up for it, so we left their guests under the supervision of LittleGemFX while we had one last wander around – it was definitely worth it!
Kayla & Nick’s big day at Rowton Castle was a cool wedding. With a castle wedding, most people would imagine more of a traditional big day, very much leaning into the grandeur style of things. Having spent the entire day outside (with the exception of the evening party) and enjoying a Hog Roast in lieu of a wedding breakfast, Kayla & Nick’s chilled and informal wedding day in the summer was an absolute stroke of genius. Kayla & Nick, to you and your guests, I doff my proverbial cap!
If you’re looking for a Shropshire Wedding Photographer, then all you need to do is drop me a line.
And don’t worry – I haven’t forgotten the slideshow. It’s down below for you to enjoy over and over again!