Alcumlow Wedding Barn Photographer | Becca & Rob
Sunsets and Smoke Bombs at Alcumlow Wedding Barn
I suppose you could call me a regular or a favourite at Alcumlow. The staff at this wedding barn know me by name and I’m lucky enough to have captured more than my fair share of weddings here. I photographed my first wedding here which was Becca & Rob’s 2019 and since then I’ve lost count of the number of days I’ve been here. I’ve photographed weddings during every season of the barn and have almost done most of the months too. As if it wasn’t already good enough but it is also a dog-friendly wedding venue meaning most of my couples bring their four-legged friends.
You would think after photographing so many wedding days at one venue you’d run out of ideas but you’re so wrong. This barn has so many diverse features and the team at Alcumlow is constantly improving aspects of it to deliver even better wedding days. Therefore, every time I get a new enquiry for Alcumlow I’m absolutely overjoyed with excitement to return once again.
Colourful Wedding Photography at Alcumlow Wedding Barn
Living just 25 minutes from Alcumlow Farm means I’m a favourite when couples are searching for a local wedding photographer. These more rustic weddings are always awesome and the incredible team at Alcumlow Wedding Barn knows can take the load off of you ensuring you have a fantastic day. Becca & Rob’s day is just one of many I’ve photographed at this stunning countryside wedding venue. Given that they do a limited amount of weddings here every year it’s a true honour to be asked to return so many times.
My style of wedding photography is built on a great relationship with my couples. All of my weddings are different and unique; even those at the same venue as Alcumlow. The time on your wedding day is really important to me as I’m sure it is for you too. So if I can help it I don’t really want you to miss a thing and would love you to remember as much as possible. This caring and relaxed approach to my wedding photography is the reason why so many couples recommend me. They always say it feels like a friend is taking their photographs and not a photographer.
A Rustic Wedding Venue in Rural Cheshire
Alcumlow Wedding Barn is a venue which was on my wedding hit list for far too long. It always feels a little silly when there are amazing wedding venues right on my doorstep in Staffordshire and Cheshire which I’ve not managed to photograph yet. When the time does eventually come though I usually end up shooting the venue more than once which then starts a regular habit of working there.
Based along the A34 opposite Little Moreton Hall and on the outskirts of Congleton, just 25 minutes from my home in Stoke-on-Trent; this handcrafted vision from the owner of Alcumlow Hall Farm is a fairly new venue. Opening its barn doors in the last 10 years it’s managed to marry itself into the strong local network of fantastic wedding venues in and around Staffordshire and Cheshire.
Nested below the ruins of Mow Cop Castle and surrounded by rolling open fields it’s the perfect country wedding venue for couples looking for a more untraditional wedding day.
Hidden behind the quaint Alcumlow Hall Farm shopping barns. This exclusive rustic wedding barn was built from the structure of an old metal Dutch Barn for the cows which used to preside here. Replacing the old wood for new and adding in striking unique features Alcumlow can make your wedding photographs stand out from the crowd with a real rustic look.
Its skeleton wedding chapel appropriately named The White House is atop of Alcumlow’s unique features as a wedding venue. A wedding chapel unlike no other with no roof, glass in its windows or bricks in its walls. It looks more like a sculpture than a building and is the most magical way to have an outdoor wedding ceremony in Cheshire. Do bear in mind though due to government guidelines you’ll still need to do the official registry of marriage inside the barn following the service.
Rather than be an empty undecorated shell, the interior of The Dutch Barn has a lovely neutral rustic theme which can look incredible without any decorations added to it. So if you’re looking for a wedding venue in which you don’t need to spend a fortune decorating then Alcumlow is for you. With the decor being so tasteful though you can for sure add your own stamp to it without clashing with the already existing decor. Alcumlow has a great capacity where they can host civil ceremonies of up to 100 guests whilst if a church ceremony is of your vibe then they can fit 120 in. In the evening feel free to invite all of your friends as the capacity skyrockets to a max of 180 wedding guests.
For your wedding breakfast, you can either reach out to a recommended supplier such as Ridgeway Caterers and Wild Garlic Event Catering or explore the modern but traditional angle of Plate Du Jour, Alcumlow’s own catering solution for your big day.
With a perfect amount of space indoors the dance floor can double up as an indoor ceremony area whilst not disrupting your seating plan. The dance floor is also magical as a suspended speaker system lies above your head cranking out your favourite music straight on top of you whilst you have your first dance and subsequent boogies in the barn. Rustic benches around the dance floor coupled with quirky hessian hay bale seating around barrel tables give a great space for those wanting to watch on.
Being surrounded by so many independent suppliers you can really pull on Alcumlow Hall Farm shopping barns for your big day. The onsite Snugbury’s ice cream shop is a favourite which can keep your guests refreshed in those Summer months during the drinks reception.
How the Rest of This Alcumlow Wedding Day Unfolded
I got to Becca in the morning at 09:30. Her, her bridesmaids and her mum were getting ready in The Dressing Room. This huge getting-ready room at Alcumlow Hall Farm Wedding Barn is amazing to photograph in with its white walls, huge windows and mirrors galore everywhere meaning there was lots of natural light for me to use. Becca made a great choice in all three of her bridesmaids who all added so much to the day and especially the morning in bringing jokes and laughter to calm her pre-wedding nerves.
With a small guest list of no more than 40, this really was an intimate wedding day. Saying this, all of those 40 guests counted for at least 3 normal wedding guests each. Bringing their love and joy to each moment Becca and Rob were never short of clapping, whooping and just overall love as they said their vows, had their first kiss or had confetti flung at them. Just check out the photograph of Becca’s side of the family who was emphatically laughing, cheering and clapping with joy straight after their first kiss. Such a great moment. Pick your guest list wisely, it matters so much.
The rest of the outdoor civil ceremony by the lovely ladies at Your Ceremony was absolutely magical. One magical wedding moment was when Becca’s veil suddenly caught the wind and flew up. Being sure something is always about to happen I caught the shot just in the nick of time. I love that it reveals the detail on the back of Becca’s Enzoani dress also as this can sometimes not be seen when you have such a long veil.
After the outdoor civil ceremony took place in The White House we signed the register inside The Dutch Barn before having the official procession back down the aisle whilst guests threw confetti. As they reach the end they stopped and kissed creating another amazing photo opportunity.
The drinks reception then shortly followed with guest ales served from the outdoor mobile barrel bar which Alcumlow has for all their weddings. Or if ale is not your drink you can meander on inside to the huge copper bar serving tailored cocktails and a range of drinks to quench your thirst.
The drinks reception is always a great time to capture candid natural portraits of wedding guests as they relax on the picnic benches outside by the lake. Coupled with the traditional bridal party portraits and a few fun wedding photographs of the groom jumping from atop a wedding bale pyramid. Not forgetting to mention the wonderful Pip’s Pet Care who turned up with Bruno and Cooper, Becca and Rob’s dogs, for their official pet portraits.
The wedding breakfast provided by Ridgeway Caterers then followed on in The Dutch Barn with some hilarity during the speeches as Rob’s Bestman brought back many funny stories for the enjoyment of all the wedding guests.
The Dutch Barn was then transformed with the drop of the sun and the illumination of the thousands of draped fairy lights to form the ultimate evening reception party space.
The Spanish-inspired stone courtyard garden was then opened up to serve the evening pizza straight out of the hot copper stone-baked pizza oven under the beautiful night sky for the ultimate night to remember.
Being an Alcumlow Barn Wedding Photographer
Going to a new venue is always exciting as I get to stamp it with my own unique photography style. Something which is always a mystery though is the team working behind the scenes at the venue. As a rare moment, I’d already heard how great the Maison De Bois (translated to Wooden House) events team were from one of my other brides they were the reason they booked it for their day.
On the day the team at Alcumlow ran the day so smoothly and the whole place looked spotless. They did this with such a relaxed vibe also and there was never a moment of panic throughout. It wasn’t until later on when I also met one of the Alcumlow Barn owners and got talking to him about his travels and his eventual decision which led him down the path of building the barn and everything else by himself. A truly amazing story which definitely reflects across the venue as you see such a personal touch across the whole venue making it a real dream to photograph.
Alcumlow Wedding Barn boasts a really incredible skeleton wedding chapel, The White House, where you can say “I Do” under the sometimes lovely weather. This structure simply flawed me. Without it you’re just getting married on a stone patio but with a few very simplistic-looking metal outlines you really do get a much grander feel. It’s possibly the best outdoor wedding venue I’ve seen. Usually, they have a structure at the end to do the legal bit but with the contrast of light to dark under the structure, this can often give a very stark difference in the photographs. With Alcumlow choosing to do their legal part inside you’re able to capture the whole thing in the lovely glow of the sun.
The White House isn’t the only unique decor at Alcumlow which makes photographing a dream. The dancefloor surrounded by thousands of draped fairy lights really gives an incredible magical vibe as you have your first dance and certainly creates one of the most glamorous backdrops for my photographs.
The Alcumlow Wedding Barn team is also super accommodating to all requests as they allowed us to set off 8 smoke bombs on their rolling lawns next to their wheat fields. There are just too many reasons why I love being an Alcumlow Wedding Barn Photographer and I can’t urge you enough to consider this amazing rural Cheshire wedding venue for your big day.
Alcumlow Wedding Barn Photographer