There are some weddings that feel like a beautiful reflection of the people getting married. Chloe and Giuseppe’s wedding at Holesfoot was exactly that.
Set in the Lake District, surrounded by gardens, water and the unmistakable beauty of the Cumbrian landscape, their day brought together their English and Italian families in a way that felt incredibly personal. There was Italian tailoring, an Italian garden ceremony, tiramisu, a very special first flight for Giuseppe’s nonna, and a party that I suspect everyone who was there will remember for a very long time.
As a Holesfoot wedding photographer, these are the days I love most. The ones where the setting is beautiful, of course, but the photographs are really about the people, the atmosphere and all the little details that make the wedding entirely theirs.
An Italian-English wedding at Holesfoot
From the very beginning, Chloe and Giuseppe’s wedding felt like a meeting of two cultures.
Holesfoot provided the quintessentially English setting: beautiful gardens, the Lake District surrounding it, and a summer wedding day that seemed made for celebrating outside.
But woven through it all were unmistakably Italian touches.
Giuseppe and his family brought a wonderful sense of Italian style to the day, from the tailoring to the food and, most importantly, the people. It was one of those weddings where you could feel the two families becoming one throughout the day.
One of the most touching details was Giuseppe’s nonna travelling over for the wedding. It was her first ever time on a plane, making her journey to England to celebrate with her family even more special.
It was such a lovely reminder of what weddings are really about. Not simply bringing two people together, but gathering all the people who have shaped them along the way.
A garden ceremony at Holesfoot
Chloe and Giuseppe chose to have their ceremony in the Italian garden at Holesfoot.
It was the perfect setting for the start of the celebrations, with the garden creating an intimate backdrop while the wider Lake District landscape provided that unmistakable sense of place.
There is something I particularly love about photographing ceremonies outdoors. The photographs feel connected to the surroundings rather than separate from them. The landscape becomes part of the story.
For a UK wedding photographer, Holesfoot offers so many opportunities to do exactly that.
The gardens, the water and the surrounding countryside give the day a natural visual rhythm, allowing the photographs to move between the atmosphere of the celebration and the beauty of the setting without ever feeling overly staged.
And then, of course, there was Chloe.
She looked incredible.
Italian tailoring, English countryside
There was something wonderfully editorial about the contrast of the day.
Italian suits against the English countryside. Elegant styling alongside the relaxed atmosphere of a summer celebration. A beautifully considered setting, but a party that became increasingly wild as the evening went on.
That contrast is one of my favourite things about weddings.
I want photographs to feel timeless, but I also want them to feel like they could only belong to that particular day.
For me, that means allowing space for the beautifully composed photographs alongside the completely unplanned ones. The portraits, the details and the landscapes matter, but so do the expressions, the movement, the laughter and everything that happens when nobody is thinking about the camera.
Tiramisu, family and a very happy photographer
There were plenty of moments throughout the day where I found myself feeling very lucky to be there.
The food was, unsurprisingly, a highlight.
Tiramisu made an appearance, alongside all the things that made this feel like a genuine coming together of English and Italian traditions.
And somewhere between photographing family photographs, the ceremony and the celebrations, I also found myself attempting to learn Italian.
I was a very happy photographer.
I love weddings where I get to experience something beyond my own familiar world.
Photographing Chloe and Giuseppe meant spending the day surrounded by Italian conversation, family traditions and a brilliant mix of people who had travelled to Holesfoot to celebrate them.
Even when I didn't understand every word, the atmosphere needed no translation.
And then came the party...
There are parties where everyone has a lovely time.
And then there are parties where the dance floor becomes a completely different place.
Chloe and Giuseppe had the latter.
Angelo absolutely brought it.
By the end of the evening, the whole room was completely immersed in the party. It was loud, energetic and wonderfully unrestrained, and exactly the sort of celebration that makes photographing weddings so much fun.
As a documentary wedding photographer, these are some of my favourite photographs to make.
There is no directing. No asking anyone to recreate anything. Just people being completely themselves.
The hands in the air. The dancing. The laughter. The people who were determined to stay on the dance floor for as long as physically possible.
Those photographs are often the ones couples come back to years later because they don't simply show what the wedding looked like.
They remind them exactly how it felt.
Cake on the jetty
And then, somehow, we found ourselves outside again.
Chloe and Giuseppe took their cake down to the jetty, with all of their guests gathering around them.
Sparklers were lit.
The lake stretched out behind them.
And for a moment, everyone was together.
It was one of those photographs that doesn't need much explaining.
A beautiful setting, all of their favourite people, the couple at the centre of it, and a little bit of Holesfoot magic.
It was the perfect way to end the evening.
Photographing weddings at Holesfoot
Holesfoot is such a special setting for a wedding in the UK.
There is a wonderful sense of privacy and intimacy to the estate.
As a Holesfoot wedding photographer, I love being able to photograph a wedding here in a way that feels natural to the couple.
Rather than creating a day around photographs, I believe the photographs should fit around the day.
That means giving you space to enjoy your wedding, while quietly documenting everything that happens around you.
The beautiful parts, certainly, but also the unexpected ones.
The grandparents on the dance floor.
The look between two friends during the speeches.
The moment someone starts crying during the ceremony.
The chaos immediately before dinner.
The hands reaching for another glass of champagne.
The people who haven't seen each other for years suddenly dancing together.
The photographs that happen when nobody is looking.
Chloe & Giuseppe
What a day.
What a party.
And what a privilege to photograph the two of you bringing your families together at Holesfoot.
Thank you for letting me spend the day learning Italian, photographing your people and witnessing one of the best parties I've been lucky enough to be part of.
And, as always, it was such a pleasure working alongside @poveyfilmco
Grazie mille, Chloe & Giuseppe
Planning a Holesfoot wedding?
If you're planning your wedding at Holesfoot and looking for a Holesfoot wedding photographer, I'd love to hear from you.
My approach to wedding photography is documentary at heart, with an editorial eye. I want the photographs to feel timeless and considered, while still capturing the energy, emotion and wonderfully imperfect moments that make your wedding yours.
