Thornbridge Hall

Thornbridge Hall is a grade II listed stately home in the peak district, set in 100 acres of parkland and 14 acres of formal gardens even inch of the place is oozing with personality. Maybe even multiple personalities, the building has had many owners over the years all with different styles and tastes and this comes together in the most fantastic, spell bindingly way. The first thing I noticed when I arrived at Thornbridge Hall was just how many pairs of eyes there are looking at you for the faces calved into the wooden mantelpieces and fire places, to the garden statues whose eyes follow you around as you make your way around the extensive gardens. All of this character means your wedding guests will have plenty to look at and explore on your wedding day, it feels like being on a film set and the mix of styles makes it a fancinating place to wander around.

The Carraige House; a clock towered, glass walled dining hall even boasts a secret underground night club to spring on your guests later in the evening once the party has already been started, again making the experience of being in this venue an adventure in itself.

Thornbridge Hall is a family home and part of the gardens are open to the public, so it isn’t a venue that you can stay in overnight but if you are looking for something with the wow factor, breathtaking English countryside and a wedding venue that is as beautiful and weird as you are… This might just be the place.

Getting ready at Thorn bridge hall

I knew I loved this venue as soon as I saw the suite Ruth was getting ready in, not only is The India Suite huge giving you and your bridal party loads of room to get ready in but the light coming through the huge leaded glass windows was beautiful and it made for an epic start to the day. Having a nice big room to get ready in can really help take the stress out of the morning, with everyone having enough space to relax, take time out and get ready it can really start one of the most important days of your life off with the right tone, plus with loads of space and light you can get some lovely photos of that morning too.

While the Bridal Party had an epic Bridal suite to get ready in, George’s Lads pad downstairs did take the biscuit with a pool table and private bar, the groom and groomsmen had plenty to keep them busy and calm their nerves in the morning. I always think sometimes if the men don’t have much to do in the morning it can let the nerves set in. George and his groomsmen spent the morning greeting wedding guests, playing pool, having a few beers while planning their hilarious and heartfelt speeches. Two perfect wedding mornings running along side one and other.

Thornbridge Hall a wedding venue in Derbyshire

Statue of a bearded man in Thornbridge Hall Formal Gardens

Archway leading onto the back garden of Thornbridge Hall, autumnal trees in the distance.

Two female wedding guests dressed in fancy winter coats chat outside the wedding venue.

Wedding guests arrive on foot back lit by the winter sun.

Wedding guest arrive by taxi wearing a navy blue dress.

The groom laughs as he greets wedding guests outside Thornbridge Hall.

Groomsmen enjoy some beers in the pool room.

A face of an eerie painting reflecting in the bathroom window.

Groomsmen laugh together while writing their speeches.

Groomsmen enjoy the sunlight steaming through the windows while sipping on a beer.

The wedding dress hangs in the hallway of Thornbridge Hall in front of a colourful stained glass window.

Brides red shoes sit in front of a stained glass window.

Bride and her bridesmaids relaxing in The India Suite on the morning of her wedding at Thornbridge Hall.

Mother and sun take some time out together on the bed in The India Suite

The bride and her mother smile and look at a scrap book wedding gift the bride has received from her bridesmaids

Bridesmaid getting her make up done in The India Suite, Thornbridge Hall.

Bridesmaid tell the bride a story as she is having her hair done.

Mother gives her baby some treats at the foot of the bed as the bridesmaids get ready around her.

Bride has her hair done while bridesmaids get ready around her.

Reflection of bride getting her make up done in the mirror.

Mother and child look out of huge leaded window in The India Suit at Thornbridge Hall.

Mother of the Bride laughs while drying her hair.

Brides sits on the floor at a coffee table while writing her speech.

Mother of the bride puts on some earrings.

Bridesmaids partner arrives to pick up his son.

Mother of the Bride smiles as she looks in the mirror

Bridesmaids smile and look on as the Bride begins to get dressed.

Mother of the Bride kneeling on the floor smiling as she helps her daughter into her dress.

Bridesmaids huddle round to watch the instructions of how to fasten the dress on brides phone.

Bridesmaids react to bride wearing her dress!

Bride stands in the window light while putting on her earrings.

Bride stands in the window light and is reflected in the mirror.

The Ceremony

Ruth and Georges beautiful ceremony took place in The Great Hall of Thornbridge Hall, surrounded by stunning Autumnal flower arrangements by the very talented Swallows and Damsons (check them out for some seriously beautiful flowers!). The couples popularity really showed filling the ground floor with guests and then having the rest their friends and family watch the ceremony from balconies over The Great Hall. The ceremony was heartfelt and emotional, with tears and laughter throughout before the couple made their way out of The Great Hall to be met in the back garden by their wedding guests for one of the longest confetti walks I have seen in a while!

After the confetti had been thrown and everyone had had a good old mingle, we grabbed some nice relaxed group shots against the beautiful back drop of the autumnal Derbyshire hills before Ruth and George came for a wander with me through Thornbrigde Halls beautiful manicured gardens to get some lovely relaxed wedding portraits and give them a bit of time out to enjoy each others company of their wedding day.

If you are thinking of having your wedding at Thornbridge Hall there are plenty of different places to hold your ceremony; for couples that want to brave an outdoors ceremony and feel those wonderful Derbyshire manicured lawns underneath your feet as you say I do there is the South Lawn Temple and for smaller indoor ceremonies there is the Music Room or if you are having a bigger winter wedding like Ruth and George you can take advantage The Great Hall and your friends and family watch you for two levels.

wooden calved face in the fire place of The Great Hall

Autumnal flowers dressing the fire place of The Great Hall, Thornbridge Hall.

Guests huddle together to facetime a friend on an ipad.

Sister of the groom laughing while sitting on the front row.

Master of ceremonies greets the wedding guests.

Sister of the groom has tears in her eyes.

First two bridesmaids walk down the aisle.

Sister of the bride walks down the aisle alone.

Two final bridesmaids walk down the aisle.

The groom looks up at his bride making her way to him with tears in his eyes.

Bridesmaids and guests look up as the bride circles them from above

Bride is walked down the aisle by her mother.

The groom greets his bride with a kiss on the cheek.

The bride and groom stand together as they are addressed by the registrar.

Bride and Groom hold hands facing on and other and laughing during the ceremony.

Bride and groom look back at wedding guests as they stand.

Close up of Bride and Groom looking at their rings

Tearful from the mother of the bride, bridesmaids and other guests.

Groomsman holding wedding ring box with tearful eyes

Bride and Groom stand and look at one and other laughing as guests stand an applause.

Mother of the bride with tears in her eyes.

Bride and groom laugh while signing the register.

Bride and groom walk down the aisle together.

Wedding guests form confetti line through stone arched door with the rolling hills of Derbyshire behind them.

Bridesmaid holding her autumnal bouquet.

Grandmother of the Groom waits in the confetti line with her confetti.

Grooms family wear sunglasses and wait to throw confetti at the bride and groom.

Close up of the bridesmaids holding their autumnal flowers.

Bride and groom walk through the stone arched doorway in the garden at Thornbridge Hall

Groom holds his wife's hand up like a prize as he walks down the confetti line

Bride and groom laugh as guests throw confetti at them

Groom trips over and bride folds over laughing.

Bride and groom laughing while confetti is being thrown at them in Thornbridge Hall Gardens, Derbyshire

Groom wipes confetti from his face while Bride laughs.

Bride and groom look at each other laughing.

Groom looks at camera laughing as confetti is till being thrown at them.

Bride laughs as they get to the end of the confetti line.

Confetti gathered in the folds of the brides white dress.

Bride and Groom hug their guests in an outdoor receiving line.

Black and white photo of Bride and Groom receiving guests in the gardens of Thronbridge Hall.

Bride and groom photographed with all of their wedding guests behind them.

Bride and Groom with grooms family casually standing together.

Bride and Groom with brides family, standing together laughing.

Groom steals a kiss from his bride in the walled gardens at Thornbridge Hall.

Bride and Groom stand together laughing in the long grassed gardens at Thornbridge Hall.

Bride and Groom have a quiet moment together in the walled gardens of Thornbridge Hall, Derbyshire.

Tail of wedding dress amongst the autumn leaves.

Bride and groom sit on the walled gardens drinking champagne and laughing.

Bride and groom walk together in the walled gardens

Groom kisses bride in Thornbridge Hall Gardens with the rolling hills of Derbyshire behind them.

The Carriage House

Ruth and George held their wedding reception in The Carriage House an old stable building that has been beautifully renovated and given a glass ceiling and front. On their tables waiting for their guests they had some autumnal flower arrangements, hand calved wooden name places and homemade marmalade!

After the Speeches

After the speeches it was time to get the wedding cake cut and get the party started and Ruth and George didn’t waste any time before they got on the dance floor and started tearing it up.

Autumn leaves with Carriage House clock tower in tower in the back ground.

Carriage House at Thornbridge Hall, Derbyshire.

The cork board table plan with twinkly lights and chairs behind.

White table clothed chairs and tables with twinkly lights and autumnal flower arrangements.

Hand engraved grooms name on wooden disk.

White wedding cake, with heart icing and twinkley lights behind it.

Bride and Groom enter The Carriage House

Wedding guests stand and swirl napkins in the air on couples arrival.

Black and white photograph of wedding guest smiling.

Wedding guest laughing while listening to Mother of the brides speech.

Bride looking at mother while she makes her speech.

Grandmother of the groom look emotional during speeches.

Wedding guest filming speeches on her phone.

Mother of the bride expressively giving speech.

Head table cheers to the Mother of the Brides speech.

Bride smiling as Groom gives his speech.

Black and white photo of guests cuddling up to one and other as they listen to the speeches.

Wedding guest listens to speech on the edge of her seat!

Bride and Groom laugh together at Best Mans speech.

Female wedding guest having a good belly laugh.

Mother of the bride dances with bridesmaid.

Male wedding guest throwing some shapes on the dance floor.

Mother of the bride holds onto her hat while dancing.

Couple chasing each other across dance floor.

Wedding guests laughing and dancing at Thornbridge Hall.

Female wedding guests throw some shapes.

Child smiles while doing the limbo on dance floor.

Adult laughs as he does the dance floor limbo.

Groom whispers in Brides ear on the dance floor.

A Shout Out to Some Awesome Suppliers!

Flowers: Swallows and Damsons
Hair and make up: Jenn Edwards and co
Groom’s suit: Dooley and Rostron
Groomsmen suits: Slaters
Dress: Cheadle Bride
Bridesmaid dresses: Rewritten Bridesmaids
Venue: Thornbridge Hall

When I first spoke to Becky and George about their wedding day I knew it was going to be a belter, they were both super excited and seemed to be having so much fun planning the day. They got stuck right in throwing most traditional wedding ideas right out of the window and just creating a day that was playful and fun and 100% them! It wasn’t until I stepped into Five Four Studios and was greeting by a 15ft tall T-rex and Brachiosaurus and a 10ft long Stegosaurus I knew that Becky and George really weren’t messing about, they were taking this as far as they possibly could and from then on the day just got better and better.

A welcome to remember them by

Becky and George didn’t mess around with security at the front door they had their best man and three Velociraptors on the front door, patting guests down, checking their bags and making sure everyone had their best party faces on! The greeting was one their wedding guests would certainly not forget! Gorgeous jungle foliage, dry ice and three hungry little raptor faces isn’t what most people would expect walking into a wedding for the first time. The welcome set the tone for the rest of the day straight away, this wasn’t going to be a formal affair, it was all about having fun and celebrating Becky and George and everything that makes them Becky and George!

Velocirator Welcoming guests through open door

Velociraptors in hall way at wedding in Salford, Greater Manchester

Vase and jungle foliage next to industrial glass window

Ground floor room of Five Four studio with a T-rex and Brachiosaurus centre stage.

T-rex and Brachiosaurus couple shot on their wedding day.

Danny Devito life size card board cut out.

Bride laughing with her bridesmaids as one of them wears a pink dress and looks confused.

Bride laughs as her friend tries on a dinosaur costume.

Bride laughing as she talks to her dad while having her hair done on her wedding day.

Blonde bridesmaid puts on earings in the mirror.

Bride had her make up done on her wedding day at Five Four Studios.

Brides mother smiles while looking at her daughter on the morning of her wedding.

The Wedding Dress

Becky had her beautiful wedding dress hand made especially for her by the super talented Erica Stacey Couture, who not only designed Becky’s amazing one of a kind wedding dress but also designed her arm band to match Becky’s tattoo and her mum’s dress. The detail on this dress was out of this world and it definitely fell in line with Becky’s personal style, with a punk rock and roll vibe while still having all the glamour and finesse of a traditional wedding dress. I am still to this day gob smacked at how stunning this dress was and we haven’t even seen her in it yet! Prepare your greasy little eyeballs for an absolute feast! Oh yes you are probably going to want to know who designed those amazing shoes, they are by Dolce and Gabanna but I’m not going to spend all day here singing their praises (although bloody heck look at those bad boys) those guys get enough press already! Check out Erica Stacey though she is definitely in the same league design wise and has a lovely little shop in Stretford, Manchester where you can go and meet her and have a good rummage through all her amazing designs!

Bridemaids prepare wedding dress as the Bride peeps out from the loo.

The Brides Dolce and Gabanna wedding shoes lie on the floor next to the bridesmaids Doc Martins.

Bride looks at herself in the mirror smiling,

Bride smiles wearing her wedding dress, looking like a punk.

Close up of the dress being hooked up at the back.

PUNK WEDDING GODDESS

So as Becky was behind the scenes looking like a punk wedding goddess the wedding guests were beginning to arrive and being ushered in by Becky and Georges pre-historic security guards, after the surviving a run in with three velociraptors the guests quickly made their way up to the bar to get a quick drink in before the ceremony and quieten their nerves!

Best man and velociraptors wait for the wedding guests.

Wedding guests look on behind the toothy mouth on a Velociraptor.

Blue, Velociraptor emerges out of the dry ice.

Velociraptor amongst the red jungle foliage.

Wedding guests leg it through the dinosaur infested hall way.

A vintage pink and green lamp next to a blue butterfly in a glass.

The colourful vintage bar at Five Four Studio Salford.

A large blue butterfly in a glass case, photographed from above with a red vintage rug behind it.

Portrait of grandmother sitting in the bar.

Water splashing out of crystal glasses as a cocktail is stirred.

FIve four studios creative wedding venue

Five Four Studios is the ultimate wedding venue for creative couples, there are 3 floors including the huge ground floor where there is plenty of room to seat and feed wedding guests, a room for getting ready and another large side room and bar which can double up as a place for catering staff to prepare meals and can also come in handy as a small photography studio that can be used for group shots and even couples portraits if that’s your vibe or if the weather is horrible outside and you need to do all of your planned photos inside it could be super useful. On this occasion I didn’t need it as Becky and George wanted Pure Documentary Wedding Coverage (no couple shots or group shots), but it’s a pretty handy thing to have around just incase.

On the first floor floor there is a super fancy bar. I love this bar! The rich colour pallet of the gorgeous vintage lamps, furnishings and the wonderful diffused light coming through the windows just looks like a super cool film set and yet it feels really comfy and relaxed like a massive living room, except this one has a really fancy bar with super tasty cocktails!

On the second floor there is the studio painted white and with an industrial angular vibe and oodles of natural light you can hit this space creatively with everything you have or keep it super minimal. Becky and George had their ceremony in this space had the super talented team at Manchester’s Citibloom come and give the space a pre-historic jungle vibe.

Outside there is a small courtyard for wedding guests to relax outside and a small car park, so if you are bringing guests here from another venue it might be worth hiring a bus or some other form of transport so they can dropped outside with minimal fuss.

Five Four Studio top floor ready for the ceremony decorated with jungle foliage.

Card board cut out of The Rock in his best wedding gear.

The groom doing his best dinosaur impression.

Bride is walked down the aisle by her father.

Mother of the bride comforts father of the bride who looks emotional.

Father of the bride looking at his daughter.

Bride and groom looking very happy about getting married.

Mother of the bride gives her daughter a knowing smile.

Best Man gives bride and groom their wedding rings.

Bride and Groom stand in front of their wedding guests for the first time as husband and wife.

Bride and Groom exit their wedding ceremony at Five Four Studio Salford as husband and wife.

the ceremony

The ceremony was beautiful with jungle foliage and white walls, it was like Becky and George were getting married in a beautiful very well lit urban jungle. Everyone had their best glad rags on and even The Rock made an appearance although he was standing quite stiffly in the corner for most of it… None of the dinosaurs seemed to make it to this bit, either they couldn’t make it up the stairs or they were just interested in the party. Probably the last one, I’ve seen those raptors move!

Bar man prepares cocktails at the bar in Five Four Studios, Salford.

Bridesmaids enjoying a cocktail at the bars

Male guests sit in a group having a chat.

Wedding guest gets excited telling a story

Beautiful wedding dress catches the light.

Brides mum smiling as bride approaches her.

Bride laughing and enjoying a cocktail in the bar.

The Wedding Breakfast

After plenty of messing about and cocktails in the bar upstairs at Five Four Studio the weddings guests were ready for some grub and had lots of exciting things waiting for them downstairs… A Stegosaurus, T-rex, long neck, some dry ice and The Rock in his pants to name a few!

Bride and Groom have a dance outside photo in black and white.

Bride and her mother laugh as the dry ice fires behind them.

Succulent decorations in moody lighting.

Dramatically lit banquet hall in blue, pink, yellow and green.

Bride and groom laughing in black and white.

Grooms mother sitting at her table chatting.

Wedding guest gets a bubble in her face.

Bride hides her face as her bridesmaid makes a speech.

Wedding guests smile listening to speeches

Father of the bride listening to speeches.

After the speeches

It was back up to the bar for a few more cocktails and a good opportunity for Becky to get into her dancing shoes, white Doc Martin’s with dinosaurs drawn on them!

Bride welcoming guests back into the bar.

Long shot of everyone sitting down chatting in the bar.

Guest laughing with a cocktail in her hand.

there’s no party like a guns and roses party!!!

If having full sized dinosaurs, dry ice, an urban jungle and celebrity cardboard guests isn’t enough for you. Becky and George had another final trick up their mischievous wedding sleeves they only went and hired a bloody Guns and Roses Tribute band!!! Even The Rock, Ronaldo and Danny Divito got involved smashing people over the head with their corrugated card board arses all over the place. It was glorious. Is anyone still reading this?

Guns or Roses Back Drop, Guns and Roses Tribute Band

Bride dancing wearing her punk style wedding dress.

Bride dancing with her mother, photo in black and white.

Bride dancing with light trail effect in photo.

Bride and groom dancing with card board cut out guests.

Bride and guests holding up card board cut out guests and dancing with them.

Wedding guests singing and dancing at Five Four Studio.

Groom being a scary dinosaur in the dark

Bride and brides mother dancing with the grooms mother.

Bride and groom looking cool on the dance floor

Ariel shot of everyone dancing on the dance floor in black and white.

Wedding guest dancing with finger in the air and light trails.

Wedding guests arms in the air singing and dancing.

Bride dancing with best man and laughing

Bride and groom kiss on the dance floor.

Thank you to Becky and George for having me and having the courage and vision to pull this epic day off seamlessly. It’s definitely one I will never forget. Of course this belting wedding day couldn’t have happened with out Becky and Georges wonderful family and friends and the awesomely talented wedding suppliers that pulled their vision together behind the scenes.