Merrydale Manor Wedding Photographer
Ammi + Paul
Glamorous weddings at a prestigious countryside venue with loads of luxury details, captured by Merrydale Manor wedding photographer, Phil Salisbury.
If you are looking for an exclusive use venue surrounded by countryside, then Merrydale Manor in Over Peover should definitely be on your list! As a Merrydale Manor wedding photographer I always know I’m in for a treat as soon as I arrive. This place is exclusive and prestigious, next to Coleshaw Hall, it’s also home to a polo pitch and private lake.
They’ve thought of everything at this peaceful retreat in the countryside, and weddings at Merrydale Manor enjoy elegant décor, views across the countryside, and a long driveway that sweeps through the surrounding parkland towards manicured gardens. As a Cheshire wedding photographer, I get to see some amazing places and this is up there amongst my favourites.
From the vintage vibes and retro games of The Cave for groom prep, to the six make-up stations in the dedicated Makeup Suite for your bridal party – everything you need is on site. They’ve got plenty of accommodation, including some brand-new Woodland Lodges on the other side of the lake.
When it comes to your ceremony, there’s a dedicated space with wooden beams perfect for decorating with flowers and drapes to suit your theme. For your wedding breakfast, the former polo stables have been transformed into the crisp, contemporary Merrydale Suite.
I love capturing Merrydale Manor wedding photography, surrounded by the glam décor and pretty views. Read on to check out my latest wedding at Merrydale Manor, find out about their suppliers, and see some of my favourite photos from the day.
Ammi and Paul asked me to join them as their Merrydale Manor wedding photographer, to capture their glamorous day with their awesome friends and family. And what a day it was, full of the best people, in a stunning setting.
Ammi and her bridal party started the day together in the woodland lodges, nestled under the trees next to the lake. Everyone was in good spirits, and they were listening to a playlist from Ammi’s hen-do to get them ready to party. The first job of the day was to get them over to the main manor house via a stretch golf buggy! Piled high with all the stuff they needed, the buggy whisked everyone over the bridge to Merrydale Manor.
Paul had arrived earlier by limo and was in The Cave with his groomsmen, chilling out and enjoying the retro arcade games, table football and some music playing on the TV. I could tell Paul was quite nervous, but the boys kept him calm as he got ready and put on his suit. The Cave is a brilliant setting for groom prep as there are loads of little vintage details that I can capture in your Merrydale Manor wedding photography, and plenty of games to play to keep your brain occupied while you wait!
Ammi and her bridal party were busy getting ready, with make-up artist Hannahh Mayy and hairdresser Jack Downey joining the glam squad and making everyone feel fabulous. They all wore matching blue satin robes and PJs before getting into their outfits. Ammi’s veil was added to her hair, then she was helped into her incredible bespoke dress from Dorothy Rose Bridal, and her Jimmy Choo shoes. It was all hands on deck from the bridal party, you could see how much they all love Ammi as they got her ready for her wedding day.
Guests started to arrive, catching up with drinks before heading over to the ceremony room, which was decorated with white drapes and flowers. Pianist Craig Elliot, and Eclectic Harmony, a gospel choir from High Row Music were entertaining everyone, and creating a magical atmosphere.
Back at the main house, Ammi walked under the chandelier and down the sweeping staircase to be met by her bridesmaids and family, it was a really emotional moment for them all as they saw her. Her dress and huge veil combined to form a train that must have been about 5-feet long, and she looked so elegant and graceful as she reached the bottom of the stairs to hug everyone.
Paul was waiting nervously for Ammi and her Dad to follow the bridesmaids into the ceremony room, walking down the aisle with huge smiles on their faces, as the gospel choir sang. The venue looked fab thanks to I Do Events, Liverpool. What really made this day special were Ammi and Paul’s lovely family and friends, you couldn’t hope to meet a nicer bunch of people.
There was a huge cheer at the end of the ceremony, followed by throwing confetti indoors as the newlyweds made their way back down the aisle, with Ammi’s veil sweeping across the limestone floor behind them.
Everyone enjoyed drinks, hugs and loads of laughs outside in the sunshine after the ceremony. I lost track of how many hugs were given; this lot are just so affectionate! They all gathered around, chatting together and waiting for Ammi to appear on the balcony for a spectacular bouquet toss!
I captured some formal group portraits over in the ceremony room, making use of the soft lighting. Stefan Grundy, the Tall Toastmaster was a brilliant help on the day, organising everyone and even carrying a few armfuls of Ammi’s dress as she walked across the pathway! Meanwhile, the Merrydale Suite was being set up for their wedding breakfast, with more beautiful floral displays of white flowers from I Do Events, Liverpool.
We waited until a little bit later in the day for Ammi and Paul’s portraits as a couple, the weather had been a bit unpredictable so we wanted to avoid the showers. As the sun came out again, we took a walk around the grounds for some traditional portraits and some more creative shots down by the lake, on the wooden walkway – the fountains creating the ideal backdrop for their Merrydale Manor wedding photography. The huge train of Ammi’s dress was a big feature of these photos, honestly, it was SO impressively huge!
There’s always a point in a wedding day, where things step up a notch – Ammi and Paul’s entrance to their wedding breakfast was 100% that point! It went BONKERS! People were up and cheering, dancing, singing and waving their napkins in the air before Ammi and Paul had even sat down. Add a few shots during the speeches, a bra being stolen and passed around the room and you’ll have an idea of the party atmosphere warming up!
There was raucous laughter, cheering and plenty of teary moments as the speeches were made, with some beautiful words about the two families coming together. It was a properly joyous occasion, with all the traditional moments as well as some personal and heartfelt touches throughout the whole day, with yummy food from Barretts Event Caterers.
After cutting their cake, Ammi and Paul had their first dance in front of a huge personalised sign from Sterling Event Group, surrounded by their friends and family. Ammi’s dress swooshing with every movement and looking absolutely stunning. Then as their guests joined them on the dancefloor the party really started to take off, the hugs, cheers and drinks continued all night long! JC and the Two-Steps Band provided the perfect soundtrack to the night.
Later in the evening, Ammi changed into a party dress, so she could really get dancing, and there were indoor fireworks from Luminate Events as the newlyweds were lifted onto their friends’ shoulders in celebration. It was a fun-filled, action packed, laugh-a-minute dancefloor, with energy levels that were off the charts – this kind of crazy party is EXACTLY what I love most about my job!
