Allerton Castle Wedding - Maddy and Matt
Autumn magic at Allerton Castle, a behind the scenes look
Autumn weddings have that extra little sprinkle of magic, especially when the venue is as stunning as Allerton Castle. With the grandest of architecture, jaw dropping interiors, and timeless charm, it really is the perfect setting for a day filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable moments shared with family. Getting to know Maddy and Matt during our time with them has been a joy for us and really was a treat for us to photograph and film their wedding day. In this post we wanted to share how we approached their day and what it was like working at such a unique venue.
We are a husband and wife photo and video team always on the lookout to capture real, authentic moments. Our style is all about storytelling and our philosophy is to let your day unfold naturally the way you planned it. This approach lets every small moment shine and become part of the story of your day in the form of photographs full of life and video full of emotion. Matt and Maddy’s day reminded us why we love doing what we do, we are so happy with how everything came together for them and here we run through how we handled certain aspects of the day and talk about the skill set we called upon to capture all of the magic at this beautiful autumn wedding.
Allerton Castle in Autumn really is a special place, Maddy and Matt leant into this by opting for a later ceremony in the cosy rooms of the castle while the low Autumn sun was setting outside. The low light of the venue is beautiful and while it does pose its own challenges for photographers and videographers we personally always embrace these situations. By adding our own carefully controlled lighting we can accentuate the atmosphere of the venue in a way that makes all of the key moments of the day shine, making them feel even more special.
The value of great communication with your wedding photographer
Prior to the wedding we had a final details meeting over a video call with Maddy and Matt, we do this with everyone and believe this is a really important step in our timeline with couples. This allows us to run through final details for the day but also gives us a chance to have a general catch up and be familiar with each other as we head into the wedding day. With timings and logistics all in hand it allowed us to walk into the day really relaxed, freeing us up to spend more time present in the day and taking in more of what is going on around us.
As with all weddings we attend, on arrival at the venue it is important for us to make ourselves known to the coordinator for the day and ensure we are all on the same page for the day ahead. Weddings are a collaboration of many moving parts so having confidence in the team we are working with for the day really does make a huge difference. At Allerton Castle we were working closely with Ash who is a superstar and will literally do everything and more to make sure couples at Allerton have the most amazing day. Other vendors we kept clear communication with on the day were the catering team to ensure we were all working to the same timings, the DJ as we discussed preferable (and most flattering) lighting for the first dance and also the team from Alicat who brought in indoor fireworks for use in the first dance, timing with these was everything. These small conversations on the day are not seen by the couple but are valuable to their experience, keeping quietly organised behind the scenes and again making sure our cameras are always in the right place with the best lighting.
Handling low light photography and videography with confidence
Photography and videography is all about light, so what happens when there isn’t too much light available? Allerton Castle’s interiors are rich and intimate but this also means they’re quite dark spaces. This is where our technical skills and equipment came into play as we took control of lighting in a few key moments of the day. During the ceremony we used discreet video lighting to highlight Matt and Maddy’s vows in a subtle way that wasn’t distracting. For family portraits we brought in studio flashes making a small studio space at the bottom of the castles incredible staircase, this made sure everyone was in beautiful light while keeping the atmosphere of the building intact. Maddy and Matt’s first dance was beautifully choreographed, starting at the top of the staircase and moving down onto the dance floor with indoor fireworks at key moments along the way. To elevate this we tactically placed lights to cover their entrance and then further lighting for the dance floor to make sure the whole dance was captured in great light while again keeping the ambience of the room intact. The result of putting this extra thought and effort in from our side was wedding photo and video that was full of life, just as the moment was on the night!
Full length wedding speech video to treasure forever
Matt and Maddy also booked us to film their full speeches and we are so pleased they did, all three speeches were full of stories of Matt and Maddy’s story together so far, humour that had people in stitches and sentimental moments that carried so much meaning. We’re so happy we could document these speeches in their entirety, giving Matt, Maddy and their family the opportunity to relive the joy, laughter, and emotion of this part of the day over and over again and again.
With such beautiful speeches recorded for future generations it also gave us the opportunity to use one stand out snippet from Matt’s speech as part of their final wedding highlight film. His words described the love between him and Maddy in such an eloquent way that carried real emotion and meaning, incorporating this touch was the magic dust for the final edit which pulled everything together. Combining strong visuals with meaningful audio made for a film that was packed full of feeling, telling the story of the day but also celebrating everything they have together.
Authentic moments on photo and film, captured with heart
Every wedding is unique and this day certainly was too, we loved that even in the big elaborate venue it was still Matt and Maddy’s love for each other and the support of their friends and family that really shone. The heartfelt speeches, emotional glances between each other and of course the truly epic party that followed really all showed how loved Matt and Maddy are.
While we give the technical side of photography and video plenty of focus it is the authentic, unscripted moments that we live for. Working as a husband and wife team does give us quite a unique perspective, we get to jump in and live the day along side you and your friends and family capturing the joy and intimacy of your wedding day together, from two angles and ensuring all the key moments are preserved forever.
Autumn weddings like Matt and Maddy’s at Allerton Castle are a reminder of why we love doing what we do. From the quiet moments during the ceremony right through to the explosive energy of the evening party, this day really was a joy to capture.
Wishing Maddy and Matt a lifetime of joy and happiness together!
Your Allerton Castle Wedding Photographers
If you are planning your wedding at Allerton Castle and on the lookout for a couple of extra friends to come along and photograph it for you then we’d love to hear from you. Carry on exploring our little corner of the internet to see more of our work and learn a little more about us, when you are ready head over to our contact page and drop us a note to check our availability, hopefully we have your date available and we can find a moment to hop on a call to introduce ourselves!
