Sandhole Oak Barn wedding photography (Cheshire)
If you're looking into Sandhole Oak Barn wedding photography, you've probably already pictured it: the oak barns, the lake shining past the little clock gazebo, and the whole place yours for the day. And if you're a mum helping with the planning, what you really want to know is how it feels once you're there, and who's going to look after everyone.
We're Jessica and Craig, Travis Photo, a husband and wife wedding photography team based in Worsley. We've been photographing weddings for eleven years, and Craig and I always work as a pair, so there's one of us wherever the day is happening.
Sandhole sits on a working family farm in Hulme Walfield, about a mile and a half north of Congleton on the A34. The barns are right beside a six-acre lake, and it's exclusive use, so once your guests arrive it's just you and your people.
The morning, and the little things
Mornings are where the small things live. For Lauren and Tom that meant pearl buttons down the back of the dress with the veil falling beside them, ivory shoes with pearl straps, and a pair of butterfly earrings still in their box.
A wedding in the Ceremony Barn
Lauren and Tom married in Sandhole's Ceremony Barn, and it's a beautiful room to photograph. Oak trusses run the length of the ceiling, the aisle is a warm oak floor, and the full-height windows let the daylight pour in. If the weather's kind, you can also marry outside by the lake under the Clock Tower.
While one of us is at the front for the vows and that first kiss, the other is watching the rows, because the people who love you tell the story as much as you do. A happy tear, a hand on a shoulder, a friend smiling beside you: those are the photographs families come back to.
Slipping away for portraits
In the afternoon we'll slip away with you for a chat and a few portraits, then have you back before anyone misses you. Nobody will line you up or tell you where to put your hands. We just walk, talk and let it happen.
At Sandhole that meant a wander up through the vineyard in the afternoon sun, then the walk back along the path, hand in hand. Later, as the light softened, we nipped down to the gazebo by the lake, under the festoon lights.
The Dining Barn and the evening
The Dining Barn has high oak beams and wrought iron chandeliers made by a local blacksmith. We like to catch the room before the doors open, while every table is still perfect.
Then come the speeches, and hopefully plenty of laughter. One of us stays close to the top table while the other keeps an eye on the rest of the room, finding a grandparent a quiet chair or giving the little ones some space when it all gets a bit much. And then the first dance, with everyone gathered round, phones up and fairy lights glowing behind you.
Say hello
Our studio is in Walkden, at Linnyshaw Mill on Manchester Road. Every wedding is a little different, so for the details, have a look at our investment page. For showrounds and venue packages, Sandhole's own website is the best place to start.
If you're getting married at Sandhole and you'd like a husband and wife team who will treat your people kindly, we'd love to hear from you. Call or message me (Jessica) on 07843 331864, email jessica@travisphoto.co.uk, or use our contact page. There's more about how we work on our wedding photography page, and for another Cheshire venue, see Merrydale Manor wedding photography.
Tell us the date, the place, and anything that matters to your family, and we'll take it from there.