Dalston Hall
Wedding Photographer

Are you looking for Wedding Photographer at Dalston Hall?

I’m Andy Wade, an award winning photographer with a soft spot for venues with real history in their walls, and a medieval pele tower certainly counts. My wedding photography is all about authentic, candid moments, and Dalston Hall gives those moments a backdrop you won’t find anywhere else in Cumbria.

My approach is all about storytelling in a relaxed documentary style, focusing on the real emotions, and creative yet natural portraits. The weddings you see across Andy Wade Photography are all real days I’ve documented, so what you see here is exactly how I’d photograph yours.

The weddings I remember most are the ones where the venue becomes part of the story, and Dalston Hall is exactly that kind of place. Let’s capture something beautiful together here.

Wedding Photography at Dalston Hall

Dalston Hall Weddings

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Dalston Hall Wedding Venue

Inside Dalston Hall

Dalston Hall is a beautiful historic country house wedding venue just outside Carlisle: a quirky, characterful hall with a medieval pele tower at its heart, where every celebration is unique. The hall mixes centuries of history with a warm, relaxed welcome, and the weddings team take pride in making each celebration its own.

The historic rooms handle ceremonies and receptions with real atmosphere, and there's a golf course attached for guests who want to make more of their stay. With bedrooms in the hall, the wedding can turn into a proper house party.

A pele tower at its heart

The grounds and gardens give you lovely variety for drinks and portraits: lawns, mature trees and the hall's ancient stonework as a backdrop, with the Cumbrian countryside all around. The pele tower makes for portraits you simply can't get at a modern venue.

The day flows with a relaxed, personal rhythm: ceremony in the historic hall, drinks in the gardens, portraits around the tower, then dinner and dancing in rooms that have seen five centuries of celebration.

The History of Dalston Hall

A border stronghold

Dalston Hall was originally built around the 1500s, consisting of a pele tower, the fortified tower house that families across the border country built for protection in raiding times. These towers are the signature architecture of the old Anglo-Scottish border, and Dalston's is a fine example.

The hall grew around the tower over the centuries, softening from fortress to country house, and today it is a much-loved wedding venue near Carlisle, known for its quirky character and warm welcome.

Fortress softened to country house

Now operating as a wedding venue, hotel and golf club, Dalston Hall has become one of the Carlisle area's most distinctive places to marry. The combination of genuine medieval history and an unstuffy, personal approach is a winning one.

How To Get To Dalston Hall

Dalston Hall is in the village of Dalston, just south of Carlisle in Cumbria, postcode CA5 7JX. From the M6, leave at junction 42 or 43 and follow signs towards Dalston; the hall is signposted in the village.

Carlisle station, on the West Coast Main Line, is about 10 minutes away by taxi, and there's ample parking at the hall.

My Style of Photography

I’m known for my documentary approach in wedding photography, capturing authentic, natural, and heartfelt moments. I aim to narrate each couple’s unique story through genuine, candid captures that resonate with real emotion. Having received numerous awards both in the UK and globally, my commitment and expertise in my field are well recognised. Offering my services throughout the UK and overseas, I cater to couples looking for a photographer who can document their day as it unfolds, ensuring a true representation of their special moments.

Why book Andy Wade Photography?

You’ve found your venue, and now you want the day photographed as it actually happens, not staged around the camera. My style is natural and documentary: genuine moments, real emotion, and the laughter, tears and everything in between, documented quietly while you get on with enjoying it.

As your Dalston Hall wedding photographer, I’m committed to creating a collection that tells the real story of your day: relaxed, honest and full of the moments that matter, with the hall’s centuries of character all around you.

I couldn’t be more excited to join you on your wedding day at Dalston Hall, documenting every laugh, tear and dance floor moment as it happens.

MORE ABOUT ME

Smiling man holding a camera in monochrome photo.

What my couples say

LOVELY WORDS FROM LOVELY PEOPLE

I am super grateful for the amazing reviews my previous Cumbria couples have left on my Google and Facebook profiles.

My Features & Awards

I’m an internationally recognised photographer, and I measure and challenge myself against the best in the world.

MY AWARDS

Latest musings

My Cumbria Wedding posts

Lake District Venue Guides
Top Hotel Wedding Venues in the Stunning Lake District
15 September 20254 September 2026 Lake District, Venue Guides
Getting married in the Lake District is something special. I’ve photographed weddings all over the Lakes for years, and the combination of stunning scenery, charming towns and brilliant venues makes it one of my favourite places to work. As a local photographer, I feel very lucky to have it on my doorstep. In this guide…
Read More Top Hotel Wedding Venues in the Stunning Lake District
Lake District Venue Guides
Elope in the Lake District: A Romantic Getaway
8 September 20254 September 2026 Lake District, Venue Guides
Fancy a more intimate celebration? An elopement in the Lake District could be perfect. I’ve photographed weddings in this beautiful region for years, and some of the most moving days I’ve captured have been the smallest ones. The Lake District is known for its stunning natural beauty, and it gives couples a tranquil backdrop for…
Read More Elope in the Lake District: A Romantic Getaway
Lake District Venue Guides
When to Wed in the Lake District: A Seasonal Guide
1 September 20254 September 2026 Lake District, Venue Guides
One of the many reasons I love the Lake District is that it offers a stunning setting for a wedding in every single season. Any wedding I photograph there gives me a backdrop most photographers can only dream of. Rugged mountains, serene lakes, lush green valleys: it’s perfect for couples after a romantic, unforgettable wedding….
Read More When to Wed in the Lake District: A Seasonal Guide

MORE MUSINGS

Questions I get

ABOUT ANDY WADE PHOTOGRAPHY

No. 90% of any day I shoot is completely candid. I can photograph all day without a single ‘posed’ photo. The portraits of you both, if you’d like some, are kept simple and as natural as possible; nothing cheesy and nothing awkward. Usually the portraits of you are created during a relaxing wander together for 20 minutes or so with me capturing shots as we go along – so not really posing. We may stop in a certain spot but most of that time you’ll forget I’m there and the portraits will feel and look perfectly natural. Just think of this as a bit of ‘you time’! There is the option to create a specific photo with flashes which I set up – but only if you want that. Even if I do it will be set up before we do it so that you can spend the maximum time with your guests. Otherwise I’ll just photograph the day as it happens.

Firstly I have to be available on your day but after that just say “Let’s do It!”. Just fill out the email form on my contact page or just send me a text, a message on Instagram or just give me a call. A small deposit then secures the day. That deposit is refundable up to one month after the agreement to go ahead. In the meantime, I will send you some paperwork and that will include a contract which has the terms and conditions, which we both sign when you’re 100% happy. You’ll also receive a summary of what is in your package.

Your photos will be delivered in a beautiful gallery that will work on any device. You can control the sharing of your photos from your gallery for family and friends or to social media. You can download your photos in full, high resolution or in a smaller version should you wish to share them. There are no watermarks on your photos and are free for your personal use. There is also the option to buy prints and wall art and you can create and order albums from the ‘Shop’ area of your gallery. If you have a slideshow made then it can be viewed from your gallery as well.

For a 9 hour wedding you get an edit of about 500+ photos. If it is a 12 hour day then around 700+. I work on your photos intensely after the wedding, lovingly crafting them so that they are perfectly colour balanced with a bright, fresh look. There’s probably a ratio of a third black and white and two thirds colour.

It’s the pele tower. Dalston Hall gives your photographs a backdrop you won’t find anywhere else in Cumbria, and the ancient stonework around the tower makes for portraits you simply can’t get at a modern venue.

Yes. I think it’s good to meet as you can ask all the questions you need to. I’ll be around you for almost all of your wedding day so meeting up before the day is a great way of getting to know each other. I’m a nice chap and very comfortable with people I’ve just met, so it’s not a problem if we don’t. A video call is a really good way of talking things through if we can’t arrange a meeting.

Yes. Most people like a few photos of mum, dad and their close family as well as the bridesmaids and groomsmen. I get that it is important and can be good fun, too. It takes about 10 minutes to organise a photo of everyone, for example, and then about 2-3 minutes for each one after that providing everyone is available. You decide what those photos are if you want them – I don’t have a ‘list’ of my own. If there is 1.5 – 2 hours between your ceremony and wedding breakfast then I’d suggest to have something like 20 mins with you portraits and then 20 mins of group photos dotted about, so between 6-10 group shots max. This way you spend more time just being with your guests, which I will capture naturally. I hear many stories of people who have been to weddings and were really bored and made to stand around for hours while the photographer goes through a repertoire of their own group photos. That’s not me!

Yes. There is an amazing choice of albums and wall art that will be available from your gallery and that I can send you information on. There is so much choice that I do not put albums in my packages unless on specific request. I do have three album packages that broadly cover the options so if you would like to include one I would be happy to chat and look at putting an album in your package.

Yes, but you can have another photographer if you wish – called a ‘2nd shooter’. If, for instance, you’d like the groomsmen preparation photos covered fully as well and they are over 15 mins away, I can employ a second photographer to cover that for £350/day and they will stay until the speeches – so about 6 hours. A second photographer is great to cover a specific span of time but does not necessarily mean a ‘better’ set of photos. I can be in and amongst a whole wedding party quite easily and capture the essence of the day without a 2nd shooter but it does enable us to do more portraits together – if that is what you’d like – and we can have more angles covered in the ceremony. If you would like a 2nd shooter then we’d book them about 3 months before the day. They are always 1st class, professional photographers like me and shoot in my style.

The grounds give lovely variety, lawns, mature trees and the hall’s ancient stonework, with the Cumbrian countryside all around. I like using the tower as a backdrop because it gives the pictures real weight and history.

Yes, the weddings team here take real pride in making each celebration its own, and the day flows with a relaxed, personal rhythm. Five centuries of history in the walls somehow doesn’t make it feel stiff at all.

SEE MY FULL FAQS

Looking for other venues in Cumbria?

FIND YOUR PERFECT VENUE

Dalston Hall is just south of Carlisle, and there are some wonderful venues around this part of Cumbria. The Halston in the city centre is a grand Edwardian former post office with five unique spaces. Towards Penrith, Askham Hall is a Grade I listed gem and Melmerby Hall a characterful fortified manor. Augill Castle near Kirkby Stephen offers the full fairytale. And into the Lake District, Armathwaite Hall on Bassenthwaite and Inn on the Lake on Ullswater both have unbeatable waterside settings.

Get in touch

I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

If you’re looking for a Dalston Hall Wedding Photographer, it would be great to talk!

Whatever stage you’re at in your wedding planning, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a message to see if we’re a good fit or to check my calendar and we can go from there. I’d love to hear from you!