Lake District
Wedding Photographer

A little about me

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.

I grew up in South East London, but the North got its hooks into me over twenty five years ago and I never left. Home is Todmorden with my wife, our children and two dogs, and whenever we can we head west to walk, swim and breathe in the Lakes.

I’m laid-back and enjoy spending time with my family, walking our dogs among the breathtaking landscapes of the Lake District. We spend a lot of time in Keswick and Borrowdale and just love everything about The Lakes. I’m a bit of a foodie and delight in cozy evenings by a crackling fire at local spots during winter! I genuinely enjoy working in the beautiful venues throughout the Lake District.

THE BEGINNING OF YOUR STORY

Getting Married in the Lake District?

My approach to wedding photography in the Lake District is to capture your day as it genuinely unfolds: the emotion, the laughter and the quiet in-between moments, all set against the finest scenery in England. No stiff posing, just honest, story led photographs.

I document your wedding as it happens, so every laugh, tear and heartfelt glance is there when you look back. You enjoy the day; I will make sure you can relive it.

The Lake District is home to some of the most breathtaking wedding venues in the country, from lakeshore hotels and grand country houses to medieval towers and hidden gardens, and every one of them comes with scenery that needs no filter.

Each venue brings its own character to your photographs, and the Lakes do the rest: the light, the water, the fells and the big skies. Whatever the weather, a Lake District wedding looks spectacular.

MY PORTFOLIO

My Favourite Lake District Wedding Venues

Iconic Spots to Celebrate Your Love

As a wedding photographer who has worked across the Lake District for years, I have been lucky enough to capture weddings at many of its finest venues. Here are some of my favourites.

Beautiful garden with scenic mountain view.

Lodore Falls Hotel & Spa

Borrowdale Valley, Lake District

Nestled in the Borrowdale Valley beside its famous waterfall, Lodore Falls Hotel and Spa is a luxury lakeside wedding venue just along the shore of Derwentwater from Keswick. I have photographed weddings here, and the setting, with the falls and the fells, is breathtaking.

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Newlyweds kissing at a historic castle garden

Askham Hall

Askham, Lake District

Askham Hall is a rare gem near Penrith: a medieval pele tower with 13th-century origins, gorgeous gardens and a Michelin-starred restaurant. I have photographed weddings here and it feels like stepping into a fairytale.

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Bride and groom outside historic castle at dusk.

Muncaster Castle

Ravenglass, Lake District

Muncaster Castle, steeped in history and with origins in the 13th century, is a fairytale venue on the Cumbrian coast, with Himalayan gardens, views to Scafell and a proper castle sense of occasion. I have photographed weddings here and it is genuinely magical.

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Bride and groom walking by a lakeside tower.

Storrs Hall Hotel

Windermere, Lake District

Nestled on the shores of Windermere, Storrs Hall is a Georgian house with a temple folly on the water’s edge and some of the best lake views in the Lakes. I have photographed weddings here, and the light off the water is something special.

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Majestic stone manor house with garden, overcast sky.

The Forest Side

Grasmere, Lake District

In the heart of Grasmere, Forest Side is a hidden gem: a Victorian gothic mansion with 20 luxurious bedrooms, beautiful grounds and a kitchen garden that supplies its Michelin-starred restaurant. A spectacular choice for an intimate, food-loving wedding.

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Newlyweds kissing by a grand historic manor house.

The Netherwood

Grange-over-Sands, Lake District

On the edge of Grange-over-Sands, The Netherwood Hotel combines comfortable bedrooms, sweeping views over Morecambe Bay and a warm, personal feel. I have photographed weddings here, and the bay sunsets are unforgettable.

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Elegant wedding ceremony in grand hallway

Low Wood Bay

Windermere, Lake District

Low Wood Bay Resort and Spa sits right on the shore of Windermere, with lawns running down to the water and views straight up the lake to the fells. I have photographed weddings here and it is a spectacular spot on a sunny day.

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Couple stands in elegant room by large window.

Abbey House Hotel

Barrow-in-Furness, Lake District

At the bottom of the South Lakes, Abbey House Hotel and Gardens is an elegant venue near Barrow, designed by Edwin Lutyens and completed in 1914 for the Vickers shipbuilding family, with beautiful gardens and a refined feel.

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Couple kissing in garden wedding setting

Armathwaite Hall Hotel

Keswick, Lake District

Armathwaite Hall Hotel and Spa offers a stunning setting on the shores of Bassenthwaite Lake: a stately country house with a spa, a deer park and some of the finest lake views in the north Lakes.

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Couple walking outside a historic stone building.

Cragwood Hotel

Windermere, Lake District

Cragwood Hotel is a charming Edwardian country house on the eastern shore of Windermere, with gardens running down to a private stretch of lakeshore. Quiet, elegant and made for a romantic wedding.

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Smiling couple in wedding attire in garden

The Halston

Carlisle, Cumbria

The Halston is one of Carlisle’s most celebrated buildings: a grand Edwardian former post office in the heart of the city, now a stylish hotel and wedding venue with 5 unique wedding spaces.

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Smiling couple in wedding attire in garden

Dalston Hall

Dalston, Cumbria

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.

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Beautiful Wedding Venues in The Lake District

Each venue brings its own character and beauty, providing the perfect canvas for your wedding day. Whichever you choose, the Lake District will give you a backdrop that nowhere else in England can match.

Moments That Last a Lifetime

Award Winning Wedding Photography

Welcome to Andy Wade Photography. I am an award-winning wedding photographer covering the Lake District and the North West, and this is genuinely one of my favourite places in the world to work.

Serving the Lake District

As a wedding photographer covering the Lake District, I have the privilege of working in England’s most beautiful National Park week in, week out. From Windermere to Keswick, Grasmere to the coast, I know the light, the viewpoints and the quiet corners that make photographs sing.

Best Lake District Wedding Photographer for You

Recognised as one of the top wedding photographers in the North West, I specialise in beautiful, natural wedding photography that tells the real story of your day. Couples book me because they want to enjoy their wedding, not perform it, and to have photographs that bring it all flooding back.

Documentary Style Wedding Photography

My documentary style captures every laugh, tear and dance floor moment with authenticity, telling the story of your day as it really happened. Most of the time you will barely notice me; when we do sneak off for portraits, I keep it relaxed and quick, about 20 minutes.

Choosing the Right Wedding Photographer

Choosing the right photographer matters: you spend more of your wedding day with them than almost anyone else. I bring experience, local knowledge and a calm presence, so you can relax and be yourselves while I take care of the story.

Get In Touch

If you are planning your wedding and looking for a Lake District wedding photographer who will tell your story honestly and beautifully, I would love to hear from you. Tell me your plans, and let’s chat.

CONTACT ME
  • Black and white photo of people gathering outdoors in formal wear. A man lies on the ground playfully while others around him, including a bride, laugh and mingle. Two logos in the bottom right corner: "REAL" and "FEARLESS AWARD - M. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A wedding couple dances on the grass, surrounded by guests. Long shadows of the couple and an instrumentalist are cast on the ground. The photographer's shadow holding the camera is visible in the foreground. Logos of "m" and "REAL" are in the bottom left corner. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • Black and white image of an emotional wedding ceremony. The groom, dressed in a light-colored suit, wipes away tears. The bride, in a wedding gown, also appears teary-eyed. Guests seated behind the couple watch the heartfelt moment. 'Fearless Award' logos are visible. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • 2026 Wedding Awards, Regional Winner badge.
  • A badge with a black background shaped like a stylized "R." It reads "TOP 10 Photographers UK 2022" in white and silver text. Perfect for a wedding photographer, the bottom of the badge features the "This is Reportage" logo in white. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A black and white badge with the text "2022 TOP 30 PHOTOGRAPHERS IN THE WORLD" in bold white letters. Shaped like a stylized 'R,' the badge features "This is Reportage" at the bottom in smaller letters, celebrating excellence in Documentary Wedding Photography. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • Text in the image reads "Top 2 Wedding Photographer UK & IE 2023 - MASTERS of Wedding Photography" in black and gold text on a white background. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A blue square graphic featuring a white illustration of a raised fist holding a camera, with the text "Wedding Photographer of the Year" and "Top 10". The phrase "Keeping It Real" is also included in a smaller box below the fist. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • Green text inside a rectangular frame reads "Fearless Award" with the words divided across three lines. A small, stylized ampersand connects the second and third lines. The frame and text are drawn in a simple, clean style. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A circular logo with a red center featuring a stylized white "M" and the text "MASTERS OF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY" encircling the red center against a white background, followed by the words "AWARD WINNER" at the bottom. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • WPS Inspirational Wedding Photographers logo. The text features 'WPS' in bold black letters, with the 'S' in red, followed by 'INSPIRATIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS' in black. Below, it reads 'ABOUT ME: WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY SELECT' in smaller black font. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A logo featuring the text "ISPWP - International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers" on the left, and a mosaic pattern with the word "MEMBER" on the right, perfect for your About Me page. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A circular badge with a dotted border reads "Fearless Photographers." Inside, the text says "2023 World Top 50" with "Andy Wade" and "UK" beneath. Learn more about me and my journey in capturing moments that matter. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • Regional Wedding Industry Awards logos

What my couples say

LOVELY WORDS FROM LOVELY PEOPLE

ALL THE BEST BITS…

My Lake District Wedding Blog

My latest blog posts from weddings across The Lake District.

HAVE QUESTIONS?

Check out my FAQs

Here are some of the frequently asked questions I get about my wedding photography, written from the perspective of Andy Wade, designed to provide helpful information to potential clients:

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.

From lakeshore hotels to medieval towers and hidden gardens, every venue here comes with scenery that needs no filter. Whatever the weather, the light, the water and the fells make a Lake District wedding look spectacular.

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.

I’ve photographed weddings at places like Lodore Falls, Askham Hall, Muncaster Castle and Storrs Hall, each with its own character. That range means I already know how the light and the landscape work at each one.

Honestly, I love both, a lakeside terrace and a fellside garden photograph completely differently and each has its charm. It really comes down to the venue you choose, and I’ll make the most of whatever setting you pick.

SEE MY FULL FAQS

Contact Me

I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

If you’re looking for a Lake District Wedding Photographer, get in touch for a chat!

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!

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