The Borrowdale Institute
Wedding Photographer

Are you looking for Wedding Photographer at The Borrowdale Institute?

I’m Andy Wade, an award winning photographer, and The Borrowdale Institute is the most charmingly unpretentious venue I photograph at: a lovely village hall in Rosthwaite, right in the heart of the Borrowdale valley, where I’ve shot a wedding. Simple, warm and surrounded by fells, it’s a hidden gem.

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.

A village hall wedding in the most beautiful valley in England. Let’s create something beautiful together at The Borrowdale Institute.

Wedding Photography at The Borrowdale Institute

Wedding Stories from the Lake District

A gorgeous place in the world

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The Borrowdale Institute Weddings

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

The Borrowdale Institute Wedding Venue

Inside the Institute

The Borrowdale Institute is the most charmingly unpretentious venue I photograph at: a lovely village hall in Rosthwaite, right in the heart of the Borrowdale valley, and I've shot a wedding here. If you're planning a proper Lakes village wedding with a church ceremony and a hall reception, this is exactly what you're looking for.

The Main Hall seats around 90, with the Community Room offering a fully fitted kitchen and lounge area, and the whole place is practical, flexible and yours to style. It's village-hall weddings done right: affordable, adaptable and full of heart.

Practical, flexible and yours

Rosthwaite is one of the Lake District's most beautiful villages, surrounded by the fells of Borrowdale, with the Stonethwaite Beck running through. For portraits, the valley scenery is world-class: rivers, stone bridges and mountains in every direction, all a short walk from the hall.

The day flows with village wedding charm: ceremony in the church or the hall, drinks outside with the fells all around, portraits in the valley, then a party in the hall as the village settles for the night.

Bride and groom overlooking scenic lake view.
  • Bride and groom kissing by a lake view
  • A bride and groom smile brightly as they walk down steps while guests throw confetti at them. The bride wears a white dress and the groom is in a blue suit with an orange tie. The background features a stone building with a dark wooden door and stained glass windows. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
Bride and groom laughing during confetti toss at wedding.
  • Silhouette of person looking out window at lake.
  • Boat on lake with scenic mountain backdrop

The History of The Borrowdale Institute

A Lakeland village institution

The Borrowdale Institute is the village hall of Rosthwaite, set in the heart of the Borrowdale valley, one of the most beautiful corners of the Lake District. Institutes like this one were built across Lakeland villages in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as reading rooms and community halls, and they remain the beating heart of valley life.

Rosthwaite has been a Borrowdale settlement since Viking times, and the valley's beauty has made it a place of pilgrimage for walkers and romantics for two centuries.

Rosthwaite since Viking times

Today the Institute hosts everything from village events to weddings, and for couples who want a genuine Borrowdale celebration without the hotel price tag, it's a wonderful choice.

How To Get To The Borrowdale Institute

The Borrowdale Institute is in Rosthwaite, on the B5289 in Borrowdale, about 6 miles south of Keswick, postcode CA12 5XB. From the M6, leave at junction 40 (Penrith), take the A66 to Keswick, then the B5289 into Borrowdale; the hall is in the centre of the village.

Penrith station, on the West Coast Main Line, is about 35 minutes away by taxi. There's parking near 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 The Borrowdale Institute wedding photographer, I’m committed to creating a collection that reflects the true emotion of your day, ensuring you have memories to cherish forever. Let’s tell your unique story together.

I couldn’t be more excited to join you on your wedding day at The Borrowdale Institute, document your day, and capture all the little moments that make it truly yours.

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 Lake District 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.

  • 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.
  • 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
  • Top 10 Keeping It Real 2025 Awards badge
  • 2026 Wedding Industry Awards Regional Winner Logo
MY AWARDS

Latest musings

My Lake District Wedding posts

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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.

I treat it exactly like any other venue, finding the light in the Main Hall and making the most of the simplicity, which actually suits candid photography really well. There’s no pretension to work around, just genuine village warmth.

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.

Definitely, the fells and the Stonethwaite Beck are a short walk away and give portraits some of the best scenery in England. We’ll only need a few minutes outside the hall to get images that look like nowhere else.

Yes, if you’re doing the classic Lakes pairing of a church ceremony and a hall reception, I’ll cover both. It’s a proper village wedding format and one I really enjoy shooting.

SEE MY FULL FAQS

Looking for other venues in the Lake District?

FIND YOUR PERFECT VENUE

I’ve shot all over the Lake District in Bowness, Windermere, Keswick and Ambleside. There are so many gorgeous venues alongside The Borrowdale Institute! Check out my full list of stunning locations in the Lake District;

Abbey House, Armathwaite Hall Hotel, Askham Hall, Augill Castle, Briery Wood Country House Hotel, Broadoaks Country House, Burnside Hotel, Castle Inn Hotel, Cragwood Hotel, Daffodil Hotel and Spa, Fallbarrow Hall, Gilpin Lake House, Heather Glen Country House, Inn on the Lake, Lakeside Hotel & Spa, Langdale Hotel and Spa, Lindeth Howe Hotel, Lodore Falls Hotel, Low Wood Bay, Melmerby Hall Weddings, Merewood Country House Hotel, Muncaster Castle Weddings, Rookin House Weddings, Storrs Hall Hotel, The Forest Side, The Netherwood, The Villa, The Wild Boar Inn, Yew Tree Farm
  • Historic mansion surrounded by lush gardens and trees.
  • A bride in a white gown and veil walks beside a groom in a dark suit along a gravel path at Storrs Hall. They are in front of an elegant white mansion with a manicured lawn. Guests are gathered outside, while trees and the partly cloudy Lancashire sky frame the scene. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • Bride and groom embrace at castle wedding
  • A bride and groom stand on a narrow stone pathway in front of an old stone building at Storrs Hall on the water at sunset. The bride holds a bouquet, and they share a tender moment, with hills and a tranquil lake in the background under a partly clouded sky. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • Couple by historic castle with UK flag waving.
  • Outdoor wedding ceremony in a picturesque countryside setting.
  • Couple embraces on pier by scenic lake view.
  • Wedding guests gathering in scenic garden landscape.
  • A group of people dressed in formal attire poses on the stone steps and terrace of a large, historic building. The setting includes lush gardens and distant trees with a blue sky and scattered clouds. It appears to be late afternoon or early evening. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • Historic mansion with lush green garden and gathering.
  • Wedding couple outside castle with scenic landscape
  • Formal gathering in ornate, portrait-adorned dining room.
  • Sunny garden with mountains and flowers

Say hello

I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

If you’re looking for a The Borrowdale Institute 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!

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