Waterton Park Hotel
Wedding Photographer

Are you looking for Wedding Photographer at Waterton Park Hotel?

I’m Andy Wade, an award winning photographer, and Waterton Park has a genuine wow factor: a Georgian mansion on its own island in a lake, reached by its own iron bridge, just outside Wakefield. There aren’t many venues in Yorkshire where your guests cross a bridge to an island for your wedding.

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.

An island venue with a bridge for an entrance: unforgettable before the day even starts. Let’s create something beautiful together at Waterton Park.

Wedding Photography at Waterton Park Hotel

Wedding Stories from Yorkshire

A gorgeous place in the world

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Waterton Park Hotel Weddings

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Waterton Park Hotel Wedding Venue

Inside Waterton Park

Waterton Park is a wedding venue with a genuine wow factor: Walton Hall, a Georgian mansion on its own island in the middle of a lake, reached by its own iron bridge, just outside Wakefield. There aren't many places in Yorkshire where you get married surrounded by water, and this is the most famous of them.

You can tie the knot and celebrate in the historic Walton Hall on the island itself, with the water on all sides, or use the modern hotel on the lakeshore for bigger numbers. Whether it's a lavish affair for up to 145 guests or an intimate party for as few as 6, the venue flexes around your day rather than the other way round.

The modern Waterton Park Hotel wraps around the shore of the lake, so the practical side is sorted: a proper spa for the morning of the wedding, plenty of bedrooms for guests staying over, and a championship golf course and ancient woodland for the day after.

An island of your own

The lake is a protected nature reserve, and it surrounds the island with water, birdsong and big Yorkshire skies. Swans drift past the windows mid-ceremony. It feels miles from anywhere, yet Wakefield is ten minutes down the road.

For portraits, the setting is a gift: the iron bridge, the jetty, the lakeshore paths, the ancient woodland, and Walton Hall itself reflected in the water. Sunset over the lake with the hall behind you is the shot everyone wants, and it never disappoints.

The day flows with island magic: ceremony in the hall, drinks by the water, portraits on the bridge and around the lake, then dinner and dancing on what is, for one night at least, your own private island.

Bride and groom embracing on wedding day.
  • Woman kisses child in formal wear before wedding.
  • People toasting champagne at a celebration.
Happy couple hugging at a wedding reception.
  • Hands holding memorial locket with photo and message.
  • A woman in a white dress is doing her makeup, facing a mirror. Her face is reflected in the mirror and is visible clearly on a smartphone screen held nearby. Another woman with curled hair and a dark dress stands beside her, slightly out of focus. Image by Andy Wade Photography.

The History of Waterton Park Hotel

The naturalist's island

Walton Hall, the centrepiece of Waterton Park, is a Palladian style house built in 1767 on an island in the lake, on the site of a former moated medieval hall. The house was home to Charles Waterton, the squire of Walton and one of the first great English conservationists.

Waterton was an extraordinary character. He travelled the world, explored the Amazon, wrote the famous Wanderings in South America, and came home to turn his estate into a sanctuary for wildlife, arguably the world's first nature reserve, decades before the idea had a name. He famously built a wall around the park to keep poachers out and wildlife in.

The nature reserve he created survives to this day, which is why the lake still teems with birdlife around every wedding held here.

Waterton Park today

Today Walton Hall hosts weddings on its historic island, with the modern hotel on the shore providing every comfort and capacity for larger parties. The estate still feels like Waterton's sanctuary, just one that now hosts celebrations.

For a wedding with a true sense of place and story, where the history is as good as the setting, Waterton Park is one of Yorkshire's finest.

How To Get To Waterton Park Hotel

Waterton Park Hotel is in the village of Walton, just south east of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, postcode WF2 6PW. From the M1, leave at junction 39 and follow the A636 towards Wakefield, then signs for Walton; from the M62, junction 30 or 31 works well.

Wakefield's stations, with trains from Leeds and London, are about 10 minutes away by taxi, and there's ample parking at the hotel.

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 Waterton Park Hotel 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 Waterton Park Hotel, document your day, and capture all the little moments that make it truly yours.

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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 Yorkshire 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
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From the blog

My Yorkshire Wedding posts

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Frequently asked questions

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.

There aren’t many venues in Yorkshire where guests cross a bridge to an island for a wedding, and it makes for genuinely unforgettable photographs. The iron bridge, the jetty and Walton Hall reflected in the water are all gifts for a photographer.

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.

It’s the shot everyone wants, and it never disappoints. With Walton Hall behind you and the lake catching the last light, it’s one of the most reliably beautiful moments I capture there.

It really does, the lake is a protected nature reserve, so you get water, birdsong and big Yorkshire skies around you, with swans sometimes drifting past mid-ceremony. That atmosphere comes through in the photographs every time.

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Looking for other venues in the Yorkshire?

FIND YOUR PERFECT VENUE

I’ve shot all over the Yorkshire in North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Leeds, Bradford, York and Todmorden! There are so many gorgeous venues alongside Waterton Park Hotel! Check out my full list of stunning locations in the Yorkshire;

Aston Hall Hotel, Birdsall House, Bowcliffe Hall, Broughton Hall, Bunny Hill Weddings, Burtonfields Hall, Carlton Towers, Cave Castle Hotel, Coniston Hotel, Cubley Hall, Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa, East Riddlesden Hall, Falcon Manor, Fielden Hall, Goldsborough Hall, Grantley Hall, Grays Court, Harewood House, Hellaby Hall Hotel, Hodsock Priory, Holdsworth House, Hornington Manor, Howsham Hall, Left Bank Leeds, Manor House, Merchant Adventurers Hall, Middleton Lodge, Newby Hall, Oakwood Hall Hotel, Oulton Hall, Ripley Castle, Rise Hall, Rudding Park, Saltmarshe Hall, Sandburn Hall, Swinton Estate, Tankersley Manor, Temple Newsam, The Chimney House, The Fleece Countryside Inn, The Grand Hotel & Spa, The Hospitium, The Mansion, The Normans, The Queens Hotel, The Tithe Barn Bolton Abbey, The Venue, The Victoria, Thicket Priory, Todmorden Town Hall, Victoria Hall, Wentworth Woodhouse, Wharfedale Grange, Whirlow Brook Hall, Woodlands Hotel, Wortley Hall, York Guildhall
  • Bride descends staircase, groom watches
  • Elegant garden party with live music
  • Woman arranging flowers on ivy-covered balcony
  • Bride and groom walking through countryside
  • Guests line up outdoors for wedding ceremony
  • Man with baby under 'Happily Ever After' sign
  • Bride smiling with groom giving a thumbs-up
  • Wedding couple with moon sign backdrop
  • Large wedding group outside a historic building.
  • Elegant wedding venue with wooden beams
  • Bride and groom walking by elegant manor
  • Bride and groom under ancient stone columns

Contact Me

I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

If you’re looking for a Waterton Park Hotel 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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