Emily and Chris knew early on they didn’t want a big wedding. Just their daughter, their two best friends, and somewhere that really meant something.

Five people and a lake. That’s the whole guest list, and it was perfect.

Finding the right spot

They knew they wanted the Lake District but weren’t sure where. That’s a big part of what I do with smaller weddings. I know the lakes well, and I know which spots work in different weather, which are quiet, and which are an easy walk for everyone in wedding outfits.

We settled on Ullswater for fell and lakeside pictures. It had shelter if the weather turned, and views if it didn’t. In the end it gave us a bit of both.

Starting in the woods

We began under big old conifers, it was quiet, and it gave everyone a few minutes to relax before anything official happened.

Emily wore a simple satin dress and a beautiful veil, carrying a loose bouquet of peach, blush and wild-looking stems. Chris was in a black tux. Classic and perfect for the setting.

Most of what I shot here was the two of them walking and talking: a laugh with heads together, a hand on an arm. I’m after the real moments, not posed shots down the lens.

Up onto the fell

Then we went up to one of my favourite Lake District viewpoints, a short climb up an old stone path through the bracken. The weather didn’t play nice, and I’m glad it didn’t. Low cloud sat over the far side of the lake, mist drifted across the fells and the wind kept catching Emily’s veil.

This is the Lake District I love photographing, moody and green with Ullswater stretching away below. I stepped right back for a lot of these so they read as two small figures in a huge landscape. That’s exactly what it feels like up there.

A few quieter frames came along the way too: Emily on the stone steps, Chris looking out over the valley, and the rings resting on a bed of moss.

We then headed to the shores of Ullswater where the couple’s best friends met us with Emily and Chris’s beautiful baby daughter. We took joyful family photographs and photographs of the full group.

The ceremony

And then I said goodbye, wishing the group a wonderful afternoon ceremony at Penrith registry office. A simple outfit change, five people there, nobody performing for a crowd. That’s what a micro wedding is, really: all the meaning, no extra noise.

Planning a micro wedding in the Lakes?

If you’re thinking about something small, whether that’s just the two of you, your kids, or a handful of the people who matter most, I can help with more than the photos. Choosing the right spot is half the battle in the Lake District, and it’s something I’m always happy to help with.

I’m a local Lake District wedding photographer based in Windermere. Get in touch and we can talk through what you’ve got in mind.