Townhead Estate Wedding

Lake District Wedding Photographer

A Townhead Estate Wedding. Before we get started, let me set the scene… The Lake District in summer, fresh flowers, lakeside ceremony, custom cocktail bar, lots of confetti, silent disco and a bangin’ sunset. You’re in for a treat with this beautiful Townhead Estate Wedding photography.

Lake District Wedding Photography

Emily & Daniel’s Townhead Estate wedding was the epitome of a relaxed Lake District wedding, and their Townhead Estate wedding photography is full of fun, colour and whimsy on Lake Windemere. I just loved the relaxed and whimsical vibes of the day, which paired perfectly with the Lake District setting.

Emily and Daniel’s wedding was in July at Townhead Estate on Lake Windemere on the Lake District, and it was right in the peak of a heatwave. They planned their wedding to be fun and chill, with big emphasis on keeping the day what they wanted it to be with little tradition and lots of joy and laughter.

Morning prep at Townhead Estate

I spent the morning with both Emily and Daniel as they were both getting ready at Townhead. This is one of the many reasons I love weddings being all in one place and when both partners get ready in the same location. Daniel had some personal cufflinks which had mini maps of the Lake District inside and spent the morning finishing off some DIY elements of their day.

Inside the morning prep cottage with Emily, I spent some time photographing all of the details, including taking her dress outside to pop against the stone wall and pops of greenery. I love taking the details outside when possible; the outdoor natural light, pops of greenery and external details all work so well together.

Emily’s final touches included a whimsical flower crown made from locally grown wildflowers and a blush veil to subtly match her off white, blush toned gown. I then headed down to the lake for the ceremony which was decorated with a wooden arch, adorned with wild flowers and ribbon.

Outdoor Wedding Ceremony at Townhead Estate on Lake Windemere

While Emily’s bridesmaids walked down to the ceremony from the cottage in their emerald green dresses, Emily arrived in style, driven by her dad in a white VW Beatle convertible, wearing epic tinted sunglasses.

The sun was blazing during their ceremony so most of their guests were sweating buckets while they watched their friends say their vows. Thankfully for Emily and Daniel, they were able to tie the knot bathed in shade, under a tree by the water. To make their ceremony even more personal, they had personal vows and readings, and exchanged their handmade rings. After the ceremony they were greeted by all their guests around the lake with fizz and much needed cold drinks.

We decided to photograph the group pictures by the lake under the shade, but to leave the confetti until golden hour so their guests could relax and the heat would subside a little. We kept their group pictures short, sweet and fun with the epic views surrounding us, and then the guests made their way up to the barn while the three of us stayed around the lake to take some relaxed couples pictures. 

Townhead Estate Wedding Photography

Of course, a wedding in the Lake District, hugging Lake Windemere, had to be outside and lakeside. Emily and Daniel had the idea of getting into the Townhead Estate wooden boat for some fun pictures, and they didn’t disappoint. It was so funny watching them paddle around in the boat, all the while I had taken my shoes off and decided to wade in the water myself to get the best pictures. The water was freezing and the stones beneath my feet were so slippery, I was desperate not to slip and fall in the water, or most importantly, drop my camera! It must have been so funny to watch; Emily and Daniel trying to paddle straight in the boat, myself barefoot and knee deep in freezing water, trying to hobble over stones and Cheryl the owner of Townhead Estate, (also shoeless) pushing the boat into the water and trying to keep it close enough to shore with a wet rope.

We then took some images around the boathouse and against their ceremony backdrop before they headed back off to enjoy their fun wedding celebrations.

Vegan and Eco Conscious Wedding Party

Emily and Daniel decided they wanted their wedding to be really fun, but also as eco conscious and environmentally friendly as possible. They had a ‘choose your glass’ station where their guests got to choose from a funky selection of thrifted and donated, wrote their name on it and then had to keep it for the rest of the day.  They incorporated wooden plates made from recycled materials into their table styling and had a picnic themed wedding meal with locally sourced vegan food from small businesses and even gifted honey sourced from their own bees as wedding favours.

With it being such a warm and clear skied day, the drinks were free flowing with their open bar of booze and custom cocktails named and created by themselves. Their meal was the only part of their wedding held inside and their speeches were short and heartfelt, with a fun game at the end which involved the head of each table presenting themselves in the funniest way, with the winner getting a bottle of champagne for the table!

Confetti, Sunsets and Dancing

I always say to bring a lot of confetti and Emily and Daniel delivered on the brief. They decided to make their own out of the rose and flower petals from flowers Daniel had given to Emily throughout the year, as well as a few flower clippings from their garden. With seven bags full of confetti, and a few cereal boxes full of flower petals too (which was really funny to see), they had one of the most epic confetti throws I’ve seen for a while, it was a combination of the sunset and the sheer volume of flowers, but it was magical.

After the petals had been extracted from Emily’s hair and dress, we took advantage of the golden sunset and took a few pictures on the dock, in the fields and by the greenhouse to round up their portrait session – we were gone for less than ten minutes, but we got some of their favourite images in those short moments.

We headed back to the barn and the party got started. All I can say is, if you’re having a summer outdoor wedding, alfresco dancing is always a good idea. After their first dance, the dancefloor was full of their friends, and to make it even better, they surprised their guests with a silent disco! I was given a pair of headphones and was so happy to hear a mix of 2000 throwbacks that everyone was absolutely loving, and it worked – the dancefloor was full. It’s funny to take off your headphones when there’s a silent disco because you can hear everyone singing, out of tune and full of enthusiasm and it’s just the best. I left Emily and Daniel to enjoy the night with stars in the sky as everyone danced beneath them. It was such a beautiful, summery and happy day that felt so much like a festival wedding of colour and fun.

Awesome wedding suppliers…

Photography: Kirstie Garlick Photography

Venue: Townhead Estate

Flowers: Wild Ivy Penrith

Dress: Willowby Watters

Silent Disco: Silent Noize Events

Food: Triple Bagels

Rings: Rooks and Roses

HMUA: Hair for a Wedding

Toastmaster: The Tall Toastmaster

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