Larchfield Estate Wedding | Beth + Rhys

Beth got ready on the morning of the wedding at The Gate Lodge at Larchfield Estate in Lisburn along with her bridesmaids. Hair, makeup, dresses going on one at a time. There is always a nice shift in energy as the minutes tick down, nerves and excitement mixed together, and that came through the whole time we were with Beth and the girls before it was time to head out.

Wedding Photos at Larchfield Estate

Beth and Rhys chose a humanist ceremony, held as an outdoor wedding, with a handfasting woven into it. A handfasting always adds something extra to a ceremony for us, hands bound together while the celebrant speaks, it is a different kind of moment to a ring exchange and one that photographs beautifully every time. The words their celebrant Gemma used were clearly written around who they are as a couple, and you could see that land with both of them and with the guests watching on. There were also a few giggles and lots of smiles when everyone realised that Rhys and Beth’s beautiful Golden Retriever was the ring bearer, we love when couples bring their dog to their wedding.

Once the ceremony was over we made our way to the private lake at Larchfield Estate with Beth and Rhys. This part of the estate is kept just for the bride and groom, so it was only the two of them for a few minutes away from everyone else. It is one of our favourite corners of the estate for this exact reason, quiet, a bit of distance from the noise of the day, and it gives a couple the chance to actually take in what just happened before the rest of the day sweeps them up again.

From the lake we made our way to the gardens for group shots with the rest of the bridal party before everyone headed inside for speeches and dinner. Just before the speeches the guys did a wedding photo dash with their guests. That stretch of the day always moves fast, but the gardens at Larchfield give plenty of space to work with and get everyone looked after without feeling rushed.

Larchfield Estate Wedding Photography

After dinner Beth and Rhys came out with us again to The Greenhouse for some more portraits while the evening light was still holding. It is a spot we come back to again and again at Larchfield, the light in there does something different every time depending on the time of year and the time of day, and this time was no exception.

The evening entertainment kicked off with a conga line and a hypnotist show, and from what we saw and heard it went down brilliantly, the room was in bits for most of it. When we spoke to Beth and Rhys before the wedding Rhys had mentioned the pizza van he had booked, Garlic and Thyme Artisan Pizza, and how good it was. We finally understood what he meant once we tried a slice ourselves, genuinely one of the best slices of pizza we have had anywhere. Pizza enjoyed, it was then time to head back inside for the dancing. The guys did a very quick first dance before being joined by everyone else. Beth and her Dad then shared the dance floor for a traditional father daughter dance.

What stood out most about Beth and Rhys's day was how much of it felt like a genuine reflection of the two of them, a humanist ceremony and handfasting that meant something rather than following a script, a hypnotist that had everyone talking, and a pizza van that Rhys was excited for and rightly so. Nothing about it felt like it was there to tick a box, it all fit together because it was what they actually wanted.

Larchfield gave us so much to work with across the day, from the ceremony space outdoors to the private lake and back around to The Greenhouse for the evening portraits. We are lucky enough to shoot here often and it still manages to surprise us, the estate has that many corners and the light changes so much through the day that no two weddings we shoot there ever look the same, you can see that for yourself in other Larchfield Estate weddings we have photographed.

If Larchfield Estate is on your wedding venue shortlist, get in touch and let's have a chat about your day. We shoot here often enough to know the place inside out, and we would love to help tell your story too as Larchfield Estate wedding photographers. Take a look at our pricing or check our wedding F.A.Q’s if you have any questions before getting in touch.