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Getting Married

in The Peak District

Peak District Wedding Photography

The Peak District

Picturesque. Rural. Tranquil.

Why The Peak District

is the perfect place to get married

The Peak District is so diverse, there is quite literally something for everyone. From the rolling green hills of the White Peak, the rugged grit stone edges of the Dark Peak through to the beautiful towns and villages dotted around the National Park. Whether you’re after an adventurous wedding or a traditional English country wedding, The Peak District really does offer it all.

Located centrally in the UK, The Peak District is easily accessible from all directions, making it easy for your guests to travel to.

Alport Castle in The Peak District at sunset.

What venues are available

in The Peak District?

Peak District Wedding Venues

The Peak District has a wide selection of wedding venues available suitable for all different styles of weddings. From grand stately homes through to tipis, there really is something for everyone! See below for just a few of my favourite venues in the area.

stately homes and country estates:

Upper House Estate – Hayfield

Chatsworth House – Bakewell

Grand Halls:

Haddon Hall – Bakewell

Tissington Hall – Tissington

Eyam Hall – Eyam

Yeldersley Hall – Ashbourne

Barlow Woodseats Hall – Barlow

Barns and Rustic Venues:

The Ashes Barns – Endon

Grangefields – Ashbourne

Heaton House Farm – Macclesfield

Peak District Holiday Barn – Wardlow Mires

Industrial Venues:

The West Mill – Derby

Haarlem Mill – Matlock

Torr Vale Mills – New Mills

Tipi’s:

Tipi & Kata – Chesterfield

Tipis In The Peak – Buxton

When is the best time of year to

get married in The Peak District?

Peak District Seasons

The Peak District is actually great all year round, it really depends on the type of wedding you’re wanting when it comes to deciding which season to get married in. There are some things to consider when it comes to choosing when to get married in The Peak District:

The Weather:

The Peak District can sometimes have some pretty extreme weather for the UK ranging from mini heatwaves through to deep snow that can sometimes last for weeks. Have a think about the venue you’re choosing, is it accessible at all times of year? Will there be enough shaded area for children and the elderly if it’s too warm?

Daylight Hours:

During Winter, daylight hours are pretty short, it’s often dark by 4pm. Are you wanting a late ceremony? Will there be enough time for you to have photos during a Winter wedding? Equally June has the longest day of the year, sunset can be as late as 9:40pm with it not really getting dark until gone 11pm if you’re wanting fireworks or sparklers, a Summer wedding might not be practical.

Foliage:

Try to visit your venue in the same month that you plan on getting married, visiting on a beautiful Spring day with the lush green leaves will look vastly different to a cold November with no leaves on the trees at all.

Sunset:

Are you wanting those beautiful golden hour portraits? The sun sets at a different time and location throughout the year. If you’ve got a specific location in mind for your golden hour photos, check that the sun sets in the right place and that you’ve allocated enough time to have them taken. No-one wants to be rushing out mid starter to capture the light!

spring:

During Spring, the weather can be a mix of sunshine and showers. The temperate can be cool at the start of Spring but it’s been known for there to be heatwaves during the end of April and throughout May.

Daylight hours can vary quite a bit during Spring, with there being just short of 11 hours of daylight at the start of March through to 16 hours towards the end of May. The natural lighting can be quite harsh during the day if the sun is out, which makes couples photos during mid day a bit more difficult.

The foliage during early Spring can sometimes be a bit lacking, however, mid to late Spring the foliage is bright and colourful. The trees come to life and the May Flower, blossom and bluebells can make a beautiful addition to your photos.

Sunset ranges from 5:45pm at the start of March through to 9:20pm towards the end of May. The direction of the sunset ranges from almost directly West during March, moving to North West at the end of May.

Summer:

Summer is a popular time of year to get married due to the weather being ‘more reliable’. However, summer can quite often present some pretty wet days in The Peak District, particularly early June and the end of August. Temperatures usually stay in the twenties during Summer with the occasional cooler and warmer days dotted in.

The days are long in Summer, with June having the longest day of the year. The lighting throughout all of summer can be really harsh if the sun is out, with golden hour actually being a little less than an hour and the dreamy light being quite late on.

Summer comes with it’s own set of foliage, the fern leaves are bright green, the cotton grass comes out early summer with the beautiful purple heather following. Both can make great additions to your photos.

Sunset during summer is fairly similar throughout the season, with the start of June being 9:20pm and the end of August being 8pm. The direction of sunset moves further North during the Summer months with June being at the most Northerly point. As mentioned above, the golden hour during Summer can still produce quite harsh light at the start, with the softer light coming just before sunset.

Autumn:

Autumn is a great time of year in The Peak District, the landscape completely transforms. The weather can be mixed, with some warmer days still lingering, with the cooler, wetter days starting to creep in. Occasionally towards the end of Autumn, The Peak District can see some snow but it’s not usually too disruptive.

The daylight hours during Autumn start to get much shorter, with October having the shortest day of the year. The start of September has around 14 hours of daylight and the end of November has a mere 8 hours of daylight.

The foliage during Autumn is what really brings The Peak District to life! The leaves turn a gorgeous bright orange, the ferns turn golden brown and the whole of the National Park just looks beautiful, especially on a sunny day. However, be aware of early storms as sometimes by the end of October the leaves can be completely blown off of the trees.

Sunset during Autumn can produce some lovely light, especially alongside the autumnal colours. Early Autumn the sun sets at around 8pm, whereas the end of November, the sun sets at 4pm. The sunset location starts at the West and moves back further South throughout Autumn, finishing at a South-Westerly position at the end of Autumn. It’s worth keeping these times in mind when planning the timings of your day if you’re choosing a late Autumn wedding.

Winter:

Winter in The Peak District is usually pretty cold. It’s not always guaranteed that there will be snow but it’s usually pretty wet most of the time. That being said, it has been known for the temperatures to rise to 9 degrees at times or the sun to be shining all day. Sunny winter days in The Peak District can produce some of the best light I’ve ever seen!

The days start of fairly short in Winter, however, towards the end of February it can be light until almost 6pm. Keep this in mind, especially if you’re wanting a later ceremony. Choosing a photographer who is confident in shooting Winter weddings is important if you’re wanting a later Winter ceremony.

The foliage in winter is pretty non-existent. The trees have no leaves on, the ground can be quite muddy and the landscape can just turn into one bug brown space. However, if you’re lucky enough to get some snow, the landscape turns into the most magical Winter Wonderland!

Sunsets can be pretty rare during the Winter months but when the sun does shine, the light is pretty nice throughout the whole day! This makes couple portraits possible at any time. Winter sunsets also produce some of the nicest light I have ever shot in, with the golden and sometimes red light being super rich and lasting much longer than in the Summer months. Sunset at the start of December is at around 4pm, roughly settings in the South-West and at the end of February, it sets at around 6pm moving back more towards the West again.

Where are the best spots

for wedding photos?

Peak District Photo Locations

You’re spoiled for choice when it comes to epic locations for your wedding photos in The Peak District! From the rolling hills of the White Peak to the rugged gritstone edges of the Dark Peak, there’s plenty to choose from. Naturally some of my favourite locations are kept a secret, in order to ensure they don’t get overrun with huge numbers of photographers taking their couples there and damaging the landscape.

So if you want photos in more unique parts of The Pea District, you’ll have to book me 😉

Here are some of my other, more well known, favourite spots:

The Dark Peak:

Higger Tor – Hathersage

Surprise View – Hathersage

Mam Tor – Near Castleton

Curbar Edge – Curbar (technically this is within The White Peak map)

The White Peak:

DoveDale – Near Tissington

Tissington Trail – Tissington

Solomon’s Temple – Buxton

The South West Peak:

The Roaches – Near Leek

The Goyt Valley – Near Buxton

Errwood Hall – Near Buxton

What is the best time for

photos in The Peak District?

Peak District Golden Hour

My absolute favourite time to shoot in is the golden hour, this is the hour immediately before the sun sets. The light is soft, golden, rich in colour and just amazing to work with.

Here’s the catch though, it’s The Peak District not the Caribbean and a beautiful sunset isn’t always guaranteed. This is why I always suggest allocating a bit of time during the day to get some ‘safe’ shots of the two of you together, just in case a sunset doesn’t happen.

If you’re unable to allocate some time at sunset, due to timings of other parts of your day, don’t worry! I’m a creative photographer and I’m able to shoot some amazing portraits even if it’s pitch black outside! See below for some examples of my shots taken throughout the seasons in the year.

SOME LOCAL TOWNS I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED WEDDINGS IN.

Buxton | Bakewell | Matlock | Tideswell | Chesterfield | Hathersage | Castleton