Hope and Joel’s Summer Wedding at The Oak Tree of Peover

Hope and Joel’s Summer Wedding at The Oak Tree of Peover

Bride and groom running hand in hand through long grass glowing orange at golden hour at The Oak Tree of Peover

Hope and Joel got married on Sunday 16 August 2026 at The Oak Tree of Peover in Cheshire. They booked me as their Oak Tree of Peover wedding photographer, and on our pre wedding call the brief was simple. Candid, laughing, nothing staged.

Then they added a second rule. Do not cull the “hideous” laughing photos.

So I didn’t. You’re about to see a lot of them.

Getting ready

Joel and the lads got ready in the den. He was under strict instructions not to arrive before 10.15, so he wouldn’t bump into Hope. He turned up in a purple t-shirt, suit bag in hand, already laughing.

Groom in a purple t-shirt laughing as he carries his suit bag outside The Oak Tree of Peover on the wedding morning

The ties went on next. Joel’s was a floral print, and he was grinning while he sorted it.

Groom laughing as he ties his floral tie while his groomsmen get dressed around him, Cheshire wedding photographer

Hope started her morning at Cottons, then came over to get into her dress in the loft, just along the corridor from the lads. The dress was hanging under the ivy and oak beams, waiting.

Lace wedding dress hanging beneath ivy covered oak beams in front of a brick fireplace at The Oak Tree of Peover

Her bouquet was from Flossie’s Weddings. Daisies, lilac and soft pink, propped up behind her pearl bow shoes.

Ivory pointed bridal shoes with pearl bows beneath a wildflower bouquet of daisies and lilac blooms

Hope’s hair was by Amy Peircy Hair and her makeup by Immy May Makeup. Sleek fringe, pearl headband, lip liner going on.

Bride with a fringed bob and pearl headband having her lip liner applied on the wedding morning

The flower girls had their own plans for the morning. Crawling about on the carpet, shrieking and dancing barefoot.

Black and white photo of two flower girls in lace dresses playing on the bedroom floor, one shrieking with laughter

Two flower girls in lace dresses dancing and giggling barefoot in the bridal suite

Then the dress. A lot of buttons, and careful hands doing every one of them.

Black and white close up of hands fastening the buttons down the back of a lace wedding dress

Hope caught herself in the mirror and burst out laughing.

Bride laughing at her reflection in a mirror in the loft bridal room at The Oak Tree of Peover

Then the bridesmaids saw her. First the gasps.

Black and white photo of bridesmaids and flower girls gasping as they see the bride in her dress for the first time

Then the tears.

Bridesmaids in pale yellow dresses with hands over their faces, tearful at their first look at the bride

One quiet moment before the ceremony.

Bride in an off the shoulder lace dress and pearl necklace holding her wildflower bouquet in the loft room, Cheshire wedding photographer

The ceremony

The ceremony was outside in the garden at midday. Flossie’s Weddings had dressed the aisle with jars of wildflowers on the benches and candles on wooden stands at the front.

A bridesmaid walked one of the flower girls down the aisle ahead of Hope.

Smiling bridesmaid walking a flower girl down the outdoor ceremony aisle at The Oak Tree of Peover

Then Hope.

Bride walking down the outdoor aisle arm in arm with a guest in a navy suit, past wildflower jars on the benches

There was plenty of laughing at the front.

Bride and groom laughing together at the front of their outdoor ceremony

Bride and groom at the front of the outdoor ceremony with guests on wooden benches behind them, Oak Tree of Peover wedding

Wide view of the couple holding hands beneath the wooden gazebo in the garden ceremony space at The Oak Tree of Peover

Then the rings.

Bride smiling as she exchanges rings with the groom at their outdoor wedding ceremony

Close up of the bride sliding the wedding ring onto the groom's finger

First kiss, and everyone clapping.

Bride and groom share their first kiss as guests applaud, Cheshire wedding photographer

Guests clapping and laughing as the newlyweds hold hands at the end of their outdoor ceremony

They signed the register still laughing.

Bride and groom laughing as they sign the wedding register at The Oak Tree of Peover

Then back up the aisle as a married couple.

Newlyweds grinning as they walk back up the aisle hand in hand while guests clap

Confetti out the front

On the way through, Hope stopped for a proper belly laugh with one of the guests. Outside, everyone else was already at it.

Bride holding her wildflower bouquet and roaring with laughter with a guest in a navy suit

Wedding guests in buttonholes laughing together outside after the ceremony

The confetti was out the front. The flower girls threw theirs with full commitment.

Bride and groom raise their arms as flower girls and guests throw confetti outside the front of The Oak Tree of Peover

Newlyweds laughing hand in hand through the confetti line of bridesmaids and flower girls

Confetti falling over the laughing bride and groom outside the barn, Cheshire wedding photographer

Drinks and a lot of hugs

Then came the hugs. A lot of hugs.

Guest with her eyes closed squeezing a man in a blue suit in a big hug after the confetti

Guest beaming mid hug with a man in a blue suit during the drinks reception

Laughing guest wrapping the bride in a hug during the drinks reception at The Oak Tree of Peover

Buttonholes got straightened. Tissues came out.

Older guest laughing as a woman adjusts a buttonhole during the drinks reception

Guest with her eyes closed holding a tissue during an emotional hug

Guests laughing and chatting with drinks in the gardens during the drinks reception

The page boy and one of the flower girls were all grins.

Page boy and flower girl grinning at a guest in a blue suit during the drinks reception

Hope had a drink in one hand and her bouquet in the other.

Bride laughing with a drink in one hand and her wildflower bouquet in the other in the gardens at The Oak Tree of Peover

Family and friends

Hope and Joel sent me an organised group list, so we worked through it and got everyone back to their drinks. Some of the best laughs happened between the shots.

Bride and groom with a group of guests in front of the wooden gazebo, Cheshire wedding photographer

Bride and groom laughing at something on a guest's phone between the group photos

Bride and groom with a small group on the lawn at The Oak Tree of Peover

Bride and groom with a larger group on the lawn, the bride's lace train spread out in front

Group with bridesmaids, a page boy and flower girls gathered around the newlyweds on the lawn

Then the whole bridal party together, followed by the bridesmaids and flower girls.

Full bridal party of groomsmen in navy suits and bridesmaids in pale yellow on the lawn at The Oak Tree of Peover

Bride with her bridesmaids in pale yellow dresses and her flower girls, Cheshire wedding photographer

The groomsmen could not keep a straight face.

Bride standing with the groom, groomsmen and page boy in navy suits on the lawn

Groom, groomsmen and page boy laughing at each other in a line on the lawn

Wedding breakfast and speeches

Guests sat down for the wedding breakfast, and Hope and Joel walked in to a room full of waving napkins. Hope grinned straight down my lens.

Bride and groom making their entrance into the wedding breakfast as guests wave their napkins in the air at The Oak Tree of Peover

Bride grinning straight at the camera during the napkin waving entrance, groom laughing behind her

Flossie’s Weddings had run eucalyptus and wildflowers the full length of the top table. Joel’s speech had the top table clapping. Hope had even asked in her questionnaire whether I wanted adding on for the trio of mini desserts.

Groom giving his speech at the top table, decorated with eucalyptus and wildflowers, as the table claps

Portraits in the long grass

After the speeches I took Hope and Joel out into the grounds. This is where an Oak Tree of Peover wedding photographer gets spoilt. Long golden grass, big old trees and soft evening light.

Groom leading the laughing bride by the hand through long golden grass in the grounds of The Oak Tree of Peover

Groom hugging the bride from behind as they both laugh, framed by leaves, Cheshire wedding photographer

And here they are. The “hideous” laughing photos.

Close up of the bride and groom mid belly laugh, eyes scrunched shut

Bride and groom laughing as they walk hand in hand under the trees at The Oak Tree of Peover

First dance and the party

Evening guests arrived, so we grabbed another group on the lawn.

Group of wedding guests lined up on the lawn in the early evening

The first dance was just after 7pm, under the fairy lights and oak beams. Jonny Ross Music was on DJ duty.

First dance under fairy lit oak beams as guests watch around the dance floor at The Oak Tree of Peover

Bride and groom laughing during their first dance, Cheshire wedding photographer

Then Hope and a few of the girls, all laughing.

Bride laughing with a group of guests in colourful dresses on the lawn

Golden hour

At sunset I took them back out into the fields. The grass turned orange and they went straight through it, hand in hand.

Groom kissing the bride on the cheek in warm golden light, Cheshire wedding photographer

Back inside, the playlist did its job. The Killers, Springsteen, Outkast, MGMT and a lot of 90s bangers. Hope and Joel had used ChatGPT to put it in order so it built up to the big ones. Joel was all in.

Groom and guests dancing with swirling fairy light trails on the dance floor

Groom throwing his arms out mid dance as guests cheer behind him

One last portrait in the dark.

Night portrait of the bride and groom embracing as rainbow light trails sweep around them at The Oak Tree of Peover

And one last group before the night was out.

Night time group photo of the newlyweds with guests outside under the festoon lights

In their words

Hope and Joel are planning a staircase gallery at home. Their wedding photos will hang next to their parents’ and their grandparents’. Knowing that, I took the “do not cull the laughing ones” rule very seriously.

They also left me this review.

Couldn’t recommend Helen enough! She brought the fun, laughs and so much enthusiasm to our day! She truly is one of a kind and works her bum off! Helen also made us soooo comfortable throughout the day 🥰 if you want someone who is funny, kind and gives off Labrador energy Helen is your woman!! ❤️
Hope and Joel

Labrador energy. I’m having that on a t-shirt.

Hope and Joel, thank you for having me, and for all the laughing.

With huge thanks to

Thinking about your own wedding at The Oak Tree of Peover?

If you want an Oak Tree of Peover wedding photographer who will keep every laughing photo, get in touch and tell me what you have planned.

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