The one with the sun... The story of a gorgeous summer wedding on the edge of the Peak District.

Chris Thompson - CRT Weddings

Nov 8, 20247 min read

Updated: Jan 16

I had the pleasure of meeting Molly and Joe when Molly's mum Ali got married in April 2023 and booked me to be her photographer. From the moment I met Molly during bridal prep, she was awesome, she brought such a great atmosphere to her mums day. I knew she'd have one hell of a wedding one day if her and her partner Joe decided to tie the knot.

Fast forward a few months to July and Joe popped the question whilst the pair were on holiday in Italy, Molly created a beautiful video which she shared online and as I'd been lucky to meet them before, I got to see it! It truly looked like a magical moment for the duo.

They got straight on with planning and messaged to let me know they were looking at booking a venue for the same month the following year, and wanted to know if I'd be available. Thankfully I was because this wasn't a wedding I'd have wanted to miss!

They really loved my style of photography on her mums big day and hoped for the same candid approach for their wedding.

Molly and Joe picked the gorgeous Dunston Hall in Chesterfield Derbyshire for their summer wedding, situated on the edge of the Peak District, and it could not have been a more perfect venue for these two!

Dunston Hall Estate is a private venue, you get exclusive access to the full house, 10 rooms for guests to stay in. With stunning grounds for an outdoor ceremony and The Garden Room for if it rains as well as The Stables for your reception. This venue really has thought about everything.

The sun was out for the entire day for this celebration hitting over 25 degrees midday, it was a scorcher and sure helped with keeping the momentum going, but I don't think anything could have put a dampener on this one. Molly and Joe really are meant to be!

I started the morning with Molly, her mum Ali and Bridesmaids as they spent their time getting ready with hair and make-up courtesy of Tansy Hair and Beauty, with lots of drinks and good vibes. These ladies were calm and just having a fun morning together, exactly how it should be the morning of your wedding!

Molly and Joe had previously decided to write each other a letter to read on the morning of their wedding, which was such a nice moment that myself and Dan Williams - our awesome videographer for the day, as we got to witness them both having a moment to themselves.

I popped over to Joe after seeing Molly and the girls for a little while, who spent the morning with his brother Sam who doubled-up as his Best Man and his parents before going outside to greet all of their guests in the glorious sunshine.

Molly's mum Ali helped her into her dress, Molly picked this piece from their Bridal shop Brides of Bakewell, and I'll be honest it is one of the best dresses I have ever seen and suited Molly perfectly!

It was then time for our bride to get a some first looks in, starting with the Best Man Sam - her Brother-in-law to be, who had the biggest smile when he saw her all ready.

Then came the Father of the Bride Andy, you could just see the emotion in his eyes as he saw her before bringing her in for a big hug, his face bursting with pride.

Molly's twin sister and Maid-of-Honour Zoe then came in for a first look which was so special.

The bridesmaids came to see their girl all ready and the love on all of the girls faces was amazing, it was such a heartfelt moment between them all. Each dressed in different style white dress, a first for me at a wedding but it looked gorgeous, the photos all speak for themselves!

As the girls had some more time together and prepared for their ceremony entrances, I went outside to get some snaps. Helping round everyone up and into their seats, then it was showtime. The ceremony was set outside in front of the main building, which made such an amazing backdrop.

Best Man Sam walked the Mother of the Bride down the aisle.

Shortly after, the bridesmaids all followed, one at a time through the glorious sunshine, holding expertly arranged bouquets (Alicia - The Sheffield Flower Co) of oranges, pinks and blush. Such a striking contrast to the bright white dresses in the gazing sun.

Then came our beautiful bride, hand in hand with her dad as they walked down the aisle.

The ceremony had two readings and the bride and groom wrote out their own vows to read to each other. With smiles all around, they completed the ceremony with the ring exchange and signing of the register, it was time to walk back down the aisle together.

These two had one of the best confetti throws of the year, the sun perfectly lit up around them and the pinks, oranges and reds of the confetti really popped against the blue sky, green grass and the brides white dress.

It was important to Molly and Joe that they spent the majority of their time at this point of the day with their guests. So we took some family photos in-front of the building before whisking them away for a quick 10 minute couples shoot, getting them straight back to their guests with a drink in their hands, enjoying some mingling at their drinks reception.

Then it was time for some fun in the sun with some lawn games courtesy of Tammy - Rustic Woodland Wedding Games. We had a very competitive game of hook a duck, a bean bag toss game with a target board, giant Jenga and a limbo pole. Lots of entertainment for everyone, even singing from one of the bridesmaids.

Some mingling later, it was time for everyone to take their seats. The bride and groom made their entrance, a lovely meal was served and enjoyed, followed by a few speeches and lots shots.

Once the speeches were over, we'd planned in some time to go get some more couples photos. By now the sun was setting nicely over the building, making the lighting perfect for capturing some lovely moments of the couple in-front of the building. We even got some champagne to do a champagne spray which turned out so well, they had so much fun with it!

This is where we all really came into our own! We got the whole bridal party outside together with the Best Man, I popped some tunes on my speaker and we just had a vibe! Everyone danced around as the sun was still setting over the building. It really was a perfect opportunity to capture some unique shots of their favourite people with no posing, no stiff structure, just good energy and fun movement. A group champagne spray then took place, it was great to capture some natural candid photos of the moment.

Now it was time to head back inside for the cake cut and first dance, these guys had planned out a little routine, which led to some really beautiful photos.

The dance floor opened but as it had been a warm day, the room had cooked up, making some of the guests venture back outside for some fresh air after having a little boogie. Some fun dance shots later and it was time for me to head on home.

I heard from Molly that the dancefloor did get busier as the night went on and the air cooled down inside, continuing the fun for this beautiful chilled wedding day.

Here is my full day vlog of this gorgeous summer wedding!

Loving this blog? Check out what Molly and Joe had to say about my work!

"We first met Chris when he photographed my mums wedding in April 2023 & he was absolutely brilliant from start to finish, we honestly couldn’t rave about him enough. So when myself & my partner were planning our own wedding a year later there was absolutely no question over which photographer we wanted it HAD to be Chris.

Chris completely understood from the get go that we wanted candid, natural photos over any posed shots & also that the few portraits we did get (the essential ones) needed to be snappy so we could get back to our day. He totally understands that we wanted the photography to represent our day as it actually was as opposed to posing our day for how it would look on photos.

He’s great to have around, a good laugh, not intrusive, POLITE to guests which should go without saying but in my experience isn’t always the case, he made everyone feel relaxed and he just blended right in as if he was a guest himself. Having him around in the morning while me & the bridesmaids were getting ready was so so easy, he brought good vibes & just had a laugh with us all. Even the girls who don’t love having their photos taken completely forgot the camera was there.

Then onto the photos themselves, Chris delivered our sneak peaks SO quickly which was amazing because myself & my husband got to look through them while still on our mini-moon & in the wedding bubble so we absolutely LOVED reliving it. The full gallery was also delivered quickly, he took sooo many photos and we really love every single one. He captured so many gorgeous moments, interactions between guests, exchanges of smiles, laughter, tears & captured the genuine happiness and love that we felt on the day so perfectly. They are the perfect representation of the day & the time EXACTLY as it was, which is everything we wanted and more.

We have LOVED sharing our gallery with friends and family & they have all commented on not only how brilliant the photos are but also just how brilliant Chris was to have around on the day too.

If anyone’s even considering booking Chris – DO IT. I wouldn’t even hesitate for a second to recommend him to anyone & we cannot thank him enough."