A colourful spring wedding at Knockerdown Cottages, Derbyshire

A foolproof recipe for the perfect wedding…

So you want your wedding to be fun. Like, crazy amounts of fun. Colourful, but not garish; beautiful, but not stuffy. You want cocktails, lawn games, and slut-drops before sunset. And you wanna make a weekend of it (because why the hell not?!) Chill out with your guests, stumble into bed, maybe have a BBQ the next day. Sounds great, right?! Allow me to introduce: Nicky and Nathan’s wedding at Knockerdown Cottages.

This wedding was literally perfect from start to finish. The couple were smitten, the vibes were immaculate, the weather was glorious.

And the florals. Oh my goodness, the florals! We had *the most* spectacular spring florals in every colour of the rainbow. And honestly? Those flowers deserve a statue. A gigantic, colourful statue.

If you’re dreaming of a wedding at Knockerdown Cottages, come take a look. It’s colourful, it’s wholesome, it’s fun. And it’s absolutely packed with spring wedding inspiration.

Knockerdown Cottages wedding venue in Derbyshire

Tucked away in the gorgeous Derbyshire countryside, Knockerdown Cottages wedding venue feels like your own private wedding village.

There’s a wildflower meadow with views across the Derbyshire Dales. You’ve got a big lawn for games, an outdoor ceremony space, and a modern event space for 100 guests. And it’s a DIY venue, so you can personalise everything– the bar, the catering, the styling- to make it yours.

And best of all…you can hire the whole place for the weekend!

Stroll to your ceremony; fall into bed. Wake up with everyone in the morning, have breakfast together, have a BBQ, or chill by the pool…

If you’re looking for a relaxed, chilled-out wedding weekend in Derbyshire, Knockerdown Cottages is the place.

It all began with a slow morning

Sunshine poured through the cottage windows- Nicky and her girls getting ready in those gorgeous rooms. And it was lovely, you know? Relaxed, unhurried, homely. Quiet moments, hugs with mum, and cups of tea.

Nicky looked beautiful in her tailored silk gown from Wed2B. She had a floor-length veil, and gorgeously natural hair and makeup. And to complete the look, a burst of colour from her stunning spring bouquet.

Meanwhile, Nathan and his boys were chilling outside in the sunshine. And as a wedding photographer, I absolutely love catching these little moments throughout the day. The lads, just hanging out in the garden together, chatting and laughing, fixing each other’s ties.

And they may not be the most Instagram-spectacular, or wall-worthy moments. But they’re memories caught, and they’re all part of the story. And when you look through your wedding album in thirty years time, these little moments will mean everything.

An outdoor wedding ceremony at Knockerdown Cottages

Nathan and Nicky said their vows by the wedding gazebo of Knockerdown Cottages.

Gorgeous florals lined the aisle; white rose petals scattered the sun-warm grass. And framing the altar, the most jaw-dropping floral columns! Peonies, pavonia, hydrangea, apple blossom, poppies…didn’t I tell you they deserve a statue?!

The ceremony was beautiful- laid-back, and intimate. They had some personal readings from Nicky’s mum, and Nathan’s grandad.

And oh my goodness, N&N are so freakin’ wholesome! The way they looked at each other, how infectiously happy they were. I’d known them for almost a year- we’d had calls, kept in touch, and had their engagement shoot together. And watching them finally get married was such a lovely thing to be a part of.

Courtyard confetti, cornhole, croquet, and cocktails (try saying that 5 times fast!)

A little while later, we were gathered outside in the courtyard. The sun blazed down, the guests cheered, and paper confetti filled the air.

There were hug, prosecco and cheerful bunting. Good people, good vibes, good weather.

And while the guests were drinking away happily and playing games in the sunshine, I headed inside with N&N for a little sneak peek at their reception.

Colourful styling inspo for your wedding in Knockerdown Cottages

The reception styling was flawless. Colourful, personal, just the right level of quirky, and completely floral-led.

Vases overflowed with vibrant flowers. The place settings were bread rolls with the guests names printed (I mean…crispy roll place settings?! Gamechanger!) And as a personal touch- at the centre of each table, they had polaroids from their engagement shoot with me in the Peaks.

The cake was three tiers of insanely tasty buttercream, with florals bringing colour to each layer. And *those* floral columns had been brought inside to frame the head table.

It was such a joyful explosion of colour, and just the best backdrop for their wedding breakfast.

The food was delicious; the speeches were hilarious. And when everyone was comfortably full (and more than a little half-cut!), we headed back out into the sunshine for lawn-games and cocktails.

Slut-drops before sunset

Nicky & Nathan each made their own cocktails and served them in the Hop & Hoof Bar. We mingled in the sun, we pinged a little pong, we played a little cornhole. And with our dancing feet getting itchy, we went inside to cut the cake.

And let me tell you, as soon as the first dance was over, that party kicked off!

We’re talking booty shaking, singing, raving, grown men getting lifted in the air…

Oh, and did I mention? It was still daytime!

Impromptu group shots (the very best kind!)

If you’re not into formal, static group shots, do this instead: give everyone a ton of cocktails, wait for sunset, and embrace the chaos!

We had such a laugh together (two of their friends actually booked me for their wedding next May!) Everyone was laughing, drinking, having fun. More and more people ran over to join us, until literally all their friends were bundled against the fence!

When the chaos was over, one by one their friends followed the music back inside. And with the sun setting over the valley, I snuck away with N&N for a stroll through the meadow.

Sunset wedding photography in the Derbyshire Dales

We’d saved their couple photos for sunset, and it was SO worth the wait!

The meadow glowed gold in the setting sun. A gentle breeze blew in across the valley, and wildflowers scattered the grass.

Nathan and Nicky kissed, laughed, and held hands as they chatted about their day. And in the distance, the muffled sounds of the party carried out to us across the meadow.

If this is the kinda wedding day you’ve been dreaming of, I’d be so excited to hear from you.

I photograph weddings at Knockerdown Cottages, all over Derbyshire, and all across the UK. Get in touch today for a chat, and let’s see if we’re a good fit.