Pixsmiths Wedding Review of 2011

Its New Year’s Eve and time for a little reflection.  We so enjoyed all our wedding in 2011, a huge thank you to all our fabulous couples for allowing us to share and capture memorable moments, we couldn’t have done it without you! 2012 is already looking busy and we have more great  couples and wedding venues lined up we are really excited about – so thank you to those who have already booked us and soon we’ll start arranging the pre-wedding shoots we love to do for you. Happy planning but remember to take some time out to talk to each other and not mention the “W” word, it can get a little stressful so times to relax are also important.

We have taken thousands of images this year  - its really difficult to choose the hi-lights - from the getting ready shots, the details, those candid and fun moments, special father daughter moments, that first look, first kiss, first dance, those moments when you didn’t realise we were there with our cameras!   We’ll do it all again in 2012 but for now please enjoy a look back at some iconic moments in 2011 and to all have a fantastic 2012.

Wirral Wedding Portrait House Hoylake

Looking for a small -mid sized intimate wedding venue, then the award winning Portrait House in Hoylake makes an ideal choice.  It was formerly a photographs studio, hence it name. It  can seat up to 70 in its New York style dinning booth – something that little bit different to usual layouts – and has a separate bar area adjacent.  The staff are friendly  and will go out of their way to accommodate your requirements for your wedding function.  The menu for the restaurant looks really good too with its fusion of contemporary and  classic cuisine. Wirral Wedding photographers, Pixsmiths Creative Photography recently covered the wedding reception of John and Margaret here and were impressed with how lovely the room was set out and how inviting it was – blog post to folllow when they are back from honeymoon! For now a couple of pics of the Portrait House.

Pixsmiths are happy to cover small or large weddings, whether for a few hours or  all day coverage – so don’t hesitate to contact us if you are interested.

Anne and Jamie Pre-Wed Hillbark, Royden Park

Ann and Jamie are getting married at the premier Wirral wedding venue of Hillbark Hotel.
Set in beautiful Royden Park it was an ideal spot for their pre-wed session with Pixsmiths Creative Photography.  We had a happy couple of hours strolling around the little mere and walled nature garden in Royden Park.  Ann and Jamie were soon relaxed with us and we got some great natural shots for them.  Really looking forward to their September wedding and pray the  weather is kind enough to let them them have their service outdoors in the gazebo, that would be fantastic.  If not then Hillbark is also beautiful inside with its stunning rooms, staircase and large mirrors so plenty of scope for memorable images.  Just a few of them shared here.

The Year Ahead

Well the New Year has been a busy period for Pixsmiths Creative Photography with enquiries and bookings.  We are so pleased to have so many weddings at such differing venues planned for 2011.

Soughton Hall

We have weddings at Wirral’s onlys Historic Castle in Leasowe , Wirral’s premier venue of Hillbark  Hotel.  We always enjoy registry wedddings at Wallasey Town Hall – such a grand building and the steps leading down to the waterfront make for a great setting.  We have venues out in Wales too,  Llwynegrin Hall – a former country house is now  the registry office in Mold will be the first of of our weddings this year follwed by a reception at St David’s Park Hotel – which is having a great make over and branding as a Village Hotel.  We have  weddings and a blessing to cover at  local wirral churches – one with a reception at the contemporary cafe at Woodside Ferry Terminal – a Grade II listed building with wonderful views over the Mersey to be enjoyed  from its balcony and decking.  Pixsmiths will also be at a North Wales venue  favourite with celebs – Rossett Hall and the stunning elegant hotel of Soughton Hall in Flintshire.  With more consultations booked in Februrary we hope there will be more exciting news to tell.  All our couples are special to us, whether we are with them for just a few hours or the whole day – we take the same care and attention to detail for each one. We thank you all so muc for choosing Pixsmiths for your wedding day photography and we are really looking forward to sharing and capturing the fun and joy of your day.  2011 is going to be a fab year.

Hilbark Hotel, Frankby

Wallasey Town Hall

Leverhulme Hotel

The Leverhulme Hotel is a unique boutique hotel set amongst the idyllic village of Portsunlight on the Wirral. Back in 2009 Pixsmiths shot a wedding here for an overseas couple. Now they should have been in the ballroom but since the hotel opened in 2008 it has been undergoing a series of transformation. It will be great, once its finally finished. Needless to say the promised ballroom for our couple was not quite ready which was a little disappointing for them. However they still had a great wedding in this beautiful art deco hotel and we really enjoyed the day with them.

Leverhulme Hotel

One year on we were watching a wedding of  a colleague at Portsunlight Christchurch, their reception was also at the Leverhulme and happily the ballroom was completed by then.  Other work is still ongoing though, the garden area has been landscaped and a new gazebo had recently been installed, which when  settled and the garden around it has matured, will add another useful photographic feature.  A big improvement is the new road, owned by the Leverhulme which links to the rear entrance of the ballroom all the down to the back of Christchurch.  Not only much easier for wedding cars to access the hotel this way but it connects the church and hotel so well it makes it easy for the bridal party to walk in fine weather.  Keith and Lisa decided to do this, and Keith’s brother the morning of the wedding had linked the trees with ribbons and  bows in the wedding colours to indicate the route – a brilliant idea!

Gazebo, Leverhulme Hotel

Keith and Lisa

Sandon Hall Wedding Venue

Next wedding coming up is at Sandon Hal in Staffordshire.   We had the opportunity to visit this ancestral home of the Earls of Harrowby at the weekend when the the weather was clear and bright  A beautiful stately house, the drive up through  fields with grazing cattle and pheasants running all over the place like roadrunners was delightfull, especially with the golden autumn colours.  Hope it stays that way for our bridal couple!  Whatever the weather, there are features a plenty inside for the photographs. Plenty of long windows let the light in and afford grand views out to the extensive gardens. Wooden staircase and arches lead into a room suitable for about 85 -100 guests. Small parties can be accommodated in a more intimate dining room. Upstairs are period dressed rooms , loved the pheasant wallpaper, obviously a feature for the estate, and a balcony is available for overhead shots, ideal for those group pictures. Weddings ceremonies can take place in the estate church if resident in the area, whilst civil ceremonies take place in the library, a beautiful room looking out onto the gardens. The library can also be used for indoor photos after a ceremony too if weather is inclement. Always helpful to have a plan B!. An ornate conservatory with bar area provides a perfect place for drinks afterwards and for some cool bridal shots. Our thanks to Jon Guard the manager for showing us around this gorgeous stately home, can hardly wait to be back and taking the wedding shoot here.

On the way out we spoke to a couple who were visiting venues for their daughter who was currently in Australia – hope these pictures taken will give an understanding of how beautiful this venue is which somehow mixes grandeur with cosiness.

Sandon Hall

Library, set up for ceremony

Sandon Hall, Conservatory

Leasowe Castle – Wedding Venue

Recently we popped along to the open day at Leasowe castle when they had an open day with the rooms dressed up for weddings and showing details like the chair covers with colours available and table decorations etc.. It was especially good to see the Star Chamber as we are looking forward to a wedding here very soon so it was an ideal opportunity. The Star Chamber is used for civil ceremonies and is a beautiful wood panelled cosy room, which can accommodate wedding parties for up to 50 people so ideal for the smaller intimate wedding. The Star chamber, so called as its ceiling is studded with golden stars was originally a dining-room and library. It was fitted out by Sir Edward Cust in 1836 with the original panelling from the Star Chamber in the Old Exchequer Buildings at Westminster. Four old tapestries depicting the four seasons complement the room. The ivy-covered arch is optional.

Star Chamber

The Victoria Suite is newly re-furbished, gorgeous colours and very decadent looking with the feather table-top decorations. Of course brides can arrange own decor but its one less thing to worry about when planning your special day. The Victoria Suite has its own private bar, dance floor and toilets nearby. Capacity is for 70 and up to 110 for the evening. Its an upstairs room and has lovely view overlooking the grounds. An ante room can be used to receive your guests and serve an evening buffet.

Victoria Suite

The largest suite is the Northumberland and Ballroom suites, capacity from 70 – 220 for the day, with itsroom dividers opened, and up to 240 for the evening function. A light airy room, plenty of natural light from the windows, so great for us photographers! Beautiful table decorations available, they really take care of all the details for you so you can just enjoy your special day.

Ballroom Suite

Accommodation is available too – including a spacious 4 -poster bed suites

four poster suite

We have sent Leasowe Castle some of these images – they will credit us if they can use them on their website so you may see these images again!

Pixsmiths Creative Photography can capture the joy and emotion of your day here with beautiful lasting images. Contact us for a no-obligation discussion for your photography needs, we’d love to tailor make a quote for you.

Wedding at the Saddle Club

Last weekend Pixsmiths were at Prenton, Wirral to take some portfolio pictures for the Saddle Club in Prenton, Wirral a unique wedding venue, being the only place in England where you can marry over the anvil.  Our thanks to Nick a family friend of the Bride and Groom, Karen and Paul, for sharing the photography stage with us, much appreciated.  Thank you too to Karen and Paul for being such a lovely bride and groom, always happy to pose for us.  We wish you all  the happiness now and in the years to come.  The venue was decked out with canopies over the beamed ceiling (its quite a low ceiling too!)  and chairs were beautifully dressed with red sashes to co-ordinate with the bridal party’s colour scheme.For now a sneak preview with a collage and a couple of pictures.

more images available as a slideshow below

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