Day 6: The Zoe Photography Advent Calendar of Wedding Photography in Liverpool

Day 6 and nearly a week into the Zoe Photography Advent Calendar of Wedding Photography in Liverpool and we go to Gemma and Ste's wedding. The ceremony was in a gorgeous church in Allerton followed by a reception at West Tower Country House Hotel in Aughton near Ormskirk. This is one of my favourite wedding venues to work at, with beautiful rooms and a spectacular view. It never disappoints, and the staff there are totally committed to making sure every wedding is the best it can be. Gemma brought a beautiful design to the West Tower, which you may see more of later in the Advent Calendar.

Lois and Greg's Vintage Style Wedding at West Tower, Aughton

I love doing wedding photography at West Tower Country House Hotel in Aughton, not least because it's only 5 minutes from home! But also because the staff there are fabulous and so helpful, and the venue is just beautiful for weddings. Lois and Greg took the 1920's feel of the house and took that through their whole wedding with amazing detail, giving the day a strong vintage feel. I just love Lois's bird cage veil. Everything came together perfectly on the day, including the weather - as you can see in this sneak peek.

I love how the West Tower, Aughton looks at night - and Steve Mitchell always does a great job with the dance floor too.

Jenny and Dave's Wedding in Woolton and on to West Tower in Aughton

Friday was a rare day in the British summer - although there were dark clouds threatening at one or two points, we actually saw the sun and had a reasonably good day for Jenny and Dave's wedding. It was definitely a family affair, with Jenny being the eldest daughter of 5 (I'm still amazed that Karen and Joe had smiles on their faces - or was that the joy at having one daughter married? Hmmmm) - she had her 4 sisters as her bridesmaids, all looking elegant in their dark blue dresses, and they were joined by Dave's sister too, who I have to say is one of the best bridesmaids I've ever come across! I think she should be hiring herself out for weddings, she looks after people so well.

The wedding took place in Woolton, and as I arrived I noticed that the cars were being driven by my old friends at Barrington Cars - and it was also a pleasure to see Godfrey again, who I've previously encountered taking the wedding ceremonies at All Hallows and St Bartholomews, but as a family friend he came to preach the sermon and generally enjoy himself at the celebrations later.

After the ceremony we all went over to West Tower, which is now my most local venue, just about a mile away since we moved. I have always loved the West Tower, and so it is a pleasure when I get the chance to return there to photograph weddings. And Friday was no exception, right up to the band in the evening. Here is a sneak peek of the day - I can't wait to show Jenny and Dave their whole selection of photographs when they get back from their honeymoon.

West Tower Country House Hotel near Ormskirk - Open Evening

I've just noticed that West Tower near Ormskirk is having an open evening tomorrow, Wednesday 13th June for future brides and grooms who are looking for a wedding venue in Lancashire and close to Liverpool. This is one of my favourite wedding venues to photograph at, situated in beautiful grounds with views across to Liverpool, you really couldn't choose a better intimate Lancashire wedding venue for a countryside wedding that is close to Liverpool.

From the staff to the peaceful location, West Tower has such a lovely feel, look and way to it. It's definitely a venue where contemporary meets traditional, with a lovely mix of the old and new. I seldom find myself taking the same photograph from one wedding to the next as there are so many places where you can create beautiful pictures for the bride and groom.

So if you're planning your wedding, it's worth going along for a visit tomorrow evening. I'm not sure the weather is going to hold out, but it will still be worth the trip.

Here is a small selection of photographs I've taken at weddings at West Tower over the last year.

Wedding in Liverpool and Reception at West Tower in Aughton for Gemma and Stephen

Last Friday was difficult for me because I tore my calf muscle, but a bit of limping and hopping and the support of Lynsey and I was able to get the photographs that I needed to showcase a truly beautiful wedding. Gemma and Stephen landed lucky with the weather we've had the past week, and had sunshine and a perfect blue sky. From the moment I arrived at Gemma's mum's house the bridesmaids, Annie and Kelly had me laughing, and I don't think I stopped until I was driving home at the end of the day! This was definitely a wedding full of love and laughter.

But there are two things worth a mention - the first is that Gemma and Stephen could have chose a better day! We all missed the torch relay for them ...  but they're forgiven. More noteworthy though was the mistake made on their wedding certificate as the registrar decided to step back in time and record their wedding as being on the 1st April. Ooops! Thankfully Ste, the groom's dad, spotted the mistake.

Here's a sneak peak of their wedding, and a big thanks to Annie, Kelly, Francis, Gemma and Ste for giving me such an enjoyable day, and for caring about me with my calf. Oh, and thanks to Lynsey too for being a big help as an assistant!

Rachel and Sam's Spring Wedding at West Tower, Aughton

A slight delay due to computer problems, but well worth the wait! Rachel and Sam had a glorious day for their wedding at West Tower in Aughton. Rachel got ready at Formby Hall and had a bit of peace in her Barrington's car to West Tower where her mum walked her down the aisle to marry Sam.

Since the day I first met Rachel and Sam it's been clear to see there is a lot of laughter in their lives, and their wedding day was no different.  They enjoyed a lovely ceremony at the West Tower, bathed in sunlight, and then had a fabulous jazz band playing in the bar - it was a shame to take everyone outside for the photographs! Rachel and Sam brought together a dream team, with Dominic from Impressions of Formby doing the video, Terry from Barrington's providing the transport, Zoe the chef at West Tower producing her usual amazing food, Ruth from Orchid Blush doing hair and makeup, and of course, yours truly, Zoe Photography doing the photographs!

Here's a sneak peak of the photographs - can't wait to show Rachel and Sam all the selection of pictures for them to relive their happy day!

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Alex and Kevin's Wedding - A Family Affair at West Tower, Aughton

Some weddings are about a couple, some are about the bride, occassionally it's all about the groom. But Alex and Kev's wedding was definitely a family affair ... which you can probably tell from the selection of photographs below! They got married at one of my favourite venues, The West Tower Country House Hotel in Aughton - the staff are fabulous, the food is just delicious (and I'm not just saying that because the chef is called Zoe!), and the venue itself is in such a lovely setting with beautiful rooms.  Then you add into the mix two great families - it was one of those weddings where there was just so much love, and the children were definitely at the centre of it all.

Here is a little sneak peak of their winter wedding.

I think it all got a bit too much for some people!

Chris and Claire's Wedding at West Tower Country House, Aughton

I have fond associations with West Tower as it's the place I had my 18th birthday meal, my sister had her wedding reception there (oh dear, nearly 30 years ago!) and we had many celebration meals there over the years. So it's always a pleasure to get to photograph weddings there too. Add into the mix two gorgeous people with fabulous families and friends, and you have the recipe for a great day (don't tell them both that it didn't feel like work!).

Chris and Claire tied the knot at their wedding ceremony at West Tower in Aughton on Saturday, and oh my word did it rain! But in Claire's own words, we 'embraced the rain' and as a result got fabulous outdoor photographs as well as beautiful ones in the gorgeous bridal suite.

Here is just a little taste of what's to come for Chris and Claire and their fabulous West Tower wedding.