A Ghyll Barn Wedding in the Eden Valley, Cumbria
A wedding photographer’s view
As a wedding photographer in the North West of England, I am going to take you on a little tour of a beautiful wedding venue called Ghyll Barn. The Eden Valley in Cumbria is called the Eden Valley because it is like a little bit of heaven on earth! Situated a stone’s throw from the Lake District, it’s like the UK’s best kept secret, and a wedding photographer’s dream, but I am spilling the beans for anyone wanting to plan a beautiful countryside wedding in this stunning area of the UK. Ghyll Barn is the perfect Eden Valley venue for a relaxed, fun and beautiful wedding day!
Ghyll Barn, near Appleby
I was delighted to be the photographer at Lydia and Dan’s Eden Valley wedding at Ghyll Barn, in Long Marton, near Appleby. The Barn was transformed by the owner, Chris, to hold a family wedding in, and you can tell that heart and soul have gone into creating this magical space in absolutely stunning surroundings. Lydia and Dan opted to marry in a local church and go on to the venue for their day and evening celebrations, but with the opening of Ghyll Barn’s ‘Larl Barn’, you can now get married onsite in a rustic, brick barn which makes the perfect blank canvas for your ceremony. Or you can even choose to have an outdoor ceremony in the grounds surrounding Ghyll Barn, so you have every option available.
The Ceremony at St Lawrence’s Church, Crosby Ravensworth
Lydia and Dan were getting married in St Lawrence’ s Church, Crosby Ravensworth, which is in an idyllic setting beside the Dalebanks Beck. Half of the village were waiting outside in the glorious sunshine to get a glimpse of the bride as she arrived, walking over the bridge and into the church grounds. The Church has been called a Cathedral in miniature, and when you step inside you see why- it is stunning, with white stone and grand arches soaring upwards. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful and very special.
Afterwards I was surprised to find that the church gate had been tied together with twine… apparently it’s a local custom! The Groomsmen managed to untie it whilst throwing money out of the gate for the local children to collect!
Bride and Groom Portraits on the Fell Overlooking Ghyll Barn
And so, on to Ghyll Barn to celebrate! The happy couple and I took a few minutes whilst their guests were arriving to get some photographs on the fell overlooking the barn (with Chris, the owner and good friend of the couple driving us up in his 4×4). We had some company though, as Chris’ cows stopped munching their grass to watch us with curiosity! With Scafell Pike in the distance behind the newly wedded couple -the place where Lydia and Dan got engaged- and what seemed like the whole world laid out in front of them, it was the perfect place to capture stunning images of them starting their married life!
The Wedding Reception at Ghyll Barn
Ghyll Barn is a dream wedding venue to enjoy cocktail hour outside in the sunshine- with stunning surroundings in every direction, loads of room for the kids to run and play, and leisurely seating areas to sit and chat. As a wedding photographer, I love seeing people happy, relaxed and enjoying themselves during this time of the day, and I was able to get so many fun, candid shots of guests milling about, as well as the family group shots on the lawn.
Inside the Barn, Chris has lovingly refurbished antique furniture and upcycled so many bespoke pieces, and it all comes together to form an eclectic and super cool space. There is so much to look at, and every piece has a history, yet the whole venue feels so modern in the way it’s brought together.
I loved how Lydia and Dan had added little touches that made the meal more of an ‘experience’. They had printed out a funny photo of every single guest with their table number on the back, so you had to “find your face to get your place”, which was like a big game. Then, each table had to nominate someone to wear the chef’s hat and apron and carve up the locally sourced meat. The speeches were gorgeous and even contained the most rousing rendition of the national anthem I have ever been a part of! All of these personal elements were a joy to capture for me as their wedding photographer, as their guests interacted, had fun and got fully involved in the day.
Evening Wedding Reception at Ghyll Barn
As the sun moved lower in the sky, we made the most of the glorious golden hour and the beautiful wildflower meadow to take a few more portraits of this loved-up pair. Utilising all the stunning areas around Ghyll Barn means you can have such a lovely range of natural wedding photographs so easily.
The fun and celebration continued into the evening, with Ghyll Barn transforming into a spacious event venue with a stage, dancefloor and bar. And this bunch were up for having a good time! A live band creates such a buzz and the BEST evening photos of everyone having fun!
Lydia said, “Lindy is so unbelievably talented at what she does, we are absolutely in love with our wedding photographs. Especially as we are a couple who don’t really like having our photos taken. Not only is Lindy an incredible photographer she contributed so much to our whole day. From keeping me topped up with lip balm all day, keeping us calm and generally being the most happy, smiliest person around. We will never be able to thank you enough for capturing our whole day so perfectly.”
Contact me today to have a chat about your wedding photography in the North West of England- in Cumbria, the Lake District, Lancashire, Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire and I would LOVE to hear from you if you are planning a Ghyll Barn wedding! For more information on my wedding photography experience, please click here.
Venue: https://ghyllbarn.co.uk/