A little while back - late November last year actually - I was shooting a lovely wedding at Hilltop Country House just outside Macclesfield in Cheshire. A lovely small intimate venue where you can get the real feel of how a wedding used to be without all the things that the bigger venues tend to encourage you to have. But, thanks to the marquee you can still easily fit 80+ people in without things feeling too cramped.We started off in Sale where Robyn and Tom got married at a church with a rather stern vicar. Seasoned wedding photographers face this problem all the time - not knowing from week to week whether the vicar will allow photography during the ceremony. Once things got under way he was pretty relaxed - and I didnt abuse his trust by getting in the way. It was also a beautiful autumnal day which added to the occasion with some amazing shafts of light catching people in just the right position. Apart from a slight hiccup of a guests heel getting caught in a grid everything went without a hitch. Oh and Tom leaving the price label on his shoes !! I particularly love the back shot of Robyns vintage dress and headress. Sometimes taking a different position can pay off pretty well.After the ceremony it was quick drive over to Hilltop Country house outside Macclesfield. As I was second shooting this I was able to shoot some very relaxed informal portraits which is more in keeping with my style anyway. But the afternoon light really helped to get some lovely warm autumnal colours into the mix.If you are looking for a very relaxed informal wedding venue I can heartily recommend Hilltop Country House - and tell them I said so !! Thanks to my good friend Dave Stubbs for asking me to second shoot this wedding too.

all images © Paul Atherton 2014 - Hilltop Country House wedding photographer