A happy couple on their wedding day at Samlesbury Hall, leaning against a dark wall with peeling paint, sharing a joyful moment. The bride in a white sleeveless dress with a floral hair accessory smiles at the groom in a blue suit, who is smiling back at her.

DIY Wedding at Samlesbury Hall // Hannah and Tom

by | Jun 8, 2024 | Photography | 0 comments

A smiling bride and groom pose for a photo in front of a historic building with black and white details, standing beside a water fountain with a cherub statue. The bride holds a colorful bouquet of flowers.

Hannah and Tom – A DIY Wedding at Samlesbury Hall

When Tom first read Hannah’s Plenty of Fish bio he thought she sounded far too good to be true. A love of travel, lots of time spent overseas and dozens of photos of her on crazy adventures. He almost didn’t message as he was convinced her profile was fake! Luckily he threw caution to the wind and typed out a few words. Hannah replied and since then she says they’ve not stopped talking! That initial conversation was so natural and easy that they felt like old friends who hadn’t seen each other for ages. 

Just over three years (and many, many dates and adventures) later Hannah and Tom were on holiday in Jordan. They were looking out over the spring flower meadows of Umm Qais, taking in the views across the border to Syria, when Hannah mentioned how amazing the whole day had been and how happy she was feeling. That made up Tom’s mind. He was going to propose there, rather than in Petra as he was planning. 

He set the camera up on self timer and had ten seconds to dash over to Hannah and pose – or so Hannah thought. Instead, he set the timer going, ran over to her and…got down on one knee, ring in hand! 

A gobsmacked Hannah took a while to agree to marry him but she eventually managed to blurt out a resounding yes, phew!

So, with a proposal like that you know that their wedding is going to be pretty special and it really was. This pair are perfect for each other and even a few COVID postponements didn’t ruin their plans. 

Weddings at Samlesbury Hall

Samlesbury Hall, an half timbered, black and white medieval stately home in Lancashire, was built in 1325 as a family home. Since then it has had many guises – a Great Hall, an inn (The Braddyll Arms), a school, a return to a family home and is now, in the present day, a wedding venue, events space, museum and gallery. It’s also said to be haunted by The White Lady! 

Hannah and Tom spent a weekend visiting wedding venues and Samlesbury was one of the first ones they viewed. They immediately fell in love with the place. They were captivated by the stunning building and its history as well as loving the grounds and the shepherd’s huts. 

Travel themed wedding decor

Hannah and Tom had gone full DIY on all the decor. They’d gone for a travel theme (of course!) and I love all the little touches from walking boots and camping mugs (filled with Prosecco for the bridesmaids) to the Arrivals and Departure Boards they’d created. Their wedding flowers were a nod back to Umm Qais and those beautiful wildflower meadows. Petal and Twig did an amazing job, creating Hannah’s wedding bouquet, the corsages and button holes out of colourful spring flowers. Hannah and Tom decorated the rest of the hall themselves and even used some of the plants they’d grown on Tom’s family farm. I am all about the personal touches on a wedding day and these two had gone all out with that! 

Samlesbury Hall wedding photography

The day was a whirlwind of smiles, hugs, laughter and emotion. Everyone there was just so overjoyed for Hannah and Tom. All the guests let out a resounding cheer when the couple had their first kiss – Hannah later told me that was one of her favourite moments of the day – and the dancefloor was absolutely packed. They even got a mini dance off going at one point! Both Hannah and Tom were showing off some very fancy footwork! 

I’m going to leave the last word of this blog to Hannah, who sums things up nicely.

“All that mattered was that we were getting married and had all the people we wanted to be there. Everything else was just background noise. Yes it’s nice to have everything you planned, but if for whatever reason you can’t, just stay focused on the positives and remember – ‘never a problem, always a solution!”

A collection of historic half-timbered buildings with decorative black and white facades, surrounded by a well-manicured lawn and a curved pathway at Samlesbury Hall.
A collage of six images featuring rustic floral arrangements inside various unconventional containers such as boots, pots, and suitcases on a wooden floor inside a room with a bench and fireplace.
A collage of four wedding-related images: top left shows a pair of glittery pointed bridal shoes with jeweled embellishments; top right features three vibrant bridal bouquets with yellow, purple, and white flowers; bottom left displays a custom wedding illustration with names "Tom & Hanna" and a date; bottom right contains two mugs labeled "Polly Bridesmaid" and "Liana Bridesmaid."
A collage of six images showing a bride's preparation on her wedding day at Samlesbury Hall. The photos feature her laughing while sitting on the floor, receiving makeup from a makeup artist, looking in a mirror, sitting in a chair reading a letter, holding a mug labeled "Bride," and getting her makeup done while holding a mirror. She's wearing a floral robe and appears to be in a room filled with natural light.
A collage of three wedding preparation photos. On the left, a smiling father of the bride in a blue suit and sunglasses is getting a boutonniere pinned to his lapel. Top right, hands fasten the back of a bride's white dress. Bottom right, the bride, dressed in a white gown, smiles as she gets ready.
A collage of four images depicting emotional moments during a wedding preparation in a living room. In the top two images, four bridesmaids in pastel blue and pink dresses watch someone off-camera with expressions of surprise and delight; an older woman and a man in a suit with a boutonniere join them in the top right image. The bottom two images capture the group laughing joyfully and the older couple smiling at someone off-camera, likely the bride, considering the wedding context.
A collage of three images depicting a wedding party walking down a road in a serene outdoor setting. The top and bottom pictures show a group led by a bride in a white dress and a man in a suit, followed by bridesmaids in pastel-colored dresses, carrying bouquets. The central narrow image captures the party from a distance amidst lush greenery and a backdrop of trees with daffodils lining the roadside.
A collage of wedding ceremony moments in a historic venue with stained glass windows. In various images, a groom in a blue suit waits at the altar, smiling as the bride walks down the aisle, and guests turned in their seats to watch. The room is adorned with floral decorations and attendees are dressed in formal attire.
A collage of wedding ceremony photos in a room with historical decor. The top two images show a bride in a white dress and her father in a blue suit walking down the aisle, smiling and looking at guests. The bottom left image captures the groom, facing away from the camera, watching the bride approach. The bottom right image features the bride and groom at the altar with the bridal party lined up on either side, wearing pastel dresses and blue suits, and the groom is leaning in for a kiss on the bride's cheek.
A collage of six wedding ceremony photos in a historic hall featuring a bride in a white dress and a groom in a blue suit with sunflower boutonnieres, displaying various moments such as the couple standing at the altar, exchanging vows, smiling, and the groom listening to a reading with an audience of guests in the background.
A collage of three wedding ceremony photos showing a bride and groom exchanging vows and rings in front of seated guests, sharing a kiss, and receiving applause from the attendees. The couple smiles joyfully, and the setting features historical architecture with large windows. The guests and bridal party are dressed in formal attire, with some holding colorful flower bouquets.
A collage of photos capturing a wedding couple smiling as guests throw flower petals at them during a celebration outside a gothic-style building at Samlesbury Hall.
A collage of nine photos depicting various scenes from a wedding. Top row shows a couple embracing, a bride conversing with guests, and a group of attendees. Middle row features guests interacting and the bride and groom walking with a historic black and white building in the background. Bottom row shows the bride hugging a guest, guests mingling outside the venue, and a laughing woman in conversation. The overall mood is festive and joyful.
A collage of images showing a magician performing card tricks for a group of elegantly dressed people at a samlesbury hall wedding. The magician, holding cards and engaging with the guests, is featured in each of the five pictures, with onlookers expressing surprise and amusement.
Two side-by-side photos of wedding parties. On the left, a group of five men in matching blue suits with yellow boutonnieres stand in front of a historical building. On the right, a group of women in various dresses, holding bouquets and smiling, pose in front of the same building.
A collage of two wedding photos featuring a smiling couple. In the top image, the bride and groom are looking at each other with the groom slightly behind the bride against a red background. In the bottom image, they stand hand in hand in front of a small red cabin with the groom to the left and the bride to the right holding a bouquet, both smiling towards the camera.
A bride and groom smiling and posing for a photo in front of a historical building with a fountain in the foreground. The bride holds a colorful bouquet, and both are dressed in wedding attire.
A collage of wedding photos featuring a bride in a white gown with a low back and a groom in a dark suit, both amidst vibrant yellow daffodils in a garden, including a close-up of them kissing and a shot of the bride looking over her shoulder while holding a bouquet.
A diptych featuring a bride in a white dress and a groom in a blue suit, both smiling as they look at each other with a magnolia tree blooming in the background.
A joyful bride and groom laughing and looking at each other affectionately, leaning against a wall with peeling paint, outdoors on a sunny day. The bride wears a white sleeveless dress and a floral headpiece, and the groom is dressed in a blue suit with a boutonniere.
A collage of images showing a beautifully set Samlesbury Hall with exposed wooden beams and chandeliers, round tables dressed in white linens with floral centerpieces, and digital tablets displaying different colorful event welcome screens on each table.
A collage of six images capturing moments at a wedding reception, featuring a man in a waistcoat giving a speech and a laughing woman in a white dress, with guests listening and reacting in an elegantly decorated venue with stone walls and vintage lighting.
A collage of twelve images showing a man and woman giving speeches at a wedding reception in front of smiling guests.
A collage of four wedding photos featuring a bride in a white dress and a groom in a blue suit walking hand in hand down a pathway lined with tall hedges, with close-up shots showing the couple smiling and looking at each other affectionately.
A two-panel image of a bride and groom having a playful moment while cutting their wedding cake; the left frame shows the groom with a surprised expression, and the right frame shows both smiling warmly at each other.
A collage of four photos capturing a bride and groom at their wedding reception. The couple is dancing under a canopy of flowers and string lights, with guests surrounding them. In sequence, the images show close-up and wide-angle views of their first dance, culminating in a shot focusing on the bride as she twirls, smiling brightly.