Inn On The Lake – A Fabulous winter wedding venue
The Inn on the Lake at Glenridding has to be one of the finest wedding venues in the Lakes and in the whole country in my view. So when Kath and Rob got in touch about their winter wedding at this incredible Ullswater venue, I naturally jumped at the chance. The Lake District National Park is a glorious place to get married at any time of year, but to tie the knot with the snowy mountains in the background was a particularly enticing proposition, not just for the happy couple, but for this happy photographer too.
The Inn on the Lake is a fabled wedding venue, and with good reason. The hotel is a luxurious, 5-star venue set in acres of sweeping grounds that lead right down to the shores of Ullswater, with its own private jetty, bandstand and more. The inside is steeped in comfort and class but it’s the breath-taking views all around of the Helvellyn Mountain range that really steal the show.
Having rescheduled once, the new date was now set: late November, Christmas coming, winter well on its way. The prospects were tantalising. But wait… I drove up from Manchester the night before, just as storm Arwen was at its peak. That drive over Kirkstone Pass was hair-raising to say the least. And when I arrived at Glenridding, the whole village was suffering a power cut. What on earth would I find when I arrived at the Inn on the Lake for a wedding the following morning?
I needn’t have worried about the power outage! This spectacular wedding venue was more than ready…
idyllic wedding setting
Kath and the girls were getting ready in the bridal suite and adjoining rooms which, when the sun started to climb over the horizon, unveiled incredible lakeside and mountain views through the windows. The storm had passed. The skies were clear. The rising sun slowly revealed an idyllic dusting of snow on the tops. The stars had certainly aligned and everything was set for a most perfect wedding.
For his prep, Rob was mostly herding excited children and had little time for exquisite views. But I love this part of the day for that exact reason. The photos that transpire are the stuff that keeps you going for years afterwards. It’s the stories and the moments that matter most.
After an emotional and beautiful ceremony, festooned with Christmas trees and decorations, set against that staggering lakeside backdrop, the guests retired to the lounge for drinks and canapés. But our intrepid couple weren’t satisfied with views through windows. It was time for everybody to get outside for a group shot. At this point, a certain reality struck home… it was COLD out there! My goodness! We had to move fast. Fortunately, these fabulous wedding guests were hardy enough to cooperate. We even had fun in the process. Same story for the portraits too – it was a case of move fast, or be frozen to the spot.
surprise wedding entertainment from the region’s finest
This incredible winter wedding had one more surprise in store after dark. Having nailed the sparkler exit down by the twinkling bandstand, the guests were greeted with live al fresco music. It was none other than the very excellent Mr Wilson’s Second Liners. This Bury-based band are something of a legend around these parts. Think technicolour New-Orleans marching band smashing out the 90s club classics to rapturous applause. These boys led our wedding guests back around the building and into the hotel snug for a full-on brass rave. I was loving it!
Thank you Kath & Rob for such an epic day. Congratulations to you both!
There are probably too many photos below, but what the heck! It really was an amazing day with so much to capture. Supplier credits at the end…
