Charlotte & Kris’ wedding at Dower House Hotel had one of those instantly welcoming atmospheres where everybody just seemed genuinely happy to be there. Throw in sunshine, sunflower details, garden games, emotional speeches and a dancefloor that rapidly descended into beautiful chaos, and honestly… it was such a fun one to photograph.
The beginning
The Meeting
Charlotte & Kris first met completely by chance at Kris’ mum’s house while Charlotte was having drinks with his sister.
“We hit it off chatting about anime haha and the rest is history.”
Honestly, a very strong foundation for a relationship. Shared nerd energy has launched many great romances.
The Engagement
After ten years together, Kris surprised Charlotte with a proposal during a birthday trip to Ragdale Hall Spa.
“Definitely a shock after being together for 10 years! Kris took me to Ragdale Hall Spa for my birthday and proposed under the weeping willow tree in the garden.”
Which makes it even sweeter that they later said their vows beneath the willow trees at Dower House too. Full circle moments like that always get me a bit.
Wedding Planning
Charlotte’s top wedding planning tip?
“Organise and lists! What a must!”
As somebody who survives almost entirely through organised chaos and colour-coded timelines, I felt extremely seen by this advice.
For more tips and tricks, take a look at my Wedding Planning inspiration posts. Or if you're at the very beginning of your wedding planning journey, my Ultimate Wedding Guide has helped so many of my clients plan their special days.
Wedding at Dower House
Getting Ready Moments
Meet Kris
I briefly left the venue during the morning to catch Kris and the groomsmen getting ready over in Horncastle before heading back to Charlotte. The guys were mostly ready when I arrived, which is honestly very on brand for most groom prep coverage. Men somehow achieve “fully dressed” in approximately four and a half minutes.
Still, we managed to grab some relaxed portraits before heading out, and Kris looked fantastic in his dark textured Cavani suit with the polka dot tie and silver chain detail. Very sharp. Very “I absolutely know where my sunglasses are”.
If you've seen any of my previous Real Wedding Stories, you'll know I always start with the guys first because they get ready a lot quicker (sorry girls, it's true!) and it's much easier for them to take their jacket off again and relax if they want to!
The whole morning felt calm and easy-going, with plenty of laughs flying around before the ceremony nerves properly kicked in.
Meet Charlotte
Back at Dower House Hotel, Charlotte spent the morning getting ready in the separate bridal prep building tucked away from the main venue. It’s such a good setup because couples can properly relax without worrying about guests wandering past windows and accidentally spotting the dress early.
The vibe in the bridal suite was genuinely lovely all morning. Calm, excited, loads of chatting, lots of laughter, and enough time left over for Charlotte to sit down and enjoy a glass of bubbly before the ceremony started. A rare and beautiful achievement in wedding timeline history.
Charlotte looked absolutely stunning in her lace gown by Wed2b, and all the soft sage green details paired perfectly with the sunflower florals throughout the day. Everything felt bright, summery and relaxed without losing that elegant feel.
One of my favourite little details was how personal everything felt. Nothing seemed overly staged or trend-chasing. It genuinely reflected them.
The Ceremony
Charlotte & Kris chose to hold their ceremony outdoors beneath the willow trees at Dower House Hotel, and honestly, the setting could not have suited the day better.
The weather behaved itself beautifully too. Warm sunshine without everybody melting into the chairs by 2pm, which in the middle of summer honestly feels like winning the lottery.
Their ceremony had such a relaxed, intimate atmosphere despite the larger guest list. Lots of smiling, lots of emotional little looks between them, and a very audible collective “awww” energy from the guests throughout.
The sunflower styling around the folly tied everything together perfectly as well. Bright, cheerful and completely in keeping with the overall vibe of the day.
Afterwards, they went straight into a free-for-all confetti moment which I always love because it feels so much more natural and chaotic in the best way. No overthinking. No stopping halfway through. Just everyone piling in throwing confetti like tiny celebratory goblins. Much better than formally rounding everyone up and staging it in my opinion!
Cocktail Hour
Cocktail hour took place out on the lawns and it was one of those drinks receptions where people immediately spread out and settled into having a genuinely good time.
There were garden games, drinks flowing, loads of chatting and kids absolutely turbo-charging around the grounds at alarming speed.
Charlotte & Kris chose Dower House Hotel because it gave them the relaxed outdoor atmosphere they wanted while still feeling elegant and special enough for the occasion. The venue really suits couples who want space for everybody to properly enjoy themselves rather than being packed into one tiny courtyard praying for oxygen.
The Tudor-style buildings, huge trees and tucked-away gardens also make it ridiculously versatile from a photography perspective. Every direction gives you something different to work with.
And have you ever photographed a bride on a spacehopper? Because I have!
Family Photos
Family photos were honestly brilliant fun.
Everybody was relaxed, cooperative and fully up for both the “nice sensible mantlepiece photo” version and the slightly chaotic funny versions afterwards. Which is the dream balance.
The soft afternoon light beneath the trees around the ceremony area worked beautifully too because it kept everything evenly lit without anybody squinting directly into the sun like distressed Victorian ghosts.
Huge shout-out to Charlotte’s maid of honour Pip as well for helping wrangle everybody together. Photo wranglers deserve medals, honestly.
Wedding Breakfast
The Orchard Suite looked gorgeous once guests were seated for the wedding breakfast. Sunflowers ran throughout the styling, paired with soft sage greens, wildflower-inspired arrangements and rustic little details across the tables.
Charlotte explained the inspiration behind the styling perfectly:
“We chose green as it’s my favourite colour and sunflowers because they just remind me of happy times.”
And honestly? That sentence sums the entire wedding up perfectly.
The speeches took place before food, with Pip speaking first as maid of honour. I photographed Pip’s wedding not long before this one, so it was genuinely lovely seeing everybody again and hearing all the stories and memories shared between the families.
One line from Pip’s speech absolutely stayed with me:
“I hope you enjoy growing old with her as much as I enjoyed growing up with her.”
Excuse me while I quietly launch myself into the nearest hedge.
Kris then gave his speech before everyone finally got fed, watered and fully settled into the evening celebrations.
Newlywed Photoshoot
By the time we headed out for newlywed portraits around 7pm, the entire day had settled into that lovely relaxed post-dinner atmosphere where couples can finally breathe for five minutes.
We wandered around the grounds fairly casually rather than turning it into a huge production. That’s always my preferred approach anyway because most couples don’t actually want to spend an hour performing intense Vogue-level poses in front of bushes while their guests drink without them.
The soft evening light filtering through the trees gave us such a beautiful backdrop to work with, and the vintage yellow car added so much character to the gallery too.
Charlotte & Kris were completely natural together. Lots of laughing, wandering hand-in-hand and quietly taking in the fact they’d finally made it to the “we’re married now” part of the day.
Cake cut
Their semi-naked sunflower cake looked amazing and fitted the whole wedding aesthetic perfectly. And I should think so, because Charlotte made it herself! Which feels wildly unfair considering most of us can barely emotionally survive wedding planning without accidentally stress-eating half a garlic bread.
The sunflower cupcakes surrounding it were such a fun touch too and tied the reception styling together beautifully.
First dance
Charlotte & Kris chose Forever After All by Luke Combs for their first dance.
“Kris chose it, made him well up while watching the music video haha!”
The dance itself felt really intimate and relaxed to begin with, then quickly turned into something energetic and "them", which was great for getting people onto the dancefloor.
Which is exactly what you want on your wedding day!
Reception
The evening energy was brilliant from start to finish. We had sack races out on the lawn, tug of war, photobooth antics, glow sticks everywhere and a dancefloor packed with people who absolutely committed to having a good time.
Some weddings have that slightly reserved atmosphere where everybody politely shuffles around clutching prosecco.
This was not that wedding.
Kids were sprinting around with glow sticks like tiny rave goblins. Guests were throwing themselves into games. People were dancing barefoot by the end of the night. The whole thing felt unforced, loud, joyful and completely unpretentious in the best possible way.
Exactly the kind of atmosphere couples secretly hope for when planning their wedding day.
Wedding Photography at Dower House Hotel
As a wedding photographer, I spend a lot of time exploring wedding venues across Lincolnshire, and Dower House Hotel genuinely offers such a strong mix of elegance and flexibility.
The grounds are beautiful without feeling overly formal, which makes it perfect for couples wanting a relaxed outdoor wedding atmosphere while still keeping that classic wedding venue feel. The willow trees around the outdoor ceremony area are especially gorgeous for photography because they create soft, flattering light even during brighter parts of the day.
I also love that the venue has a completely separate bridal prep space away from the main hotel. It makes the morning feel much calmer and gives couples a bit more privacy before the ceremony.
The Orchard Suite works brilliantly for larger guest lists too because there’s enough space for people to properly spread out and enjoy themselves throughout the day instead of feeling boxed in.
Most importantly though, Dower House Hotel really lends itself to weddings that feel personal. Charlotte & Kris filled the venue with so much warmth and personality, and it suited them perfectly.
If you’re currently planning your own Dower House Hotel wedding and looking for a relaxed, natural wedding photographer, you can explore my wedding photography service page.
And honestly, I hope this post gave you a few ideas for your own day too. Sunflowers, garden games and chaotic glow-stick dancefloors are apparently a very strong combination.
