Blithfield Lakeside Barns is one of the Staffordshire wedding venues I know particularly well. I am a partner supplier and recommended wedding photographer here, and I have photographed weddings at Blithfield in sunshine, rain, wind, dramatic cloud and some absolutely incredible evening light.
The reservoir is the obvious headline, but for me one of the things that really makes Blithfield special is the amount of sky. The venue sits within open countryside with views stretching out towards the water, so the light and weather become part of how the place feels throughout the day.
Inside, the barn gives you a clean, relaxed setting that can take on completely different styling from one wedding to another. Outside, the terrace, surrounding land and reservoir views give everything space to breathe.
Because I know the venue, I can watch the light, weather and timings throughout the day and choose the moments when going out will genuinely add something to your photographs.
***** "Samantha was incredible from start to finish she made us feel relaxed and allowed us to enjoy our day. The natural shots are our favourite and she just settled into our family and friends so well. Thank you for shooting the most special day we are forever grateful"
Nicole & Liam, Blithfield Lakeside Barns
Blithfield is a purpose-built wedding barn on a family farm overlooking Blithfield Reservoir, but it does not feel like a venue trying too hard to be rustic.
There is a simplicity to it that I really like. The barn provides the structure for the wedding while the views, styling and people give the day its personality.
The water immediately gives Blithfield a sense of place, but the open countryside and huge skies around it are just as important. They can look completely different from one hour to the next.
The barn works as a fairly neutral backdrop, which means flowers, colours and styling can completely change the feel of the space rather than competing with an overly decorative interior.
Blithfield is licensed for civil ceremonies both inside and outside, giving couples the option to bring more of the surrounding countryside into the ceremony when the weather allows.
The quieter photographs at the beginning of a wedding matter just as much as everything that happens later.
I am photographing the details and preparations, but there is no need for the morning to become a continual staged photoshoot. The best photographs usually happen when everyone has enough space to get ready, talk and enjoy being together while I quietly work around them.
We can always schedule a few minutes for requested photographs, if that is something you would like. Photographs like these are complementary to my documentary style, but they never dominate it.
Of the three photographs below, the first is completely documentary. The second is gently guided by me. For the third, I initially guided Dad on where to stand, then stepped back and allowed the real moment and reaction to unfold naturally.
That balance is a big part of how I work: knowing when a little guidance will help, and when the best thing I can do is simply leave the moment alone.
The ceremony is one of the parts of the wedding where I am concentrating on far more than the two people at the front.
I want the entrance and the vows, but I am also watching the reaction waiting at the end of the aisle, parents trying to hold themselves together, friends exchanging glances and the laughter that happens when something unexpected breaks the nerves.
Those photographs cannot be manufactured afterwards, which is why I work quietly and stay alert rather than constantly moving people or trying to control what is happening.
Once the ceremony is over, the atmosphere changes almost immediately.
This is where I want you to have time to actually see your guests rather than moving straight into a long list of photographs.
I will organise confetti and the essential family groups because those work better with some direction, but I keep them moving efficiently. Once they are finished, I can step back and concentrate on the conversations, hugs, laughter and smaller moments happening around the venue.
Blithfield can be wonderfully exposed to the elements, which occasionally makes confetti slightly more adventurous than planned.
Keep the organised photographs organised
Confetti and family groups need some direction. The rest of your drinks reception does not. I get the structured photographs done efficiently so you can spend the afternoon with your guests.
This is where knowing the venue properly makes a difference.
There are several places we can use around Blithfield, from the winding approach and open countryside to the terrace, hill and reservoir views.
I usually recommend a short portrait session during the drinks reception, then another short session later if the light becomes particularly beautiful.
That gives you variety without turning the wedding into a photoshoot, and at Blithfield it also gives us a chance to use the landscape under completely different conditions.
Portraits do not need to take over your wedding
I prefer short sessions built around the light and the natural flow of the day rather than disappearing with you for an hour.
Some venues are at their prettiest when the weather is perfectly behaved.
I do not think Blithfield is one of them.
Bright sunshine can look beautiful here, but so can heavy cloud, wind rolling across the water or the kind of stormy sky that gives the landscape real drama.
Because the surroundings are so open, changes in weather can completely alter the feel of a photograph within minutes. I watch those conditions throughout the day and, when something interesting happens, we can make use of it quickly.
That does not mean dragging you outside every time a cloud moves. It means knowing when five minutes outside is genuinely worth it.
We work with it.
I am not going to insist that you spend half an hour standing outside in heavy rain for the sake of photographs, but rain does not automatically mean we abandon the outdoors either.
I keep an eye on the weather throughout the wedding. Sometimes we wait for a dry gap. Sometimes we use an umbrella. And sometimes, particularly after dark, the rain becomes part of the photograph.
Some of the most atmospheric images I have created at Blithfield have happened on days when the forecast was far from perfect.
When Blithfield gives you beautiful evening light, it is worth paying attention.
The open landscape means there is far less blocking the low sun than at many venues, and that can create gorgeous light across the fields and water later in the day.
Golden hour is never guaranteed and I would never build your whole portrait plan around it. That is why I make sure we have already created photographs earlier in the day.
But if the light does appear, we can step outside for ten or fifteen minutes and create something completely different from the earlier portraits.
Once darkness falls, Blithfield gives us the chance to create photographs with a completely different atmosphere from the rest of the gallery.
These are not another lengthy portrait session. Usually we only need a few minutes away from the evening celebrations.
I can use creative lighting, the darkness around the venue and, if the weather decides to join in, rain and reflections to create something more dramatic.
It gives the finished gallery a final chapter that feels distinctly different from everything photographed in daylight.
I know Blithfield well, but that is useful because it gives me more freedom, not because I want to reproduce the same photographs at every wedding.
I already understand the venue, so I can concentrate on the people.
I know where we can go if the light suddenly becomes beautiful, what works when it is raining, how exposed parts of the grounds can feel on a windy day and how to make use of the reservoir setting without keeping you away from your guests.
But the landscape is only part of your wedding.
The photographs that will matter most in twenty years are just as likely to be your dad becoming emotional, your friends laughing during the morning, somebody crying during the speeches or a completely ridiculous moment on the dance floor.
My job is to bring all of those things together: the beautiful setting, the portraits, the details and the moments that could only have happened at your wedding.
I will give you direction when it helps, organise what needs organising and leave you alone when the moment is better without me interfering.
Partner supplier and recommended photographer at Blithfield Lakeside Barns
I know the venue, the setting and the way a wedding day works here, which means you can enjoy your plans knowing I am already familiar with the place you have chosen.
Yes. I have photographed a number of weddings at Blithfield Lakeside Barns and I am a partner supplier and recommended wedding photographer at the venue.
Yes. Blithfield is licensed for both indoor and outdoor civil ceremonies, so couples can choose the setting that best suits their plans and the conditions on the day.
I keep the photography plan flexible and work around the weather rather than letting it dictate the whole day. We can use dry gaps, umbrellas and indoor options where appropriate, and rain can sometimes create particularly atmospheric evening photographs.
I normally recommend around fifteen to twenty minutes during the drinks reception, followed by another short session later if the evening light is particularly lovely. That gives you variety without taking you away from your guests for a long period.
The exact locations depend on the light, weather and season, but possibilities include the reservoir views, hill, winding driveway, terrace and surrounding countryside. I choose what works best on the day rather than following the same route at every wedding.
If the weather, sunset time and wedding schedule line up, absolutely. The open setting at Blithfield can produce beautiful evening light, but I do not rely on golden hour as your only portrait opportunity because it can never be guaranteed.
Not at all. Most couples are not used to being professionally photographed. I give you enough guidance to take away the awkwardness, then leave room for natural movement, conversation and genuine reactions.
If you are planning your wedding at Blithfield Lakeside Barns and want photography that feels natural, elegant and genuinely connected to the atmosphere of the day, I would love to hear what you have planned.
You will have a photographer who already knows the venue and how to make the most of its landscape and light, without your wedding ever feeling as though it is being run for the photographs.
You can also explore The Moat House, Foxtail Barns, Hanbury Barns, or browse more Staffordshire wedding venue guides.
