Highlights from Rachel & Adam’s brilliant day at this unique Ribble Valley wedding venue

wedding photograph taken inside Holmes Mill in Clitheroe

Holmes Mill Wedding Venue

Rachel & Adam booked me to be their Holmes Mill Wedding Photographer for their summer wedding, before meeting me at a wedding fair organised by Little White Books! Holmes Mill is a fantastic, and unique wedding venue in Clitheroe. Owned by James’ Places, a Holmes Mill wedding is always beautifully organised and run. Holmes Mill describes itself as…

“Based in the heart of Clitheroe, Holmes Mill is a unique celebration of Lancashire food, drink and entertainment. Featuring a beer hall, hotel, food hall and much more, this former textiles mill is the perfect place to indulge, unwind and explore…”

If you’re looking for a unique wedding venue, full of character and old-world industrial charm, then I would definitely add a Holmes Mill Wedding on your wedding planning. This was to be my third time as a Holmes Mill Wedding Photographer, and I was really looking forward to working at the venue again.

Church Wedding in Tottington

Rachel & Adam were married at their local church, St Hilda’s in Tottington. Rachel’s family have been going for years, and I photographed Rachel’s elder sister Olivia’s wedding there a few years ago. It was great being back, seeing Olivia and Lee again, plus Rachel’s parents. Time certainly flies! From Olivia & Lee’s wedding at The Red Hall, here we were with Rachel being promoted from Bridesmaid to Bride for my being her Holmes Mill Wedding Photographer.

Clitheroe Food Festival

On the day of Rachel & Adam’s wedding, it was the Clitheroe Food Festival - an annual three-day event, so to say it was busy, is an understatement!

“Hailed as one of the best food festivals in the UK by Conde Nast Traveller, and listed in the Top Ten UK Food Festivals by Eventbrite, Clitheroe Food Festival will return for 2024 on Saturday 10th August, organised and promoted by Ribble Valley Borough Council. The Festival is a FREE to enter event which attracts over 20,000 food lovers from across the UK. The focus of the festival is on the finest food and drink producers in Ribble Valley and Lancashire but also offers food and drink from different parts of England.

Clitheroe Food Festival is an annual showcase of the hard work and dedication from local food and drink producers, and their fabulous produce.

The Festival takes over the town centre with the biggest street buffet of food and drink you’ve ever sampled with tastes, smells and sounds to entice all the senses! Local food producers are handpicked from across the county to set up market stalls in every available conceivable public space, to offer samples and sell their wares with demonstrations and food related activities and entertainment in the most unlikely venues…”

Nala & Knot - Award Winning Bridal Team

On Hair and makeup duties for Rachel, mum, plus four bridesmaids were the uber talented Nala & Knot. Always a pleasure to work with these girls - great fun, relaxed and work to military precision timing to get everyone ready. Laura & Steph were in full flow when I arrived. Almost time for brew with these two in charge. No rush at all for this Holmes Mill Wedding Photographer.

Documentary wedding photography at Holmes Mill

I really enjoyed my day as Rachel & Adam’s Holmes Mill Wedding Photographer, producing documentary photography at their summer wedding. My brief was just to let the day flow and capture their story as it happened, live and unstated. We did photograph a few family group shots as the guests arrived from the drive up the A59, but 90% of these images are all unstaged. I used my trusty Nikon D780 cameras, combined with four lenses for the day, travelling light as their Holmes Mill Wedding Photographer. For the photographers out there I worked with 24mm/50mm and 35mm/85mm combinations. I am really happy with the results - not over worked and edited, but natural, and authentic - which is my style as a Holmes Mill Wedding Photographer. Classic, authentic wedding photography.

Here’s some of my favourite photos from the day…