Tom + Freya | Cliff House

It’s certainly been the year of intimate weddings for me this year, I’ve noticed a change in people’s wedding plans and Tom and Freya’s were one of those. They had always planned to have a smaller wedding with their closest friends and family, opting for a wedding at Bakewell Town Hall and then having their wedding celebrations across a whole weekend at Cliff House just a stone’s throw from Monsal Head.

I met Tom and Freya at Cliff House in the morning which was the perfect venue for what they wanted, with Tom and chaps able to be in the separate pad adjacent to the house, equipped with a pool table it couldn’t be more perfect for them and then Freya across in the house getting ready for the big day. I arrived into the house to be greeted by the seasonal pumpkins and sparklers for later on when it went dark, we had discussed how much they wanted a sparkler exit photo when I met them on our consultation call.

It was a lovely relaxed vibe getting ready in the morning with people taking time to chill out and relax while they all got ready for the day ahead. A lovely exchange of gifts as well, delivered by Freya’s sister to each of them was lovely to witness, including Tom’s gift to Freya of one of the photos from their pre-wedding photoshoot but in an absolutely gorgeous bespoke frame, he had sourced! I drove down in the vintage Rolls Royce which is Tom’s dad’s car and was the wedding car that Tom’s parents had for their wedding day all those years ago, it is a beautiful car and a pleasure to be able to ride in the front with Freya and sister in the back as we headed for Bakewell. Tom and Freya said their vows and married in the main hall at Bakewell Town Hall, followed by confetti outside afterwards and then even more back at the house again. En route back to the house we stopped in Ashford-in-the-Water for a few portraits around the bridge and even had an appearance from a couple of ducks on the wall, one of each to mirror Tom & Freya which made for some pleasing documentary photos.

After going inside the house it was time to crack open the champagne and celebrate, but this was a double celebration as it was also Freya’s fathers birthday as well, a lovely exchange of more gifts and sipping bubbles and enjoying a light lunch made for a delightful time. We dashed over the road to Monsal head to do a few more portraits as well before we lost the winter light in the early evening.

Tom and Freya had also hired in a private caterer, Citreus, who arrived and instantly made a great impression. Extremely kind and professional they set up their stall in the kitchen in no time and were soon sending out canapes for the guests (which looked delicious, for a change I didn’t pinch any this time!). A beautifully laid long table in the dining room was the setting for dinner, lit by candlelight and with games for the kids, it was just such a beautiful sight to see. After the meals it was time for the speeches and then the sparkler exit for Tom and Freya as well as a couple of little after dark creative portraits using the front of the house.

Anyway enough from me, have a watch of their photo highlights video below or you can always scroll through the images underneath. Enjoy.

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