Pheasantry Brewery Wedding Photographer

A relaxed summer wedding at Pheasantry Brewery in Nottinghamshire

If you’re looking for a Pheasantry wedding photographer who will capture the real moments of your day without turning it into a photoshoot, Suwan and Alex’s relaxed summer wedding at Pheasantry Brewery is a perfect example of how I work. Pheasantry Brewery is one of those Nottinghamshire wedding venues that really suits couples who want their wedding to feel relaxed, personal and full of life.

It is set in the countryside near East Markham, just off the A1, with a rustic brewery feel, outdoor space, gardens, a pagoda for ceremonies and plenty of room for guests to properly enjoy themselves. For me, as a documentary wedding photographer, it is exactly the sort of venue where the best photographs are often found in the bits between the “main events”.

Suwan and Alex’s summer wedding at Pheasantry Brewery was full of those moments.

Garden games. Outdoor speeches. Guests running across a field for a quiz. Space hoppers. A peg game. A first dance outside. And a couple of This is Reportage award-winning photographs that probably sum up my approach to wedding photography better than almost anything I could write.

One was during the garden games: Kim’s auntie throwing a beanbag through a hoop, with Swan in the background having her photo taken while holding a baby. The other was a wonderfully odd little scene of two guests asleep, one with a cushion over their face, and a laughing space hopper in the background.

Very normal wedding behaviour, obviously.

But that is exactly what I love about photographing weddings. The real story is not just the ceremony, the confetti and the couple portraits. It is all the strange, funny, touching, blink-and-you-miss-it things happening around the edges.

Getting ready near Pheasantry Brewery

One thing worth thinking about if you are planning a wedding at Pheasantry Brewery is where you will get ready. While this no onsite accommodation t the venues, couples can easily find suitable properties close by to rent for this on Airbnb in the villages of Rockley or Markham Moor.

For this wedding, Suwan and Alex got ready nearby with close family. There was nothing staged or chaotic. Just cups of tea, people making final touches to speeches, wedding favours being put together and everyone slowly getting into the rhythm of the day.

That kind of prep is always lovely to photograph because it feels real. Just the quiet build-up before everything begins.

There were some especially lovely moments between Suwan and her mum, as well as the little interactions that happen when family are all in one place together before a wedding. These are the parts of the day that can easily be forgotten later, but they often end up being some of the most meaningful photographs.

An outdoor wedding ceremony at Pheasantry Brewery

Before the ceremony started, I took some establishing photographs of the ceremony space.

I always like to do this before guests arrive. It gives the couple a record of how everything looked before people started filling the space, and it helps set the story of the day properly. At Pheasantry Brewery, the outdoor ceremony area works really well for this because you have the setting, the gardens, the aisle, the guest seating and the anticipation all in one place.

As guests started arriving, I photographed the little interactions. People greeting each other. Family members waiting. Guests finding their seats. The atmosphere building before Swan arrived.

One of my favourite moments happened just before the ceremony began. Everyone was standing, waiting for the bride to walk down the aisle, when two of Suwan’s friends arrived late and had to leg it down the aisle pushing a baby.

That is exactly the sort of thing I am always watching for.

You cannot plan it. You cannot stage it. But if you are ready for it, those are the photographs that bring the day back to life.

Photographing the moments around the ceremony

The ceremony itself was a lovely outdoor summer wedding ceremony.

During a ceremony, I am always moving quietly and looking for more than just the obvious photograph. Of course, the couple are the centre of the story. But there is always so much happening around them too.

Parents watching. Friends laughing. Guests reacting. Children doing their own thing. Someone trying to quietly shush a baby during the vows.

I like to photograph ceremonies in a way that gives a proper sense of what it felt like to be there. Sometimes that means a wide shot of the whole setting. Sometimes it means shooting through the couple, using their arms or bodies as a natural frame for what is happening behind them.

For me, documentary wedding photography is not just about pointing the camera at the main thing happening. It is about asking: what else is going on here?

That is where the story usually is.

Confetti outside the brewery

After the ceremony, guests made their way towards the main entrance of the brewery for confetti.

The wedding coordinator at Pheasantry Brewery was really helpful here and got everyone into place nicely, which meant I could carry on working in my usual way without having to boss anyone around.

That is important to me. I am not there to take over your wedding or turn it into a photoshoot. I would much rather let the day unfold naturally and photograph what is happening in front of me.

The confetti outside the brewery gave us a brilliant setting, with the building behind them and guests packed in around them. Swan and Alex came through with their fists in the air, celebrating properly, and it made for some really joyful photographs.

Quick family group photos

We also did a few family group photos.

Even though most of my work is documentary, I do think a handful of group photos are important. The key is not letting them take over the day.

I usually recommend keeping the list to around six to eight groups, so they can be done in about ten minutes. That way, you still have the photographs your family will want, but you are not spending half your drinks reception standing in a line smiling at a camera.

At a venue like Pheasantry Brewery, where there is so much going on around you, it would be a shame to lose too much time to formal photographs. The best thing is to get them done quickly and then get back to the party.

Garden games and relaxed reception photos

One of the reasons Pheasantry Brewery works so well for relaxed wedding photography is the outdoor space.

Suwan and Alex made the most of it.

They had Jenga, beanbag throwing, outdoor games and a quiz where guests had to run across the field to show their answer to each question. It was funny, energetic and a bit chaotic in the best possible way.

There was also an outdoor speech, which is not something I see at every wedding, but it worked really well with the feel of the day.

This is the kind of reception I love photographing. Guests are not just standing around waiting to be told what happens next. They are playing, laughing, moving around, talking, competing and getting properly involved.

From a photography point of view, it also gives me the chance to make layered storytelling images. I am looking for balance in the frame: people separated cleanly, no awkward heads merging together, a clear moment, and enough of the setting to show where it all happened.

That takes patience, but when it works, it gives you a photograph that shows the people, the place, the atmosphere and the story all at once.

One of the award-winning photographs from this wedding came from this part of the day: a beanbag throw, a baby selfie and several different stories happening in one frame.

That is the sort of photograph I am always looking for.

A wedding that felt like them

Suwan and Alex were clearly really into games, and that ran through the whole wedding.

One of the most fun ideas they had was a photobomb setup. They sat on chairs, set a timer, and guests had a short window to rush in for impromptu group photos. People pulled silly poses, jumped in with different combinations and made the whole thing feel much more personal than a traditional formal photo list.

It gave them loads of photographs with the important people in their lives, but in a way that felt completely them.

I am always happy to photograph the things couples care about. I just do not want to force a wedding into a version of what a wedding “should” look like.

Your wedding will always photograph better when it actually feels like you.

Inside the reception space

Before guests went in for food, I took a few photographs of the reception space.

I know couples spend a lot of time thinking about how the room will look: the tables, the flowers, the favours, the layout, the personal touches. So if I can, I like to get into the wedding breakfast space about ten minutes before guests are called in.

Pheasantry Brewery has a lovely rustic feel inside, with enough character that it does not feel like a blank, anonymous function room. It still feels like a brewery wedding venue, which is part of its charm.

Suwan and Alex did not have a traditional sit-down meal in the usual formal sense. Guests helped themselves, which gave the day a more relaxed, communal feeling.

I think this can work really well at weddings. It keeps things moving, encourages people to chat and mingle, and often helps the whole day feel less stiff. From a photography point of view, it also gives more variety: guests getting food, talking, laughing, moving around and interacting naturally.

When people are seated, I work the room quietly. I am looking for laughter, shared drinks, old stories, little gestures, and the couple moving around speaking to their guests.

Those are the photographs that show what the wedding actually felt like.

Speeches, reactions and connection

I love photographing speeches.

They are one of the best parts of the day for capturing reactions and connection between people. A bit like the ceremony, everyone is focused on one thing, but the best photographs are often happening around it.

Someone laughing before everyone else.
A parent getting emotional.
Friends looking at each other because they know exactly where the story is going.
The couple reacting to something they were not expecting.

Suwan and Alex’s speeches had plenty of laughter and some heartfelt family moments too. That mix is always great for storytelling because it gives the gallery variety. The funny bits matter, but so do the quieter ones.

Relaxed couple photos at Pheasantry Brewery

We took a few minutes for couple photos later in the day.

I always keep this part really relaxed. We might start with one safe photograph of the couple looking at the camera, because I know families often like to have that. But after that, it is much more about movement and connection.

I might say something simple like: “Pop your arms around each other, stay close, have a chat and just move together.”

That is about as much direction as I usually give and the whole thing took about five minutes – that is usually all we need.

Couples often appreciate having a few minutes away from everyone to breathe, but they do not want their wedding to suddenly feel like a photoshoot, so that is exactly how I approach it. Enough time to make some lovely portraits, but not so much that you disappear from your own wedding.

Suwan and Alex also had a few moments together on the rope swing in the sun, which was brilliant and very them.

Later in the day, they changed into traditional Korean wedding outfits, which was a really lovely personal touch towards the end of the wedding.

Evening games, space hoppers and an outdoor first dance

The evening carried on in the same relaxed, playful way.

There were more garden games, guests enjoying the summer light, fans out, people having a sleep, space hoppers, cake cutting and a peg game where guests tried to attach pegs to Kim without him noticing.

Even Suwan got involved.

These are exactly the sort of photographs couples often do not realise they will love later. At the time, they are just funny little things happening in the background. But years later, they become part of the memory of the day.

One of the most unusual and brilliant parts of the evening was the first dance outside.

Lots of couples automatically usher everyone indoors for the first dance, but there is no rule that says you have to. Suwan and Alex kept theirs outside, and it worked beautifully.

They had choreographed spins and lifts, with guests gathered around them and the summer evening light still hanging around. It felt much more personal than forcing everyone onto an indoor dance floor before the mood was ready for it.

It was a really lovely way to end the day.

Why Pheasantry Brewery is great for documentary wedding photography

Pheasantry Brewery is a great venue for couples who want a wedding that feels relaxed rather than overly formal.

The outdoor space gives guests somewhere to move, play, talk and properly enjoy themselves. The ceremony space works beautifully in summer. The brewery entrance is great for confetti. The gardens and pagoda give you options for quick couple photos. And the indoor reception space still has character.

But the biggest reason it works so well is that it allows the day to breathe.

Guests are not trapped in one room all day. There is space for things to happen. And when things happen, there are photographs.

For me, that is what wedding photography is really about.

Not turning your day into a photoshoot.
Not asking you to repeat moments.
Not making everyone perform for the camera.

Just noticing what is happening and photographing it well.

Looking for a Pheasantry Brewery wedding photographer?

If you are planning a wedding at Pheasantry Brewery and want photographs that feel natural, relaxed and full of real moments, I would love to hear about your plans.

I am a Nottingham wedding photographer specialising in documentary wedding photography – which basically means I spend most of the day photographing what actually happens, rather than directing it.

If that sounds like what you want, get in touch and let me know your wedding date.

Pheasantry Brewery wedding FAQ

Where is Pheasantry Brewery?

Pheasantry Brewery is in East Markham, Nottinghamshire, close to the A1. It has a countryside feel while still being easy for guests to get to from Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and South Yorkshire.

Can you get married outside at Pheasantry Brewery?

Yes, Pheasantry Brewery has an outdoor ceremony option, including the pagoda in the gardens. It also has an indoor barn setting, which gives couples flexibility depending on the weather and the kind of ceremony they want.

Is Pheasantry Brewery good for relaxed weddings?

Yes. From a photography point of view, it works really well for relaxed weddings because there is space for guests to mingle, play games, move between inside and outside, and enjoy the day without everything feeling too formal.

How many guests can Pheasantry Brewery hold?

Pheasantry Brewery can host larger weddings, with space for 120+ guests for a wedding breakfast and 200+ for the evening celebration, according to the venue’s own wedding information.

Does Pheasantry Brewery work well for documentary wedding photography?

Definitely. The mix of indoor and outdoor spaces, the gardens, the brewery setting, the ceremony options and the relaxed flow of the venue all make it a great fit for natural, documentary-style wedding photography.

Do we need to spend ages having couple photos?

No. Most of the couple photos at Suwan and Alex’s wedding took around five minutes. I keep this part of the day really relaxed, with a bit of gentle movement rather than awkward posing, so you can get back to your guests quickly.