I'm doing a wedding again, here and there....

Weekday weddings, elopements and small celebrations in Kendal and the Lake District, photographed with an editorial, cinematic and deeply human approach.

I’m Photographing Weddings Again. But Slightly Differently.

For the last decade or so, my world has largely revolved around commercial photography and filmmaking through Ian Wood Photography

Hotels. Interiors. Outdoor brands. Tourism campaigns. Events. Fashion. Adventure. Businesses across the Lake District and beyond.

And honestly, I still absolutely love that world.

I love creating visual stories for brands. I love production days, problem solving, dramatic weather, location scouting, drone work, good light and making businesses look incredible.

Commercial work still forms the core of what I do and probably always will.

But quietly, somewhere in the background, I’ve started photographing weddings again.

Not loads of them.
Not every Saturday.
Not in a twenty-seven-weddings-a-year kind of way.

Just the right ones.

Over the years I stepped away from weddings partly because life shifted, partly because commercial work became incredibly busy and partly because my son was younger and weekends mattered more. These days he doesn’t need collecting from school anymore, which has opened up a little more creative freedom again.

And strangely, after years of photographing brands, spaces and stories, I found myself missing people.

Real people.

Not polished advertising versions of people, but actual connection, atmosphere, emotion and all the unpredictable beautiful chaos that comes with a wedding day.

The funny thing is, commercial photography has probably made me a far better wedding photographer than I was before.

Years spent working with interiors, fashion brands, landscapes, storytelling and documentary-style imagery has completely shaped how I now approach weddings. I’m less interested in trends and far more interested in photographs that actually feel like the day.

Wind. Rain. Candlelight. Nervous energy. Muddy boots. Glitter. Quiet moments. Loud dancefloors. Tiny ceremonies. Big skies over the fells.

That’s the stuff I care about.

I’m especially interested in:

  • weekday weddings
  • elopements
  • smaller celebrations
  • luxury Lake District venues
  • outdoorsy humans
  • people doing things their own way

No conveyor belt.
No every-weekend burnout.
Just a small number of weddings each year that genuinely feel exciting creatively.

Lately I’ve also found myself really drawn toward smaller town hall weddings and short coverage celebrations, especially around Kendal Town Hall and the wider South Lakes area.

There’s something genuinely brilliant about couples stripping things back and focusing on what actually matters.

A couple of hours.
A handful of favourite humans.
Maybe a meal afterwards.
Maybe a walk by the lake or up on the fellside.

No pressure for the day to become a twelve-hour production.

Honestly, some of the most emotionally charged weddings I’ve photographed have been the smaller ones.

These shorter weekday weddings are also perfect for couples who want beautiful, atmospheric photography without needing full-day coverage. A relaxed ceremony at Kendal Town Hall followed by portraits somewhere in the Lake District? Absolutely my kind of thing.

If that sounds like your vibe, I’ve launched a dedicated wedding site over at
Ian Wood Weddings

You can also find more information about:

Commercial photography and filmmaking remain at the centre of my work, but it feels good to reconnect with weddings again in a way that feels creative, honest and completely me.

No awkward posing marathons.
No pretending your wedding needs to look like somebody else’s Pinterest board.

Just good humans, good atmosphere and photographs that feel real.