Tammy and Lee married on 3 May 2026 at Blakelands Country House in Bobbington, South Staffordshire, with a 2pm outdoor ceremony in the walled garden. I'm Paul Hickey of Once in a Lifetime Photography, and I photographed their day from the morning preparations to flash-lit portraits on the carp lake after dark. You can see what I've learned about the venue on my Blakelands Country House wedding photographer page.
They met in 1999, when Tammy was fourteen and Lee was sixteen. Twenty-seven years and four children later, they won one of my wedding photography competitions. The day that followed was warm, relaxed and entirely theirs. At one point a light aircraft took off over the ceremony, and nobody paid it much attention.
A Spring Morning at Blakelands
It was my first wedding at Blakelands. I arrived in the late morning and walked the grounds before anyone needed me. The 1722 red-brick house sits behind a stone path and clipped topiary, and it photographs best straight on. I looked for the places I'd use later: the walled garden, the lake, the long hedge along the boundary.
Both Tammy and Lee got ready on site, which takes the pressure out of the morning. There's no transfer to time and no half of the preparations I can't reach. I photographed the details first: Tammy's jewelled shoes, the pink rose bouquet and the invitation, laid out on a wooden floor.
Tammy's room had exposed brick and warm lamps, and she was calm rather than rushed. The moment that mattered came just before she went down. Her dad appeared at the top of the landing, stopped and pressed his hand to his mouth. I'd already thought about where that moment would happen, so I was in place. The hug that followed needed nothing from me.
Lee got ready in another room with a tall sash window. That clean side light suits the quieter frames: his hands at his tie, his expression settled.
A Walled Garden Ceremony
The walled garden at Blakelands is a formal, enclosed lawn. Clipped box hedging runs down both sides, and a black ironwork gazebo stands at the far end. In early May the bluebells were out along the borders.
Before the guests came in, I noticed two knitted teddy bears on front-row chairs. Each wore a small heart labelled "Grandad & Nan". I photographed them before anyone sat down. I didn't know whose grandparents they stood for, and I didn't need to.
Tammy walked in on her dad's arm through the ironwork arch at the garden entrance. For the ceremony I worked from the side and slightly raised, using that arch as a frame. From there the couple sit in the foreground with every row of guests behind them.
Partway through the vows, a light aircraft lifted off from the airfield at Halfpenny Green. The sound carried across the whole garden. Guests smiled, Tammy and Lee barely noticed, and the registrar carried on. When they were announced as married, Tammy threw her bouquet into the air and Lee wiped his eye.
Confetti in the Courtyard
Guests lined the brick courtyard outside the garden for the confetti. White petals came from every direction. Tammy laughed, Lee looked slightly startled, and it was over in about three seconds. The old brick barns behind give these frames a warm, solid backdrop.
Portraits by the Lake and the Long Hedge
Blakelands has several distinct portrait settings within a short walk, so we covered a lot of ground in about twenty-five minutes. We started on the wooden footbridge over the carp lake, with willows overhead and still water below.
From the lake edge you can see out across the estate to the farmland beyond. In May the oilseed rape was in flower, and that yellow sits low in the background of the lakeside frames. I asked Tammy and Lee to walk across the lawn and talk to each other, then stepped back. Tammy laughed at something Lee said, and that's the frame.
The tall boundary hedge has two arched gaps cut into it, with an old stone water pump and bluebells in front. I placed Tammy and Lee in separate arches and moved back far enough for the landscape to hold the picture. It works because of the space between them.
Speeches in the Maltings Barn
The wedding breakfast and speeches were in the Maltings Barn, a converted malthouse with exposed brick walls. I photograph each speaker, but I watch the tables just as closely. Tammy gave a speech of her own, reading from her phone. Beside her, one of the guests was wiping away tears before she'd finished.
Number Plates and Yellow Smoke
In the early evening, Lee and their sons, who were also his groomsmen, lined their cars up in the paddock. The personalised plates made it clear whose idea the photograph was, and it wasn't mine. The paddock beside the main approach has plenty of room for this kind of group shot without getting in anyone's way.
Then we moved to the lawn by the lake with yellow smoke flares, Tammy and Lee walking with their sons and a bridesmaid. Smoke works best in daylight like this, when there's still colour in the trees to set it against. The group walked towards me, so the smoke trailed out to the sides rather than hiding faces.
The First Dance
The first dance was just before 7:40pm, in front of the DJ booth and its lit wooden heart. Tammy put her arms around Lee's neck and held on. The barn's warm light and the orange glow of the heart make the evening frames very different from the daytime ones.
Creative Night Portraits on the Carp Lake
Once the dance floor was busy, I took Tammy and Lee back down to the lake. It was around 8:20pm. Sunset was still a few minutes away, but under the tree canopy the light had already gone. That's what makes the lake so useful: you don't have to wait until 10pm in summer to get a night portrait.
I placed them on the jetty and lit them with a single off-camera flash from one side. The flash separates them from the dark trees behind, and the still water gives a clean reflection directly below. Nothing is added afterwards. The location and one light do the work. This is the side of my work I call creative night portraits.
Sparklers Under the Festoon Lights
The last frames of my night were in the courtyard at around 9pm. Guests stood under the festoon lights holding sparklers while Tammy and Lee danced in the middle of them. Tammy was laughing with her head thrown back, which is how most of the day looked.
Why Blakelands Country House Works So Well for Wedding Photography
Blakelands rewards using the whole estate across the day. The Georgian frontage, the walled garden, the footbridge, the lake edge and the long hedge are all within a few minutes' walk. Each gives a different backdrop, so a full gallery never repeats itself.
The walled garden is open to the sky. That means clean, even light for an early-afternoon ceremony, but strong shadows before noon in summer. The ironwork arch at the entrance is a ready-made frame for the vows.
The carp lake is the venue's strongest asset for evening work. Trees surround much of it, so the light drops there well before sunset. The jetty gives couples a defined place to stand with the water directly beneath them.
Blakelands is exclusive use and hosts one wedding a day, so there are no strangers in the background. The venue now offers five ceremony settings: the Walled Garden, the Croquet Lawns, a Lakeside Ceremony, the Maltings Barn and Blakelands Hall. I've only photographed the walled garden so far, but I know how the light reaches the lake and lawns.
You can see prices, ceremony options and planning advice on my Blakelands Country House wedding photographer page.
Planning a Wedding at Blakelands Country House? A Few Things Worth Knowing
Aim for an early-afternoon ceremony in the walled garden. Tammy and Lee's 2pm start gave even light across the guests. A late-morning ceremony in summer can leave half the rows in bright sun and half in shade.
Book ten minutes at the lake around the first dance. In early May the lake was dark enough for flash by about 8:20pm. In June and July that moves later, so check the sunset time for your date and plan backwards.
Get ready on site. The venue has a Preparation Loft, and The Lounge opens in 2027 for the other half of the wedding party. Both of you on site means no transfers and fuller morning coverage.
Use the paddock for car or group ideas. It sits beside the main approach, so a group shot there doesn't interrupt the drinks reception. Tell your photographer about the idea in advance.
Ask about smoke, confetti and sparklers when you book. I don't publish venue rules I haven't confirmed myself. Tammy and Lee used confetti, smoke flares and sparklers, but check what's allowed for your date.
Find the venue by its signs, not the postcode. DY7 5DP covers a wide rural area. Send guests the what3words location the venue provides.
Frequently Asked Questions About Blakelands Country House Weddings
Where is Blakelands Country House?
Blakelands Country House is on Six Ashes Road in Bobbington, South Staffordshire, DY7 5DP. It's close to Halfpenny Green, Stourbridge, Kinver and Wolverhampton, just off the A449. It's in Staffordshire, not Worcestershire, although the postal town is Stourbridge.
Can you have an outdoor ceremony at Blakelands?
Yes. Blakelands offers three outdoor ceremony settings: the Walled Garden, the Croquet Lawns and a Lakeside Ceremony. Tammy and Lee married in the walled garden. Indoor options are the Maltings Barn and Blakelands Hall, which also act as wet-weather backups.
Is Blakelands good for night photography?
Yes. The carp lake is one of the best night-portrait locations I've used. Trees around the water mean it's dark enough for flash before sunset. The jetty gives a clean reflection in the still water below the couple.
How many guests can Blakelands hold?
Current listings show around 100 guests seated and up to 180 in the evening. The venue doesn't publish capacity on its own website, so confirm your numbers with the Blakelands team before you book.
Can we stay at Blakelands on the wedding night?
Yes. Blakelands has 14 bedrooms on site, including the Corbett Honeymoon Suite. The venue holds the rooms for the couple until two months before the wedding. It also suggests nearby options such as The Red Lion Inn in Bobbington.
How much does a wedding photographer cost at Blakelands?
Once in a Lifetime Photography's Signature Wedding Photography package is £1,395 for 2027 weddings. It includes full-day coverage by me, 700+ edited images and an online gallery. Full details are on my wedding photography packages page.
Planning Your Own Wedding at Blakelands?
Tammy and Lee had waited twenty-seven years for this day, and it felt like it. It was relaxed, full of family, and finished on a dark lake and a sparkler-lit dance floor. Thank you both for having me. If you're planning a wedding at Blakelands Country House, or anywhere across the West Midlands and Staffordshire, I'd like to hear about it.
I'm Paul Hickey, a multiple Wedisson Award winner and Flashmasters Gold Award recipient. Once in a Lifetime Photography is based in Worcestershire and covers Staffordshire, the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Warwickshire and Shropshire. See more of my documentary wedding photography approach.