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Hillbark Hotel & Spa - Natalie & Andrew | North Wales Wedding Photographer

Nathan Roberts
Apr 16
3 min read

Updated: Apr 17

Back in August, I had the pleasure of joining Natalie & Andrew for their wedding day—starting at St Paul’s Church in Hooton and heading over to the absolutely stunning Hillbark Hotel & Spa in Frankby. First time shooting at Hillbark and honestly... what a venue. It’s tucked away in the Wirral countryside, surrounded by woodland, old stonework, and heaps of character. Definitely one for the books.

The weather delivered too—glorious sunshine for most of the day, just the odd gust of wind to keep us on our toes (and keep the veils dancing). Ideal conditions for photography and a cracking day to be part of.

Wedding Morning at Mum’s

Prep kicked off at Natalie’s family home in Spittal. It was full of energy and anticipation. I captured all the details—the dress, the final touches of makeup (Lisa Davies), and a few emotional moments as Natalie shared the morning with her mum and bridesmaids. Hair was by Gemma Elliot, and nails by Stacey at Caroline and Co., all helping bring everything together seamlessly. Special mention to Rebecca Ward for the alterations that had everything fitting perfectly.

Andrew & the Guys

From here, I headed over to the church to spend a bit of time with Andrew and his Best Man. Whilst guests arrived I managed a few solo and group shots around the venue. Clean, simple portraits with a great backdrop.

Ceremony at St Paul’s

Natalie arrived in style, riding up with her dad in the wedding car. The church itself was a beautiful setting—simple, classic, and full of atmosphere. The ceremony had all the good stuff: vows, rings, a kiss and a quick signing of the register before they made their way out as husband and wife.

Confetti & Churchyard Photos

Straight outside to the litchgate for a confetti blast—one of those moments that always delivers great energy on camera. Then we hopped into the wedding car before heading over to the reception.

Hillbark Hotel & Drinks Reception

Hillbark was on top form. The sky was clear, the drinks were flowing, and everyone was in a relaxed, celebratory mood. We had a quick 15-20 minute couple’s shoot across the grounds—plenty of little corners and scenic backdrops to work with—before cracking on with group shots (always a team effort getting everyone in place). The main group photo was bang on schedule, meaning guests were called into the wedding breakfast and seated in good time!

Wedding Breakfast, Speeches & More

The reception space looked incredible with some nice personal touches in the décor. Natalie & Andrew made quite the entrance into the wedding breakfast by waving at their guests as they arrived via the overlooking balcony. A fond memory of this particular day was the reactions of the guests during the speeches, in particular during the Father of the Bride speech - hilarious!

Evening Light & Party Time

Golden hour rolled in and we grabbed a few more shots just before the evening kicked off. The light was soft and warm—perfect way to wrap up the portraits.

Then it was straight into cutting the cake, followed by the first dance as the DJ got the evening going. Hillbark’s ballroom made for a brilliant party space, and the dancefloor stayed full from that point on.

Big Thanks

Natalie & Andrew, thanks again for letting me be part of such an epic day. It was genuine, full of laughs, and great to shoot from start to finish. First time at Hillbark—hopefully not the last!

Here’s a shout to the amazing team of suppliers who helped make the day what it was: