Makeney Hall wedding photos
Bridal preparations at Makeney Hall
As we arrived for some Makeney Hall wedding photos, it was easily the windiest day of the year!! It was ridiculous! And the rain – it just kept coming in waves! Emily & Adam had planned for an outdoor ceremony in Makeney’s new Woodland Garden, but unfortunately, the weather was just too extreme. Nevermind, everything was moved to the conservatory and it looked fab! In the meantime, Emily and her bridesmaids were upstairs getting prepped with hair and makeup, ready for the big day ahead! Adam had also arrived, super excited and waving at us from the back of his car as his brother pulled up in their M-series BMW!
A quick ceremony followed, then out into the Drawing Room for drinks and canapés. Thank god, the rain had finally stopped so we all headed outside for photos in the sunshine on the lawn. It was thankfully quite sheltered from the wind so we were able to stay out and enjoy the drinks reception. Then after a little wander around the woods with Emily & Adam, we all headed in for dinner, followed by some great speeches.
The band had set up and that can only mean one thing…time for a party! Emily & Adam cut their wedding cake and successfully managed their choreographed first dance without falling over – success!!! Lots of dancing followed, the photo-booth was full and there were some of THE sourest sweets on the sweet table! 😝 Seriously Adam – where the hell did you find those things – We never want to see them again!!
It was a fantastic day – Emily & Adam are a truly lovely couple. They were both so engaged with the photos and Adam was excited about everything – what a guy!! To top it all off, we got to see one of our couples again from a few years ago – Helen & Dan, so fab to see them again and catch up with their lives!
Here’s just a few of our favourites from the day – Turn it up loud and enjoy!!
The history of Makeney Hall
The history of Makeney Hall is all about the Strutt family and the village of Milford. Jedediah Strutt was born in 1726 in Alfreton and after an stint as an apprentice wheelwright in Findern, he moved to Blackwell where he inherited a farm from one of his uncles. In addition, developed a business carrying coal. Along with his brother in law William Woolatt, they sold some property and invested in their attachment to the stocking frame that allowed the production of ribbed stockings. Their machine became known as the Derby Rib machine, and the stockings it produced quickly became popular. Cotton was cheaper than silk and more comfortable than wool but demand was far exceeding supply. The machine was patented in 1759.
Strutt and another spinner, Samuel Need, were introduced to Richard Arkwright. He had set up his spinning frame in Nottingham using horse-power to run the mill, but this was an unsatisfactory power source. In Derby, John Lombe had built a successful silk spinning mill using water power. Strutt and Need joined Arkwright in the building of a cotton mill at Cromford, using what was henceforth called Arkwright’s water frame. This was the first of its kind in the world, marking the beginning of the Industrial Revolution!!
Strutt bought land in 1777 for his first mill in Belper, which at that time was a hamlet of framework knitters and nail makers. In 1781 he bought the old forge at Makeney by Milford Bridge from Walter Mather. Belper opened in 1778 and Milford in 1782. For each he built long rows of substantial worker’s houses and both are now part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. In time there would be eight Strutt mills at Belper which would grow to a population of 10,000 by the mid-nineteenth century and be the second largest town in the county.
Many successful Strutt’s followed and Makeney Hall was always their home. George Herbert Strutt was born in 1854, as the only son and youngest child in a family that held great influence over the town. At the turn of the century, Strutt would enjoy plenty of wealth and success and even a built a school for the town. There is a plack for him at the hotel.
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Makeney Hall wedding photography. Derbyshire Wedding Photographer. Ben and Hannah are multi-award winning, husband and wife International Wedding Photographers. Ben loves travelling throughout the UK for weddings and abroad for destination weddings. Meeting new people every day as we go is awesome! If you’ve seen us at a recent wedding and have a friend that’s getting married, we’d love you to recommend us! 
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