Romantic Engagement Session in Manchester UK

Updated February 4, 2021

Engagement Session at John Rylands Library, Barton Arcade and Manchester Cathedral

engaged couple embracing in front of john ryland library manchester

Erin and Dallas are Canadians, currently living in Manchester, UK. During our visit to Manchester, we were able to schedule a wedding engagement session to capture a bit of their story in this beautiful city. Sessions like this are like little time capsules, I love that they will now have these memories of their time in Manchester forever.

Erin chose John Rylands Library, Barton Arcade and Manchester Cathedral as the locations for this Manchester City Centre winter engagement shoot. Both Erin and Dallas love the architecture in Manchester City Centre and wanted to capture a bit of this very special city in their engagement images. We began our shoot at John Rylands Library. Neither Dallas nor Erin had been inside John Rylands Library, so after getting some beautiful shots of the architecture from the outside we went inside to have a look around. The library is filled with little nooks and crannies to lose yourself in your work or a good book, or in this case to snuggle in with your lover. The staff were happy for us to continue our shoot inside the library so long as we did not disturb anyone else or use flash or tripods. It was pretty dark inside but we loved the moody setting, and the architecture made the lighting totally worth it. 

couple walking along sidestreet at john ryland library

We quickly learned that Dallas is a total romantic and Erin is not typically keen on PDA. Dallas regaled us with tales of proposing to Erin at the Church where two generations of his family were married, in Leeds, UK. What a romantic proposal! We loved hearing about their love story, their adventure from living in Western Canada to playing for the Manchester Storm and settling in Manchester, United Kingdom. 

engaged couple sitting inside john ryland library

Engagement Session at the Barton Arcade

A short walk down the road we stopped at Barton Arcade for a coffee break and change of outfit. The UK is famous for these light-filled Arcades, housing everything from coffee and barbershops to clothing boutiques. The arcades provide a great alternative to sitting outside in the winter, you can sit outside the shops, in the natural light, without getting rained on! The Barton Arcade has a great specialty coffee shop called Pot Kettle Black (PKB) so of course, we had to try it - we can definitely recommend it. If we lived in Manchester this would be the type of place we’d love to spend an afternoon working in, the atmosphere and the coffee were perfect.

Manchester Cathedral Engagement Session

Once Erin and Dallas were into their more formal outfits we walked over to the Manchester Cathedral. We chose to walk around the perimeter of the Cathedral and use the courtyard for our shoot as it is a beautiful location and thankfully empty on this grey, wintry day in Manchester. I can see why so many people get married at the Cathedral, despite being right in the middle of the city it feels like a lush oasis, filled with greenery and succulents and plenty of little nooks and crannies to tuck into. 

engaged couple laughing in front of Manchester Cathedral

Erin and Dallas chose two outfits for this shoot, one casual outfit and one more formal. I love that they carefully considered which outfit would be appropriate for each location. Erin looked incredible with her fresh blow out, perfectly manicured nails and professionally done makeup. Taking the opportunity to trial your wedding vendors, like hair, makeup and nails, at your engagement shoot gives you the opportunity to see how your final look will show up in your photographs. This is just one way to make you feel even more comfortable on your wedding day! 

Guide to Manchester City Centre

Manchester City Centre is such a beautiful back drop for an engagement shoot. We loved getting to know the city and spending a few afternoons checking out the major landmarks, and the local coffee shops.

If you’re engaged and looking for an opportunity to meet your wedding photographer, trial all your vendors (hair, makeup, nails, etc) and have a mini date with your partner before your wedding day click that contact button and get in touch. 

For more Engagement Session inspiration have a read through these posts: 

Sunset Engagement Session, Bowmanville Ontario

Romantic Prince Edward County Engagement Session

Surprise Wedding Proposal, Bloomfield, Prince Edward County

Elevate your love story
Unscripted photographs
An Elevated Experience
“I would not be able to get married if they could not be my photographers”
- Michelle, Bride
Inquire