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Cotswolds House Hotel Wedding

So Shani and Dan got married at St James Church and The Cotswolds House Hotel in Chipping Campden. I didn’t meet Shani or Dan in person before the wedding as they were so far away but I knew from our Skype call that it was going to be an epic wedding day, not just because Shani and Dan had organised such a wonderful day for all of their guests but because they are such lovely warm fun loving people and guess what?! I was right. It was absolutely perfect, such a relaxed and fun feel to the day, everyone was having the best time and the setting was beautiful, it felt like we were in some gardens in Italys countryside.

I also had the pleasure of working alongside a fantastic team for the day including Ben from Tynegate Films, Richard , The Gloucestershire Magician and my awesome second shooter Siobhan McGill of MgGill Sister Films.

I’m going to let Shani and Dan tell you all about it in their own words.

Thanks for having us Shani and Dan. Lots of love xxxxx

Shani and Dan’s Story

We met at high school and fell for each other whilst in the process of failing A-Level Biology. We were both so terrible at the subject that the teacher sat us together and from that moment on, we didn’t get very much work done! We then completed our A-Levels, took a gap year and travelled to Asia and went on to study Business Management together at University - we really were inseparable!. We graduated with our degrees a few years later, somehow ended up gaining three crazy dogs in that time and continued to do some more travelling, our favourite being a road trip across America. We've now been together for almost ten years and live in the quiet Cotswold town of Chipping Campden, where we got married.

Getting Engaged

Dan took me to Paris for my 21st Birthday and proposed on the Champ De Mars, it was magic! When we returned our family threw us an amazing surprise engagement party. We were quite young when we first got engaged and we decided that we would get married a 'couple' of years later. This somehow turned into a 5 year engagement! So the wedding day was very special for us as we had been planning for it for a long time.

Shani’s favourite thing about Dan is how kind and selfless he is, always helping other people and looking after her in particular! Shani also love how passionate he is about his hobbies.

Dan’s favourite thing about Shani is her smile and how driven she is in everything she does. Nothing phases her and she's such a strong woman.

St James Church and The Cotswold House Hotel in Chipping Campden.

We got married at St James Church in Chipping Campden, which is close to our hearts from our childhood. We had our reception at The Cotswold House Hotel in Chipping Campden. The most important thing for us was for our guests to have a great day. We were so lucky with the beautiful weather that we were able to have our wedding reception outside in the gardens. There were moments throughout the day when we both stood together and looked around at everyone, it was such a lovely feeling watching people enjoying themselves, with the the kids running around the garden, the magician shocking everyone with his entertainment, people tucking into their food and lots of free flowing drinks! Overall there was a really lovely feel to the day and we are so happy with how it all turned out.

The Wedding Dress.

I wore an English Rose Bridal dress from The Bridal Room Broadway. The ladies in the shop were so amazing helping to choose my dream dress and the whole experience was so wonderful, they really made me feel special.

https://www.thebridalroombroadway.co.uk/

A Shout Out to Our Wedding Suppliers.

My mum did my hair for the wedding day, I knew I didn't want anyone else to do it! She's the most wonderful hairdresser and it was so special for me that she was the one helping me to get ready in the morning. She did an amazing job, even though she was so nervous!

Christine Cara was my makeup artist, she was so much fun to be with throughout all of the trials leading up to the wedding day. I chose Christine because of how amazing other people had told me her work was, she didn't disappoint at all! She made me feel confident and helped me to create the look I wanted, even when I couldn't articulate it very well myself!

http://www.christinecaramakeup.com/

Our flowers were by Charlotte Gabb, we chose Charlotte because of her wealth of experience and knowledge of the church. Charlotte was brilliant and we were so happy with the beautiful arrangements.

We had The Gloucestershire Magician, Richard Parsons for our wedding reception entertainment. He was absolutely amazing! Our guests are still talking about how they can't believe the tricks he did. We are still talking about it too! Richard helped us to create that fun, relaxed feeling that we wanted to achieve on the day.

http://www.gloucestershiremagician.co.uk/

Sally Potter made our wedding cake. Sally has been making my birthday cakes since I was 4 years old, so it was really special for me that she did our wedding cake.

Our wedding stationary was made by Cherry Press. We chose Cherry Press because they are a local business who create traditional letterpress stationary the good old fashioned way!

http://www.cherrypress.co.uk/

Ben Tynegate was our videographer. We chose Ben because my sister showed us some of his work and we fell completely in love with it. We knew that his cinematic films were what we wanted to capture our day. We now can't stop watching them and will treasure our beautiful films forever.

https://tynegate-films.com/

We chose Katie Dervin as our wedding photographer as she was recommended by a friend. From the moment we saw Katie's photos we knew we didn't want anyone else to capture the wedding. The lighting and the way they are edited are so beautiful and we wish we could frame all of them and have them all displayed in our house!! Katie was so lovely on the day too, helping us to feel so relaxed and at ease in front of the camera.

We tried to keep the wedding and the decor low key and not too over the top but still with a classic, pretty feel to it. We had lots of fairy lights and candles everywhere to create a nice warm glow, but the venue spoke for itself so we didn't have to bring in too many other decorations.

We put a lot of effort into personalised touches throughout the day, for instance, we made all of the centre pieces ourselves, our wedding guest book and our polaroid timeline and it was so rewarding to see how it all came together beautifully on the day.

We wanted to have a really relaxed day so we chose to have a BBQ instead of a traditional three-course meal, which worked really well. For music throughout the day we made a playlist of our favourite songs growing up together and then we had a DJ in the evening for everyone to dance the night away to!

Shani and Dan’s Stag and Hen Do:

Dan went to Amsterdam for his stag do, he was amazed that he survived the weekend! It consisted of beer, beer tours and more beer. He loved it there and hopes to one day go back to enjoy the city a bit more sober!

I was truly spoiled as a hen, having three wonderful hen do's! The first was a bottomless brunch with all of my lovely girls. The second was a trip to the beautiful Greek island of Mykonos with my bridesmaids. The third was organised by my lovely mum, who got all of the ladies in my family together for a weekend in London and a party boat on the river Thames.

There isn't anything we would do differently really.

The only minor thing is I wish I had kept my veil on for longer! I took it off as it was getting caught on the floor but wish I had kept it on all day!

What would your advice be to couples planning their wedding day?

Enjoy it, it really is so much fun! Don't get too bogged down in the detail and lost in small stuff that doesn't truly matter, try to be well organised in advance and that way you can enjoy it as a couple.

Brides bouquet, pink flowers and pale green leaves. (Copy)

Wedding Dress hanging in the hall way. (Copy)

Brides shoes on windowsill with 6 pence inside. (Copy)

Bridesmaid shoes and the bottom of the bridesmaid dresses. (Copy)

Bride getting ready in the hall as bridesmaid watches from the sitting room. (Copy)

Bridesmaid help to arrange wedding dress hanging from wardrobe. (Copy)

Bridesmaid has a necklace put on her. (Copy)

Bridesmaids watching bride getting ready smiling. (Copy)

Bride getting her make up put on. (Copy)

Mother of the Bride and Sister of the Bride have a moment together as they look at the bride getting ready at Cotswolds House Hotel. (Copy)

Bride comes down to see her bridesmaids in their dresses for the first time. (Copy)

The bride stands in window light as her mother helps her put on her dress. (Copy)

Long shot of Bride having her dress put on in the window light. (Copy)

Bridesmaids see Bride in her wedding dress for the first time. (Copy)

Mother of the brides hat, jacket and purse in some speckled window light. (Copy)

Father of the Bride comes to see his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time. (Copy)

Bridesmaids peeping through the window. (Copy)

Speckled sunlight coming through the trees into the doorway. (Copy)

Bridesmaids waving outside The Cotswolds House Hotel. (Copy)

Groom and Groomsmen leaving the house on the way to the church. (Copy)

Groom leading his groomsmen to the church. (Copy)

St James Church, Chipping, Campden. (Copy)

Groom getting a hug from a wedding guest. (Copy)

Bridesmaids waiting for bride to arrive. (Copy)

Onlookers wait to see the bride enter the church. (Copy)

Bride walks down the church pathway with her dad. (Copy)

Groom waits inside the church with his groomsmen. Best Man looking at his watch. (Copy)

Bride and Father of the Bride walking down the aisle in St James Church in Chipping, Campden. (Copy)

Close up of the brides dress and the grooms suit as they stand together. (Copy)

Bride and Groom photographed through foliage. (Copy)

Bride and groom stand before vicar smiling. (Copy)

Bridesmaids clapping as bride and groom kiss in foreground. (Copy)

Bride and groom walk down the aisle as husband and wife. (Copy)

Bride and Groom walk down the church path towards their guests. (Copy)

Bride and Groom have confetti thrown at them. (Copy)

Bride and Groom laugh as they have confetti thrown out them outside St James Church, Chipping, Campden. (Copy)

Bride and Groom smiling surrounded by guests and covered in confetti. (Copy)

Brides sister cuddles her boyfriend outside the church where her sister has just been married. (Copy)

A little boy watches on from the pavement and people fuss over him. (Copy)

The bride gives her friend a hug as her friend cries. (Copy)

A little hand on the skirt of the brides wedding dress. (Copy)

The bride and groom lead their guests away from the church. (Copy)

The sister of the bride helps her with her veil. (Copy)

Close up of the dress, flowers and veil as the bride and groom walk by. (Copy)

Photograph from the back of the veil. (Copy)

Bride and Groom leads their wedding guests down the street. (Copy)

Bride and Groom walk past the local shops together. (Copy)

Buildings viewed from Cotswolds House Hotel. (Copy)

Lavender in Cotswolds House Hotel Grounds. (Copy)

Wedding Time Table Painted on a Pallet. (Copy)

To The Bar Sign hanging from a tree. (Copy)

Mother and Father of the Bride Cheers each other with champagne at the bar. (Copy)

Bride and Brides sister cheers one and other with champagne. (Copy)

Little girl is picked up so she can play Connect 4 with her two taller friends. (Copy)

Little girl plays connect 4 shot through holes. (Copy)

Little girls running through the garden. (Copy)

Wedding guests enjoying the magic. (Copy)

Bridesmaid fixing grooms suit as bride has a fag. (Copy)

Little boy playing Connect 4 on blanket. (Copy)

Wedding Guests laughing in the bushes. (Copy)

Wedding guests sitting at table laughing. (Copy)

Two male guests chatting together in gardens wearing sunglasses. (Copy)

Brides sister and her boyfriend laugh together. (Copy)

Brides mum laughs with her friends around a table. (Copy)

Brides sister looks excited while holding a card during a magic trick. (Copy)

Magician shows guests a magic trick with a bent fork. (Copy)

Bride and Groom Stand Side by side in Italian looking tree rowed path. (Copy)

Bride and Groom Laugh together in Italian garden. (Copy)

Bride and Groom Having the best day ever! (Copy)

Bride and Groom standing in pathway together. (Copy)

Bride and Groom Holding on and other in front of a row of tall trees. (Copy)

Bride and Groom hold each other laughing in Italian gardens, Cotswolds House Hotel. (Copy)

Bride and Groom together in old Chipping Market Hall. (Copy)

Bride and Groom two step pose outside shop. (Copy)

Bride and Groom walk their dogs under arches. (Copy)

Bride has her dog beg for a treat. (Copy)

Bride stands in the sunlight holding her dog on a lead. (Copy)

Guest Dog Wearing a blue bow tie. (Copy)

Guests standing in garden to listen to speeches. (Copy)

Father of the bride giving speech. (Copy)

Father of the bride giving his speech. (Copy)

Another guest dog looking super cool. (Copy)

The groom gives his speech as the bride looks on supportively. (Copy)

The crowd sit in the garden laughing. (Copy)

Two red haired children and a dog sit listening to the speeches. (Copy)

The 3 men standing to give a speech cheer the bride. (Copy)

The bride laughs while the best man gives his speech. (Copy)

Guest looks on looking emotional. (Copy)

Bridesmaid and mother of the bride crying. (Copy)

Two male guests laughing together. (Copy)

Two female guests laughing together while drinking a cup of tea. (Copy)

Wedding guest holding her daughter. (Copy)

Bride throws bouquet and her sister catches it. (Copy)

Brides sister is very excited to have caught the bouquet. (Copy)

The Bride is also very excited her sister has caught the bouquet. (Copy)

Sister is doing a victory dance with the bouquet as the Bride points at her laughing. (Copy)

Suppliers:

Photographer: Katie Dervin, 2nd shot by Siobhan McGill of mcgillsisterfilms.com/

Videographer: https://tynegate-films.com/

Dress: https://www.thebridalroombroadway.co.uk/

Magician: http://www.gloucestershiremagician.co.uk/

Stationary: http://www.cherrypress.co.uk/

Make Up: http://www.christinecaramakeup.com/

Oxfordshire Wedding Photographer - Village Hall Wedding

St Mary's Church in Aldworth & Letcombe Regis Village Hall Wedding

Click on the image above to go to Jess and Scott’s FULL WEDDING TRAILER!

So in early September this year I had the absolute pleasure of travelling down to South Oxfordshire to shoot Jess and Scott’s Wedding. It has been a wedding I’ve been looking forward to for a while as Jess and Scott are absolute sweethearts and I was so excited by Jess’s description the the beautiful 13th Century Church her and Scott were getting married in. I was also going to get to see some old faces at the wedding (Hey Kate and Tim) which always makes for a extra special day.

Jess wore a gorgeous dress from Rock the Frock Bridal Boutique in Berkshire on her wedding day teamed with a gorgeous silk flower crown her bridesmaids had bought her for her hen do, it ended up being so beautiful and going with Jess’s dress and make up so well that it was a main feature of her wedding outfit.

Jess and Scott rented out a local Village Hall in Wantage for a lovely, relaxed village hall reception. Anyway I’m giving away far too much… I’m going to let Jess and Scott take it from here in their own words.

If you would like to see the full wedding trailer click on the image above. ;)

Jess and Scott’s Story

“We met at a heavy metal nightclub! Scott was the DJ, and I went up and asked him to play a song by Polish death metal band Decapitated. We got chatting about death metal and had a bit of a flirt. He disappeared briefly to the loo and I left to get a kebab (I was a bit worse for wear). Fast forward a week and I spotted him loitering at another rock night - turns out he was trying to find me! We literally talked for about 5 hours, and then agreed on an official first date a few days later. I think he fancied me first, but I was the one who officially announced our relationship to all my friends at a party (with Scott standing next to me). I think that was the first he knew of it as well.”

“Scott asked me to marry him underneath the liberty statue in Budapest on a very misty autumn day in November. We were sitting quietly together on a bench, and he asked me suddenly. It was one of the best moments of my whole life.”

Jess on Scott: “He's kind, loyal, and is fiercely protective of the relationship we've built. He's the best man I've ever met.”

Scott on Jess Jess: “Is loving and caring, emotionally strong, always positive, clever, very fun :)”

St Mary's Church in Aldworth, South Oxfordshire

“I did postgraduate work on medieval literature and culture, and St Mary's Church is a stunning example of Transitional Norman architecture, and the inside of the church contains these amazing 13th century stone effigies! It felt super intimate, very English and had a melancholic beauty (basically my dream aesthetic).”

Letcombe Regis Village Hall

“We had the reception at Letcombe because we wanted a proper old English knees-up. The cricket field outside and the amount of natural light in the venue just swung it for us. We were also planning on doing nearly all the decorating ourselves and a village hall gave us the freedom to do that.”

Wedding Suppliers

“For my dress I went to Rock the Frock bridal boutique in Berkshire. I used RTF because I liked the idea of choosing from a small collection of thoughtfully curated dresses rather than a huge collection of dresses that all look basically the same. I also knew I wanted something a bit different, and something that would complement my body type. The wedding dress industry is often super focused on making brides look like a completely different person on their wedding day - I didn't want that. The atmosphere at RTF was completely relaxed, un-pressured and lots of fun. I ended up going for a dress I thought I would hate before I tried it on, and then fell in love with as soon as I walked out of the dressing room in it.”

“I used the artisan dried flower company for my bouquet and accessories. I get to keep my bouquet forever (well, almost...) and it was about a third of the price of fresh flowers. I cannot recommend dried flowers highly enough - they are much more cost effective, they look incredibly elegant and feminine, and you get to keep them after the wedding. Dried flower confetti is also muck kinder for the environment!”

Dried flower button hole, featuring a red rose and gypsy grass.

Bride and Groom leaving St Mary's Church, Aldworth together as a married couple.

Bride and Groom laugh together and their wedding guests throw dried petal confetti at them at St Mary's Church, Aldworth Village on a beautiful sunny day.

“My best friend baked my wedding cake. This was one of the most special parts of my whole wedding. He made a three tier cake - chocolate and porter fruit cake, amaretto drizzle cake, and citrus gin drizzle cake he decorated it with a thin layer of buttercream icing, gold leaf, dried rose petals and bee pollen. It was stunning.”

“We made the majority of the decorations ourselves - I painted glass jars for candle holders, hemmed and sewed my own cloth napkins and painted my table plan by hand. It was a huge amount of hard work, but incredibly rewarding to see it all come together on the day. Seeing all of our nearest and dearest hanging bunting and ironing table cloths the day before was a very emotional experience and made us both feel so loved.”

Hand Painted Table Plan Featuring English Flowers, Outside Village Hall Wedding Reception in Oxfordshire.

Stationary welcoming guests to the wedding with window light shining on it at village hall wedding reception in Oxfordshire.

”We had a South African braai! Scott was born and raised in South Africa so we wanted to keep the food super authentic, casual and just plain tasty. Everyone loved the food and we were both chuffed to see people up for seconds. I knew I didn't want a sit down meal, and queuing with my plate for boerewors and Mrs Balls chutney was one of my fave little moments of the day! Flame BBQ did an epic job.”

“Our pictures from the day are beyond what we expected - natural, intimate, stylish, and all suffused with a genuine warmth. Katie got some absolutely magical shots and provided a calming presence when I was getting ready in my bridal suite. I'm actually trying to think of excuses to book her again! Do you do 30th's Katie?”

Ha, ha the answer is yes I do. ;)

Is there anything you wish you could have done differently?

“I wish we hadn't allowed the stress of all the last minute organisation to get to us as much as it did. We were stressed out, exhausted from all the work and bickered a lot. When you spend so long planning a wedding, it becomes the biggest thing in your life and any little problem gets very easily blown out of proportion. I wish we'd have maintained a greater sense of perspective and not allowed the stress to impact us.”

Advice from Jess and Scott for other Couples

“No matter what goes wrong on the day, you will still be on cloud 9. Stop worrying about worst case scenarios, because on the day you absolutely won't care! You've just married the love of your life - congratulations!”

Thanks so much for having me Jess and Scott it was a bloody marvellous wedding indeed!

Lots of Love Katie xxxx

Dress was by https://www.rockthefrockbridal.co.uk/

Flowers by https://www.artisandriedflowers.co.uk/

Food by https://www.flamebbq.co.uk/

If you are looking to book your wedding photographer and would like a little bit more info get in touch with the form below. ;)

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So what's going on? When and where is it happening?

What are your plans for the day? Do you have any entertainment booked? Is your dog going?

Tell me more about yourselves. Where did you meet? Who is your favourite band? Where is your favourite place in the world?

Is there anything else I need to know? Do you need anymore info from me?

Lowry Theatre - Documentary Wedding Photographer

Les and Stacy

When I first met Les and Stacy for their Engagement Shoot in Heaton Park Manchester, I knew I was in for a treat. We had a right laugh together and the session flew by, while Les and Stacy mucked about taking the piss out of each other and we strolled around the park hunting for nice light and back drops, it was completely obvious they absolutely adored one and other.

I was a bit nervous meeting Les for the first time, as he's a super talented Wedding Photographer himself, but he was such a lovely warm mischievous character I felt comfortable straight away just chatting rubbish with them and snapping away as per usual, plus I knew pretty early on that if Les was gonna give me any grief Stacy had my back! lol

Morning Preparations

When the day of the Wedding arrived I met Stacy and her excited bridesmaids at her Maid of Honours house and Les's Best Mans house (these two still deny setting Les and Stacy up... but I'm pretty sure they had something to do with it!) They had a lovely relaxed morning together the girls getting ready for the wedding while Les's best man made the finishing touches to his speech downstairs. Then we all jumped into the teal vintage wedding cars (how cool are they!) and made our way to The Lowry Theatre.

Compass Room

The service was super emotional, there were plenty of tears of happiness from all the major players while Les and Stacy said their vows under the beautiful twinkling fairy lights of the Compass Room in The Lowry Theatre. Once the Wedding ceremony was finished everyone headed down to the bar to get the party started and what a wedding party it was! I Let the photos tell the rest of the story, but before I hop off. Here are a few words from Les and Stacy themselves...

Les and Stacy's Story...

"We met in my cousins car on the way to a wedding that Lester was the photographer for I'd been asked to go last minute due to her husband being unable to attend. (still think it was a setup even though they both to this day deny any of it). Of course he was sat in the back next to a 4 year old while I rocked it up front."

The Lowry Theatre as a Wedding Venue.

"We wanted a city wedding but something different that wasn't a hotel. I love all things theatre and have been going with my mum since I was little so as soon as we saw it we knew it was perfect for us."

Advice for Future Couples

"It's as much the grooms day as it is the brides. Always think about others but what you and your partner want should be paramount in it all. It's the one day you get to have exactly what you want do it your way and enjoy it."

Bridesmaids putting make up on in the mirror at home in Manchester

Girls getting ready in front of a window. Back lit natural scene.

Maid of honour smiles at camera while putting her make up on.

Best Man adding finishing touches to his speech.

Bridesmaid putting make up on in mirror framed by a doorway, stained glass window in the background of the frame.

Camera peeking through the doorway to catch brides reflection in the mirror as she has her hair done.

Mother of the bride looks excited waiting for her daughter in the hallway.

Bride has finishing spray, sprayed onto her face, the spray is lit up by the window light. Photograph in black and white.

Bridesmaids help to dress another in front of a window, the wedding dress hangs from the curtain rail above the window.

Bridesmaid waits outside the door for the bride, we see her in the foreground and back ground of the photograph as she is reflected in the mirror beyond the door.

Bride looks out of the window and her bridesmaids help fix her dress.

Close up of lace detail on the brides dress.

Brides reflection in the mirror as she wears her wedding dress.

Silhouette of bridesmaids getting ready in front on the window.

Bridesmaid leans forward laughing holding her flowers.

Teal Vintage Wedding Cars arrive at Lowry Theatre.

Groom looks on at guests smiling as he waits for his bride.

Bride and her father share a moment together before entering The Compass Room.

Bride and her father walk down the aisle in The Compass Room.

Bride looks at her groom while still holding on to her father.

Bride and Groom Stand together as the mother of the bride gives her away.

Best Man watches on with tears in his eyes.

Bride and Groom hold hands with fairy lights twinkling behind them.

Wedding guest appreciates artwork in hall way.

Glasses of Prosecco await wedding guests.

Young wedding guest looks pleased with himself.

Bride and Groom are greeted by the Grooms Parents.

Bride and Groom talk to wedding guests while they eat sweets.

Bride and Groom sit in their camper van.

Bride and Groom exit the Lowry Theatre to have confetti thrown at them by wedding guests.

Bride and Groom Laugh as they have confetti thrown at them.

Bride and Groom look happy as they have confetti thrown at them from all angles.

The floor is covered in pink and teal confetti.

Bride and Groom stand together in front of metal wall.

Black and white photo of bride and groom together.

Colour photo of groom hugging bride from behind.

Bride and Groom have a photo on the bridge,

Bride and groom walk down the bridge together.

Bride and Groom stand in front on The Lowry Theatre.

Bride and Groom with The Lowry Theatre behind them.

Bride and Groom go nose to nose outside the Lowry Theatre.

Bride and Groom go shopping in The Lowry Theatre Gift Shop.

Bride and Groom stand around in the art gallery.

Roses in glass jars on the wedding table.

Wedding cake with sheet music and peach rose detail.

Groom looks like batman behind the wedding cake.

Little boy enjoys the view at The Lowry Theatre.

The Bride and Groom enter the Compass room like legends.

Wedding guests look on wishing this was their wedding.

Mother of the bride has a laugh with father of the bride.

Flower girl eats sweets at wedding table.

Grooms family look on, looking very proud.

Groom looks on at his bride while giving his speech.

Pink shoe and jacket combo have been abandoned.

Mother of the bride hits the dance floor.

Everyone literally starts hitting the dance floor with their bare hands.

The Wedding Singer gets all the men to do The Chair. They aren't very good.

The Groom finds an inflatable saxophone.

First Dance in The Compass Room, Lowry Theatre

Les and Stacy's Wedding Suppliers

Bloomin Ells (Ellen Stone) - Florist and Venue Dresser http://www.bloomin-ells.co.uk/
Wed2b - Wedding Dress and Bridesmaid Dresses https://www.wed2b.co.uk/
Lovely wheels - Wedding Cars http://www.lovelywheels.co.uk/
The Lowry Theatre and Lucy Markey - Venue and Organiser https://www.thelowry.com/
Liz Hendry - The Live Piano Experience Pianist http://www.thelivepianoexperience.com/liz-hendry/
Wayne Farrow - Wedding Singer https://www.waynefarrow.co.uk/
Swarbricks Formal - Grooms and Groomsmen Suits https://swarbricks.co.uk/
Stitches Manchester - Alterations http://www.stitchesuk.co.uk/

Chetham's Library Wedding Photographer Manchester - Maddy & Craig

Maddy and Craig's Story

"We met at work and had known each other for a while before one fateful night at the Liar's Club sparked the start of something. We had our first date the very next day

We got engaged in Copenhagen, which Craig managed to surprise me with for my birthday - I didn't even know we were leaving the country until we turned off the m56 for Manchester airport. He had even packed miniature toiletry holders so I could repack my shampoo etc without having to tip me off in advance. Craig proposed almost as soon as we got to the hotel, I think the stress of getting the ring through security without me noticing had taken it's toll! It was a beautiful weekend in the snow in January."

Chetham's Library and Lock 91 as Wedding Venues

Maddy and Craig got married in one of Manchester’s hidden gem wedding venues, Chetham’s Library. It’s a beautiful venue with loads of character and wonderful little pockets of light and shadows that make for a wedding photographer’s dream! So if you are getting married there and reading this, give me a shout! Your wedding guests are also able to wander around the library and explore the stacks of old antique books while they catch up with one and other and sip on their champers. It’s a really unique wedding venue and all in Manchester city centre! Making getting there, staying there or hoping off to somewhere else all super convenient possibilities. In this case Maddy and Craig hopped over to Lock 91 in Deansgate to continue the party, which is another great venue for a lot of the same reasons Chetham’s Library is, without the epic Library to wander though of course!

Here’s what Maddy and Craig had to say about Chetham’s Library as their wedding venue:

"We wanted casual but classy venues for the wedding and we wanted to keep to a strict budget. We visited Chetham's Library and fell in love with how beautiful it was and all of the history behind it. We thought about having the full day there but really wanted to put our own stamp on the party and keep it quite casual and Lock 91 was perfect for that. It was also extremely reasonably priced to have the ceremony at the library's Baronial Hall and we had exclusive use of the library itself for photos and for guests to explore after the ceremony. It turned into a wedding of two halves really, with a fairly traditional civil ceremony at the library followed by a raucous party at the bar!

Lock 91 were completely relaxed and accommodating, which was extremely helpful as we were maybe a bit too laid back with the planning until quite last minute. We had caterpillar cakes for our wedding cake which I completely forgot to buy until I went to drop everything off the night before and Andi (the manager) helpfully reminded me and I made a mad dash to Tesco! Simon at Chetham's was brilliant as well, we were very fortunate with everyone we dealt with.

In choosing the venues (and in choosing everything) within budget we decided to focus on what was important to us and what wasn't. I got a taxi to the venue as neither of us is particularly interested in cars. Our two wedding cakes cost £10 from Tesco and who doesn't love caterpillar cake!? The biggest outlays of the day were on drinks, food and the band and as the aim of the day (besides getting married) was to have a really great time with friends and family, drinks food and music were our priority and therefore where chose to put our money. Craig is a big music fan and spent much of the year building up to the wedding making Spotify playlists for pre-ceremony, ceremony, drinks reception etc."

Suppliers

"I got my dress and hairpiece from case of the Curious Bride in Sale and the dress designers are Hazaar of London (the headpiece was done by Melanie from case of the curious bride). Craig bought his suit online in the sale and the groomsmen wore their own blue suits. Bridesmaid dresses were from Dorothy Perkins (also in the sale!) And Jasmine's dress and shoes were monsoon. Flowers were amazing and were done by Emily at Bloomin Altrincham Market. The food was done by Cafe Mozaic in Ashton and everybody loved it! Mr Wilson's Second Liners were the most incredible band we could have wished for. We bought shed loads of prosecco for the drinks reception at Chetham's from Sainsbury's. Rachel McDonnell did my dress alterations. Rachael Dutton did hair and make up. We had the most amazing wedding night at Hotel Gotham and they were very patient when we completely overslept our check out time.

Also we had THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHER EVER and I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a wedding photographer!"

Little girl looks on at Brides Dress hanging up.

Brides dress hangs on wardrobe, Manchester.

Mum and Bride have a hug in the kitchen on the morning of her wedding day.

Bridesmaids do each others hair in hallway of the brides house, Manchester.

Bride, her mum and a bridesmaid hand out in the kitchen together taking photographs with their phones.

Bridal party laugh together in brides kitchen as she gets ready for her wedding.

Bridesmaid smiles watching bride getting ready.

Bride spends some quality time with her cat on the morning of her wedding.

Mother of the bride cuts pizza for everyone.

Bridal party laughing together in Chorlton.

Groom welcomes wedding guests under umbrella outside Chetham Library.

Groom waiting for Bride inside Chetham's Library.

Petals lining the aisle at Chetham's Library.

Wedding guest does a magic trick for his son inside the ceremony room at Chetham Library.

Bridesmaids arrive at Chetham's Library Manchester.

Bride arrives at Chetham's Library Manchester.

Groomsmen laugh together waiting for the Bride to arrive.

Bride is walked down the aisle by her father at Chetham's Library.

Bridesmaid sits with groomsmen looking very excited!

Bride looks at Groom, looking very happy at Chetham's Library Manchester

Groom stands next to bride at Chetham's Library Manchester.

Bridesmaid reads and the Bride and the Groom look on.

Bridesmaid jumps off the stage as the Bride and Groom clap.

Bride takes her ring at Chetham Library Manchester.

Bride and Groom stand together with a row of Bridesmaids behind them at Chatham Library Manchester.

Bride and Groom stand married in front of their wedding guests at Chetham's Library Manchester.

Hugs in the door way at Chetham's Library Manchester.

Bridesmaid stands in window light at Chetham's Library Manchester.

Bride and Groom have a moment in the doorway at Chetham Library Manchester.

Bride and Groom walk through Chetham Library together.

Bride and Groom laugh together at Chetham Library.

Bride and Groom sit together smiling at Chetham's Library Manchester.

Portrait of the Bride and Groom at Chetham's Library.

Portrait of the Bride and Groom at Chetham Library.

Black and White Portrait of the Bride and Groom.

Wedding guests walks down the library stairs.

Bridesmaid walks down Library stairs holding flowers.

Bride and Groom exit Chetham Library to be greeting by wedding guests throwing confetti.

Bride and Groom have confetti thrown at them outside Chetham Library.

Bride and Groom look at one and other outside Chetham's Library.

Bride and Groom have confetti thrown at them by their wedding guests outside Chetham Library and look very excited about it!

Little boy picks confetti up off the floor.

Brides dress, flowers, shoes and confetti.

Toddler hangs of bar at wedding reception at Lock 91.

Wedding Guests sit on Balcony at Lock 91.

Wedding Guests waves at camera at Lock 91 Wedding.

Wedding guest sitting on balcony at Lock 91.

Bridesmaid sits in room full of people and is the only one to notice the camera at Lock 91 Wedding.

Wedding guest laughs while looking through hand bag.

Little boy draws in colouring book at Lock 91 Wedding.

Wedding Guests chat in window light at Lock 91.

Bride and Groom arrive at Wedding at Lock 91.

Bride and Groom enjoy welcome drinks at Lock 91.

Bridesmaids walk together outside Lock 91.

Bride and Bridesmaids stand in front of puddle outside Lock 91.

Wedding guests wait for their dinner at Lock 91.

Little boy and his Dad play on balcony at Lock 91.

Bride and Groom Listen to Speeches at Lock 91.

Wedding guests raise their glasses to the speeches.

Mr Wilsons Second Liners Wedding Band Arrive at Lock 91.

Bride laughs as she is surrounded by Mr Wilson's Second Liners.

Bride and Groom throw some shapes at Lock 91 Wedding Reception.

Looking for your wedding photographer? Get in touch!

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What are your plans for the day? Do you have any entertainment booked? Is your dog going?

Tell me more about yourselves. Where did you meet? Who is your favourite band? Where is your favourite place in the world?

Is there anything else I need to know? Do you need anymore info from me? Would you like to see a photograph of my dog?

Trafford Hall Wedding Photographer - Jo & Mark's Festival Tipi Wedding

Jo & Mark's Story...

In Jo's words... "Mark and I met when we were both living in Prague & I was bored and answered an advert to view a room I didn’t need and it was love at first sight (for me!)."

"When we got engaged, Mark took me to the bar where we had our first date and we sat at the table we sat at on that first night and he got down on one knee and proposed in Czech"

On choosing St Thomas's Church and Trafford Hall as Wedding Venues...

"The church where we got married was my local church where I got my Brownie award and when my Nana & Grandad were buried. We loved the countryside feel of the church and the deal sealer was when we had it confirmed that my friend could play the organ for us. When we were planning our wedding we decided that we really wanted a tipi wedding so we were hunting for a venue with a large outdoor space. When we saw Trafford Hall we were overjoyed - it was perfect with all of the scenery. We were also really passionate that it was owned by a charity that helps low income families and the money that we paid would go towards helping others. They were amazing there and helped make our day really special."

Advice for Couples on their Wedding Day...

"If there was one piece of advice that I could give a bride and groom it would be to enjoy your day - it goes so fast (and everyone LOVES telling you how fast it goes) so try and grab 5 minutes with just the two of you so you can take a breather and enjoy it together!"

St Thomas’s Church

St Thomas’s Church is a huge beautiful building in the heart of Lydiate in Liverpool chosen by Jo and Mark for it’s special meaning to Jo’s family, the church also boasts it’s own handy car park just over the road, which is great for guests that are driving to ceremony, inside the stained glass windows are huge letting in oddles of natural light. It’s a beautiful church to get married in and can hold a large number of guests.

Trafford Hall

Is a gorgeous red brick Georgian mansion nestled in 14 acres of land there’s plenty of space to play around with. If you wish to get married at Trafford Hall and hold your whole day there, you can do! They have a civil ceremony licence, they also have 52 bedrooms on site so that your guests can bed down after the party and rumour has it you get a free night in the bridal suite as part of your wedding package. You heard it here first! ;)

As Jo said Trafford Hall is owned by a charity so by hiring the venue you'll be helping fund the important work that the Trafford Hall's charity partners are involved with within the local community. :)

Getting Ready

Jo and her bridesmaids got ready at her mums house. I love photographing brides getting ready at their family homes, sometimes people are worried that their might be a mess or that decorating hasn’t been finished but when you look back on the photos in years to come having them taken at the family home adds that extra bit of narrative and meaning to the photos. You can look back at the old wall paper and carpets and get all nostalgic about the old family home! Jo’s Dad popped in to give her some wedding morning gifts and see his beloved daughter in her wedding dress before they hopped in the vintage wedding cars and high tailed it to the church!

The Ceremony

There was some anticipation in the church for a while as the bus with half of the wedding guests had hit some traffic on the way and was running late! At one point it looked like the ceremony might have to go ahead with out them, but luck was on Mark and Jo’s side and the bus got there just in time, the guests quickly made it to their seats and Mark and Jo were married in front of all of their friends and family.

The Bus

It was quite a journey from St Thomas’s Church to Trafford Hall so Mark and Jo had the bus stick around to make sure the guests could catch a lift there, the bus was the place to be with plenty of fizz and some nips of hard liquor being passed around the top deck the party had officially started!

The Party

Jo and Mark wanted a tipi festival wedding reception and so had a tipi put up in the back garden of Trafford Hall. After the food and speeches they kicked of the party by cutting the cake and launching into their energetic first dance to a live band. It turned out to be quite a party!

A big shout out to my wonderful second shooter Katy Mutch for her tremendous work as always.

Thanks for having us Jo and Mark it was an absolute pleasure to be part of your day! xxxxxxx

Close up of the edge of the veil resting on the carpet.

Bride hanging her dress up on a wardrobe and fixing the bottom of the dress.

Bridesmaid dresses hanging in the window.

Bride stands in doorway framed by an arch. Photo in black and white.

Bride bringing her dress down the stairs.

Bride bringing her dress down the stairs, bridesmaid waits in kitchen.

Bridesmaid doing some morning home work before the wedding.

Flowers standing in the sink next to the drying dishes.

Mother of the bride having a fag in the kitchen.

Mother of the bride giving a knowing look.

Bride having a fag and bucks fizz break in the kitchen.

Bride looking excited, flower girl in background looking unsure.

Flower girl getting her dress on. Liverpool.

Bride getting her dress on in Liverpool.

Bridesmaid watching bride getting ready.

Flower girl watching bride getting ready.

Bride standing at back door in her dress.

Brides mum and bridesmaids react to her wearing the dress.

Penguin Order or Service lined up on church pew.

Bride entering the church with her father.

Groom looking up as he waits for the bride to arrive.

Grooms Dad comforts groom as he stands at the end of the aisle waiting for bride.

Bride walks down the aisle with her father.

Bride and groom look at each other smiling over their hymn sheets.

Bride and groom look at one and other smiling as they exchange rings.

Bride and groom look back at wedding guests.

Bride and groom look on smiling as their friend reads.

Bride and groom make their way down the aisle as man and wife.

Bride and groom make their way down the aisle at St Thomas's Church, Liverpool.

Little girl looks on at bride at St Thomas's Church Liverpool.

Little girl gets a cuddle from a bridesmaid.

Wedding guests outside St Thomas church Liverpool.

Brightly coloured confetti spilt on the floor.

Wedding Guest with hand over her face looking guilty.

Bride and groom make their way through the confetti.

Guests surround bride and groom as they throw confetti at them at St Thomas Church Liverpool

Confetti and bubbles surround bride and groom as they laugh.

Confetti with the bride and groom, Liverpool.

Bubbles, flowers and bride and groom as they exit St Thomas's Church, Liverpool.

Confetti on the floor outside the church.

Brides mother waits outside wedding car as bride is helped into it by driver, big red bus in the back ground.

Bride and groom have a kiss in the back on the wedding car, focus on the brides bouquet.

Bride and groom have excited faces in the back on the wedding car.

Front of the wedding bus parked next to the church.

Flower girl sitting on the top deck of the wedding bus.

Mother of the bride steps onto the wedding bus.

Guests laugh on the top deck of the wedding bus.

Guest checks the year of the champagne he has been given looking serious.

Guests pour some hard liquor on the top deck of the wedding bus.

Mother of the bride on the wedding bus laughing.

Bride and groom arrive at Trafford hall in their wedding car.

Bride and groom looking regal posing for wedding photos.

Bride and groom make their way through the shrubbery.

Bride and Groom pose in dappled light against wooden wall at Trafford Hall, Liverpool.

Bride and Groom have excited faces at Trafford Hall Wedding.

Wedding guests enjoy the garden at Trafford hall.

Children take a selfie in Trafford Hall Garden.

Children play on swing at Trafford Hall Garden.

Bride and Groom with Groomsmen and Trafford Hall.

Bride and Groom posing with their mates.

Bride and Groom posing back to back with their fags.

Bride and groom taking a quiet moment together.

Bride and groom sitting in the garden at Trafford Hall.

Groom pushes bride on swing at Trafford hall.

Bride and groom play on tree swing at Trafford Hall.

Brides flowers and shoes lying on the grass.

Bride and Groom laugh at the father of the brides speech.

Father of the bride making his speech inside tipi.

Father of the bride takes a drink, while the bride looks emotional.

Bridesmaid plays with her daughters hair.

Best man and father of the groom making a speech.

Mother of the bride and groom laugh at speech.

Mother of the bride listening to best mans speech.

The wedding cake with bunting in background.

Guests watching the cake being cut while holding drinks.

Groom smiling as he dances with his bride.

Bride looking at groom smiling while they dance.

Guests dancing in tipi at Trafford Hall Wedding.

Guests dancing in tipi. Photo in black and white.

Bride and groom twirl and kiss on dance floor.

“Katie was brilliant from beginning to end!

She was the photographer for our wedding in September and we couldn’t have asked for better. She put us at ease straight away when we first contacted her and was so relaxed and positive throughout. We knew we had made the right choice when we saw the beautiful photos from the engagement shoot. On the day both she and Katie, the second shooter, were the consummate professionals but also relaxed and friendly and so patient – which must have been a challenge at times! The wedding photos are stunning and Katie managed to capture so many beautiful moments from the day. We both cried the first time we looked at them and our friends and family have been just as moved and impressed.

Thanks so much for everything Katie.

Love Jo and Mark Gilbertson xxx”

A shout out to Jo & Mark's Wedding Suppliers!

Tipi: event in a tent - https://www.event-in-a-tent.co.uk
Venue: Trafford Hall - http://www.traffordhall.com

Florist: The flower farm - http://www.theflowerfarm.co.uk
Dress: Cicily bridal - https://cicilybridal.com
Veil: Helen Martin veils - http://www.helenmartinveils.co.uk
Cars: Horgans wedding cars - http://www.horganscars.co.uk
Shoes: Vivienne Westwood
Bridesmaid dresses: ASOS

Band - Louise and the Love Bugs.

https://www.bestoneentertainment.com/louiseandthelovebugs.html

Manchester Wedding Photographer - Sarah and Ben

Sarah and Ben's Epic Manchester City Centre Wedding

I love a good Manchester City Centre wedding and Sarah and Ben did not disappoint! It was off to a bumpy start in the wedding planning days for the two of them, when their first Manchester venue cancelled on them just a few months before the wedding! Luckily The Renaissance Hotel on Blackfriars Street came to rescue and they were able to hold their chilled out urban wedding right in the heart of Manchester.

Getting ready shots with the Groomsmen was exciting for me as I was allowed into Barber, Barber in the Barton Arcade, (normally girls aren’t allowed in) so I felt like a spy… Sneaking around with my camera. There were a couple of close shaves, but I think I got away with it… Oh dear… Then it was on to Sarah and Ben’s City Centre apartment to see how the girls and Sarah’s Dad were getting on and photograph Sarah getting into her magnificent wedding dress. It was a lovely chilled out morning full of tears and laughs. Some beautiful thoughtful presents from Sarah to her bridesmaids and parents, not to mention some killer dance moves getting thrown out by flower girl, Freya.

When we got to The Renaissance Hotel the excitement was building. The room looked stunning, but it had nothing on what Sarah looked like walking down the aisle to Ben, they were both glowing with happiness and laughing together throughout the ceremony. It was an absolute corker! After some confetti, fizz, canapés and a few family group shots by the River Irwell we hopped into a taxi and made our way to Stevenson Square in Manchester’s infamous Northern Quarter to bring some of Manchester’s amazing street art into the Sarah and Ben’s portrait session. We had about 20 minutes, so it was a mad dash from spot to spot, but Sarah and Ben totally nailed it, as I think you’ll see in their photos. We even managed to find some graffiti that fitted with the smoke bombs Sarah and Ben had wanted perfectly and literally just a few minutes before the taxi arrived to whisk us back to Black Friars Street in time for the wedding breakfast! We then enjoyed some hilarious and heartfelt speeches, before it was time for for the party, which obviously, like anything Sarah and Ben do, was done in style. I’ll let the party photos tell you the rest of the story.

Thank you for having me Sarah and Ben. You guys rock! Xxx

Katie Dervin is a Documentary Wedding Photographer based in Manchester.

To book a shoot or enquire about wedding bookings click here.