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
“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