It’s a funny thing when you know the people you are shooting. Whilst there is an ease brought by personal connection, there is also an added weight of responsibility to make sure their day runs as smoothly as possible. Pressure to perform in front of these people, witnessed by mutual friends, family relations – even my wife was in attendance. No pressure then! It was indeed a privilege to be asked by Hannah and Nathan to be their Styal Lodge Wedding Photographer. Styal Lodge is a contemporary venue with a tall pitched roof, an abundance of natural light, a paved garden for portraits and a small lake to the rear of the property. The lovely Bethan was the wedding co-ordinator who looked after us all on the day.
Styal Lodge Wedding Photographer
That said, my familiarity with the couple not only gave me the inside track on their hopes and fears, but also gave me more liberty with the banter to help put them at ease. Such was their determination for everything to go right on the day, I was able to offer reassurance that everything was going right. I see a wedding as a collection of moments, illustrated above as you can see that Hannah’s dad is fighting back the tears when he sees his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time. These are big moments and my job is to capture these important memories.
Nathan’s prep time was altogether much more relaxed, with the only hint of nerves showing when he was at the top of the aisle waiting for his bride, but before you knew it the music had started and the bridal party were making their way up the aisle (at quite a pace!). With vows and rings exchanged, the ceremony was sealed with a kiss and the register was signed. Then out into the gardens for the usual meet and greets, drinks and of course the formal shots. We were led back inside for the wedding breakfast with great food and speeches.
Once we were well fed and watered, we made our way to the lake to shoot some posed images. This is always a good time for the bride and groom to ‘chill’ away from their guests and have their own conversation about how they were feeling. Soon enough we had to return to the main party, perform the cake cut and do the first dance to Ronan Keating’s “Forever ain’t enough”. The party spirit was certainly alive here with their guests joining the dancefloor. This gave me perfect cover to visit the doughnut stand! Joke of the day came from the father of the bride – “It’s been an emotional day, even the cake was in tiers!” I salute you, Pete! An evening buffet and a firework display rounded off an incredible day for this fantastic couple.
If you are getting married and looking for a Styal Lodge wedding photographer, please don’t hesitate to drop me a message…
