Just a really quick post as I’m just about to set off for Hazlewood’s wedding fair. Its always a great wedding fair to show at and we love meeting potential new clients. We usually go together to the fairs but Lou can’t make it today so it’s just me. I might get a bit lonely without her so if you’re planning on coming down please come and say hello!
Phil x
We ventured over the pennines last week for Tracey & Nick’s wedding. Their wedding was at the stunning Inn at Whitewell which is such a fantastic venue. It’s set in a beautiful part of the world and quite a hidden gem really – it’s an area sandwiched between the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District and I think it tends to get a bit overlooked as a result. Whatever, it’s gorgeous.
Anyway, we arrived at the hotel on a very cold but very bright, beautiful morning. Both Nick & Tracey were getting ready at the Inn – Nick in the main building and Tracey in the coach house, so everything was very relaxed. The hotel was buzzing with locals enjoying lunch after a country walk, but gradually Nick & Tracey’s guests arrived for the celebrations starting at 4pm. Tracey looked amazing as she walked down the aisle in her stunning dress (and purple shoes!) and the ceremony was such a happy occasion.
Tracey and Nick had opted for a purely reportage approach for their photography, although we did manage to sneak in a couple of shots of just the two of them outside before the chill got the better of everybody. After a wedding breakfast and speeches in the marquee a fantastic ceilidh was set up which was a great way of getting everyone up on the dance floor. We got some great shots of everyone, although I would rather have been up dancing with everyone!
Tracey and Nick, you were such a great couple to work with. We hope you had a fantastic wedding day – lots of love and congratultions to you both!
Phil & Lou xx
Our most recent wedding was also our snowiest. In fact it was proper welly-boot deep and crisp and even. Fortunately for us it was just around the corner from our home at Woodlands Hotel so even if we hadn’t managed to get the car out we could have easily walked it. Luckily we didn’t have to.
It was Rebecca & Ian’s big day – I’d spoken to Rebecca earlier in the week and she was a bit nervous to say the least! That hadn’t really changed when we arrived at the hotel (!), but as the day went on they both chilled out and had a great time.
I spent some time up in the penthouse with Rebecca and her little entourage while she had her hair and make up done. She had her dress designed and made specially for her and her dressmakers were on had to put the finishing touches to her outfit. I have to say she looked absolutely stunning in her silver gown – very much the fifties starlet and her final look was very Audrey Hepburn. Meanwhile Lou was capturing details downstairs and awaiting the boys’ arrival.
After the beautiful ceremony Rebecca and Ian were very brave and were happy to venture outside for a while for a few shots. It would have been a shame not to have captured the snow in some pictures, but we stopped short of wading through the deep stuff – I don’t think Rebecca’s stilettos were really up to it!
The wedding breakfast took place in the marquee which was looking stunning with gorgeous flowers supplied by our friends at Ivy in Pudsey. Also taking pride of place was a fantastic cupcake tower in some amazing colours. Three yummy courses, many bottles of wine and several speeches later it was set up time for the evening reception. I stayed on to capture some first dances as usual and it was lovely just to have a short drive home again – one reason we love working at Woodlands!!
Rebecca & Ian, we had such a great time with you at your wedding. You can both relax now!!
Phil & Lou xxx
Hannah and Adam’s wedding came at the start of a weekend dominated by snow. The forecast was for plenty of the white stuff, and as Hannah & Adam’s wedding was in rural Staffordshire we were watching the forecasts with keen interest. On the day however, it was perfect. Cold, yes, but a gorgeous day.
Hannah & Adam had chosen Packington Moor Farm for their wedding. We haven’t worked here before but it was a beautiful venue – a gorgeous old cosy barn for the ceremony and a bigger sunny barn for the wedding breakfast.
As always, Lou met up with the boys for their prep. She had her hands full with Adam and his (four!!) best men who kept her entertained with their comedy lunging (you had to be there really…). Meanwhile I was with Hannah and the girls as they got ready in one of the cottages on the farm. Hannah broke with tradition and wore a stunning purple dress which looked amazing and really seemed to fit the Christmassy mood.
It was just a short walk across the courtyard for Hannah to get to the barn for the ceremony. We weren’t able to stand at the front as we usually do during the ceremony, but the barn had a gallery which meant we were able to get some lovely shots of the whole barn from from up high.
The ceremony was at 3.30pm, so afterwards we whisked Hannah and Adam straight outside to make the most of the fast fading winter light for some couple shots around the courtyard. Then it was time for a few group shots. Once again Hannah & Adam’s friends proved they were game for a laugh and provided us with some interesting photo opportunities (see below…)
The wedding breakfast was a magnificent hog roast, bred on the farm. We were invited up to help ourselves too and can vouch for the deliciousness of the local produce! After speeches by five bridesmaids as well as four best men it was straight into the evening reception, DJ’d by another of Hannah and Adam’s guests. The snow had started to come down by this time so we left everyone having a fantastic time.
Hannah and Adam continued the winter theme with a honeymoon skiing in Whistler. We’ll see you soon, guys, for your viewing. Thank you for inviting us along to your beautiful winter wedding. We had an amazing time!
Phil & Lou xxx
Well in all the years we’ve been photographing weddings we’ve ever really had much wintry weather to contend with. Then suddenly down comes the snow and we all go a bit wobbly and we have 4 weddings on the trot with a covering of the white stuff (I realise if you’re reading this in, e.g. Canada, we all sound like the biggest wusses over here).
Anyway, one of those weddings, the last one of 2009, was Louise & Matthews, and what a fantastic day it was. It was our final wedding before Christmas so we were in a jolly mood anyway, and Louise & Matthew were a fantastic couple to work with. Louise told us that way back when she started planning the wedding she’d envisaged a winter wonderland theme, but I don’t think she thought for a moment that the weather would cooperate!
Everything took place at Oulton Hall which looked stunning in its snowy attire, complete with frozen fountain. I spent the morning there with Louise and her party while Lou captured the boys having a pre-nuptial snowball fight in the middle of a blizzard at one of Matthew’s usher’s house. Boys will be boys.
After the ceremony we managed to persuade Louise & Matthew to go outside for some photos. Actually they didn’t take much persuading at all and really entered into it – Louise in particular must have been freezing in her (gorgeous but not really designed for sub-zero temperatures) dress.
The wedding breakfast was held in the Oulton Suite which looked amazing, all decked out with snowflakes to match the ones outside. After we’d captured some of the first dances we left Louise & Matthew and their guests to carry on partying and made our way home where we put the fire on and cracked open the sherry to celebrate another year’s successful weddings completed.
Louise & Matthew were lucky enough to spend Christmas honeymooning on a beach in the Maldives. They’re back home now, so we’d like to thank them for inviting us to be part of their day. It was such a pleasure.
Phil & Lou xxx
