A Secret Retreat with Bev & Paul to the Beautiful Santa Maria

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Bev & Paul

September 2015

Santa Maria Wedding Photography, Destination Wedding Photography

I spent last week in the BEAUTIFUL Santa Maria, Italy at The Secret Retreat workshop. I can't begin to describe how much I learned & what a completely invaluable experience it was for me. Ever since touching down in Italy my mind has been spinning with inspiration & ideas! Sooo.. Keep your eyes peeled for some changed to my website & branding over the next few months!

We were well and truly spoilt whilst on our little retreat, shooting at the Palazzo Belmonte & hanging out with the prince ;) It was every wedding photographers dream. Santa Maria is made up of quaint cobbled streets & has a nostalgic 'frozen-in-time' atmosphere, the ideal place to clear your head and start planning for the future

A huuuuge thank-you to the beautiful Bev & Paul for being so perfect <3

 

Alice & Glenn's Woodland Tipi Wedding at Stanley Villa Farm, Lancashire

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ALICE & GLENN

4.09.15

Stanley Villa Farm Wedding, Lancashire Wedding Photography

Alice & Glenn chose to be married at the amazing Stanley Villa Farm, near Preston. As I arrived at the farm I was so excited! There was a beautiful lake, stunning scenery & the 'glamping' pods looked super cool dotted amongst the fields... But it just kept getting better! 

Round the corner there was a huge tipi set up ready for the wedding reception, complete with a fire pit & fairy lights. Behind the tipi was a small path leading right into the thick of the forest to a small clearing surrounded by trees, the lovely Amy from Sweetpea & Ivy had been busy setting up hay bails, arches & embroidered throws ready for Alice & Glenn's ceremony in the woods!

It really was one of the most beautiful services I've ever seen & it was filled with the touching moments & traditions of a Hand-fasting ceremony. After Alice & Glenn had exchanged their vows the rings were passed round their guests for each person to bless the couple & their family, three of the couples closest friends were then invited to wrap ribbons round Alice & Glenn's hands, each ribbon representing a part of their marriage & their new bonds as husband and wife.

The rest of the day was spent celebrating till the sun went down (and much, much later,) filled to the brim with rustic wedding, glamping loveliness!

 

Sarah & Daniel's Pretty Vintage Wedding at Trafford Hall, Chester

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SARAH & DANIEL

29.08.15

Trafford Hall Wedding, Cheshire/Chester Wedding Photography

Sarah & Daniel got married at the beautiful Trafford Hall, just on the outskirts of Chester, Cheshire. The hall is a stylish Georgian mansion surrounded by stunning scenery & a quaint sunken garden & (according to good sources) is in high demand - so check it out, quick!

Sarah looked UH-mazing with a chic up-do & vintage lipstick, a proper English Rose. The ceremony room had also been decked out by the lovely Amy at Sweetpea & Ivy and come 3pm Daniel was there awaiting his beautiful bride with their guests. 

After a touching ceremony Sarah & Daniel walked out of the French doors under a shower of confetti, hand in hand, as husband & wife. It was then time for hugs, kisses & champagne followed by lots of photographs and enough sandwiches, scones & tea to feed a small army.

When everyone had had their fill it was back out in the gardens to continue the celebrations in front of the gorgeous ivy-clad walls.. It was such a beautiful evening and the sun was set low in the sky giving off a golden light, so I whisked Sarah & Daniel off again for 10 minutes to make the most of it.

Half way through some shots we were joined by a horse from one of the near by fields, it would of been rude not to feature him in some of their photos!

 

Hannah & Joe's Abbeywood Garden's Wedding in Delamere, Chester

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HANNAH & JOE

14.08.15

Abbeywood Gardens Wedding, Cheshire Wedding Photography

Hannah & Joe got married at the beautiful Abbeywood Gardens in Delamere, Chester. It rained, ALL DAY - not that you could tell, the newly weds did not stop smiling & laughing, the weather was literally the last thing on their minds.

THE SPEECHES - Best.Father.Of.The.Bride.Speech.Ever. It was a complete surprise when Hannah's dad started belting out his own rendition of "I loved her first" in the middle of his speech, only to be joined by Hannah's mum half way through! I have to admit my eyes filled up and there may have even been a slight chin wobble, not that anyone would of noticed compared to Hannah & her bridesmaids who were all UNCONTROLLABLY sobbing.

What made it all the more emotional was that Hannah & Joe were flying to Thailand the next day to start the next chapter of their lives together. They are currently traveling the world as Husband and Wife <3

 

Jes & Luke's Peckforton Castle Wedding in Cheshire

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Jes & Luke

16.06.16

A Peckforton Castle Wedding in Chester, Cheshire

The skies opened just as I was pulling up to the castle & I was gutted for Jes & Luke as I know they really wanted to get outside for their photographs. As soon as I went a met Jes down at the lodge, I was met with a beaming smile & it was quite clear that the rain was not going to stop them doing anything!

When everyone was ready we headed up the forest lined drive, over the bridge and through the castle gates to join Luke & their guests in the Great Hall. Once the newly wed's had officially been announced Husband & Wife, we headed outside & into the forest armed with umbrellas for their photographs. Neither of them could stop laughing & smiling & we barely noticed the rain!

Big thank-you to my assistant photographer, Sarah Horton <3

Dan & Kealeigh's Inglewood Manor Wedding, Cheshire

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DAN & KEALEIGH

26.05.15

Inglewood Manor Wedding/Cheshire Wedding Photography

This was my first time at Cheshire's Inglewood Manor and I couldn't wait! The manor house itself has a real feeling of luxury and oozes in traditional British style whilst the gardens are absolutely stunning with hidden lakes, flowers, grand iron gates & a woodland area - you literally couldn't ask for more!

The cherry on the cake were the lovely Kealeigh & Dan (and not forgetting their gorgeous kids too!) After arriving at the manor I joined Kealeigh and the girls in The Oak Room whilst they prepared for the day ahead, not forgetting to pop over to Dan and the boys every now and again too. Soon it was time to head downstairs to meet the guests and await the brides grand entrance down the aisle.

After a touching ceremony Kealeigh & Dan were soon announced man & wife and walked back down the aisle hand in hand. After lots of hugs and kisses from their guests we headed out to make the most of Inglewood's grounds which I had been itching to photograph all morning!

As the guests relaxed outside on the terrace the staff were adding the final touches to the wedding breakfast room - after a quick turn around it was time for everyone to take their seats ready for the speeches to commence! The rest of the day was filled to the brim with love, laughter & celebrations which of course, carried on well into the night.

 

Abigail & Richard's Texas/British Wedding in Ettington Hall, Warwickshire

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ABIGAIL & RICHARD

11.03.16

Ettington Park Wedding, Warwickshire Wedding Photography

On Friday I had the pleasure of shooting Abigail & Richard’s Ettington Hall wedding in Stratford-Upon-Avon. The weather was absolutely beautiful & the impossible happened; a Mid-March wedding with beaming sunshine & blue skies!

Abigail got ready with her bridesmaids upstairs in one of the suites, after a really relaxed morning it was almost time to walk down the aisle to an eagerly awaiting Richard. But with a few minutes to spare there was time for one final glass of champagne, a few last minute tears and getting Abi into her Texas boots - her little bit of home.

Their ceremony was beautiful, Abi & Richard exchanged touching and hilarious vows and everything went perfectly, (veil or no veil!) After the service everyone headed outside to make the most of the afternoon sunshine, with a glass of Pimms in one hand and confetti in the other! 

 

My Great Big 2015 Blog Post!

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MY GREAT BIG 2015 BLOG POST! <3

I honestly don't know where to start. 

Thirty-two wonderfully unique weddings, a handful of engagement shoots, a game-changing workshop in the beautiful Santa Maria, Italy (with THE best bunch of people,) shooting on the golden beaches of Goa & attending my first ever Indian wedding in Chennai (whilst wearing my very own saree!)

This past year has been perfect, being able to earn a living doing something you absolutely, whole-heartedly love to do is bliss & the icing on the cake? Meeting you lovely lot.

It's taken me the best part of a week to go through all my 2015 weddings and select out my favorite moments from each one. I'll be honest, in my post-Christmas turkey & prosecco daze - it's a job I'd been putting off for a while but once I got started, I couldn't stop.

I couldn't believe how many amazing couples I've had the opportunity to photograph in just one year and looking through the thousands of images I've taken and reminiscing about each and every one of your beautiful days was a bit of an emotional roller coaster to say the least.

A huuuge thank-you to all of my couples for making 2015 a year to never forget! <3

Bring on 2016!

 

Jess & Jonathan's Just Before Christmas Wedding at Oh Me Oh My, Liverpool

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JESS & JONATHAN

23.12.15

Oh Me Oh My Wedding, Liverpool Wedding Photography

I first met the beautiful Jess & Jonathan whilst shooting Jess' brothers wedding last summer - I had so much fun at Dave & Laura's so I couldn't wait for Jess & Jonathan's, plus a gorgeous winter wedding at the amaziiing Oh Me Oh My  in Liverpool was right up my street!

The morning began at Jess' mums house where the girls were busy getting ready, the time flew by and soon it was time to head to Christ Church in Birkenhead, where Jonathan was eagerly awaiting his bride!  After a beautiful service it was time for everyone to head into Liverpool for the celebrations to continue...

As the guests piled into their stylish & chic Liverpool city centre venue, I whisked the newlyweds off for a walk through the streets to capture some beautiful photographs, after battling with the wind we decided to head up to Oh Me Oh My's gorgeous rooftop garden, with the best view of the Liver Birds in the city!

The venue was decked out in rich purples and metallics which suited it down to a T. After a hearty, belly-warming meal & the laugh-out-loud speeches it was time for everyone to hit the dance floor and party till Christmas Eve!

Steve & Heather's Autumnal Wedding at Arley Hall, Manchester

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Steve & Heather

17.10.15

Arley Hall Wedding, Cheshire Wedding Photography

Heather & Steve got married on a perfect Autumn's day at the rather luxurious Arley Hall, Cheshire. The hall is bursting with charm and character & completed with a warm & homely atmosphere. It is about as regal as you get and the grounds are huge, with so many picturesque spots you are really spoilt for choice!

Heather arrived at the hall slightly behind schedule - just long enough to keep Steve on his toes! After a beautiful ceremony it was time to take a walk through the hall's grounds and capture some beautiful shots of the newly-weds.

Soon it was time to welcome the couple into their room ready for their wedding breakfast. The hall was clad  in beautiful autumnal decorations, using pumpkins filled with flowers as their centre pieces and tables scattered with leaves, the warm colours suited the venue down to a T.

The rest of the day was filled to the brim with laughter and celebrations. Steve even surprised Heather by serenading her on the dance floor!