4th August 2022

It was a beautiful August morning when Nathan arrived at Blackwell Grange in County Durham, the venue for Tess and Ricky's wedding day. We had both met Tess and Ricky with their adorable little ones in the spring to finalise the details of the day and learn more about their story as a couple, so Nathan arrived on the 4th August armed with the knowledge of their style, their tastes, and the story of their love so far - all the things we try to bring with us to every wedding day so that we can encapsulate what a couple is about in their wedding day photographs. On arrival, Nathan was met with the familiar sight of Blackwell Grange's beautiful frontage, with it's grounds freshly mown and the ceremony room doors open onto a beautiful lawn busy with preparations for the day. Inside, Blackwell Grange is decorated with impressive timeless pieces - a photographer's dream!
Tess had booked a personalised package, a variation on our Hawthorn package. Nathan covered her preparations from noon through to the early evening. The bridal suite in which Tess and her bridal party got ready offered soft, romantic lighting and a classic back drop for her preparation photographs which allowed us to create a suite of prep photos that reflected the elegant, calm & muted style and palette of Tess & Ricky's theme for the day.
From the ceremony all the way through to the first dance & point of saying goodbye, Nathan was struck by the love and investment in Tess and Ricky's happiness shown by their friends. These friends bought a lot of emotion to the day; tears of joy in the ceremony; lots of laughter in the speeches; cheer and celebration during the evening reception.
It was a pleasure to meet Tess and Ricky and to celebrate their marriage with them and, like many of the couples we've met and photographed in 2022, it was wonderful to be able to capture families and friends being together celebrating after a difficult couple of years not being able to. Tess and Ricky managed to navigate their lockdowns with two small children - who we haven't shared photos of out of respect for their privacy - but they were an absolute bundle of fun and it was a joy to see them getting to stuck in on the dance floor, playing lawn games and playing their part in the ceremony amongst everyone else. People are definitely better together - and we wish Tess and Ricky a lifetime of happiness together.