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Welcome to the wedding of Mrs and Mrs Smith! Thank you so much for having us ladies; we had a blast!
It was the beginning of April; and at last there were signs of spring in the hedgerows & fields as Nathan and I headed into the beautiful countryside of the Beamish Estate in County Durham to The Black Horse, where we would be joining Emily, Charlotte & all of their loved ones for their big day.
The girls had booked our Juniper package, so we were arriving at the crack of sparrows alongside the florists and hair stylists and were able to check out the ceremony space as it was being prepared by the wonderful staff at the Black Horse. We really enjoy this first half hour of the day when we arrive to get some peaceful, untouched shots of the venue & to capture that quiet anticipation of the day which soon gets replaced by the energy and excitement of loved ones arriving on site.
The Black Horse offers a huge range of accommodation options which meant that all of the girls' family and friends were able to stay on site, giving us an opportunity to photograph both of them getting ready with all of their loved ones around them. Despite the rain, we were able to make the most of the natural day light pouring in through the big windows of both of the bridal cottages to get some lovely moments on camera. When you're getting your dress on, we might let you know that there'd be a better place to stand to catch the light for your photos - especially on a downcast day - but we always make sure that wherever we ask you to stand still allows you to get ready without feeling cramped or stuffed into an awkward corner!
The ceremony space at the Black Horse is truly special - it's intimate and cosy, but still impresses you with it's beauty when you first step into it. As the girls had booked both of us, we stationed ourselves at either end of the aisle. Here we've included some of Nathan's shots of the ceremony - by using a lens that allows him to zoom in and out silently, he's able to capture intimate moments without obstructing the view of the brides or disturbing the ceremony. This was such a special, emotional ceremony - there wasn't a dry eye in the house (including mine, as usual!).
Confetti time! And yes - the sun did come out, right on time! We're noticing a bit of a pattern on our wedding days - no matter what the weather is like in the morning, it always seems to brighten up just in time for the main day - a coincidence?! hmm... The girls' guests did a wonderful job of coordinating their outfits with the spring-coloured confetti here, very impressive. We love a joyous moment like this, and we think the girls are glowing here!
We always plan the couples photos for a specific part of the day - because having a plan for your wedding day is important and helps most couples to feel calm and prepared, we get it. However, the night before this wedding I spoke to Emily and she asked that we scrap the plan and play the couples photos by ear because of the weather - and that's exactly what we did. It's our job to do the thinking for you on your wedding day, so if you've asked us to keep an eye on the weather for you and grab you every time there's a patch of blue sky, that's what we'll do! These photos were taken across the day at different times, and we really enjoy the way the differing light slightly changes the mood of each one. I have a personal soft spot for the photo taken under the apple blossoms.
We love an emotional first dance - and this one was just gorgeous. These photos of the first dance are a perfect example of how documentary style photography works; capturing those small interactions of the day which communicate the big emotions minute by minute.
Sometimes people think that a small wedding will mean a small party - but that is absolutely not the case. This party was so much fun - a true celebration. We always ask people on their pre wedding questionnaire if they'll be doing a bouquet toss at their reception because it's a moment we stay for if you are. It was a pretty competitive one at this wedding - could there be another wedding on the cards now? Who knows...!
