The sun was shining and I was excited to arrive at Rishton Parish Church in Rishton, Blackburn for Ryan and Harriet’s wedding day. They chose not to include the bridal preparations so I arrived nice and early to get shots of the church, grounds whilst naturally capturing guests arriving. Ryan, his Brother and Best man was greeting family and friends and handing out the order of service.
Spirits were high as we approached the arrival of the Bride. Harriet’s Mum and Sister arrived first as they rocked up in a lovely classic car, the driver turned around and drove the 2 minute drive back to their home to pick up Harriet and 5 minutes later we were ready to go. I positioned myself at the front of the aisle and allowed proceedings to flow smoothly without any interruption. I love capturing a wedding day in a documentary style as the focus is solely on the couple and the wedding party can enjoy the day without a wedding photographer ruining moments.
The wedding ceremony included readings and vows but it was soon time for the new Mr & Mrs to officially cement their love by signing the register. I stayed back allowing as much concentration as possible to ensure details were correct but once I was given the thumbs up I got the necessary shots before inviting everyone else up to eagerly getting their photographs. This gave me time to head to the entrance of the church and get ready for Ryan and Harriet to make their way up as Husband and Wife past their onlooking family and friends, smiling away!
A confetti shot was needed and my signature way of performing this, with the help of the Groomsmen of course, came into play. The sun was beaming down so we had plenty of time to get this…although it was threatening a shower or two so time was of the essence! The formal group photos followed this but I like to get through these as quickly as possible so we can get the party started as soon as possible! I had a list and even though we couldn’t do a large group shot of everyone I planned to do this at the reception venue, so I announced everyone to go other than those remaining smaller groups on the list. Within 10 we were complete and heading off!
We arrived at Best Western Higher Trapp Country House Hotel in Burnely, Lancashire and as I awaited the couple’s arrival I manged to get some shots of the venue and the surrounding grounds. What a stunning place this is, a wedding venue which boasts gorgeous views within the countryside.
After some photos with the wedding car I headed inside to get room shots of all the wedding decorations including the wedding cake, wedding center pieces, wedding favours, etc. This is a good opportunity for the couple to have a drink and a quick chat with guests as they’ll no doubt want to offer their best wishes and congratulate the happy couple. With time always tight however leading up to the wedding breakfast I gathered everyone outside for one large group shot which was awesome!
The speeches weren’t far away and with the wedding coordinator having already invited wedding guests into the room Ryan and Harriet were shortly officially announced into the room with cheers. Harriet’s Uncle offered the first words, Ryan followed with plenty of ‘thank yous’ and then finally Ryan’s Brother who did great in front of a large crowd. The afternoon and evening came together as the sun fell from the sky, I invited the new Mr & Mrs Hargreaves to join me in walking around the venue’s grounds for some dusk shots before we lost the light. It was amazing and they both seemed to enjoy the experience although it’s treated very relaxed and I keep it as fun as possible. We just chat away and every so often I’ll see an opportune moment and grab it.
It was fantastic capturing memories on camera for them and I hope they treasure the images for years to come.
Here is just a small selection from their big day…
