On Saturday I had the pleasure of being part of Tom and Kerry’s wedding day. It all began in Aspull which is located quite close to Haigh Hall in Wigan. Kerry decided she wanted to go ahead with my Gold package which included the Bridal Preparations so after a conversation to confirm all the details of the day I was to arrive at 9am at her Parent’s home which was several doors down from where they were to get married…Handy 🙂
I parked up just around the corner and after knocking on the door I was welcomed in by Kerry’s Dad. The Bridal party were well into having their hair and make-up done and as it was quite crowded I decided to crack on with capturing the shots of the smaller details first. With a little help I had everything organised in one room which helped to ensure I never missed anything I would usually snap. After a little while I headed back downstairs where it was a bit quieter but the hair stylist and make-up artist were still at work doing what they do best! The morning was great but time soon crept up on us and I had to head round the corner to The Parish Church of Saint David Haigh and Aspull.
Tom was waiting inside as guests began to arrive and whilst I waited for the Vicar to arrive I photographed parts of the venue and grounds. Tom looked a little nervous as he waited at the front of the aisle with his Best man but occasions like this are a momentous chapter in most of our lives. Family and Friends were slowly filling up the church so I knew we were getting to that time of the day, the ceremony!
The Bridesmaids, Flower girls, Paige boy and Kerry’s Mum had arrived in a lovely classic car provided by Horgans before it turned around to head back for Kerry and her Dad. After around 10 minutes the entire Bridal Party were together and were making their way to the entrance of the church. The Vicar greeted them and as he was talking through things with them I made my way to the front of the aisle near Tom to capture shots of the arrival of the Bride.
The ceremony was relatively short with no hymns but it was absolutely wonderful! Vows and rings were exchanged so it was a matter of just signing the register for the newly weds. There was just Tom, Kerry, Best man and the Maid of Honor who was present which made things a little easier with the room we had to work with. Once the formalities had been done I left them to gather themselves and prepare to make their way back up the aisle, For Tom and Kerry they were to walk past their Family and Friends as Husband and Wife for the first time.
Before they exited I had them come to one side of the doors where they would be congratulated by those who had just witnessed the special event and once words were exchanged I would set them up one-by-one either side of the doors outside to conclude with a confetti shot. This moment is essentially staged in the sense that I position everyone to how I feel looks right but the moment the happy couple walk out together and the confetti is thrown it’s just a basic countdown with natural ‘smiley’ expressions… I LOVE IT!
I spoke with Kerry before the ceremony regarding the formal group photographs. We spoke about it because BBC weather had shown that for each hour of the day it was going to be a mixed bag so fundamentally I knew it was all going to come down to ‘playing it by ear’. We decided to do the formals after the service but the weather had perked up so much that I was willing to risk it for a better backdrop. So the decision was made to move on to the Reception venue where we were to begin the group shots.
We all eventually headed off to The Willows at Blackrod where the afternoon reception and evening celebrations were to be held. I arrived and waited for the new Mr & Mrs Woolstencroft and after a couple of photos we went straight into to next part of the formalities, the groups! So I would usually get the Ushers to help as they generally know a lot more people than I would and it helps this time go smoothly. Kerry was happy with the list I sent over to her prior to the day so it was to take around 15/20 minutes to complete including a photo of everyone together. To arrange the shape I threw in a ‘Friends’ quote in there which only one guest picked up on afterwards. For those hardcore ‘Friends’ fans out there all you need to know is the word used was ‘PIVOT!’ 🙂
Unfortunately due to the layout of the venue I didn’t manage to get my usual room shots as guests had already made themselves comfortable but I did get some close ups of the flower arrangements which were stunning and some hand-made logs for place names. I do love the location of the wedding venue with it overlooking Winter Hill.
I met with Paul Munro who is a Singer/DJ and along with providing music for the duration of the day and night he was to act as the Master of Ceremonies. His first official moment came when he announced Tom and Kerry into the room as guests cheered and clapped. Once sat it was time for the Wedding Breakfast to satisfy those hungry bellies 🙂
During this time it allows me to look through my work, make room on my memory cards for the moments to come and I can also have a little time to recuperate before heading back out for the speeches.
After around 1.5 hours Kerry’s Dad was first speaker and he made a fantastic speech. Tom was up next and then finally the man that wasn’t looking forward to his moment at all, the Best Man. However, do you know what…he absolutely nailed it! He spoke from the heart, provided funny stories and came out the other side £20 richer!
With the formalities complete it was time for everyone to relax although for me I was just about to get into the flow of what I do best. I love documenting those natural moments by becoming a ‘fly on the wall’. These moments are forever cherished by my clients because it is a person’s true personality which they pay me to capture. Sometimes I may want to help instead of snapping away but I judge this based on the present atmosphere.
Whilst Tom and Kerry were out with me for those more intimate shots of them together a Magician had done the rounds by entertaining folks although we weren’t out long with the weather on and off so they also had the opportunity to enjoy a few card tricks. We managed to get photos at the church so I didn’t need much of their time so I spent the remainder of the evening just walking around capturing those candid shots.
The last thing to do for Tom and Kerry was to cut the cake and enjoy their first dance as Husband and Wife. It was beautiful with a little choreographic detail added by Tom but smiles were in abundance! Kerry invited her Dad up for a dance afterwards which I’m sure pulled at a few heart strings. They looked happy but before the song was finished Tom and Kerry came together again but this time with their Children, it was the perfect finale before I headed off.
I had a thoroughly enjoyable day capturing everything from start to finish and I wish the newly weds all the very best in their married lives together. I can’t wait to edit their wedding photographs but for now please enjoy these sneak peeks shots from the day.
Thanks…
