In May this year I was shooting Emma and Jona’s wedding in Cornwall when
I was approached by James and his partner Chrissie (Emma's aunt) and as it happened,
they were getting married in September so the three of us had a little chat and
I remember my words exactly, ‘Have a look at Emma and Jona’s portfolio and we
can go from there.’ Which they did and (luckily for me) they loved them; I got a
call and I was booked. Marvelous.
So here we are, nearing the end of September and James and Chrissie are
now a fully-fledged Mr. and Mrs. Their wedding was held in picture perfect
Chiddingfold in Surrey on such a beautiful day with barely a cloud in the sky
and just the perfect temperature. They have been together for about 15 years so
it was a very relaxed affair with a lovely service at St. Mary’s and then a two
second walk to the reception at The Swan Inn.
But let me rewind a little. I walk into the room where Chrissie is
getting ready and it’s full of her friends laughing and chatting, Chrissie is
having her hair and make-up done and then a discussion is had about ironing the
sash on the dress! Yikes. This spreads fear in my heart. Amanda took charge and
after a couple of wet pillowcases (newly dyed purple and the words, ‘Lets hide
those’ to be heard), two irons and a lot of laughter later the sash was finally
crease-free. Phew! I could breathe again. Irons + wedding dresses = *shudder*. All
that mattered was Chrissie looked beautiful and there wasn’t a burnt sash in
sight ;-)
The Swan Inn put on an excellent spread and I was so impressed with the
marquee in the back garden...it really worked and looked beautiful and although
it was a bit squish for me to do my usual stealth (Ninja) maneuvers in and
around the guests, I think
it really worked as a venue. It bought everyone close and the atmosphere was
electric. I think it also helps that the families and friends of the couple
have obviously become very close over the 15 years that they have been together. I think James
and Chrissie must also have been very proud to have Charles, Patrick and Edward
as their ushers and Victoria do a reading. There is certainly something
wonderful about having your children at your wedding, as amazing memories are
created together and therefore can be shared together. I’m
such a softy!
So as the evening progressed, the festivities continued and what better
then the Groom getting up on stage to do a few numbers! Now, this
could (potentially) be slightly awkward and somewhat embarrassing especially after a few
glugs (bottles) of champagne, BUT I was super impressed with James’ performance
as were his guests. He is clearly a very talented singer and it was especially
lovely to see the pride in his Mother’s face who I must say, gave a really
heartfelt speech too. You don’t often hear a speech from the Mother of the Groom,
so it was fab to see it for a change!
It was lovely seeing a few familiar faces and meeting some new ones and
it was a real pleasure to photograph and be part of their special day. There
was lot of laughter, lots of love and a ton of silly faces courtesy of the Groom. What more could a wedding want!
To finish I must say a big congratulations to James and Chrissie. I wish
you both the very best for your future and I hope you will have many (more)
happy years together and hopefully the images will be a wonderful reminder of your
special day.
Thank you for hiring me!
My very best wishes to you both…
Loukie xx
