It is a grey friday on the motorway but I am heading down to Oxford for my first wedding outside the Lancashire area. It may be a good five hours in the car, but I am enjoying not having to drive and just enjoying the views along the motorway. Rob, my husband, is driving and doing a good job. We occasionally stop for a tea break and a Krispy Kreme, eventually arriving in a little place called Burford just outside Oxford to meet the bride and groom at the reception venue and to meet some of the key people involved and attend the rehearsal. After stopping for tea at a great little noodle place we head to our B&B. Sleep is first priority, there is a long day ahead of us with lots to think about and do, and it's been a long journey to get here!
Saturday comes very quickly, as it always seems to, and after a full English breakfast I head to the Bride's room and off we go. It is a mass of dresses, make up and hair clips. I meet a very lovely lady who is doing the hair and introduce myself to the bridesmaids and start capturing the day. I always find that wedding mornings seem to go the same way - it starts of slow, people casually getting ready, make up being put on, hair being styled, then suddenly the mad rush starts, time seems to have realised that it had been slowing down and decides to race towards the start time if the wedding.
Dresses and bridesmaids are rushing around, shoes are flung across the room, important items nearly get put in the bin (at this wedding, it was a veil that I rescued). Time soon arrives and I head through the crazy Oxford traffic to the church and snap a few pictures of the activities happening whilst we all wait for the guest of honour to arrive. Adam, the groom looks excited but as the minutes tick by he looks more and more nervous. Helen, the bride, pulls up in her car, bridesmaids get on with their duties of helping with the dress positioning and making sure Helen is ok. Dad waits to perform the last of his official Dad duties, to walk his lovely daughter down the aisle.
The day speeds through. The service finishes and it is a mad dash to the reception venue to get some couple shots done before the rain starts to come down. Thankfully, the rains holds off just long enough to get some lovely shots of the bride and groom and all the formal photographs before we have to head inside. After the speeches and a carvery lunch, I sneak the couple back outside for a few shots in the dark. We use the lights in the wood and my flash to create some lovely shots while my husband stops the cars from driving into our shoot (the wood is next to the car park). It’s getting colder and darker by the second so we head inside so that Adam and Helen can get ready for the first dance and grab a few more friend and family shots.
It quickly gets to 9.30pm, the first dance has been danced, the cake has been cut, people are having a great time and it’s time for us to head back to our hotel, back up all the photos and collapse on the very comfortable bed. It has been a great day and a lovely wedding. Congratulations Adam and Helen, I hope you have a long, strong and happy marriage together!
Here are a few of my favourite photos from the day. Enjoy!