Mel and Roy's Special Day

When Jamie and I woke up on Friday morning with the sun streaming through our curtains, we just knew it was going to the perfect day for a country house wedding and we knew Mel and Roy's wedding wouldn't disappoint! When we booked Mel and Roy's wedding we were so excited, we both fell in love with Arley Hall the moment we visited it a few years back and have wanted to shoot it ever since. Mel and Roy met watching their beloved Everton and as they chose to have their engagement shoot there we had no doubt in our minds that this theme would feature heavily in their special day. We arrived at Arley Hall early to document the girls getting ready and it looked so majestic in the morning sunlight as we pulled up the long gravel drive. Mel and her fantastic bridesmaids were busy getting ready in the bridal powder room so I went downstairs to the beautiful library to grab a couple of detail shots. For those who know me well, it will come as no surprise that I made my way straight to the place with all the books, I'm a real sucker for them, especially beautiful old leather bound ones. Anyway I found a fantastic old set of shelf steps which made the perfect backdrop for the wedding shoes which set the tone for the day's theme in the Everton colours of blue and silver.

Mel has to be the most organised bride I have ever worked with, that or she was just super excited to be marrying Roy as she was ready half an hour before she needed to be. She did have an army of bridesmaids to help her into her fabulous Alfred Angelo dress though which was... as expected white with Everton blue detailing.

This was a rare and fantastic opportunity to ged some beautiful shots of Mel sat in the beautiful soft light that was bouncing through the old windows.

Mel looked so radiant as she waited patiently for the moment she could walk down the aisle to meet Roy and although the room was buzzing with excitement she looked so serene.

The moment Mel's Dad walked in to the room to escort Mel down the grand staircase at Arley and into the wedding ceremony the atmosphere shifted from giddy excitement to nervous anticipation which signalled the start of an emotional rollercoaster for everyone involved in the day.

As Mel and her Dad walked down the grand staircase the soft strains of a string quartet drifted upwards from the bottom of the stairwell to announce their arrival.

Roy had been waiting nervously at the front of the room but relaxed the moment he saw Mel's smile beaming up at him. Mel couldn't hide her happiness as Roy made his vows to her, nor could she hold back the tears when she made her's to him.

There wasn't a dry eye in the house as Mel and Roy showed their love for each other and promised to spend the rest of their lives together.

After the ceremony we made the most of the amazing weather and the stunning gardens that surround Arley Hall.  The wedding party looked fantastic and were great fun during the photographs.

The men were hilariously funny during their photo's and Roy's stepdad kept everyone smiling by shouting out the names of Manchester United players.

Mel and Roy were so blissfully happy and in love that it made my job a dream to capture this on camera.

The gardens were everything I hoped they would be and more, the colours were phenomenal and smelt amazing, there were also lots of beautiful butterflies fluttering between the flowers.

The sun was scorching so after we had finished all the formal photographs and the guests had enjoyed their drinks on the lawn everybody headed back into the welcome coolness of the main hall for the wedding breakfast.

The weather lasted all day and it was a lovely balmy evening for all the guests to sit out under the stars and soak up the party atmosphere that carried well on into the early hours. It was the perfect end to a perfect day. Congratulations Mel and Roy and we'll see you when you get back from your honeymoon. 

Hannah and Lee's Wedding

A Busy Seaside Weekend

This weekend signalled the start of the busiest time of our lives.  Jamie and I feel so blessed to have taken so many wonderful bookings for the next two months and this weekends wedding in my hometown of Southport was the start of our exciting adventures. Our weekend started with the wedding of Hannah and Lee at St Cuthbert's Church and the fabulously stylish Vincent Hotel on Lord Street. Hannah got ready at her family home and it was wonderful to be around so many friendly people on such a special day. Hannah's Mum was amazing and made me feel welcome with tea and home-made cupcakes from the moment I stepped through the front door.

Hannah's dress was absolutely stunning and looked amazing hung up in the family kitchen in front of their Aga which really is at the heart of their home. It looked even more amazing when the wonderful Katie from Lucy Briars Bridal of Southport came to help Hannah into her dress on the morning of the wedding. 

        

Hannah looked absolutely radiant as she made her final preparations helped along by Claire from The Cottage Beauty Clinic in Crossens.

Time sped by as the final pieces fell into place and Jamie, my second shooter for the day Colin Morey and I went down to the lovely village of Churchtown to catch up with Lee and the guys for some fun shots before Hannah arrived. The guys were amazing and had so much fun re-enacting the famous Beatles Abbey Road album cover.

Hannah arrived in true style in a vintage Rolls Royce provided by Magnolia Cars and looked like a movie star as she stepped out elegantly.

Lee and Hannah's ceremony was so beautiful and really celebrated their love for each other.

After the ceremony, the wedding party were transported in style on an old fashioned Big Red Bus on a tour around Southport before arriving at the Vincent Hotel ready to party.

Lee and Hannah however were determined to get the most out of their day and we accompanied them to some of Southport's attractions for their photographs.

The weather had been heavy showers all morning, but thankfully the sun came out for long enough to get some amazing photographs of Lee and Hannah on Southport beach under the iconic pier.

Hannah and Lee enjoyed themselves so much and I think you can really tell from the looks on their faces  as we photographed them. We had such a fantastic day with Lee, Hannah and their families and we cannot wait for them to return from their Honeymoon to show them how we captured the story of their day.

Mel and Roy's Everton Engagement Shoot

Mel and Roy are getting married in a couple of weeks at Arley Hall in Cheshire and we are photographing their wonderful Everton themed wedding. Mel and Roy met some years ago as season ticket holders for Goodison Park where they used to regularly sit together to watch Everton play. It seemed only right that their engagement shoot took place in the very place that brought them together so we arranged to photograph them at Goodison Park.

We started our tour in the Chairmans Lounge before making our way onto the home stand.

It was such an amazing opportunity to photograph such an iconic place and such a fun couple.

After the home stand we went down to the changing rooms where Mel and Roy were able to sit by their favourite player's shirts.

It would have been a wasted opportunity to not photograph them in the baths so Mel and Roy jumped in quickly whilst our tour guide wasn't looking!

From the changing rooms we followed the players route through the tunnel and onto pitchside. Mel and Roy loved being so close to the action.

We were even lucky enough to get onto the pitch after charming the head groundsman who was out mowing the turf.

After we had finished our stadium tour we went off into the streets surrounding the ground for some more photos.

The colours were so vibrant and really complemented Mel and Roy's personalities.

We had so much fun and can't wait to photograph Mel and Roy's wedding next month!

Lisa and Adam

This afternoon we met with Lisa and Adam whose wedding we are photographing next month at Stanley House in Mellor. For their engagement shoot they wanted something a bit funky so naturally we went on a hunt to find the perfect locations. We decided on Manchester which had just the right vibe.

We started off round by the library and really celebrated the cool architecture.

After this we made our way to the Northern Quarter of Manchester to brighten things up a little.

Lisa and Adam were great fun and really made the most of the cool surroundings. We can't wait to photograph them again at their wedding!

Lynn and Andy

We had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Lynn and Andy yesterday in Frodsham at the Forest Hills Hotel. The day was very grey but the lovely purple and yellow colour-scheme they had chosen really brightened things up. Luckily the weather stayed dry for long enough for us to pop outside for some photographs before the party started with Lynn's son's band. Here is a sneak preview of some of the fantastic memories we captured for the happy couple.

The view over Cheshire was stunning from the top of Frodsham hill.

Lynn and Andy were so much fun to work with and really enjoyed having their photographs taken and they were absolute naturals in front of the camera.

The dark skies made for some really dramatic images, just the way we like it.

Jamie and I hope Lynn and Andy both have a wonderful time on their honeymoon in Cuba and we look forward to showing them the rest of their wedding photographs when they come home!