“What can we say except thank you SO SO incredibly much. You are amazing”
“Needless to say we stayed up hours (till 3am! We’ll blame the jetlag) stopping at each and every photo, and remembering and re-living our day over and over again. We cried so many times, we lost count and smiled endlessly. Each photo is absolutely beautiful and we are overjoyed with the amazing way that you captured our phenomenal day. We don’t know how to even begin creating an album! Thank you a million times.” Christy & Aiden
I enjoy each and every one of the weddings that I work on. But I have to say that this was up there as one of my absolute favourite weddings of the year so far. Christy and Aiden were one of the most genuinely lovely couples I have ever met (and I’ve met a fair few!) – they were just so in love and full of energy and life. I couldn’t help but feel as excited about the wedding as they clearly did!
From my initial meeting with the happy couple, and the conversations I’d had with them over the phone, it was clear that Christy and Aiden are so, so loved by their friends and family. I knew it was going to be an incredible and emotional day…and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. It was perfect right down to the finest detail.
The day started with a visit to Christy’s mums house in Bury St Edmunds, where the bride, the bridesmaids, and the mother of the bride were getting ready for the big day. As I approached the front door, I was greeted by the sounds of Disney music (the bride’s favourite)…and that certainly set a president for the day!
The bride and bridesmaids got ready, had their makeup and hair done, and enjoyed a bite to eat and a glass or two of bubbles. Whilst I was capturing images of the ladies getting ready, I couldn’t believe how calm and composed everyone was! It was lovely to see them so relaxed and enjoying the moment together…even the dog got to join in.
And then it was time for the bride to get dressed. I managed to capture a lovely shot of the bridesmaids’ reactions when they saw Christy all dressed up for the first time – they were truly priceless.
When everyone was ready to go, the father of the bride came in to see his daughter for the first time, and it’s safe to say they were both pretty emotional (we all were!). Christy and her dad were obviously very close and it was just wonderful to see how awestruck he was to see his little girl looking so beautiful.
I left the girls to it and headed over to the bride’s grandfather’s house in Hartest, Suffolk, where the wedding ceremony and reception were taking place. The setting was amazing – the whole family had obviously spent a lot of time ensuring that every last detail was just right.
As the bride, her dad, and the bridesmaids arrived in wonderfully decorated old Land Rovers, I went to meet up with Aiden who was busy entertaining the guests as they enjoyed their pre-ceremony drinks.
Finally, it was time for the ceremony, which took place under large sails in a beautiful, secluded part of the garden. It reminded me of a secret garden. Christy appeared from under an arch, and walked alongside her dad through the long grass to meet Aiden, who was waiting nervously for her arrival. Christy looked absolutely stunning and both her and Aiden look unbelievably happy.
The entire ceremony was conducted by Christy’s uncle – adding yet another personal touch to the day. There were happy tears all round, not to mention plenty of laughter!
It’s so hard to choose a favourite image from the day but the shot of Christy and Aiden walking hand in hand whilst their loved ones threw confetti over them and waved ribbons and streamers is certainly up there! The confetti cones were actually made from pages of Christy’s favourite childhood book.
After the ceremony, everyone moved to another part of the garden for drinks and canapés served outside a marquee on the lawn. The drinks were actually served from an old canoe – just one of the many unique and personal touches that made this day so special.
Whilst the guests enjoyed games on the lawn, I took Christy and Aiden off to get some couple shots in the garden. There were so many beautiful settings to work with and they were so relaxed together so we managed to capture some wonderful images.
The entire day was inspired by Christy’s childhood memories of camping and picnics with family and friends. Keeping in with this theme, the meal took the form of a picnic and was served in the marquee in lunch boxes.
This day was all about the things that Christy, Aiden, and their families and friends love. Both the bride and groom are from very musical, creative, and artistic families – Aiden himself is an actor. Unbeknown to Christy, Aiden had arranged for her dad and brothers to sing to her. It was an amazing performance! Not surprisingly, Christy was absolutely blown away and there were more happy tears.
Next came the speeches, and I can honestly say that they were some of the funniest, most moving speeches I’ve ever heard. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house (including my own, I was pleased I had my camera to hide behind!).
Once the speeches were over and the food had been eaten, everyone made their way back outside, whilst the band set up for the evening. There were garden games on the lawn to keep everyone entertained, as well as a hilarious welly throwing competition!
When everything was ready, the bridal party and the guests headed back into the marquee for the first dance. Much like the rest of the day, there were plenty of incredible surprises awaiting us! The first dance itself started off as a traditional, slow dance, but soon developed into a special dance put together by Christy and Aiden – much to the delight of their guests. And the surprises didn’t stop there. Next came a unique father and daughter dance – and I can assure you it was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before! It was truly epic…and very entertaining.
The dance floor was full for the rest of the night as the guests celebrated Aiden and Christy’s big day. After capturing plenty of fun-filled dance-floor shots, I left Christy, Aiden, and their friends and family to enjoy the party into the night.
It was such a privilege and an honour to be part of Christy and Aiden’s wedding day in Hartest. They are an incredible couple – so sweet, so happy, and so in love. They’re truly beautiful inside and out. The bride and groom didn’t stop smiling from ear to ear all day long and everyone had an incredible time – which I’m sure you’ll see from their beautiful photos.
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