JoanneGower
Wedding Photography

Month: May 2015

Charlotte & Gareth’s Wedding Photography – Elsham Hall, Lincolnshire

Saturday saw us photographing the wedding  of Charlotte and Gareth in Lincolnshire. We arrived in glorious sunshine  and were met by the warmest of welcomes from the brides parents, Bill and Christina, and found the bride and her bridesmaids all looking stunning and having the finishing touches done to hair and make up. Whilst they chatted excitedly together, we headed upstairs to photograph Charlotte’s beautiful dress which was from Deborah Moore in Hessle, and her fabulous Louboutins! There were a lot of giggles and a few tears whilst getting the bride into the dress and then we headed out into the garden for a few quick shots before heading for the church to meet Gareth and his groomsmen. Guests were already arriving and buttonholes were duly pinned to lapels and everyone waited with baited breath for the arrival of the bride. I was lucky enough meet a lovely lady at the gate, whose name unfortunately I didn’t get, but is a lifelong friend of the family, and we had such a nice chat that I almost forgot I was there to work and not enjoy myself! I was quickly back on my toes with the arrival of the bride and the service was soon underway. The vicar delivered a lovely service and a witty sermon, having warned everyone that this was the bit they should nod off too if they didn’t like sermons! We took a few group photographs in the church yard before heading to Elsham Hall for the wedding breakfast.The barn looked totally stunning in ivory and pink and was finished off beautifully with a ‘batman’ cake by Sugar Rose Designs. Whilst enjoying drinks and canapes in the courtyard, guests were entertained by a magician and the children, (and lots of the grown ups) took the opportunity to ride the galloping horses on the carousel. It was all aboard the carousel for the big group shot before guests headed inside for the wedding breakfast. Bill gave one of the nicest speeches we have heard from the bride’s dad and was heckled and chided in equal measure by Christina and it was clear for all to see just why they have been together so long; they make a lovely couple themselves!  Bill finished with some good advice for the happy couple which was never to go to bed on an argument, but to “Stay up all night and have a good fight like he and Christina always do!” The best man Kai then gave away pretty much all of the stag night secrets much to the amusement of everyone present, with perhaps the exception of the groom! Our thanks to Bill and Christina for making us feel so very welcome throughout the day and to the many family and friends who came and had a chat with us. My final words should of course, be about the happy couple. Charlotte and Gareth looked totally stunning and are a lovely couple and we wish them much happiness in their future life together.

Becky & Ricky’s Wedding Photography – Cave Castle Hotel, East Yorkshire

What a wonderful day we had on Friday doing the wedding photography for Becky and Ricky who were married at Cave Castle Hotel. Its hard to know where to begin, since the whole day was just a complete joy to photograph despite the rain. The weather forecast was pretty grim and I fully expected to have to shoot the whole thing indoors. Chris, at Cave Castle, is always great to work with, as he is more than willing to go the extra mile. Given the torrential rain, we had a chat first thing and he was happy to clear a room specially for us to use for photographs. In the end we didn’t really need it (though we did use it for the lead image on this blog), as everyone was up for dodging the showers and making the most of this wonderful day. We started the day bright and early with Becky and her bridesmaids Amy and Danielle who were great fun, easy to be with and very organised! I must give a special mention to Emily who is really one of the sweetest, most well behaved, little flower girls I have ever had the pleasure of photographing. Just as we came downstairs to photograph Ricky and his groomsmen, fate smiled on this lovely couple and the rain stopped. We dashed outside for some quick photos and the sun came out and we were all very amused to see steam rising from the Cave Castle lawns! Guests began to arrive, the ice cream van was in position, and following our customary chat with the registrars from the East Riding (who incidentally were on very good form and also gave us a few laughs!) the service began. The ceremony was just lovely with six year old Lewis completely melting everyones heart with his beautiful poem about his mum and dad. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. As the happy couple came up the aisle we were delighted to see that once again the rain had relented and the sun had come out. Family and friends poured out excitedly into the garden and were happy to enjoy a delicious assortment of customised ice creams (the Eton Mess was gorgeous!) whilst we got on with the job of doing the group photographs. It was great fun from start to finish, and Becky and Ricky have a lovely family and fantastic friends who were willing to do everything we asked in order to get some rather special photos! The rain tried to put a dampener on things but undeterred, out came the brollies and the bride and groom stuck it out and the weather took the hint and gave us a little bit more sunshine for their portraits by the lake. David and I had a truly wonderful time with Becky and Ricky. They are for us, a rather special couple and will always bring back a smile to our faces. Becky looked as beautiful as every bride should with her elegant gown from Samantha’s, and Ricky was charming, relaxed and handsome in his suit from Greenwoods. I think for me, what sets this wedding apart, is that they were just delightful to be with, their children were charming and impeccably behaved and there was a warm affection amongst their family and friends that was plain to see, and very easy to photograph. From start to finish, it was just simply, a perfect day! Lots of love to you both – you are beautiful in every sense! Thank you, doing your wedding photography was an absolute joy.

Sarah & Richard’s Pre Wedding Photography – East Yorkshire

Last night we did our pre wedding photography shoot with Sarah and Richard who are getting married in June. We arrived at the Church in a downpour but undeterred, we dragged out the trusty wedding umbrellas and did a few quick shots in the rain! We took shelter from the weather and had a look around the lovely church before heading off to the couple’s home to chat through the arrangements for the big day. Sarah and Richard have opted for a marque and there will be lots of opportunity for some lovely photographs. Following our chat, the early evening sun came streaming through the window and we headed outside to make the most of the light. We had such a great evening with Sarah and Richard  and it is lovely to work with a couple who know what they want but are happy to chat through the possibilities for their photographs. Sarah and Richard’s priority is for their guests to have a wonderful day, but owing to their consideration, careful planning and a willingness to work with us, I am certain they will have some beautiful wedding photographs! Rarely, do we all the elements come together at once for a wedding photographer, so often we are up against time and the elements and we have to make compromises owing to lack of light and the location, but this time I think fortune may be on our side! This is one lovely couple, with a lovely approach to their wedding and a gorgeous location! Exciting!

Louise & Mick’s Pre Wedding Photography – Healing Manor, Lincolnshire

I am pleased to share with you the pre wedding photography for Louise and Mick who are getting married in July at Healing Manor. This was our first trip to Healing Manor and we were very impressed by this beautiful wedding venue with its delightful grounds and lovely interior. Louise and Mick have opted for a small, intimate ceremony with close family and friends and it is sure to be an absolutely lovely day. Louise and Mick are a really lovely couple who were very relaxed in front of the camera and we had a very easy pre wedding shoot with them. So easy in fact, that by the end we felt as if we had known them for years! We are very much looking forward to their big day!

Amber & Aaron’s Pre Wedding Photography

Here is the pre wedding photography for Amber and Aaron who are getting married in June. The couple are holding their reception in a marquee in the walled garden at Burton Constable in East Yorkshire, so this was the location for their pre wedding photoshoot. Like most couples they were a little apprehensive about having their photographs taken and we had lots of fun with them preparing them for the photography on the big day. Amber and Aaron are a lovely couple and we are looking forward to the big day with them!

JoanneGower
Wedding Photography