For every wedding photographer, the weather is always a concern for each and every wedding, but on Saturday, we were lucky to have some lovely spring sunshine for the wedding Sophie and Ryan, who were married at St Peters Church, in Bilton. Our day began when we met up with Sophie and her bridesmaids Kimberley, Daniella, Annie, Amy and Katy, at her parents house. The early part of a wedding day is one of the nicest parts for the wedding photographer, as it tends to be very relaxed and it is a privilege to be party to this section of the wedding. Karen and Ian made us feel very welcome and the girls were busy getting ready when we arrived. We started our photography for the day, with images of the all important details including Sophie stunning wedding dress which was from Bridal Boutique in Hull. Once Sophie was ready, and her hair and make up were complete, we did some beautiful bridal portraits of her in the garden before heading off to meet Ryan and his brother and best man, Craig, at the church. From this point in the day, the work of a wedding photographer becomes very pressured and there is absolutely no margin for error but we were put at our ease by vicar Maggie. What a pleasure it was to work with Maggie, whose good humour and kindness made our job so much easier. Before long guests started to arrive and after some hugs and kisses, Ryan headed inside to await his bride. Sophie arrived in style in a vintage car supplied by Pickering Cars, and was accompanied by her dad Dave. As always, we worked quickly to grab some quick natural photographs before the bride made her entrance in the church. Following the service, guests headed out into the sunshine and we were able complete one of the most challenging parts of a photographers day; the formal group photographs. It is safe to say that we breathe a small sigh of relief once the group photographs are done, and everyone else can get on with the business of enjoying themselves! The couple held their wedding reception at the wonderful Tickton Grange; one of our favourite venues in the Yorkshire region. Over recent months the venue has undergone a stylish refurbishment both inside and out and it looks really stunning. The reception room looked amazing with a beautiful cake that was decorated by Sophie’s friend Amy, providing the perfect centrepiece. Sophie and Ryan opted to break with tradition and had their speeches before the food so that everyone was able to enjoy their meal. Once the guests sat down for their meal, we were able to take a much needed break, before checking through the photographs and making sure we had not missed anything on Sophie and Ryan’s list. Whilst the weather was lovely for guests, it was far from ideal for photography and so after the celebrations the bridal party joined us outside in the gardens and we were able to conclude our work. I must say a very big thank you to Sophie and her bridesmaids who were fantastic sports and didn’t bat an eyelid when I trampled though a few nettles and asked them to follow me! The girls followed without hesitation and we were able to take some really lovely candid photographs of them amongst the bluebells. From start to finish this was a truly wonderful wedding. It was a really happy occasion and Sophie and Ryan are such a lovely couple. Their patience and good humour was unending and I hope they feel that their goodwill has been rewarded when they look through their photographs. This was our first wedding of 2018 and it was a totally fantastic way to start. Thank you Sophie and Ryan; we loved being part of your special day, may you continue to love one another and live your own happy ever after!