The wedding of Hannah and Stephen

This was my very first wedding as a professional photographer. I've never been so excited and nervous to do anything in my whole life. I knew I was a well rounded enough photographer to take on the responsibility of capturing memories on such a special day. But that didn't stop the doubt creeping in the months between our contract and the day.

Working with Hannah and Stephen was a delightful experience. They and the whole family made me feel more like a guest than a photographer. 

The whole experience was one of the most intense and yet fulfilling experiences of my life, it was non-stop from start to finish.... and I can't wait to do it again! 

The whole wedding took place at Fielden hall in Todmorden. After my short prep and a few shots here and there, everyone was seated. It seemed like forever waiting for Hannah to arrive. I feel somehow both fractious and calm staring at the entrance for the big moment to begin.

I caught a glimpse of Hannah through a window arriving in a taxi as Steven averts his eyes. The wedding organiser and venue owner offered me to come outside and photograph the arrival. But I thought it was more important to be ready to capture memories inside and to give Hannah her space before the big moment. 

Finally the doors opened and Hannah appeared with her Father. The next moments were a blur, it is the most intense experience as a photographer I've ever had.

I'm very happy with the photos of the ceremony. I can't wait for my next wedding to do it all over again.

Next up was the confetti shots, this was a challenge I have to say. At first I was in burst mode, once they got closer I thought it would be best to get a more intimate photo of the moment.

One of my favourite shots is in this part of the day. When they stopped for an embrace at the end of the confetti run. It was such a beautiful moment, you can really feel the love that Hannah and Stephen share.

The rain held off for our portrait shoot thank goodness!  The forecast was terrible so I did have a clear umbrella ready to go if the rain did roll into the valley. But instead we were met with lovely clouds creating perfect soft light for my couple, I couldn't have asked for better. Centre vale park right outside Fielden hall, is stunning! And a great place for portraits.

We had a few shots planned already that we came up with together in our last meeting and one or 2 more I thought of whilst I scouted the area, a day before the wedding.

There was a wonderful moment when a bystander remarked, I thought you (Hannah) were a ghost when I saw you from the other side of the park. I managed to get a few shots of her reaction and her luminous smile. 

After a while we realised we forgot Hannah's bouquet, Stephen ran back to the venue. The wind was quite blustery and the dress was full of these wonderful tassel type things. Hannah and I decided to grab a few more shots of it blowing in the wind. I wished I had backed up a little bit more for these. But we still got some fun photos. 

When Stephen got back we finished our session, and I got the "thank you card shot" . It turned out to be one of my favourite shots in this set.

And we threw in a few more for good measure. I'm very happy with how this shoot went, Hannah and Stephen were a delight and so easy to work with. 

I was sent on ahead to get Stephen's brother to announce the newly wed couple back into the party. 

Next up I took photos Fielden hall decorated just how Hannah wanted. Looks so good doesn't it! They did a great job bringing this vision to life, all the decks  and flowers were hand made by the family too. 

The speeches (and one personal poem) were so lovely and heartfelt, you could really feel the love in the room for Hannah and Stephen.

My favourite part of any event is capturing candid moments. The expressions that noone saw, the reactions frozen in time so you can remember just how it felt.

Possibly my favourite photo of the whole event. To me it’s an image that you can feel, almost like it’s you own memory.

Hannah and Stephen deviated from tradition by having a first Karaoke in place of a dance. It's such a fun idea and they killed it! It was so fun to photograph them singing and the long queue of guests ready to take the mic. I particularly enjoyed a rendition of “These boots that were made for walking”, sang with more soul and stage presence than many musicians I've seen. Just like that my time was over, plenty of thank yous, goodbyes from the family, a healthy amount of cake and that was my time. I was so happy after this experience, so tired, yet so buoyant.

The joy at this wedding was palpable, it was amazing to be a part of. Hands down the best day at work I've ever had! One of the guests even took a photo of me on my camera, something I'm very grateful for. I'll always see it and remember this turning point in my life.