Luke & Saffron

Looking out of my window on the morning of Luke and Saff's wedding, I was anxious. The clouds were grey, and I knew how much this lovely couple had been waiting for this day to come. But upon arriving at the Dower House in Woodhall Spa, I could hear the bridal party from the reception. Their spirits were certainly high, and no amount of clouds could affect it.

The mood was set, it was going to be a day of letting loose, and celebrating the love between not only the bride and groom, but also of family and friends that have been a such an influence on both of their lives.

If you have never had the pleasure of booking …. and …., I highly recommend you do. You will get nothing but support and laughter, and that is exactly what is needed when getting ready for one of the biggest moments of your life.

There are occasional opportunities where I can photograph both the bride and the groom getting ready, and this was one of them. While the girls put on their dresses, I popped over to Luke to capture him getting spruced up. Now, when a group of lads gets together in a room and the quality of friendship is like what I witnessed, there was no way I was going to be able to keep order. So, I went with it, and after a few furniture rearrangements, I managed to get what I needed. I even managed to capture the tears that Saff requested Luke to have when reading her letter to him. Eye drops were definitely not used.

The time was here, the moment had come, it was time to get wed. Seeing all the guests arrive and greet Luke with hug and handshakes showed just how much he was liked and loved. And when the moment came for Saff to be walked down the aisle by her Dad, you could see the look of happiness in the guests eyes and smiles, it was a moment they had been talking to them for the past few years, and it was finally here.

Now, this was a first for me: the vicar was also the best man, which led to one of the most unique and beautiful ceremonies I have ever seen. I honestly do not think I will ever witness such an act again, and I feel pretty blessed that I did.

I tell all my bride and grooms that the craziest part of the day is group photos, and it was no different on this occasion, the ushers were on collection duty, and did a pretty decent job, but people want their beers, and who can blame them, because the sun had finally made an appearance. But the best part of the group photos, is when you find yourself standing on a wall, with the aim to get all the guests in for the perfect shot, only to realise when you have it, that one had nipped to the loo, so back up I went.

The speeches, my favorite part of the day, and nobody disappointed. It all came out, which is what the speeches are all about: letting those long-forgotten secrets come back to light. You honestly cannot beat it. But the highlight for me was the best man's speech. You could see it coming from a place of pure love for Luke, Saff, their daughter Lottie, and their family. I was just happy to have the camera in front of my eyes at that moment.

The rest of the night went by in a flash. The evening guests arrived, the DJ got set up, and before I knew it, it was time for the first dance. Watching them dance to "A Sky Full of Stars" by Coldplay was the perfect way to start the rest of the evening's party. My favorite part of the day was seeing all the friends and family, who had had a few drinks by this time, dance away and show their love with hugs and kisses.

I truly adore my job, and I want to take this moment to express my gratitude to Saff and Luke for not only hiring me but also for demonstrating to me and everyone who has seen their photos that true love exists for each and every one of us.