As mainly a lifestyle photographer, shooting families and children, I jumped at the chance to work at a wedding with Jo Edwards from Jo Edwards Photography. The weddings I have done to date have been on my own and wanting to build my portfolio working as a second shooter it was a great opportunity. On 27th June 2015 myself and Jo headed off to the home of Lou and Jez, the bride and groom. Their home in Shrewsbury was where my experience began with a chance to capture the special moments as the bridal party got ready for the wedding. We were greeted by the father of the bride, a lovely man whom was bursting with pride seeing his only daughter getting ready. The mother of the bride and the bridesmaids were all there getting hair and make-up done. It was such a relaxed atmosphere, much more relaxed than when I was a bride. The attention to detail was unbelievable and every little touch was handmade by the brides mum, the bride or the bridesmaid.
Once the bridal party was ready we headed off to a beautiful church in Little Stretton, it was a picturesque church set in glorious countryside. The guest had mostly arrived and the church began to fill. It was a small church and their friends and family took their seats waiting for the arrival of the bride. The vicar was brilliant, so much character and a great sense of humour. He didn’t even break into a sweat when the organ failed (it was fixed after a quick hymn). The vows took place and Lou and Jez said ‘I Do’ it was a lovely service, one which I felt privileged to capture. After the service we had a great opportunity to capture images of friends and family and then ended with a selection of group shots and a few of Lou and Jez.
Once finished myself, Jo and her husband Chris headed off to the final stop, the reception. This was the grooms home. They owned a campsite which was set in the rolling hills surrounding Church Stretton, what a venue! A marque was set up ready for the guests, drinks were flowing (a free bar) and the guests got acquainted whilst the final group shots were completed. I spent a lot of time capturing the guests laughing and enjoying the day. My day came to a close and the wedding breakfast began, I took my last few shots as the bride and groom entered the marque. It truly was a beautiful day, the weather was kind and the venue was simply spectacular. The experience was fantastic and I look forward to photographing many weddings in the future. Congratulations, Lou and Jez x