Emily & James’s Pretty Summer Wedding

Pretty home-made bunting, afternoon tea and strawberry scones served on vintage china in the garden, Pimms in the sunshine and an antique lace veil: Emily and James’s summer wedding was a quintessentially English affair, and oh so pretty!

James proposed to Emily last summer at Chatsworth House. We went back there for their vintage picnic engagament shoot, which was so much fun. They are a fab couple – warm, funny, creative, not to mention gorgeous with great style, so I had high expectations for their wedding day. I wasn’t disappointed :)

Emily’s Dad is the vicar at All Saints Church in Marple, Cheshire, where the wedding took place. As I arrived there was a wonderful atmosphere of excitement and activity, with preparations happening for the tea-party in the garden, the ceremony and wedding breakfast in the church, alongside Emily and her bridesmaids, friends and family all getting ready in the vicarage!

Emily’s brother Dan was an usher – Dan and Sarah got married last September and I was their wedding photographer – so it was lovely to see them and their families again and catch up over a smoked salmon and bucks fizz breakfast.

This next sequence of photos really makes me smile. The bride-to-be becomes a bride…

…and a very beautiful bride at that, don’t you agree?!

Just. Stunning!

The shoes, oh the pretty sparkly shoes…

And a stunning bridal bouquet. All the wedding flowers – the bouquets, buttonholes, corsages, wrist-adornments, flowers in the church and amazing surprise display for the reception (you’ll see later on!) – were created by David, the super-talented church administrator-turned-florist!

Emily wore a beautiful Tiffany & Co bracelet that James had bought her as a wedding gift (what a good husband!)

What an elegant and beautiful bride, and such gorgeous light!

Meanwhile the boys had arrived at the church, where they were snapped by my lovely assistant, Hannah Beatrice.

James and his best man Ollie, looking rather dapper in their morning suits.

 I won’t tell you what Emily said to her Dad at this point. But it was very funny ;)

As vicar at All Saints Church, Ian must have seen countless weddings and countless dads walk their daughters down the aisle. It must have been a such wonderful moment for Ian to be on the other side and make that walk with his own daughter.

 

After the ceremony, guests followed the newlyweds down an aisle of pretty bunting to the garden for a tea-party, with scones, cakes and Pimms.

 

Nadine, Emily’s lovely mum, has been cultivating the garden for many years, specially for this event. Isn’t the topiary stunning?

 …and so much fun to play in!

Emily couldn’t have all her girl-friends as bridesmaids so some of her friends wore pretty wrist corsages.

and posed for a few photos…

While the guests were enjoying their tea and cake, we sneaked the bride and groom off for a few romantic portraits.

 Time for a few informal group photos before heading back into church for the wedding breakfast.

The amazing surprise floral masterpiece? Suspending a huge floral arrangement from the church’s stunning chandelier over a central round top-table. Pretty impressive!

The delicious food was provided by Honeypot catering.

Just as we were getting in the car to head to the Joshua Bradley for the evening party, I spotted long grass in the golden evening light in the field behind the church. And then I spotted the tractor. Mowing the lovely long wavy grass. We had literally minutes to get into the field and get the shots! James took a little convincing at the time but having now seen the results, he tells me it was definitely worth it ;)

Golden light, delicious flare, a couple in love and a field of grass. For me as a wedding photographer, it doesn’t get much better than that! 

 Dancing the night away…

 And one final, moonlit (well…) portrait.

James and Emily, thank you for inviting me to be a part of your special day and trusting me to document it for you. I hope these wedding photographs will give you happy memories for many years, and that your wedding album will be passed down the generations as a treasured family heirloom. It was such an honour to be a part of your wedding, and to be around your lovely family and friends. Thank you to everyone who made us feel so welcome! You are a truly special couple and I wish you all the best in your married life together.

Katy xxx