We had the most memorable pre-lockdown photoshoot with Jaine. It was a welcomed sprinkle of positivity and fun with lots of giggles in a time when the world was starting to shut down around us as we went into a National lockdown. 

With only 5 months before the BIG day, plans were made for their pre-wedding shoot… a great way to get them used to my simple, effective direction which ensures great, no fuss imagery on their wedding day.

The shoot in Manchester was the day before lockdown; Castlefields was deserted… it was eerie, like a ghost-town in a movie, however we had lots of fun creating great imagery which perfectly captured their personalities. We excitedly chatted all things wedding and agreed a loose timeframe of how their day would flow at the Dell Pavilion at Thornton Manor on 9^th May 2020.

My heart sank when we had the inevitable phone call agreeing a  postponement until 12^th September2020, which seemed ages away!

They hadn’t even been able to see the pre-shoot images….but we remained in close contact, with positive re-enforcement that everything will be fine on the new date in September.

Catherine wasn’t able to arrange bridal fittings for her beautiful backless wedding dress, whilst dropping baby weight at an enviable rate. Food wasn’t tasted, flowers only provisionally ordered via picture format and of course, the invitations couldn’t be sent out just yet.

A really flat time for them both, so  what did they do… Oh they threw a house move into the mix!

Weeks turned into months and eventually it looked like another postponement was imminent….yet not once did this gorgeous, hopelessly in love couple lose their enthusiasm.

Fortunately, just in the nick of time, weddings could total 30 guests again for their revised date, and with an outdoor ceremony and reception, we only had the British weather to worry about!

Getting that huge guest list down became pretty easy for the couple; no-one was offended, a few preferred to stay away and separated parents were perfectly polite with each other (I guess social bubbles keep people at a distance anyway), hair and make-up became a bridesmaids task, the cake became two tiers from three, but nothing was compromised.

When we realised we had to postpone, the first call we made was to Jaine! With all fingers and toes crossed we held our breathe to hear whether Jaine was actually available to photograph the new date. We were in luck! Phew!! At this time, no one knew quite how long things would go on for! I remember Jaine saying how perfect the weather would be on our new date and as we planned for our outdoor ceremony.

The build up to the wedding could have been a stressful and upsetting time but it wasn’t for us! There was one thing that we were clear on and that was that we would get married on 12th September 2020  – One postponement was enough for us!

The atmosphere was amazing, there was nothing different apart from a few less people nipping in and out (a blessing in my opinion), the shots of the girls who’d been isolating together to reach this point were fun and relaxed, Catherine looked amazing, wearing the dress of her dreams, the lads were super sharp, suited n booted, the immediate families were great fun and easy to capture using a long lens as they were in their natural bubbles and Marcquelle, what can I say, he was like a kid on Christmas day…. A bouncing tigger with a huge beaming smile!

I’d vowed not to make this a masked, “Covid” wedding as their Italian album will be there to show daughter Ava in 25 years’ time when she gets married and Covid is (hopefully) a word we never hear, so everyone was seated, sensibly distanced through the outdoor ceremony which carried such light-hearted emotion; there was a tear in my eye for sure.

The large lawns adjoining the beautiful Monet style lakes were perfect for the relaxed social reception, where families were able to walk and talk freely whilst socially distanced, before a few group and fun shots, enthusiastically embraced by the lovely wedding party.

Our wish came true and to us the day itself was just perfect in every single way! We had the most gorgeous weather and had 30 guests, which in the grand scheme of things, was an ample amount in the current climate. We zoomed our wedding to all of our friends and family who couldn’t be there and there was a real air of appreciation for finally having our dream day! We definitely spent the day in a fabulous bubble of contentment; it was such a special day. Every guest shared beaming smiles and we felt such magic in the air that day. It was only a couple of weeks later that the guest count fell again so we were even more appreciative of what had been our postponed wedding date.

Evening receptions were still not allowed, though you would never know it, so they’d cut down on table arrangements and dressing of the marquee, therefore I suggested we capture their first dance more intimately at one of the hidden treasures within Thornton Manors grounds. Off they went practicing this beautiful, choreographed dance whilst Ian, my associate photographer, and I clicked away without the couple’s knowledge.

These powerful, intimate images were the perfect ending to a happy, relaxed, minimised but not compromised wedding day.

And the party – hey I’m waiting for the invitation and yes, I will have my camera in one hand, but there’ll be a glass of fizz in the other!

We masked the post wedding blues with a fabulous champagne afternoon tea viewing session arranged by Jaine, while we selected our photographs for the album! We were absolutely blown away by the imagery taken, and as for our Graphistudio Italian Wedding Album…. just WOW!

As couples continue to postpone weddings, we remain eternally grateful for the truly amazing day that we both had. We are so appreciative of all of the people who went above and beyond to help us to have the wedding of our dreams.

We started 2021 as Mr and Mrs Ward and can’t wait to see what the future holds…

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