Wed-Fest: Ready For The Afterglow?

Sun is in short supply this summer, so I thought I'd revisit a wedding from earlier this year.  Even with the most meticulous forward planning,  no one can control the weather gods and that's perhaps one of the few things that is left completely to chance on such a momentous day, but fortune favoured Matt and Laura on their April wedding day.  

That said, don't let our temperamental climate compromise your plans.  If you want to get married in the open air, go for it!  There are some incredible all weather wedding venues in the UK that will have you covered, metaphorically and literally.  Tipi wedding venues are often family run with the nicest of wedding co-ordinators and they usually offer a choice of locations to tie the knot; from woodland glades to characterful barns, with the party continuing late into the night under cover of canvas beneath the stars.

Back in April, I was fortunate enough to capture this incredible festival wedding at The Firs Wedding Venue near Bromsgrove in Worcestershire.

As is my way, my booking confirmation was accompanied by a questionnaire designed to get to know my couples better.  I always offer to meet couples in person or at least have an initial conversation on the phone, but I also like to allow couples the time to absorb and consider my questionnaire.  It's nothing scary I hasten to add, but in addition to the sensible questions about colour schemes and family politics, I might as them a few randoms.  An example might include which actor they would choose to play them in a film.  It's an ever-evolving document, but intended to be fun.  No one wants to work their way through reams of paperwork.  However, I'm a genuinely curious person and love to get to know my clients, whilst respecting the fact that we're in a business relationship, so the questions are designed to give me a clearer picture of clients' style and taste.

With Laura and Matt, it was established early on that their wedding was going to be unique and deeply personal; a festival style wedding or "wedfest" with celebrations stretching over a full weekend.  Guests stayed in bell tents erected on site and feaster on pizza and noodles.

By the time of their wedding, I was familiar with some of their favourite music/bands (drum and bass in this instance), had a good idea of their personal style, was in possession of the day's itinerary (not carved in stone but still handy) and knew that we gelled - in terms of their expectations of me and my preferred way of working - e.g. documentary style photography.  Plus, I was chuffed to discover that they are cat people, but more on that later.

After abysmal weather leading up to the wedding, the day itself dawned bright and beautiful.

I arrived early and set about capturing the guests arriving and milling about.

Laura and Matt's chosen colour scheme (blues, greens, teal and a hint of burgundy) was accentuated by the bluebell carpeted woodland glade setting chosen for their handfasting ceremony.  Whatever the weather, nature always delivers.

Their ancient handfasting ceremony was personalised to perfection with the assistance of Stourbridge based SJW Celebrant.  I have no idea what had just passed between the three of them here, but it made for a great photo!

Check out Laura's braids and black lace cloak!  Matt was also on point, bringing the burgundy.

Another useful skill for any photographer is to have eyes in the back of your head.  If you can't live up to that expectation, make sure you do the odd 180 degree rotation to capture guests' reactions.

In such beautiful natural surroundings, or anywhere for that matter, eco friendly confetti is a must.  Laura and Matt had created their own from dried flower petals.

It's actually extremely common for couples to confess to being uncomfortable in front of the camera.  An important part of the job is addressing that specific issue.  There are various ways of doing this.  Pre wedding shoots are always an option, to enable couples of get used to being photographed.  Whilst I'm rubbish at remembering jokes, I do to try to engage couples with humour and there's nothing more disarming than seeing your photographer lying down on the ground to get a better angle, as I've been known to do.  I also avoid labouring over photographs and try read the room.  The trick here is to instinctively know when to shoot from the side lines and when to gently orchestrate a particular shot that reveals itself to me.

After the ceremony and a relaxed couples' portrait session,

Matt and Laura took some time for themselves.  Then it was time for speeches and cake cutting...

...which moved seamlessly into music and partying.  Becky Hill's Afterglow kickstarted the party.

I loved that Laura and Matt's personalities were stamped all over this wedding, from the individual wedding attire, to ribbon twirling, festival food, drum and bass silent discos and giant bubbles.

This attention to detail was by far, my biggest takeaway.  It was a totally inclusive wedding and that extended to those who couldn't make it, namely the couple's five cats.

As for the weather, well despite being on the cool side, we had uninterrupted blue sky, which made for the most incredible golden hour portrait session, including the photo at the top of this post.  Matt and Laura immediately recognised their luck in this regard and - nerves melted away - were happy to take a short walk with me in order that I could capture the happiness they were both radiating, in the most magical light...

Subtle rim lighting.

Sunkissed; golden hour light flatters all skin tones.

Silhouette bridal portrait.

If you're inspired to plan something similar, let's talk!

If you're struggling to see the light through all of this incessant rain, keep the faith.  I have it on good authority that there's a heatwave on the way.

Worcestershire Wanderings

Last week ushered in one of those days that changes everything; diagnostic tests for Mom, followed by the much feared phone call from the hospital.  Life has felt simultaneously unreal and incredibly challenging ever since.  However, living with uncertainty is part of life and we march on.

Accompanying Sharon the Celebrant, I visited a local glamping site on Friday, to check out its suitability for wild elopements/mini moons.  It just about ticked every box, offering peace and solitude...

...carefully considered luxury touches...

...an emphasis on R&R...

...rustic charm (don't be deceived by this description - the shower room, just next door to the communal kitchen, was as good as any luxury self catering cottage)...

...wonderful scenery, walks from the site...

....and friendly, devoted on-site owners, Deb and Ian (just a stone's throw away in their idyllic country cottage).

The heart of England has so much to offer.

As a means of distraction this week, I've also made one or two acquisitions - charity shopped, naturally.  There's a distinctly equine theme to my purchases.  First up, this maxi skirt from Boden.  The somewhat abstract print is actually galloping horses when you look closely.

I also couldn't leave behind this tapestry bag by Laurel Burch; its gold thread accented mythical horse pattern catching my eye.  

I later discovered that Laurel Burch is a Californian artist and has lead a fascinating life.  Here, in her own words, she describes her approach to art:  "As I grow, so grows my passion to dream, and as I dream, I paint.  Myths emerge, beings come to life, kindred spirits connect."  Her inspirations are horses, dogs, blossom, the ocean and cats.  What's not to like?!

The early seeds of Lauren's career were sewn as a young, single mother in 1960s San Francisco.  Born with Osteopetrosis, she married to Jazz musician Robert Burch when she was 19.  They later divorced.  

Lauren would create her own jewellery from objects collected from faraway places and strung together on beaten metal wire.  Her clothes were made from Mexican shawls and Indian bedspreads.  She raised her daughter on the income from selling earrings during this period, before one of her necklaces was admired in the street by the owners of a local Folk Art Gallery.  The Chair House, as it was known, became the first to sell Lauren's earrings.

By the late 1970s, Lauren had founded her company Tsuru Inc ("Crane" in Japanese) and was producing jewellery and greetings cards based on her original artworks.  She would go on to license her designs to a dozen companies around the world as her empire expanded. 

On Saturday, I took Mom to a local beauty spot on the heritage Severn Valley Railway,  Arley.  The Diesel pulled Red Rose Express was just arriving.

The Severn Valley Railway, like others, are showing their support for Ukraine.  As we stood on the platform on this still, sunny May day, a sudden gust of wind blew the flags into action.  An omen for the evening's Eurovision Song Contest it later transpired.

I hadn't spotted this vintage enamel sign before - Webbs Seeds Merchants from my home town.

Ignorant or innocent times...?

With a last glimpse of the station from the Ticket Office doorway, we headed off for a wander around the hamlet.

Even the gentry have to do laundry.  It was perfect drying weather yesterday on top of Arley Tower.

This property has always been my favourite.  Back in the day it was a public house known as The Valencia.  Now it's a private home and it should be mine! 

Deciding to take cover from the midday sun, we headed off to nearby Wolverley, a pretty Worcestershire village perched alongside the River Stour.  We headed for Gil's Tea Room following a recommendation, only to find that it was fully booked.  

Ever the accommodating host, Gil suggested we take a riverside bench seat next to the cafe and they would bring our order to us.

Try as I might, I have yet to achieve complete Instagram w**ker status given that I promptly forgot to photograph our food.  We were hungry!  It was hot!  You'll have to take my word for the fact that my hummus and falafel sandwich and salad and Mom's pear and stilton toasted sandwich were a) huge and b) delicious.  I also took away some salad inspiration; a simple idea, but toss in a few blueberries, pomegranate seeds and a chopped strawberry with your salad leaves and French dressing.  It works a treat.

The remainder of the day was devoted to reading in the sunshine and preparing for an evening BBQ.  I'll leave you with Lotte - whiskers illuminated by the dipping sun - apparently wrestling to dislodge something from between her teeth.  I wondered where that last piece of chicken went!