Winter Peach Photography: woodland wedding

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.

Our tale begins with a pair of runaways who needed no one's approval, only each other.

They ran to their favourite woodland glade, close to the beating heart of England, and tried in vain to stop their own hearts racing...

...as they awaited the arrival of the only other person in possession of their secret.

And she would perform a rite,

as they delivered their handwritten promises to each other, crafted from a commitment that will anchor them both like the roots of the trees that bore witness.