Firstly it needs to be pointed out what a fab wedding venue South Farm (near Royston) really is. Amazing grounds. Lovely prep area for bridal party. Fab new dancefloor for the after party. Loads of quirky stuff like pigs, chickens and vintage caravans. The list goes on!
I first met Michael and Leanne whilst second shooting for another wedding photographer at Leanne's Mum's wedding in Bedford year and a half ago. Michael was a groomsmen and has his SLR camera with him which got us talking. We stayed in touch and I invited him to shoot with me at one of my weddings a few months later, and he ended up being my main second shooter for 2015 and 2016! Although they booked me a long time ago to shoot their wedding, I felt the pressure a little, as they obviously know good photography from average better than most. I needn't have worried though as with the help of Kelly Clarke Photography, we pretty much nailed it. Some other key vendors on the day were the always excellent Lee Smith - Magician who wowed the guests with his amazing card tricks, and Niki Lawrence who did an amazing job with make up for the girls. I'll let Michael introduce how he and Leanne met below:
“Leanne and I first met at work, and its safe to say we liked each other for quite a while! After what seemed like an eternity, we finally got together! I then moved in with Leanne, which was on the understanding that my dog moved in too! This resulted in Leanne adopting an 8 stone German Shepherd, which she was somewhat apprehensive about! (Side note: They are now best friends!). I knew I wanted to marry Leanne, and begun to form a plan to take her to Ireland. I took Leanne to the beautiful Lough Eske Castle in County Donegal for afternoon tea. When we arrived I took her to a secluded spot my the lake, with beautiful scenery and the sun shining down! I then did it! I asked her to marry me…..sort of! What actually happened was I got down on one knee, produced the ring, said her name about three times….and then started crying. Leanne then also started crying. We cried for a bit (happy crying obviously!), and I put the ring on her finger! It was one of the most nerve-wracking and happiest moments of my life. However, due to crying, at no point did I actually ask her to marry me, and at no point did she actually say that she would! Ignoring this minor detail, 2 years later we then got married at the most beautiful venue, with amazing weather, surrounded by our family and friends! Leanne looked absolutely beautiful, and the moment when I first saw her was the happiest I have ever been! It was an amazing day, and one that I will never ever forget……and yes….I cried then too!"
So, how did the day go for us all? Well pretty damned well as it happens. With it being May the cherry trees were in full blossom so we took full advantage with the night shot (shown above). Leanne and Michael have a shared passion for trance music, with Michael a very capable DJ in his own right, so the party went hard well into the night. Kelly and I stayed even later than usual to do it all justice!
