A sunny Craxton Wood wedding

This happy and relaxed Wirral wedding was one of my favourite to photograph this summer, for a few different reasons. Firstly- the people... Heather and Dileep were just the sweetest couple. Smiling, happy, totally in-love and had brought so many thoughtful details to the day. Secondly, I was shooting with Dan Thurgood (www.danielcharlesphotography.co.uk) which is always a pleasure as Dan and I have worked together many times and make a great team (plus I laugh at his dad jokes). And to top it all off, the light was ah-mazing as the scorching day rolled around to golden hour.

The day started with bridal prep at Heather's family home on the Wirral, and straight away I was hit by what special friends Heather had chosen for her bridesmaids. They were thoughtful, attentive to her, kept her calm and smiling and all took their duties of helping with Heather's veil and beautiful, beaded dress very seriously! It can be a bit nerve-wracking in the hours leading up to your wedding, and it's important to have a good bride-tribe around you. These ladies were top quality!

The ceremony was at a beautiful local church- St Peter's, in Heswall. Some parts of this grade II listed sandstone church date back to 1306! The ceremony was beautifully led by the warm and friendly Minister, who was on hand to give a supportive welcome as Heather arrived and prepared to walk in (always a moment that requires a nice, deep breath!) After the ceremony, the bride and groom had a moment to catch their breath before embarking on the world's longest confetti line down the beautiful pathway down from the church! You can't ever have too much!

The reception was held at Craxton Wood Hotel, Ledsham. As it was such a gorgeous day, the guests enjoyed drinks and canapees in the garden area at the back of the hotel, with a string quartet filling the air with relaxing music. There was plenty of shade for those who were starting to wilt in the heat and one of Heather's thougtful details saved the day- she had arranged for little tubs of her favourite childhood ice cream to be specially shipped down from a creamery near her grandmother's house in Scotland. They absolutely hit the spot with the guests and the fact that they held a real meaning for her was extra special.

The reception room was decorated with lots of greenery, white flowers and candles, and rose gold touches, which really continued Heather's elegant style. The wedding breakfast is a time to enjoy catching up with people, or making some new friends around the table, and then settling back for some good laughs and maybe some tears with the speeches. I love capturing people's individual reactions to the speeches, and often the bride and groom will miss a lot of these on the day. It's great for them to look at their photographs later and see how much fun everyone was having! This wedding was no exception, and I confess, I found myself laughing along with these!

That golden hour light was looking amazing, so after the meal, we managed to sneak off for Heather and Dileep to have some time together and a few couple photos. I often find this time to be a really special moment in the day for the couple. The wedding day is amazing and filled with all your favourite people, and everyone is congratulating you and it's fabulous.... but is is so nice to take a few minutes to be just the two of you, to take a breather and check in with each other and just revel in the fact that you have done it! All those months of planning and you're here and you're husband and wife! Craxton Wood Hotel is adjacent to some lovely countryside, so we were able to take a walk in some stunning surroundings.

Back at Craxton Wood, and it was time for the first dance. Heather and Dileep had obviously been practising this for a while! Just look at the love and happiness on their faces and how supportive their friends and family are, all gathered round. What a perfect start to married life!

#wedding #craxtonwood #craxtonwoodhotel #cheshirewdding #wirralwedding #liverpoolwedding #weddingphotographeer #goldenhour #coupleportraits