A Lytham church wedding and a celebration at The River Barn
Ten years ago, I photographed Charlotte’s wedding. She’s a teacher, and in the years since I think I’ve photographed every teacher at her school who’s got married, on her recommendation. I haven’t seen the staff list, but I’d back myself to do quite well on first names.
Charlotte and her family have been some of my biggest supporters over the years. That means a great deal when you run a business on your own. Someone was happy enough with the way you photographed their wedding to put your name forward for another one. And another. And then one day it’s Charlotte’s little brother Dan getting married, and I get to photograph him and Laura too.
From Australia to a church in Lytham
Dan and Laura live in Australia, which made planning a Lancashire wedding slightly more complicated, particularly when it came to finding a time to talk. Fortunately, I don’t sleep. Nice to discover there’s an international market for that.
They got married in church in Lytham before heading to The River Barn for their reception. I love the photograph of the two of them outside the church doorway. Laura’s got her bouquet in front of her, Dan’s beside her in black tie and they’re both smiling straight at me. It’s the one I can imagine finding on a mantelpiece in ten years’ time. Having known this family long enough to start talking in decades, I feel reasonably invested in where it ends up.
An arrival at The River Barn, featuring a plastic poncho
There’s a photograph of Laura and Dan beside their white wedding car when they arrived at The River Barn. They’re under an umbrella, the barn is behind them and Laura’s dress looks beautiful. On my side of that photograph, the rain was coming down so hard I was wearing a plastic poncho with my camera tucked underneath it for protection. Of the three of us, two had dressed for an elegant Lancashire wedding and one could have been queueing for the log flume.
It did dry up, and I’m so glad we got outside. There’s a path between the clipped hedges where I could stand far enough back to get the whole sweep of Laura’s veil as she and Dan kissed. Then there are the close black-and-white portraits under that same veil, where you can see Laura laughing and Dan leaning his forehead against hers. I’d put those together. The wide one shows you why I wanted to take them out there. The close one is the photograph I’d want if those were my people.
I’m also rather fond of the photographs of them walking along the path, Laura lifting her skirt clear of the gravel. You can see the shape of her dress, Dan’s bow tie and the house behind them. You’d never know from those pictures quite how recently I’d been operating a camera from inside my own personal tent.
Back inside the barn
Inside The River Barn, the tables were laid beneath the wooden beams, with greenery hanging overhead. There’s a little detail photograph I like of Laura and Dan touching their glasses together. You only see their hands, the glasses and a little of what they’re wearing. After all the work of organising a wedding from the other side of the world, I’m pleased they have a photograph of the bit where they actually got to have a drink.
My favourite evening photograph is a black-and-white one of them dancing. Laura’s arm is around Dan, her dress catches the light and the little lights behind them pick them out in the dark. It’s a lovely one to finish on.
Dan and Laura, thank you for having me there. It’s quite something to photograph a wedding and find myself back with a family whose photographs I first took ten years earlier. Charlotte, thank you for all the times you’ve said my name in rooms I wasn’t in. I’ve had some bloody lovely days because of it. Your brother’s was one of them.
If you’re planning a wedding at The River Barn, I’d love to hear what you’ve got in mind. Send me your date and tell me a little about the two of you. Lancashire or Australia, we’ll find a time.
