A June Wedding at Eaves Hall
An outdoor ceremony at Eaves Hall, a cream jacket and an uncle who really ought to be available for other people’s wedding speeches. Sophie and Jamie’s June wedding had plenty to keep my camera busy.
I’d already photographed these two during their pre-wedding session in Yorkshire, so we’d got past the introductions and the initial “what do I do with my hands?” stage. A useful head start. There are enough things to think about on your wedding morning without suddenly becoming very aware that you own arms.
Getting ready at Eaves Hall
Upstairs, Sophie’s dress was hanging in the doorway, her shoes and jewellery were ready, and the outdoor ceremony space was waiting below the window. There’s something rather lovely about being able to look out and see where you’re about to get married. Also quite useful for keeping an eye on whether everyone has arrived.
Purely practical. Absolutely no curtain twitching.
The morning had plenty of little things worth stopping for. The buttons down Sophie’s dress. White roses by the window. A hand held while everyone was still in their dressing gowns. Those photographs sit alongside the bigger moments because getting ready is part of the day too, even before anyone has worked out where they’ve put their earrings.
Sophie looked beautiful in her gown, with lace straps and soft waves in her hair. Jamie wore a cream jacket with a dark waistcoat and trousers. A very good combination, although I personally couldn’t be trusted in that much cream for an entire day. I’d have something on it before the ceremony. Probably coffee. Possibly something I hadn’t even eaten.
An outdoor wedding ceremony in Lancashire
Sophie and Jamie got married outside in the gardens at Eaves Hall, surrounded by their family and friends.
June in Lancashire doesn’t automatically entitle you to an outdoor ceremony. You can put “summer wedding” on the invitations, but the weather is under no obligation to read them. Being able to use that lovely garden setting was a treat.
With the house behind them and everyone gathered outside, it made a beautiful place to say their vows. I love being able to photograph the couple and then catch the faces watching them. There’s a whole other wedding happening in the seats.
And then came the confetti.
There’s a photograph of Sophie and Jamie coming through it with their arms in the air, looking thoroughly delighted with themselves. Quite right too. Married, surrounded by their favourite people and being enthusiastically pelted with little bits of paper. It’s an odd tradition when you write it down. I remain very much in favour.
An excellent day for speeches
The speeches deserve their own mention, particularly Sophie’s uncle’s.
He was properly funny. The sort of funny that makes photographing the reactions very easy, provided you remember you’re supposed to be doing that and haven’t just settled in to enjoy the speech yourself.
That laughing black-and-white photograph is from his speech. I can help people feel comfortable in front of a camera, but I cannot manufacture a laugh like that. For those, you need someone who knows the family and has been given a microphone.
Clearly a very good decision in this case.
It’s one of the things I enjoy most about photographing speeches. Someone starts talking, the room reacts, and suddenly there are photographs everywhere. A glance across a table. Someone trying to regain their composure. The couple completely caught up in what’s being said.
Sophie’s uncle did the difficult bit. I just needed to be pointing in the right direction.
Wedding photographs at Eaves Hall
There’s plenty to enjoy photographically at Eaves Hall, from the gardens and grand exterior to the window light upstairs. I’m very happy pottering about there with a camera. My version of pottering does involve rather a lot of bending down and standing up again, but that’s between me and my knees.
Sophie and Jamie’s photographs bring together all those different parts of their day. The quiet details from the morning, the outdoor ceremony, the confetti and the laughter during the speeches.
I love a beautiful portrait. I also love a photograph that immediately brings back something somebody said.
Ideally, you get both. And an uncle who can deliver.
If you’re planning your own Eaves Hall wedding, I’d love to hear about it. Tell me your date and what you have in mind, and we’ll take it from there.
