Derwent manor
Shelley & Steven originally had us booked us for their wedding photography for a different date for their wedding at Longhirst Hall in Northumberland. Sadly they were one of the couples let down when the venue shut down. Fortunately for them they were able to re book with Derwent Manor Hotel in Consett and were very happy with this new choice for their venue, and we were able to move the date for them ourselves too!
Getting Ready
Shelley was getting ready at the hotel as everyone had stayed over the night before so she had all her bridesmaids with her and her mum too. They were all having hair and makeup done when we arrived and everyone was very excited!
The guys were also at the hotel getting ready so Nick popped along to see them for a bit while Laura stayed with the girls. There were hip flasks all round in the guys room and they were definitely getting into the spirit of the day!
Shelley was ready to get into her beautiful lace gown. With her hair pinned up, a veil and her jewellery added she looked the perfect bride! She even had her customised converse shoes under her dress for comfort!
Her dad came to collect her to walk her down the aisle and looked very proud of his daughter.
The Ceremony
The guests were all in their seats waiting for the arrival of the bridal party. The room looked amazing with a huge chandelier in the centre which is a real feature in the room.
The bridesmaids were the first to enter the room looking gorgeous, and then it was time for Shelley to walk down the aisle with her father.
There were some lovely readings by a family member and one of the bridesmaids, the couple made their vows to each other and exchanged wedding rings. Steven got to kiss his beautiful bride and Shelley was clearly over the moon to be Mrs Charlton!
After the formalities of signing the register were done and few had a few shots with the register then everyone headed upstairs for a drinks reception.
The Romantic Couple’s Photographs
After the drinks reception we stole the couple away for a little bit to take some stunning wedding portraits outdoors around the grounds. This is a great time to have your couple’s photos done as guests were happy mingling and chatting to each so at this point of the day they won’t miss the bride and groom not being there for a little while.
The sky was a little dull and it did have a little spot of rain every now and again but this couple were so happy overall they didn’t let it bother them at all! We had some shots with the countryside in the background and used some of the buildings as background as they were stone walls and looked great with some of our props! You can tell this couple are so happy together and comfortable with each other- it shows in the pictures. They had a great time posing for their photo’s but we had to get back inside before the rain got worse!
The Speeches
We headed back the room where the ceremony was held room, which had undergone a transformation and was set ready for the meal.
There were some fabulous speeches! Shelleys dad had every laughing, and the groom had some lovely words to say too but it was the best man that stole the show! Using two of the guests as ‘actors’ Shelley and Steven he told the story of how the couple met. The room was crying with laughter and everyone said how funny it was!
We then took a break to let everyone enjoy their meal and we could recharge ourselves ready for the evening!
Party time!
After the meal we had time for some family photos, we did a big group shot first in the ballroom then some smaller family photos outside the ballroom as there was a pretty area there which made a great backdrop. We try to keep these brief but get all the important family group shots the bride and groom would like. The room was then being changed again ready for the evening so this was a great opportunity to get some more great shots.
We took advantage of the cosy chairs in the bar next to a pretty Christmas tree, then went outside under the stone archway for some shots with the guys.
The men at the wedding were keen on whisky and expensive cigars! The best man had a box of expensive cigars he was saving for a special occasion so it seemed fitting to crack them open with a few beers at a wedding! Steven looked super cool with his trilby hat and waistcoat and we got some amazing atmospheric shots with them as we think you will agree!
The band was set up and the room ready for the party to begin! There was even a photobooth for the guests entertainment.
The cake was cut then Mr and Mrs Charlton took to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife. We set off one of our fun confetti cannons (please let us know if you want us to supply one of these for your first dance! They make amazing first dance pictures!) to add extra flair to the photos.
Then the party got going with lots of dancing and it was still going well when we left!
In all it was a fabulous day for everyone. We hope they like their photos as much as we do! Thanks to them for choosing us to photograph their wedding day and allowing us to capture their memories to keep and look back at over years to come. Thanks so much for letting us be a part of it we had a fabulous day!
We wish you all the best for the future together!
