Tomorrow is Shellby and Ryan’s wedding day at the beautiful White hart inn, Lydgate. Its such a gorgeous venue and one that I absolutely love returning to.
A couple of months ago we met for a walk, chat and a squeezed in some photos along the way. I love getting to know my couples throughout their wedding planning and getting to know all about their back story and plans for their big day on the pre wedding shoot.
Here’s a little bit of what we got up to…
2018 was bloody fabulous ! So many incredible weddings and couples who did their day their way!
Working in Lancashire and up and down the country heading down to Cornwall and up to Scotland I really did cover the lengths of the UK photographing weddings over the past 12 months. Over 50 weddings later and I’m itching for 2019 weddings to start so I can dive into more unique days.
From 3 day long festivals to intimate elopements no two weddings have been the same which is exactly why this year has been so amazing! To each and every couple who chose me to document their day THANK YOU! I’ve absolutely loved documenting every laugh, tear, hug and epic dance off.
I’ve worked alongside some insanely talented photographers this year and to all of you who have second shot for myself or invited me to shoot alongside you I cannot thank you enough, I’ve had an absolute blast!
2019 is shaping up to equally epic with weddings in Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales and even Sorrento…. BRING IT ON !
Here’s a tiny snippet of what I got up to in 2018- enjoy!
Happy New Year !
Olivia x
A few weeks ago I met with Jenny and Pete at Fairy Glen ahead of their Ashfield house wedding. As soon as Jenny suggested meeting in Fairy Glen I was super excited, if you haven’t been its such a beautiful spot!
We walked through fairy glen chatting all about their wedding plans. I love meeting couples prior to the wedding for a chance to get to know one another and squeeze in some photos.
Here’s a little bit of what we got up to …
If you’d like a relaxed pre wedding shoot drop me a message to see what I can do for you :)
The Old Grammar School in Middleton is such a hidden gem tucked away just out of the centre of Middleton. Standing over 600 years old its full of character and charm whilst being super close to Manchester city centre. As a Lancashire wedding photographer I love having the opportunity to explore venues for the first time.
I first met Emily when I photographed her brother and sister in laws wedding 2 years ago and was absolutely thrilled when she got in touch to see if I was available to shoot her big day.
The day started off nice and relaxed with the girls getting ready together at Emily's mums home surrounded by bridesmaids, with flower girls Poppy and Ada excitedly waiting upstairs jumping on the bed. I was super excited to see Emily’s “light up” shoes and colourful bouquet that she had previously told me about and it did not disappoint! If you want to inject some colour and fun into your flowers then take note because this is how to do it!
After a drive in the appropriately named “Emily” wedding car Ed and Emily were married in a beautiful service at St Marie’s church in Bury surrounded by their closest family and friends.
A quick showering of rainbow confetti and time for some portraits of the pair outside of the church and it was time to head over to The Old Grammar School. The traditional stone and oak building looked incredible filled full of rainbow flowers and fairy lights – the brighter the better!
After an afternoon spent in the sunshine with family and friends Ed and Emily settled down for a BBQ and speeches before kicking off the dance floor to sound of The Midnight cats. Thanks so much for having me at your big day Emily and Ed it was beautiful !
Here’s a little preview of what the day looked like
Wedding Suppliers:
Venue: The Old Grammar School
Make up: Vicki Sillett
Hair: Alicia Davies
Flowers: Bealey’s florist
Cake: Julia’s icing on the cake
Band: The Midnight Cats
Pets at bridal prep- check, the seaside- check, arcades- check, Elvis- check! Laura and Sam's wedding was SO much fun and was full of things I love.
The day started at Laura and Sam's house for bridal prep which to my delight featured Lily the dog! After prep we heading to The wedding chapel which is situated right on the front of Blackpool promenade and perfectly frames the Blackpool tower.
After taking a stroll along the promenade and onto North pier and taking a few photos of Laura and Sam we made a quick stop in the arcades *yay* The wedding party then headed to local Italian Nunzio's for the wedding meal and the all important speeches which included a lovely poem from Sam's mum.
After being refuelled it was time for everyone to take a stroll down to The talk of the town for Laura and Sam's evening reception. Including some wedding crashers, a cake made of cheese and an extra special VIP .... ELVIS!! And to top it all off I managed to take Laura and Sam onto the beach (or as close to it as we could get in high tide) for some evening portraits...here's a brief glance of what their day looked like.
I was so excited to be back at Carlton Towers for Sam and Pranesh's wedding after visiting with them in the autumn for their pre wedding shoot. Luckily the February weather was kind to us and the rain held off! It was such a beautiful day and I am so excited to be able to share this beautiful Yorkshire wedding.
Starting in the morning with Sam getting ready with her bridesmaids and mums while the boys prepped the downstairs there was a really buzz as all the girls had their hair and makeup done and Sam handed out gifts. With a little spare time Sam and Pranesh decided to have a 'first touch'. This was the first time I had the opportunity to photograph a first touch and I absolutely loved it! If you have the time to schedule it in to your day I highly recommend to do so it was a really lovely emotional moment and I felt incredibly lucky to be able to document it.
Walking down the aisle to the beautiful voice of Rosanna O'Brien Sam and Pranesh's ceremony was perfect, full of little glances and smiles to one another.
After the ceremony we headed outside for a showering of confetti as they walked down the grand steps outside the venue before taking some time to explore the grounds and get some photos as the two spend a little time together as husband and wife.
I love taking time to photograph the little details at a wedding- after all so much time has been spent planning it out to be perfect! and Sam and Pranesh's did not disappoint. It was so lovely to see their centre pieces for each table included images from their pre wedding shoot and my favourite touch was their "You are my lobster" cake topper- as a HUGE Friends fan this was much appreciated.
Undoubtably one of my favourite parts of Sam and Pranesh's big day was the dance floor! It was INCREDIBLE! After a game of Mr and Mrs it was dancing shoes back on a go go go. With Pranesh's family coming from Mauritius I had been warned the dance floor would be busy and that was no word of a lie, it was such an amazing atmosphere and I loved getting stuck in the middle of all the action.
Massive thanks to Emily for coming along to second shoot and capturing some of these images.
Massive thanks to all suppliers involved in making this wedding BEAUTIFUL and of course to Sam and Pranesh for allowing me to share and document their big day !
Venue: Carlton Towers
Singer: Rosanna O'brien
Second shooter: Emily Bailey
Decorations: As you wish events
Cake: Betty's
I've known Casey since high school after being in the same form class so I was extra excited when she asked me to document her and Liam's big day.
After meeting in Lourdes and later becoming engaged there while on pilgrimage Liam and Casey's day was extra special in paying homage to this in a day surrounded by their family and friends. Bridal preparations were enjoyed over a glass of bubbly and some throwback music supplied by Steps and beautiful makeup by Briony Jayne
The beautiful ceremony was held in Liam's family church at Our Immaculate Mother & ST Anselm's with the service delivered from both Casey and Liam's parish priests making it extra special and personal to the pair.
After a hefty showering of confetti and the formal group shots the heavens opened just in time for us to make our way over to The Peacock Room. Luckily we dodged the rain for the most part and made use out of the beautiful grounds at the peacock room for some bridal portraits.
Some emotional speeches recounting of long friendships, and fate bringing Casey and Liam together
Huge thank you to Sarah for coming along and second shooting with me for the day and capturing some of these moments!
From the moment Fiona's email detailing her wedding to Ian hit my inbox I knew it was going to be special. An intimate wedding set on their very own farm with their nearest and dearest - a grand total of 9 guests and Polly (the ring bearing sheep) Set in the incredibly beautiful Kinross in Scotland and I was looking forward to this wedding for a long time!
After getting their hair done at the salon the girls headed back to Fiona and Ian’s farm house to bind beautiful rose and thistle buttonholes before doing makeup and getting dressed. Once dressed Fiona headed over to see her calves and other animals on the farm before… wait for it….. driving herself down the “aisle” in a tractor- Seriously one of the coolest entrances EVER!
Following a traditional bag piper Fiona, bridesmaid and flower girls headed down the aisle for a hand fasting ceremony. It was such an honour to be part of Fiona and Ian’s intimate ceremony with what can only be described as the most phenomenal views!
After the ceremony Fiona, Ian and I wandered around their farm taking photos of the two before heading back to the field directly behind the farmhouse where the couple had set up bride and groom hay bales as well as a hay bale pyramid for their group shot *swoon* It felt so special taking photos not only where they had been married 20 minutes prior but on their land where they both worked and lived. A brief stop in the farmhouse for some snacks and refreshments and we headed off for a mini tour of the couples favourite spots including Loch Leven (if you get a chance to visit I cannot recommend it enough) I loved being able to explore the stunning scenery and take portraits of these guys before heading to an intimate (and amazingly tasty) meal at a local restaurant before they headed off on their honeymoon. I had such a beautiful and fun day celebrating and documenting this intimate wedding.
If you’re planning a relaxed countryside wedding, or an intimate elopement get in touch ! I adore shooting this sort of beautiful wedding
Thowback to those summer months with beautiful golden sunsets and warm afternoons. After getting ready at her mums house Sarah and Dave were married at ST Cuthbert's Church in ChurchTown. It was such a beautiful church and the perfect setting for this wedding and a welcome shade from the beaming sunlight on one of the hottest days of last year. It was an emotional service followed by a hefty showering of confetti outside of the church grounds.
After the service we headed down the road to Southport Botanical gardens for some couples portraits, which were extra special as this is where Sarah's parents had their own wedding portraits. Luckily we were greeted with beautiful sunshine unlike their very rainy pre wedding shoot a couple of months prior.
After the all important portraits we headed to the Royal Clifton Hotel in Southport which was the perfect setting for some seaside portraits.Following the all important speeches we headed out front for some lovely golden hour portraits down by the pier.
After kicking off the party with a first dance to Arctic Monkeys Sarah and Dave had such an amazing dance floor full of the best music! I absolutely LOVED this wedding and I'm so happy to be sharing it!
2017 was such an amazing year for me. I met the most amazing couples sharing their big days documenting the tears, the laughter and the incredible parties that followed! I am so grateful to each and every couple that chose me to document their day.
I've been lucky enough to work at some amazing new venues, tick some off my bucket list and return to some favourites from previous years. I've travelled up and down the country working with the BEST couples. I have second shot for some incredible photographers and undergone training from some of the best.
The year kicked off at The Victoria hotel in Oldham and ended at beautiful Mitton Hall. In between I travelled to Kinross, Scotland, Swansea, Fawley Hill and Bristol and so many other incredible places.
I can't wait to see what 2018 holds, I'm nearly fully booked with just a couple of dates remaining and now taking bookings for 2019. I'll be travelling across Manchester, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Wales and further afield. If you're still looking for your photographer drop me a message to see what I can do for you.
Happy New Year!
Olivia
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to collaborate on a beautiful styled bridal shoot in Leeds. Working alongside the wonderfully talented Emma Louise Bartlam whose make up studio is based in Leeds city centre we created 3 bridal looks.
In true Yorkshire style the temperamental weather restricted us from having the opportunity to head outside as originally planned but that didn't stop us from being able to create some bridal portraits within the studio.
If you're looking for a makeup artist for your wedding or even just fancy a pamper I cannot recommend Emma enough so drop her a message or pop into her studio.
Here's a little bit of what we got up to...
