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Cotswolds House Hotel Wedding

So Shani and Dan got married at St James Church and The Cotswolds House Hotel in Chipping Campden. I didn’t meet Shani or Dan in person before the wedding as they were so far away but I knew from our Skype call that it was going to be an epic wedding day, not just because Shani and Dan had organised such a wonderful day for all of their guests but because they are such lovely warm fun loving people and guess what?! I was right. It was absolutely perfect, such a relaxed and fun feel to the day, everyone was having the best time and the setting was beautiful, it felt like we were in some gardens in Italys countryside.

I also had the pleasure of working alongside a fantastic team for the day including Ben from Tynegate Films, Richard , The Gloucestershire Magician and my awesome second shooter Siobhan McGill of MgGill Sister Films.

I’m going to let Shani and Dan tell you all about it in their own words.

Thanks for having us Shani and Dan. Lots of love xxxxx

Shani and Dan’s Story

We met at high school and fell for each other whilst in the process of failing A-Level Biology. We were both so terrible at the subject that the teacher sat us together and from that moment on, we didn’t get very much work done! We then completed our A-Levels, took a gap year and travelled to Asia and went on to study Business Management together at University - we really were inseparable!. We graduated with our degrees a few years later, somehow ended up gaining three crazy dogs in that time and continued to do some more travelling, our favourite being a road trip across America. We've now been together for almost ten years and live in the quiet Cotswold town of Chipping Campden, where we got married.

Getting Engaged

Dan took me to Paris for my 21st Birthday and proposed on the Champ De Mars, it was magic! When we returned our family threw us an amazing surprise engagement party. We were quite young when we first got engaged and we decided that we would get married a 'couple' of years later. This somehow turned into a 5 year engagement! So the wedding day was very special for us as we had been planning for it for a long time.

Shani’s favourite thing about Dan is how kind and selfless he is, always helping other people and looking after her in particular! Shani also love how passionate he is about his hobbies.

Dan’s favourite thing about Shani is her smile and how driven she is in everything she does. Nothing phases her and she's such a strong woman.

St James Church and The Cotswold House Hotel in Chipping Campden.

We got married at St James Church in Chipping Campden, which is close to our hearts from our childhood. We had our reception at The Cotswold House Hotel in Chipping Campden. The most important thing for us was for our guests to have a great day. We were so lucky with the beautiful weather that we were able to have our wedding reception outside in the gardens. There were moments throughout the day when we both stood together and looked around at everyone, it was such a lovely feeling watching people enjoying themselves, with the the kids running around the garden, the magician shocking everyone with his entertainment, people tucking into their food and lots of free flowing drinks! Overall there was a really lovely feel to the day and we are so happy with how it all turned out.

The Wedding Dress.

I wore an English Rose Bridal dress from The Bridal Room Broadway. The ladies in the shop were so amazing helping to choose my dream dress and the whole experience was so wonderful, they really made me feel special.

https://www.thebridalroombroadway.co.uk/

A Shout Out to Our Wedding Suppliers.

My mum did my hair for the wedding day, I knew I didn't want anyone else to do it! She's the most wonderful hairdresser and it was so special for me that she was the one helping me to get ready in the morning. She did an amazing job, even though she was so nervous!

Christine Cara was my makeup artist, she was so much fun to be with throughout all of the trials leading up to the wedding day. I chose Christine because of how amazing other people had told me her work was, she didn't disappoint at all! She made me feel confident and helped me to create the look I wanted, even when I couldn't articulate it very well myself!

http://www.christinecaramakeup.com/

Our flowers were by Charlotte Gabb, we chose Charlotte because of her wealth of experience and knowledge of the church. Charlotte was brilliant and we were so happy with the beautiful arrangements.

We had The Gloucestershire Magician, Richard Parsons for our wedding reception entertainment. He was absolutely amazing! Our guests are still talking about how they can't believe the tricks he did. We are still talking about it too! Richard helped us to create that fun, relaxed feeling that we wanted to achieve on the day.

http://www.gloucestershiremagician.co.uk/

Sally Potter made our wedding cake. Sally has been making my birthday cakes since I was 4 years old, so it was really special for me that she did our wedding cake.

Our wedding stationary was made by Cherry Press. We chose Cherry Press because they are a local business who create traditional letterpress stationary the good old fashioned way!

http://www.cherrypress.co.uk/

Ben Tynegate was our videographer. We chose Ben because my sister showed us some of his work and we fell completely in love with it. We knew that his cinematic films were what we wanted to capture our day. We now can't stop watching them and will treasure our beautiful films forever.

https://tynegate-films.com/

We chose Katie Dervin as our wedding photographer as she was recommended by a friend. From the moment we saw Katie's photos we knew we didn't want anyone else to capture the wedding. The lighting and the way they are edited are so beautiful and we wish we could frame all of them and have them all displayed in our house!! Katie was so lovely on the day too, helping us to feel so relaxed and at ease in front of the camera.

We tried to keep the wedding and the decor low key and not too over the top but still with a classic, pretty feel to it. We had lots of fairy lights and candles everywhere to create a nice warm glow, but the venue spoke for itself so we didn't have to bring in too many other decorations.

We put a lot of effort into personalised touches throughout the day, for instance, we made all of the centre pieces ourselves, our wedding guest book and our polaroid timeline and it was so rewarding to see how it all came together beautifully on the day.

We wanted to have a really relaxed day so we chose to have a BBQ instead of a traditional three-course meal, which worked really well. For music throughout the day we made a playlist of our favourite songs growing up together and then we had a DJ in the evening for everyone to dance the night away to!

Shani and Dan’s Stag and Hen Do:

Dan went to Amsterdam for his stag do, he was amazed that he survived the weekend! It consisted of beer, beer tours and more beer. He loved it there and hopes to one day go back to enjoy the city a bit more sober!

I was truly spoiled as a hen, having three wonderful hen do's! The first was a bottomless brunch with all of my lovely girls. The second was a trip to the beautiful Greek island of Mykonos with my bridesmaids. The third was organised by my lovely mum, who got all of the ladies in my family together for a weekend in London and a party boat on the river Thames.

There isn't anything we would do differently really.

The only minor thing is I wish I had kept my veil on for longer! I took it off as it was getting caught on the floor but wish I had kept it on all day!

What would your advice be to couples planning their wedding day?

Enjoy it, it really is so much fun! Don't get too bogged down in the detail and lost in small stuff that doesn't truly matter, try to be well organised in advance and that way you can enjoy it as a couple.

Brides bouquet, pink flowers and pale green leaves. (Copy)

Wedding Dress hanging in the hall way. (Copy)

Brides shoes on windowsill with 6 pence inside. (Copy)

Bridesmaid shoes and the bottom of the bridesmaid dresses. (Copy)

Bride getting ready in the hall as bridesmaid watches from the sitting room. (Copy)

Bridesmaid help to arrange wedding dress hanging from wardrobe. (Copy)

Bridesmaid has a necklace put on her. (Copy)

Bridesmaids watching bride getting ready smiling. (Copy)

Bride getting her make up put on. (Copy)

Mother of the Bride and Sister of the Bride have a moment together as they look at the bride getting ready at Cotswolds House Hotel. (Copy)

Bride comes down to see her bridesmaids in their dresses for the first time. (Copy)

The bride stands in window light as her mother helps her put on her dress. (Copy)

Long shot of Bride having her dress put on in the window light. (Copy)

Bridesmaids see Bride in her wedding dress for the first time. (Copy)

Mother of the brides hat, jacket and purse in some speckled window light. (Copy)

Father of the Bride comes to see his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time. (Copy)

Bridesmaids peeping through the window. (Copy)

Speckled sunlight coming through the trees into the doorway. (Copy)

Bridesmaids waving outside The Cotswolds House Hotel. (Copy)

Groom and Groomsmen leaving the house on the way to the church. (Copy)

Groom leading his groomsmen to the church. (Copy)

St James Church, Chipping, Campden. (Copy)

Groom getting a hug from a wedding guest. (Copy)

Bridesmaids waiting for bride to arrive. (Copy)

Onlookers wait to see the bride enter the church. (Copy)

Bride walks down the church pathway with her dad. (Copy)

Groom waits inside the church with his groomsmen. Best Man looking at his watch. (Copy)

Bride and Father of the Bride walking down the aisle in St James Church in Chipping, Campden. (Copy)

Close up of the brides dress and the grooms suit as they stand together. (Copy)

Bride and Groom photographed through foliage. (Copy)

Bride and groom stand before vicar smiling. (Copy)

Bridesmaids clapping as bride and groom kiss in foreground. (Copy)

Bride and groom walk down the aisle as husband and wife. (Copy)

Bride and Groom walk down the church path towards their guests. (Copy)

Bride and Groom have confetti thrown at them. (Copy)

Bride and Groom laugh as they have confetti thrown out them outside St James Church, Chipping, Campden. (Copy)

Bride and Groom smiling surrounded by guests and covered in confetti. (Copy)

Brides sister cuddles her boyfriend outside the church where her sister has just been married. (Copy)

A little boy watches on from the pavement and people fuss over him. (Copy)

The bride gives her friend a hug as her friend cries. (Copy)

A little hand on the skirt of the brides wedding dress. (Copy)

The bride and groom lead their guests away from the church. (Copy)

The sister of the bride helps her with her veil. (Copy)

Close up of the dress, flowers and veil as the bride and groom walk by. (Copy)

Photograph from the back of the veil. (Copy)

Bride and Groom leads their wedding guests down the street. (Copy)

Bride and Groom walk past the local shops together. (Copy)

Buildings viewed from Cotswolds House Hotel. (Copy)

Lavender in Cotswolds House Hotel Grounds. (Copy)

Wedding Time Table Painted on a Pallet. (Copy)

To The Bar Sign hanging from a tree. (Copy)

Mother and Father of the Bride Cheers each other with champagne at the bar. (Copy)

Bride and Brides sister cheers one and other with champagne. (Copy)

Little girl is picked up so she can play Connect 4 with her two taller friends. (Copy)

Little girl plays connect 4 shot through holes. (Copy)

Little girls running through the garden. (Copy)

Wedding guests enjoying the magic. (Copy)

Bridesmaid fixing grooms suit as bride has a fag. (Copy)

Little boy playing Connect 4 on blanket. (Copy)

Wedding Guests laughing in the bushes. (Copy)

Wedding guests sitting at table laughing. (Copy)

Two male guests chatting together in gardens wearing sunglasses. (Copy)

Brides sister and her boyfriend laugh together. (Copy)

Brides mum laughs with her friends around a table. (Copy)

Brides sister looks excited while holding a card during a magic trick. (Copy)

Magician shows guests a magic trick with a bent fork. (Copy)

Bride and Groom Stand Side by side in Italian looking tree rowed path. (Copy)

Bride and Groom Laugh together in Italian garden. (Copy)

Bride and Groom Having the best day ever! (Copy)

Bride and Groom standing in pathway together. (Copy)

Bride and Groom Holding on and other in front of a row of tall trees. (Copy)

Bride and Groom hold each other laughing in Italian gardens, Cotswolds House Hotel. (Copy)

Bride and Groom together in old Chipping Market Hall. (Copy)

Bride and Groom two step pose outside shop. (Copy)

Bride and Groom walk their dogs under arches. (Copy)

Bride has her dog beg for a treat. (Copy)

Bride stands in the sunlight holding her dog on a lead. (Copy)

Guest Dog Wearing a blue bow tie. (Copy)

Guests standing in garden to listen to speeches. (Copy)

Father of the bride giving speech. (Copy)

Father of the bride giving his speech. (Copy)

Another guest dog looking super cool. (Copy)

The groom gives his speech as the bride looks on supportively. (Copy)

The crowd sit in the garden laughing. (Copy)

Two red haired children and a dog sit listening to the speeches. (Copy)

The 3 men standing to give a speech cheer the bride. (Copy)

The bride laughs while the best man gives his speech. (Copy)

Guest looks on looking emotional. (Copy)

Bridesmaid and mother of the bride crying. (Copy)

Two male guests laughing together. (Copy)

Two female guests laughing together while drinking a cup of tea. (Copy)

Wedding guest holding her daughter. (Copy)

Bride throws bouquet and her sister catches it. (Copy)

Brides sister is very excited to have caught the bouquet. (Copy)

The Bride is also very excited her sister has caught the bouquet. (Copy)

Sister is doing a victory dance with the bouquet as the Bride points at her laughing. (Copy)

Suppliers:

Photographer: Katie Dervin, 2nd shot by Siobhan McGill of mcgillsisterfilms.com/

Videographer: https://tynegate-films.com/

Dress: https://www.thebridalroombroadway.co.uk/

Magician: http://www.gloucestershiremagician.co.uk/

Stationary: http://www.cherrypress.co.uk/

Make Up: http://www.christinecaramakeup.com/

Five Four Studio Salford - Rock n Roll Dinosaur Wedding!!!

When I first spoke to Becky and George about their wedding day I knew it was going to be a belter, they were both super excited and seemed to be having so much fun planning the day. They got stuck right in throwing most traditional wedding ideas right out of the window and just creating a day that was playful and fun and 100% them! It wasn’t until I stepped into Five Four Studios and was greeting by a 15ft tall T-rex and Brachiosaurus and a 10ft long Stegosaurus I knew that Becky and George really weren’t messing about, they were taking this as far as they possibly could and from then on the day just got better and better.

A welcome to remember them by

Becky and George didn’t mess around with security at the front door they had their best man and three Velociraptors on the front door, patting guests down, checking their bags and making sure everyone had their best party faces on! The greeting was one their wedding guests would certainly not forget! Gorgeous jungle foliage, dry ice and three hungry little raptor faces isn’t what most people would expect walking into a wedding for the first time. The welcome set the tone for the rest of the day straight away, this wasn’t going to be a formal affair, it was all about having fun and celebrating Becky and George and everything that makes them Becky and George!

Velocirator Welcoming guests through open door

Velociraptors in hall way at wedding in Salford, Greater Manchester

Vase and jungle foliage next to industrial glass window

Ground floor room of Five Four studio with a T-rex and Brachiosaurus centre stage.

T-rex and Brachiosaurus couple shot on their wedding day.

Danny Devito life size card board cut out.

Bride laughing with her bridesmaids as one of them wears a pink dress and looks confused.

Bride laughs as her friend tries on a dinosaur costume.

Bride laughing as she talks to her dad while having her hair done on her wedding day.

Blonde bridesmaid puts on earings in the mirror.

Bride had her make up done on her wedding day at Five Four Studios.

Brides mother smiles while looking at her daughter on the morning of her wedding.

The Wedding Dress

Becky had her beautiful wedding dress hand made especially for her by the super talented Erica Stacey Couture, who not only designed Becky’s amazing one of a kind wedding dress but also designed her arm band to match Becky’s tattoo and her mum’s dress. The detail on this dress was out of this world and it definitely fell in line with Becky’s personal style, with a punk rock and roll vibe while still having all the glamour and finesse of a traditional wedding dress. I am still to this day gob smacked at how stunning this dress was and we haven’t even seen her in it yet! Prepare your greasy little eyeballs for an absolute feast! Oh yes you are probably going to want to know who designed those amazing shoes, they are by Dolce and Gabanna but I’m not going to spend all day here singing their praises (although bloody heck look at those bad boys) those guys get enough press already! Check out Erica Stacey though she is definitely in the same league design wise and has a lovely little shop in Stretford, Manchester where you can go and meet her and have a good rummage through all her amazing designs!

Bridemaids prepare wedding dress as the Bride peeps out from the loo.

The Brides Dolce and Gabanna wedding shoes lie on the floor next to the bridesmaids Doc Martins.

Bride looks at herself in the mirror smiling,

Bride smiles wearing her wedding dress, looking like a punk.

Close up of the dress being hooked up at the back.

PUNK WEDDING GODDESS

So as Becky was behind the scenes looking like a punk wedding goddess the wedding guests were beginning to arrive and being ushered in by Becky and Georges pre-historic security guards, after the surviving a run in with three velociraptors the guests quickly made their way up to the bar to get a quick drink in before the ceremony and quieten their nerves!

Best man and velociraptors wait for the wedding guests.

Wedding guests look on behind the toothy mouth on a Velociraptor.

Blue, Velociraptor emerges out of the dry ice.

Velociraptor amongst the red jungle foliage.

Wedding guests leg it through the dinosaur infested hall way.

A vintage pink and green lamp next to a blue butterfly in a glass.

The colourful vintage bar at Five Four Studio Salford.

A large blue butterfly in a glass case, photographed from above with a red vintage rug behind it.

Portrait of grandmother sitting in the bar.

Water splashing out of crystal glasses as a cocktail is stirred.

FIve four studios creative wedding venue

Five Four Studios is the ultimate wedding venue for creative couples, there are 3 floors including the huge ground floor where there is plenty of room to seat and feed wedding guests, a room for getting ready and another large side room and bar which can double up as a place for catering staff to prepare meals and can also come in handy as a small photography studio that can be used for group shots and even couples portraits if that’s your vibe or if the weather is horrible outside and you need to do all of your planned photos inside it could be super useful. On this occasion I didn’t need it as Becky and George wanted Pure Documentary Wedding Coverage (no couple shots or group shots), but it’s a pretty handy thing to have around just incase.

On the first floor floor there is a super fancy bar. I love this bar! The rich colour pallet of the gorgeous vintage lamps, furnishings and the wonderful diffused light coming through the windows just looks like a super cool film set and yet it feels really comfy and relaxed like a massive living room, except this one has a really fancy bar with super tasty cocktails!

On the second floor there is the studio painted white and with an industrial angular vibe and oodles of natural light you can hit this space creatively with everything you have or keep it super minimal. Becky and George had their ceremony in this space had the super talented team at Manchester’s Citibloom come and give the space a pre-historic jungle vibe.

Outside there is a small courtyard for wedding guests to relax outside and a small car park, so if you are bringing guests here from another venue it might be worth hiring a bus or some other form of transport so they can dropped outside with minimal fuss.

Five Four Studio top floor ready for the ceremony decorated with jungle foliage.

Card board cut out of The Rock in his best wedding gear.

The groom doing his best dinosaur impression.

Bride is walked down the aisle by her father.

Mother of the bride comforts father of the bride who looks emotional.

Father of the bride looking at his daughter.

Bride and groom looking very happy about getting married.

Mother of the bride gives her daughter a knowing smile.

Best Man gives bride and groom their wedding rings.

Bride and Groom stand in front of their wedding guests for the first time as husband and wife.

Bride and Groom exit their wedding ceremony at Five Four Studio Salford as husband and wife.

the ceremony

The ceremony was beautiful with jungle foliage and white walls, it was like Becky and George were getting married in a beautiful very well lit urban jungle. Everyone had their best glad rags on and even The Rock made an appearance although he was standing quite stiffly in the corner for most of it… None of the dinosaurs seemed to make it to this bit, either they couldn’t make it up the stairs or they were just interested in the party. Probably the last one, I’ve seen those raptors move!

Bar man prepares cocktails at the bar in Five Four Studios, Salford.

Bridesmaids enjoying a cocktail at the bars

Male guests sit in a group having a chat.

Wedding guest gets excited telling a story

Beautiful wedding dress catches the light.

Brides mum smiling as bride approaches her.

Bride laughing and enjoying a cocktail in the bar.

The Wedding Breakfast

After plenty of messing about and cocktails in the bar upstairs at Five Four Studio the weddings guests were ready for some grub and had lots of exciting things waiting for them downstairs… A Stegosaurus, T-rex, long neck, some dry ice and The Rock in his pants to name a few!

Bride and Groom have a dance outside photo in black and white.

Bride and her mother laugh as the dry ice fires behind them.

Succulent decorations in moody lighting.

Dramatically lit banquet hall in blue, pink, yellow and green.

Bride and groom laughing in black and white.

Grooms mother sitting at her table chatting.

Wedding guest gets a bubble in her face.

Bride hides her face as her bridesmaid makes a speech.

Wedding guests smile listening to speeches

Father of the bride listening to speeches.

After the speeches

It was back up to the bar for a few more cocktails and a good opportunity for Becky to get into her dancing shoes, white Doc Martin’s with dinosaurs drawn on them!

Bride welcoming guests back into the bar.

Long shot of everyone sitting down chatting in the bar.

Guest laughing with a cocktail in her hand.

there’s no party like a guns and roses party!!!

If having full sized dinosaurs, dry ice, an urban jungle and celebrity cardboard guests isn’t enough for you. Becky and George had another final trick up their mischievous wedding sleeves they only went and hired a bloody Guns and Roses Tribute band!!! Even The Rock, Ronaldo and Danny Divito got involved smashing people over the head with their corrugated card board arses all over the place. It was glorious. Is anyone still reading this?

Guns or Roses Back Drop, Guns and Roses Tribute Band

Bride dancing wearing her punk style wedding dress.

Bride dancing with her mother, photo in black and white.

Bride dancing with light trail effect in photo.

Bride and groom dancing with card board cut out guests.

Bride and guests holding up card board cut out guests and dancing with them.

Wedding guests singing and dancing at Five Four Studio.

Groom being a scary dinosaur in the dark

Bride and brides mother dancing with the grooms mother.

Bride and groom looking cool on the dance floor

Ariel shot of everyone dancing on the dance floor in black and white.

Wedding guest dancing with finger in the air and light trails.

Wedding guests arms in the air singing and dancing.

Bride dancing with best man and laughing

Bride and groom kiss on the dance floor.

Thank you to Becky and George for having me and having the courage and vision to pull this epic day off seamlessly. It’s definitely one I will never forget. Of course this belting wedding day couldn’t have happened with out Becky and Georges wonderful family and friends and the awesomely talented wedding suppliers that pulled their vision together behind the scenes.

A Shout Out to The Awesome Suppliers:

Venue: https://www.fivefourstudios.com/studios/homepage

Catering: https://www.garni.events/

Dress: https://www.ericastacey.co.uk/

Flowers and Decor: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/CITIBLOOMS

Band: https://www.gunsorroses.com/

Brides Shoes: https://www.dolcegabbana.com/ and https://www.drmartens.com/

Make up: @rebeccacatupmanmua

DIY Pub Wedding in Manchester with Fish and Chips!

Lloyd Street Registry Office Manchester

Keith and Catherine (AKA Pea) or The Eggs as they sometimes call themselves tied the knot at Manchester’s Registry Office on Lloyd Street before strolling through Manchester City Centre with their friends and family to Gullivers Bar, the pub that they had their first date in. Catherine or Pea as Keith affectionately has named her wore a red dress from Hope and Ivy as she didn’t really feel herself wearing a white dress and she looked bloody amazing!

Black and white photo of a blonde boy in a pram. (Copy)

Children greet grandmother in Manchester registry office waiting room. (Copy)

Little girl looks into the camera while sitting a family members lap. (Copy)

Lady smiles with little girl sitting on her lap. (Copy)

Groom greets guests in the registry office waiting room in Manchester. (Copy)

Bride wearing a read dress with a colourful red, purple, orange and green bouquet. (Copy)

The Ceremony

Pea gave Keith a little cheeky wink as she walked down the aisle and that set the town for the ceremony, both of them messing about and making each other laugh throughout.

Groom smiles into the camera as he waits for his bride to arrive in Manchester registry office. (Copy)

The bride enters being walked down the aisle by her brother. (Copy)

Bride give the groom a wink as she walks down the aisle. (Copy)

Bride and Groom exchange rings in Manchester registry office. (Copy)

Bride feels her wedding ring on her finger smiling. (Copy)

Bride and groom laughing as they put their rings on. (Copy)

Bride and groom happily married at Manchester registry office. (Copy)

Guests wait to ambush couple with confetti in Manchester registry office reception. (Copy)

Bride and groom have confetti thrown at them in Manchester registry office. (Copy)

Confetti on the floor in Manchester registry office. (Copy)

Confetti and Walking Through Manchester City Centre

After having a load of Confetti chucked in their faces the newly weds and their wedding guests made their way through Manchester City Centre to go and get the party started at Gullivers Manchester. We managed to sneak a few couples portraits on the way, including some outside the local green grocers and a couple on Oldham Street as Keith and Pea are big music fans, going to a gig nearly every week, Oldham Street and the music venues there are pretty important to them in their day to day lives.

Wedding guests make their way through Manchester city centre. (Copy)

Bride and Groom walk through the streets of Manchester together. (Copy)

Bride and groom have a photo outside the green grocers. (Copy)

Mid shot of the Bride and Groom laughing outside a vegetable stall in Manchester City Centre. (Copy)

Bride and groom laughing in front of some graffiti in Manchester. (Copy)

Bride and Groom on Oldham Street, Manchester. (Copy)

Bride and Groom outside the Night and Day Cafe Manchester. (Copy)

Bride and Groom outside shop window on Oldham Street, Manchester. (Copy)

Bride and Groom laughing together. (Copy)

Gullivers

Keith and Pea chose Gullivers as it was the place where they first met and had their first date, it’s also a pretty bangin’ music venue in it’s own right and great to go for pre and post gig bevies. Keith and Pea wanted to keep their wedding day super relaxed and low key. It was all about of their friends and family getting together on the day and having a great time so having their wedding reception at Gullivers seemed like the perfect plan and it was! Being massive music fans Keith and Pea put a play list together to cover the whole wedding day.

Fish and Chips!

Keith and Pea had the genius idea of asking the local chippy behind Gullivers to cater for the wedding! All the wedding guest were given wrist bands to get into Gullivers and a little token to have anything that they would like from the chippy. It meant that people could just eat what they liked when they liked and kept with the super relaxed feel of the day.

Keith and Pea also loved the idea of having their first wedding meal in the chippy together, the idea was so them, they fed chips to each other during a romantic candle lit dinner in the chippy.

The Duke box with a message from the bride and groom about the music choices for the night. (Copy)

Wedding guest having a pint at pub table. (Copy)

Group shot outside Gullivers bar. (Copy)

Wedding guests return from the chippy with their fish and chips wrapped in paper. (Copy)

Fish and chips sign at pub wedding in Manchester. (Copy)

Bride and Groom are greeted by wedding guests armed with cameras at the chippy around the corner from their wedding reception. (Copy)

Groom shakes the hand of the chippy manager. (Copy)

Bride feeds groom a chip in the chippy on their wedding day, (Copy)

Bride and groom giggle as they eat their chips. (Copy)

Bride and Groom eat their chippy tea on their wedding day in Manchester. (Copy)

Couples Portraits in the Northern Quarter

After dinner we went for a little walk around the Northern Quarter and grabbed a few more photos of the two of them together. From pretending to be in the Titanic to Keith mock dragging his new wife back to the pub they constantly making each other laugh throughout.

No Speeches

Keith and Pea got the fizz in for everyone but couldn’t really see themselves doing a speech or getting any of their friends and family to do one, so they just opted for a simple “Cheers” instead and it was perfect. Then after the toast they got Pea’s mammoth cake cut (all of the layers were different cakes and I can’t remember what they all were now but the Ferrero Rocher layer was hands down the best cake I have ever eaten!) Also look at the size of it!!! Cake paradise!

The party!

Once the cake was cut everyone headed upstairs. Keith and Pea had decorated the upstairs room with loads of photos of their favourite bands and things, including each other making it look a lot like the Gullivers they remembered from back in the Glory Days, there was even a sneaky photo of Keiths band that I took 10 years ago when I used to do a lot of band photos. A prize to anyone who spots it!

It was an absolute belter of a wedding day! Well done The Eggs you bleedin’ nailed it!

Bride and Groom have a Titanic moment on their wedding day in Manchester. (Copy)

Bride and Groom have a walk down some back alleys in Manchester (Copy)

Bride and Groom in front of monkey graffiti in Manchester. (Copy)

Groom drags his wife back to the pub. (Copy)

Bride and Groom laugh as they walk down to the pub. (Copy)

Bride and Groom pose with wedding guest outside pub in Manchester. (Copy)

Wedding guest having a fag at Manchester wedding. (Copy)

Champagne glasses ready for the toast. (Copy)

Bride and Groom cheers their wedding guests. (Copy)

Wedding guests take photo of groom and other guest. (Copy)

Home made wedding cake, made by the bride. (Copy)

Wedding guests laughing together. (Copy)

Liam Gallagher poster welcoming guests with two fingers. Naughty! (Copy)

Party room, red walls filled with DIY posters. (Copy)

Polaroids of couple on a pegged line. (Copy)

Child dancing on stage photographed from mixing desk. (Copy)

Bride wearing glow stick bunny ears hugs guest. (Copy)

Wedding guest gets lost in the music. (Copy)

Bride dancing on stage with children. (Copy)

Groom and best man dance on the stage. (Copy)

Baby drinks bottle lying on pub table surrounded by wedding guests. (Copy)

Wedding guests eat their chippy tea in pub snug. (Copy)

Child smiling wearing headphones. (Copy)

Wedding guests singing with pints in their hands at pub wedding. (Copy)

Groom is presented with a certificate. (Copy)

Child wearing glow stick bunny ears and glasses at pub wedding party. (Copy)

Groom and guests laughing by the duke box at Gullivers. (Copy)

Bride wearing glow stick bunny ears an laughing with guests. (Copy)

Proud parents watching their daughter dancing on stage. (Copy)

Little girl dancing on stage with wedding guests. (Copy)

Wedding guests watching the dancing laughing. (Copy)

Little boy crawling on the the stage as guests dance around. (Copy)

Bride looking amazing in her red wedding dress. (Copy)

Wedding guests laugh and one tried to hide behind a transparent balloon at Manchester pub wedding. (Copy)

Wedding guests pose with balloon. (Copy)

Little girl dancing wearing glow stick bunny ears at Manchester pub wedding. (Copy)

Wedding guest wearing glow sticks. (Copy)

Groom and best man throwing some shapes together. (Copy)

Wedding guest applause first dance, photo in black and white. (Copy)

Guests cheer on first dance at pub wedding in Manchester. (Copy)

Bride and Groom laughing together as they have their first dance together at their pub wedding in Manchester. (Copy)

Dress - Hope and Ivy

Pumps - Kate Spade

Suits - Slaters

Flowers - Northern Flower Tibb Street

Chips - King Fisher Northern Quarter Chippy

Buffet - Morrisons

Wedding Cake - DIY by Catherine (Pea)

Venue and Venue dressing by Gullivers

Wedding Invites Printed.com

Altskeith Country House Wedding, Loch Ard, Scotland.

Helen and Jameson got married at Altskeith Country House on Loch Ard in Scotland. It was a bit of a trek for their friends and family some coming from as far as Liverpool, Manchester, down south and even Canada!!! I overheard that getting off a 12 hour flight and then navigating Scottish country roads in a hire car, in the dark, on the other side of the road is quite something! But it was most definitely worth it!

If you would like to watch the slide show click on the image below! If you prefer to scroll carry on scrolling!

Altskeith Country House

Altskeith Country House is the perfect venue for couples that love nature, the venue sits on the edge of Loch Ard, overlooking the Loch and Ben Lomond and sitting right in the centre of Queen Elizabeth Forest Park you are surrounded by forests, nature and beautiful scenery, with very little light pollution about the starry skies at night are a dream.

At Altskeith Country House there are plenty of different options for an outdoor ceremony, you can get married on the lawns alongside the Loch, by the waterfall, on the beach of Loch Ard, under the beech tree over the small bridge in the trees. If it rains you can have your ceremony in the function room over looking the Loch and Ben Lomond, the glass wall in the function room is removable so if you want to be able to breath is some of that sweet rainy air while you are getting married you can while staying dry as well something alive relatively dry. It’s all to play for.

Altskeith Country House Wedding, Loch Ard, Scotland.

The view of Ben Lomond from Altskeith Country House

The dining room over looking Loch Ard and Ben Lomond at Altskeith Country House

Getting Ready

Helen and Jameson both got ready onsite at Altskeith Country house. Jameson took the cottage on the outside of the building with his groomsmen while Helen stayed in the main building with her friends and family. Helen’s sister Harriet who is a mega talented make up artist did Helen’s hair and make up for her while the girls enjoyed some champagne together and watched for wedding guests arriving at the venue from the loft room windows.

Dress hanging in window at Altskeith Country House

Photograph of brides father attached to flowers.

Bride sitting on bed smiling framed by doorway.

Bride looks out of the window at guests arriving smiling.

Wedding guest does her make up in mirror. Photo in black and white.

The Bride and the grooms sister sit on bed laughing.

The bride has her hair done by her sister.

Reflection of bridesmaid in mirror. Photo in black and white.

Bride has finishing touches added to her make up.

Wedding guest does young guests make up.

Groomsmen shot through window carrying their suit bags to house.

Grooms morning sandwiches on top of book and next to his aftershave.

The Ceremony

Helen and Jameson chose to get married under The Beech Tree on the lawn as that is where Jameson proposed! I know just when you thought it couldn’t get more prefect! Well it has, so get over it!

As Helen and Jameson were already technically married they had a humanist hand fasting ceremony, with plenty of heart felt readings from Helen and Jamesons friends and family and Helen walked down the aisle to music Jameson had composed for her on their anniversary. No you stop it!

Bride stands at the top of the stairs smiling.

Brother of the bride is at the bottom of the stairs laughing at his sister.

Chairs await wedding guests bottoms under The Beech Tree.

Wedding guests sit waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Mother of the groom and mother of the bride sit together.

Wedding guests stand to receive the bride.

Mother of the bride watches her daughter come down the aisle.

Groom smiles as he watches his bride come down the aisle.

Bride and her brother appear in the distance.

Bride and brother walk down the aisle at Altskeith Country House .

Wedding guests reads during ceremony as bride and groom look on.

Bride and groom come together for hand fasting ceremony.

Bride and Groom tie the knot in hand fasting ceremony.

Bride and kilted groom stand appreciating one and other.

Bride and groom walk down the aisle together.

Bride and groom walk down the aisle smiling at their wedding guests.

Confetti, Drinks and Magic

After being attacked with some dried petal confetti by their friends and family they chilled out for a bit and presented their wedding guests with a boat load of booze and a magician.

Then after some family photos and a few quick portraits hiding out of Scotlands blazing sun. Yes really! We headed in for speeches, some cracker pulling, plenty of giggles and a few tears. Oh and some amazing food from the kitchen at Altskeith Country House obviously!

Wedding guests outside Altskeith Country House.

Family stands together with confetti waiting for the bride and groom.

Brightly dressed wedding guests holding confetti.

Smiling wedding guests with confetti ready to attack.

Smiling blokes holding confetti cones made from music sheet paper.

Child that hates the photographer wearing sunglasses looking fierce.

Couple smile while confetti is thrown at them.

Couple laughing while confetti is thrown at them.

Couple attacked by confetti on their wedding day.

Couple survive confetti throwing near Loch Ard, Scotland.

Bride greets smiling wedding guests holding a baby.

Wedding guests stand on the lawn together at Altkeith Country House , Scotland.

Brightly coloured wedding guests greet Bride.

Bride and Groom hug wedding guests at the same time.

Moody cool child give photographer the look.

Bride and groom stand for photo near bushes in Scotland.

Bride and groom look at each other smiling.

Cake Cutting and Speeches

After our little expedition we headed back for Helen and Jameson to pretend to cut the massive Cake (Helen and Jameson loved the cake design so much they thought it would be a crime to eat it, so they got a fake one made so they could keep it forever!) then it was straight into the main room for dinner and speeches.

Mother of the bride smiles while listening to speeches.

Sister on the bride wipes a tear from her eye.

Brother of the Bride laughs at her speech.

Wedding guests smiles as he is thanked for his work on the table plan.

Wedding guests laugh at the grooms speech.

Loch Ard

Once everyone was fed we popped back out for a little walk on the beach of Loch Ard and a boat trip. I bloody love boats as any of my friends will tell you, it’s hard to walk past a boat or a boat trip with out me forcing a load of people on it and shouting that they all better stop crying and start enjoying themselves, but that is another story.

On the boat Jameson got the rowing job while Helen has the job of alternating between pulling silly faces and looking pretty which she did like a pro… As you can see. Even the midges stayed at home, or all hung out outside a night club or something.

Bride and groom stand on beach of Loch Ard.

Bride and Groom laughing in front of Loch Ard.

Bride and Groom have a romantic moment together, Loch Ard, Scotland.

Bride and Groom walk along bank of Loch Ard.

Bride and Groom run across beach laughing.

Bride and Kilted Groom walk together along the pebbled beach at Loch Ard, Scotland.

Bride leans towards her groom as her rows them across Loch Ard on their wedding day.

Bride pulls a funny face while groom laugh in rowing boat on Loch Ard.

Bride and Groom laugh together in rowing boat on Loch Ard on their Wedding day.

Bride and groom reflected in the water on Loch Ard.

Bride and groom sit on bridge wall. Groom is laughing.

Bride laughing at groom while sitting on wall.

Guest photobombs bride and grooms wedding photographs.

The Party

Then it was party time!!! Helen and Jameson opened the dance floor with their first dance and then passed over the reigns to the Scottish Ceilidh Band who had everyone wizzing around the room like smiling Tazmanian devils, high of life and fine wine.

As the night drew in the fire pits came out and guests feasted on toasted marsh mellows and pizza before greeting Helen and Jameson with sparklers before they left the building.

Bride and Groom has first dance in front of their wedding guests at Altskeith Country House, Loch Ard, Scotland.

Wedding guests have a romantic moment on the dance floor.

Bride laughing while dancing with her brother.

Wedding guest pulls funny face while dancing.

Wedding guests clap on edge of dance floor.

Older couple laughing and dancing together.

Older couple smiling and having a lovely time together.

Wedding guest munches on marsh mellow while other wedding guests toast theirs of fire .

Bride and Groom sparkler exit. Groom is scared they are both going to be set on fire on their wedding day at Altkeith Country House, Loch Ard, Scotland.

A beautiful wedding for some beautiful humans. Thanks for having me along for the ride Helen and Jameson!

More weddings in Scotland please!

Supplier Shout Out!

Dress: Dress Designed by Mori Lee, supplied by Blush Boutique in Upper Mill

Kilt : Kilt and suit hired from Kilts 4 U in Glasgow. Ties in family tartan made by The Scotland Shop.

Florist: Cherry Blossom - https://www.flowersbycherryblossom.co.uk

Bridesmaid Dresses:: The Infinite Collection by Wed2B

Entertainment?: Magician and DJ - http://www.johnkingevents.com/magician-glasgow

Ceilidh Band - http://www.scottishceilidh-band.co.uk/the-band

Cake : http://www.studio8cakes.co.uk/

Hairdresser and Make Up Artist? : Harriet Westcott @harri.hmua

Wedding Favors: Crackers made by Helen and Jameson

Hand Drawn Map Table Plan: fentimansadventure

Slide Show Music Jameson Bell.

OUTDOOR WEDDING GAME IDEAS

Outdoor weddings can be fun, but they are even better with some games to play. Here are some of the top outdoor wedding games to keep your guests occupied. FYI a lot of these games can be played indoors too, maybe not the fire one.

To The Games chalk board sign hanging of a tree at an outdoor wedding.

Signs

Having games to play is great, but if people don’t know where they are, if they are in fact part of the wedding or even in some cases what the rules are it can money into the wind. Sometime you need to lead the horse to the water. You know the kind of horses that will be coming to your wedding and the kind of games you will be playing so if a sign or two or a little bit of info about how to play will help, chalk boards are a great re usable way to point people in the right direction.

Hula Hooping!

Hula hoops are like super bloody cheap, like I just googled one and you can get one for £2.50 online (probably cheaper from an actual real life shop) and you can get a glow in the dark one here for £13.99! I might get one of those actually… https://www.glowsticks.co.uk

I’m not here to sell you hula hoops, but what I am saying is watching friends hula hooping is fun, beating your friends at hula hooping is even better, hula hooping is a laugh. You can even do that skippy thing that you used to do at school where you swing it round your leg and hop over it… If you want to. Anyway basically I’m really good at hula hooping and this is why hula hooping is number one, if you want me to put my camera down for a few minutes and beat your friends at a hula hooping competition… IT IS ON.

Limbo

Limbo is loads of fun and you quite literally just need a stick. I very generously donated a bamboo garden stick to my friends wedding this summer to use as a limbo stick and it went down a storm. If you aren’t going to have a special “Limbo Time”

1. Why the hell not?

2. Maybe get something to hold your limbo stick up for people so it doesn’t just look like a stick on the floor and less than 3 people can have a bash.

Cards

A couple of packs of cards knocking around the place can’t hurt, unless people start throwing them at each other. It can help the kids play snap and maybe give other guests that fancy a game a chance to show off their best shuffles. Everyone knows a card game. A pack of cards on each table will not break the bank and give everyone, young, old, introvert, extrovert a chance to have a bit of fun with some people they might not have otherwise spoken to.

Connect 4

It’s a golden oldie, you will no doubt have seen it at a wedding before but it wouldn’t be a proper blog with out good old giant connect 4! Plus you give your photographer a chance to take arty through the hole photos like this, we love that kind of shit.

Bouncy Castle

Who doesn’t like bouncing around like an idiot?! Just make sure you don’t bounce on straight after dinner * puke emoji *

GIANT JENGA

Giant Jenga works a treat at keeping small and larger guests occupied, but if your budget wont stretch to hiring out a giant garden game set, why not just put a few normal sized ones out of tables instead? You can even force your guests to write messages to you both in sharpie pen on the side of the blocks in thats your thing. It might keep them away from the bar for a few minutes.

HOOK A DUCK

This is a fun carnival type game for kids and can also be used to help guests win prizes if you put a number on the bottom of the duck and have a prize for each one, or maybe just write insults or cryptic fortunes, it’s your party! Write whatever you like on the bottom of the ducks.

Child crouches down behind tipi, holding his water gun ready to wreak havock on unsuspecting wedding guests.

WATER GUNS

Depending on how brave you are and how hot your wedding your day is, arming your guests with water guns could be a really fun or really fun-stupid idea. Maybe have some towels to hand.

FIRE!!!

Ok, you got me a fire isn’t a game, but they are fun to build and keep going. People like burning stuff. They will keep your guests warm and together when night falls and can be a good old place to crack out a guitar and have a sing song or just sit up into the sweet hours of the night catching up with your mates. They certainly add a bit of extra atmosphere to any outdoor wedding and if one of your guests breaks a chair that you hired from the chair hire company, you can quite easily burn the evidence.

Thinking about colour palettes? Your Go-To Color Palettes for A Perfect Wedding

Chetham's Library Wedding Photographer Manchester - Maddy & Craig

Maddy and Craig's Story

"We met at work and had known each other for a while before one fateful night at the Liar's Club sparked the start of something. We had our first date the very next day

We got engaged in Copenhagen, which Craig managed to surprise me with for my birthday - I didn't even know we were leaving the country until we turned off the m56 for Manchester airport. He had even packed miniature toiletry holders so I could repack my shampoo etc without having to tip me off in advance. Craig proposed almost as soon as we got to the hotel, I think the stress of getting the ring through security without me noticing had taken it's toll! It was a beautiful weekend in the snow in January."

Chetham's Library and Lock 91 as Wedding Venues

Maddy and Craig got married in one of Manchester’s hidden gem wedding venues, Chetham’s Library. It’s a beautiful venue with loads of character and wonderful little pockets of light and shadows that make for a wedding photographer’s dream! So if you are getting married there and reading this, give me a shout! Your wedding guests are also able to wander around the library and explore the stacks of old antique books while they catch up with one and other and sip on their champers. It’s a really unique wedding venue and all in Manchester city centre! Making getting there, staying there or hoping off to somewhere else all super convenient possibilities. In this case Maddy and Craig hopped over to Lock 91 in Deansgate to continue the party, which is another great venue for a lot of the same reasons Chetham’s Library is, without the epic Library to wander though of course!

Here’s what Maddy and Craig had to say about Chetham’s Library as their wedding venue:

"We wanted casual but classy venues for the wedding and we wanted to keep to a strict budget. We visited Chetham's Library and fell in love with how beautiful it was and all of the history behind it. We thought about having the full day there but really wanted to put our own stamp on the party and keep it quite casual and Lock 91 was perfect for that. It was also extremely reasonably priced to have the ceremony at the library's Baronial Hall and we had exclusive use of the library itself for photos and for guests to explore after the ceremony. It turned into a wedding of two halves really, with a fairly traditional civil ceremony at the library followed by a raucous party at the bar!

Lock 91 were completely relaxed and accommodating, which was extremely helpful as we were maybe a bit too laid back with the planning until quite last minute. We had caterpillar cakes for our wedding cake which I completely forgot to buy until I went to drop everything off the night before and Andi (the manager) helpfully reminded me and I made a mad dash to Tesco! Simon at Chetham's was brilliant as well, we were very fortunate with everyone we dealt with.

In choosing the venues (and in choosing everything) within budget we decided to focus on what was important to us and what wasn't. I got a taxi to the venue as neither of us is particularly interested in cars. Our two wedding cakes cost £10 from Tesco and who doesn't love caterpillar cake!? The biggest outlays of the day were on drinks, food and the band and as the aim of the day (besides getting married) was to have a really great time with friends and family, drinks food and music were our priority and therefore where chose to put our money. Craig is a big music fan and spent much of the year building up to the wedding making Spotify playlists for pre-ceremony, ceremony, drinks reception etc."

Suppliers

"I got my dress and hairpiece from case of the Curious Bride in Sale and the dress designers are Hazaar of London (the headpiece was done by Melanie from case of the curious bride). Craig bought his suit online in the sale and the groomsmen wore their own blue suits. Bridesmaid dresses were from Dorothy Perkins (also in the sale!) And Jasmine's dress and shoes were monsoon. Flowers were amazing and were done by Emily at Bloomin Altrincham Market. The food was done by Cafe Mozaic in Ashton and everybody loved it! Mr Wilson's Second Liners were the most incredible band we could have wished for. We bought shed loads of prosecco for the drinks reception at Chetham's from Sainsbury's. Rachel McDonnell did my dress alterations. Rachael Dutton did hair and make up. We had the most amazing wedding night at Hotel Gotham and they were very patient when we completely overslept our check out time.

Also we had THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHER EVER and I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a wedding photographer!"