Enchanting Woodland Weddings Photographer | Jemma & Stu's Woodland Wedding
I've known Jemma for a long time, and if there's one thing I know about her, it's that she is the ultimate perfectionist. So, being asked to photograph her wedding at Enchanting Woodland Weddings was a huge honour.
Jemma and Stu had opted to do a pre wedding couple shoot in Birmingham to help them get comfortable in front of the camera and remove any worries about having their photos taken on the wedding day. We headed into the Jewellery Quarter and spent a couple of hours wandering around the streets. Not only did we get some fantastic photos, but it also gave me the chance to meet Stu properly and reconnect with Jemma, who I hadn't seen for around ten years.
It was also a great opportunity to talk through their plans for the day and what they wanted from their wedding photography. Jemma had made the decision to skip most of the traditional bridal preparation photos as she had chosen to have mainly flower girls getting ready with her. Instead, she wanted me to stay later into the evening to capture the band and DJ. Looking back now, that was definitely the right decision. Wait until you see the dance floor photos!
On the morning of the wedding, I arrived at Enchanting Woodland Weddings to find a surprisingly relaxed Jemma. In fact, she was far calmer than I had expected. While she was having the final touches to her hair, the lads had been given the task of putting the finishing touches to the ceremony area. The incentive was simple, the quicker they got it done, the quicker they could relax with a cold beer and enjoy the sunshine. A brilliant way to keep everyone motivated.
Stu was in great spirits all morning. I'm still not entirely sure whether he was nervous or not, but he was definitely bouncing around the woodland venue with a huge smile on his face. He even found time for a cheeky dance with his soon to be mother-in-law.
Meanwhile, Jemma had locked herself away in the cabin with her flower girls, her mum, and a bottle of champagne. What could possibly go wrong?
As guests started to arrive, the atmosphere around Enchanting Woodland Weddings really began to build. The beer was flowing, laughter echoed through the trees, and everywhere you looked there were smiling faces enjoying the beautiful surroundings.
Still hidden away, Jemma was beginning the final countdown to becoming a bride. When it came time to step into her dress, she chose to do so with her aunts. It was such a thoughtful touch and one of the things I loved most about the day. It felt like everyone important to Jemma and Stu had been given a meaningful role. Even her brother had his moment, playing guitar as guests began to take their seats for the ceremony.
As everyone gathered in the woodland, the sun was shining through the trees and it was finally time for Jemma's journey to becoming a married woman to begin.
First came the reveal with her dad. Like most father and daughter reveals, it was packed with emotion. Somehow, both Jemma and her dad managed to keep the tears under control, although I suspect it was a close run thing.
The walk through the woodland to the ceremony area is one of the standout features of Enchanting Woodland Weddings. Surrounded by trees and nature, it creates such a magical atmosphere. The flower girls clearly loved every second of running through the woods and leading the way.
Jemma and Stu had chosen a humanist ceremony and, for me, they are some of the very best ceremonies to photograph. They're personal, unique, and allow everyone present to really understand the couple's journey together. There were plenty of heartfelt moments, lots of laughter, and more than a few stories shared that had guests laughing out loud.
Once the ceremony was complete, it was time for drinks and celebrations. Before everyone could properly relax though, Jemma wanted one huge group photo around one of the venue's climbing frames. After a little bit of persuasion, we even managed to convince a few adults to climb up as well. Those are always the photos that end up becoming favourites.
With the formalities out of the way, it was time for drinks, sunshine, and enjoying the afternoon. The couple had arranged an incredible singer who brought so much energy to the day. It wasn't long before guests were singing along and dancing, which had me very excited about what was still to come later in the evening.
To keep things a little different during the wedding breakfast, Jemma had also organised a quiz. By this point, everyone felt like they knew absolutely everything there was to know about the couple, and the quiz created plenty of competitive laughter around the room.
As the day moved into the evening, there was just one final set of formalities to complete, the speeches. These delivered exactly what you'd hope for, laughter, emotion, and one particularly memorable gift from Jemma's mum involving a pair of kinky handcuffs. I'll leave the rest of that story to your imagination!
Then it was finally time for the evening party.
The band was fantastic.
The DJ was incredible.
But the dance floor...
The dance floor was absolutely insane.
From the first dance onwards, it was packed. The energy never dropped, the singing never stopped, and every time I thought things couldn't get any crazier, they somehow did. It was one of those dance floors where nobody wanted the night to end.
Without a doubt, it was the best dance floor I've photographed in 2026 so far.
As an Enchanting Woodland Weddings photographer, days like this are an absolute dream to capture. The woodland setting, relaxed atmosphere, beautiful ceremony space, and couples like Jemma and Stu make it a truly special venue.
Jemma and Stu created a wedding that perfectly reflected who they are fun, relaxed, full of personality, and surrounded by the people they love most. It was an absolute privilege to be there and capture every moment.
Thank you both for trusting me with such an important day. It was every bit as brilliant as I knew it would be.
