Hannah & Chris - Warwick house wedding Photographer
After more than 10 years and well over 50 weddings at Warwick House, I thought I had probably seen most things when it comes to wedding mornings.
Well, today was a first, as I walked into bridal prep, Hannah and her sister had the dumbbells out and were getting their final pump on before the ceremony.
I've photographed brides surrounded by bags of clothes, shoes, food and all the usual wedding morning chaos, but dumbbells in bridal prep was definitely a new one for me!
And actually, that really set the tone for what was to be one of the most emotional and fun weddings I've photographed at Warwick House.
A very special surprise for the groom
Before the ceremony, Hannah had asked me to give Chris a present from her.
It was a tie, but this wasn't just any tie. Woven into the design was an image of Chris's aunt, who sadly passed away.
First came the letter, which produced the tears we'd all predicted.
Then it was time for the present, Chris happily opened it and immediately showed off his new tie. The only problem was, I don't think he had actually spotted what made it so special.
After a few subtle prompts, numerous checks and a little encouragement to look a bit closer, he finally spotted the photograph.
And, as predicted, there were plenty more tears, Chris eventually managed to compose himself enough to get himself and the boys ready, and it was genuinely lovely to watch.
Then it was Hannah's turn, back in the bridal prep room, the final touches were being made and Hannah looked absolutely stunning. More importantly, she was absolutely beaming, there was so much happiness and excitement in the room as everyone got ready for the ceremony.
Then came the reveal to Dad, another beautiful moment, and another few genuine tears.
And just when I thought we'd had enough emotional moments for one morning, Hannah and her sister shared a little prayer together before heading downstairs.
I think it's safe to say this was probably the most emotional start to a wedding I've ever photographed.
The Warwick House ceremony
With all the first looks, surprises and tears out of the way, it was finally time for the ceremony.
Although, by now, there was a definite theme developing...more tears.
Chris and their daughter this time in the isle walk, there was just so much love in the room. It's one of those situations where, as a photographer, you can't help but feel the emotion yourself.
The ceremony itself was beautiful, but alongside all those tears there were also so many lovely smiles.
I particularly loved watching Hannah's parents as they looked at her. You could see just how proud and happy they were.
Drinks, laughter and a few more tears at Warwick House
After the ceremony, everyone headed outside for drinks and some time to relax.
It was a lovely warm day without being one of those ridiculously hot summer days, meaning everyone could actually enjoy being outside, having a drink and catching up without melting!
Then came the speeches, and if you've been counting the tears so far, don't worry, there were more.
This time it was Hannah and her dad who provided some of the emotional moments.
The speeches had everything you want from wedding speeches, plenty of laughter, but also some really raw and genuine emotion.
Then Chris got his surprise, and this is where one of my biggest guilty pleasures at weddings came in, Singing waiters.
I absolutely love them.
These guys were brilliant and completely changed the energy of the room. For 30 minutes it was just pure high energy fun, laughter and people wondering what on earth was going on.
It was the perfect way to get everyone ready for the evening celebrations, and it wasn't even 7pm yet.
We'd already had tears, smiles, laughter and some very questionable dance moves from the singing waiters.
Not a bad start to the evening.
Golden hour at Warwick House
As the evening started to arrive, we headed outside with Hannah and Chris for some couple portraits.
The timing couldn't have been better, the sun was just beginning to turn that beautiful golden colour, giving us the perfect light around Warwick House.
It's one of the reasons I love photographing weddings here. After shooting more than 50 weddings at the venue, I still find new little opportunities and different ways to photograph couples around the grounds.
The warm evening light gave us some beautiful images of Hannah and Chris, as well as some lovely family photographs.
First dance & father daughter dance at Warwick House
It was time for the first dance, and after such an emotional day already, it seemed only right that the tears returned.
Hannah and Chris shared their first dance surrounded by their friends and family, before Hannah shared a beautiful father daughter dance with her dad.
This time Hannah's mum joined in with the tears too, It was such a beautiful moment to watch Hannah and her dad dancing together, and a really lovely way to begin the evening celebrations.
After everything that had happened throughout the day, it was a perfect point to step back and realise just how much had happened already.
A genuine privilege
Hannah and Chris, thank you.
It was genuinely an honour to spend the day with you both.
You were two of the most friendly, warm and amazing people to photograph, and from the moment I walked into bridal prep and saw the dumbbells, I knew this was going to be a wedding I wouldn't forget.
From the emotional surprises in the morning, the ceremony, the speeches and singing waiters, right through to those beautiful golden-hour portraits and the first dances, your wedding had everything.
Most importantly, it had so much love.
It was a genuine privilege to be there and capture it all.
