Holly and Emma were married a couple of weeks ago in an outdoor ceremony at the resplendent Norwood Park. Highly Strung provided the musical backdrop as guests took their seats under the big tree. The roses were in full bloom, the birds were singing in the background and there was just a slight breeze blowing as they exchanged vows before friends and family. Glasses of cold fizzy were then enjoyed on the lawn in the glorious sunshine. Could there be anything more perfect?! Holly and Emma chose a cheerful colour scheme of blue and yellow, with flowers by Flower Barn. We only stayed for four hours, but it was enough to capture some gorgeous and plentiful photographs of them getting ready, the ceremony, the couple and their loved ones.
There's no two ways about it, the blog for Jo & Joe's wedding is huge. I think I may have got a little carried away! To be fair to me, they did host a massive party, and their groomsmen and bridesmaids alone totalled 20. It was a day with two very different vibes; a traditional ceremony in the grandiose Southwell Minster followed by a 'let your hair down' party, taking over their favourite pub The Old Vol. It rained everywhere else in Nottinghamshire and the clouds were threatening all day, so I have no idea how we managed to avoid the rain, but I was very grateful we did!
This is definitely a time to grab a drink and take in all the details to follow. For me as a photographer, Jo and Joe's wedding was a challenging mix of a fast pace and low light, and a great opportunity to get some wonderful observational shots. There is therefore a generous dose of unscripted, unposed images that I'm proud to say are amongst my favourites. I hope you enjoy them
Alice and James were married last month at St Wilfrid's Church in Wilford with their wedding reception at The University of Nottingham, which is always a joyful place to photograph as the gardens are some of the most beautiful in our city. Alice and James's faith played an integral and important part in their wedding celebrations, being joined at their service by around 250 friends and family to worship and support them as they made their vows to each other. Alice chose a striking colour of turquoise blue for her bridesmaids, which was such a summery colour choice and, as it happened, they were blessed with a hot summer's day in an otherwise rainy few days. From the bridal preparations until the evening dancing, here are their highlights.
Gemma and Phil were married at Hollin Hall Country House Hotel, set in the heart of rolling countryside close to Macclesfield in Cheshire. Gemma is a makeup artist, and sees plenty of grandiose wedding days, so she and Phil wanted their wedding to be an intimate day; simple, classy and meaningful. Gemma's beautiful daughter served as flower girl, with her best friend as maid of honour. She chose a classic Stewart Parvin wedding gown and Benjamin Adams shoes, and Phil looked dapper in blue suit and ivory button hole. The stairs and ornate ceiling are a feature at Hollin Hall, so we couldn't go without a wide angle epic shot of Gemma and Phil on the staircase - but for the most part their photographs are made up of natural moments, laughter and happy tears, just as they wanted it. Congratulations to the happy couple, here's the highlights from their day.
Sarah and Karl were married on 5th May at their local church, with their wedding reception being held at a brand new venue in the heart of Nottinghamshire: Hazel Gap Barn. We started the day with the girls at home, helping Sarah into her bespoke dress handmade by KMR Bridal. We then joined the groomsmen at the church, where the sun was high in the sky. Their son Spencer was Best Man, with the official job of guarding the rings in his silver briefcase! His purple suit matched his dad’s, who looked very stylish in Ted Baker. Except for the high winds, the day felt positively Mediterranean as we waited for Sarah to arrive and, as the girls gathered outside, a chimney sweep was on hand to bring extra luck as they entered the church. The ceremony took place in Walesby Church, a place of sentimental meaning to them and where their children were christened. We threw an abundance of confetti, then popped the fizzy in the camper van before leaving for Hazel Gap. Drinks and canapés were served and the mood was upbeat, with George Williams entertaining the guests with his brilliant caricatures. One of Sarah’s main requests was a photograph of her and Karl with their children, which we duly took in Hazel Gap grounds and they turned out beautifully. I love that in 20 years time their children can look back on the photographs and see their own happy reactions to their parents tying the knot. The celebrations went on into the night with Mansfield Avenue Band providing the live music, and Hazel Gap hosting marshmallow toasting in the outside fire pits.
We met Alan and James at Norwood Park's wedding fair (we'll be there again on Sunday 19th March) and they booked shortly afterwards. They live in the same village I grew up in, in fact a childhood friend and local hairdresser Richie of McPherson Hairdressing did their hair on their wedding morning. They wanted a chilled out wedding with traditional touches such as the floral displays, bouquets and buttonholes by Flowers by Susan in Southwell. The wedding featured shades of blue, with 'best girls' instead of best men and their sisters acting as usherettes. We were there for a half day (a popular option for winter weddings) to capture the marriage ceremony and important photographs, with harpist Soraya Vermeulen entertaining guests throughout. We were lucky with the weather too, which stayed dry and crisp for most of the proceedings before the heavens opened as guests made their way to the wedding breakfast. The cake by Cherry Blossom Cakes was a four tier extravaganza taking pride of place at the reception.
It was a pleasure to be a part of Alan and James's day to capture the funny and intimate moments and, as the day got darker, we couldn't leave without taking a beautiful moody, atmospheric image in Norwood's library; the golden books seemed the perfect background to their blue suits. Here are their highlights.
We had the pleasure of photographing Michelle and Chris's nuptials to kick off 2017, with Mirror Imaging's first wedding of this year at Kelham House near Newark. Michelle and Chris wanted their day to focus on time with their friends and family so booked a half day of photography to capture the important moments. We joined the bridal party as Michelle was dressed and ready and were able to stay long enough to photograph through to the wedding breakfast. We loved the confetti shower, which was such a joyful moment, and the candlelit reception was so pretty. Here are their wedding day highlights.
Mirror Imaging will be at Kelham House on their wedding open day on 11th June this year. Contact Grace for more info.
Amy & Nick were married this month at Burton Joyce Community Church, with their wintry wedding reception at Kelham House. The day had a subtle Christmassy feel, with the bridesmaids in beautiful red dresses and red roses, berries and foliage in the bouquets by Jacaranda. The ceremony includes some of my favourite images from the day, working by the light of the church, so we had to go back inside after throwing some confetti to take a couple more by the candlelit alter. The team at Kelham House greeted everyone with drinks and canapés, which were enjoyed by the roaring log fire, while we grabbed some very quick photographs outside in the falling light. I hope Amy and Nick love their wedding preview. Happy Christmas everyone!
Jessica and Andy were married on a cold winter's day at the end of November. I'm starting to really love photographing winter weddings more; traditionally a challenge to the photographer as the light falls earlier but the warmth, rich colours and low-light make for some magically romantic images. Never more so than the photographs of Jess and Andy in front of the stained glass window in St Edmunds Church in Mansfield Woodhouse. Jessica looked every inch the princess bride in her sequinned lace Ronald Joyce gown from I Do Bridal Boutique. After the ceremony we drove to Norwood Park, and the team greeted all the guests with mulled wine and glasses of Prosecco. After dinner, we stayed for the dancing and left the party in full swing! Here are the highlights from their day.
It's safe to say that Kate and Richard have been through a lot together in a relatively short time (Richard's cufflinks were engraved with the date and coordinates of their first meeting). It's usually huge life events, often the turbulent ones, that make you realise who and what's important and allow love to really be shown. It was with this realisation that Richard proposed to Kate and they planned a very small, intimate wedding with just 20 special guests in the centre of Nottingham. On a personal note, after nine years of photographing weddings, it just so happens to be how I'd also plan a wedding - small, elegant and with the very best food! The bride got ready in the penthouse suite at St James Hotel, perfectly positioned near Nottingham Castle, with her mum and best girls. Richard had organised some surprise gifts for Kate to open including a butterfly print by her favourite artist poignantly entitled 'All that changes is everything' and a rather breathtaking diamond tennis bracelet. There wasn't a dry eye in the room, including mine. Kate chose a lace beaded Sottero and Midgley gown from Bridal Suite that suited the glamorous vintage feel of her wedding day. The surprises weren't over for Kate until after the ceremony, as Richard had organised their beloved dog Maisie to join us for some photographs, much to team Mirror Imaging's delight. She posed beautifully, tongue literally out to lap up the attention. At that point we walked down the cobbled Nottingham streets taking photographs as we went to one of the best restaurants in the East Midlands - World Service - for each guest to be treated to three courses of delicious food with accompanying harpist. The private dining room had been dressed opulently in an abundance of flowers and candles by FloralDeco, who also provided the buttonholes and bridal bouquet. After dinner and some pretty emotional speeches, we made our way back to the hotel for entertainment by the brilliant Marc Oberon close up magician and mind reader Atlas, who astonished guests with their skills. A party for 100 guests followed in the evening, with dancing into the night. After taking our turn on the dance floor, we left the guests to party away.
Here's the highlights from their beautiful wedding day. To book Mirror Imaging for your own urban Nottingham wedding get in touch here.
Gemma and Alastair's wedding took place at the end of September, as the first signs of Autumn were showing - and what a beautiful time of year it is. Their ceremony was held at the quaint Coddington Church; nestled amongst berry-laden yew trees, with atmospheric low-light indoors and a rather fabulous statement ceiling over the alter. After a few photographs at the church and a shower of confetti, we made our way to Kelham House for their wedding reception. Gemma's peachy coloured bouquet seemed so perfect against the backdrop of Kelham's gardens and unmistakeable brickwork. The celebrations continued into the night, and we left them after dark.
Pip and Richard's wedding was held on a gloriously sunny day earlier this month with blue skies and high winds. They were married at The Southwell Minster, which proved to be a magnificent setting. After Jo at Dennisson Classic Cars had helped Pip out of their blue Daimler, the bridal party took the momentous walk, cheered on by onlookers offering their congratulations, all the way from the west entrance, along the cathedral nave, through the stone pulpitum and into the chancel where their guests were waiting. After the ceremony, we took advantage of the cathedral's architecture as a backdrop to some of my favourite photographs of the day, showcasing Pip's Jesus Peiro wedding gown, which she accessorised with a with cathedral length veil fixed with a crystal hair slide by DC Bouquets, Prada shoes and flowers by Akito Floral Design. With a glass of bubbly in hand, the couple headed for Langar Hall for their wedding reception and were greeted with a carnival atmosphere, courtesy of a steel band, canapés and iced jugs of rum punch. We captured some relaxed informal images in the heat of the sun. Before we left, we made sure to take some photographs of the couple with their traditional celebratory iced fruit cake, lovingly made Pip's grandmother.
To reserve your wedding date for Mirror Imaging to capture your wedding at Southwell Minster, Langar Hall, or elsewhere, please get in touch with Sarah.
I first met Jo back in 2008 on my second ever solo wedding as Mirror Imaging Photography. She did the bride's makeup beautifully as I remember, we connected on Facebook afterwards and liked each other's photos as the years went by. And then last year she got in touch to say she'd met the love of her life and she would like me to photograph her wedding. It always has extra meaning when I know the bride and, as she described her ideas for the day, it sounded perfect. Jo and Mark's wedding was a small, intimate black-tie affair with their nearest and dearest, held at Amalfi White Bar & Restaurant in the pretty town of Melbourne. Jo's friend Jackie at 14B Florists provided the flowers featuring peonies and roses in shades of blush, peach and cream. The drinks reception and speeches were held in the garden as they were blessed with a fine day and blue skies, with accompanying acoustic guitar by Matt James. Susan and I were only there for a few short hours but managed to capture a whole lot of photographs in that time. One of my favourite images is of Joanna and her son William, who walked her down the aisle, as they enter the ceremony room. Something about the sparkle of the epic chandeliers, the awaiting faces of their guests, the swish of Jo's dress and the proud look sideways that William gave his mum that gives the photo such emotion and warmth. Another favourite is the image at the end of this blog post. When team Mirror Imaging went to scout out the venue ahead of the wedding, it was the dark bar area with feature mirrors and hanging lights that reminded me of the style of my favourite artist Jack Vettriano (and indeed a little further along the bar they had a print of his on the wall). I wanted to create something art-deco-fabulous, reminiscent of a Vettriano painting - and Joanna's stunning, ornate beaded Sottero & Midgley dress certainly lived up to this vision.
To reserve your wedding date for Mirror Imaging to capture your wedding at Amalfi White, or elsewhere, please get in touch with Sarah.
Grace and James were married this month at Bingham Church near their family's home. For Grace, there was only one clear choice for the look and feel of their wedding day, and that was in a super-pretty, floral garden party theme, with homemade touches. Grace had stitched an abundance of bunting herself, which lined the hedges and edges of the house and the marquee ceiling. With flowers playing such an important part of the day (each of their tables were named after floral favourites) Grace's family, and particularly her mum, lovingly tended their garden in the months leading up to the big day. It looked absolutely beautiful, with roses, irises, peonies and foxgloves in full bloom, and the marquee for 80 guests by Every Occasion Marquees nestled amongst the trees and shrubs, creating a quintessentially English scene. Local florist Zinnia Flower Boutique provided the wedding flowers and the heavily scented bouquets of blowsy peonies, roses and cornflowers matched the setting perfectly. Saffron Catering served up an outdoor buffet BBQ, and after dinner an ice-cream van provided homemade ice-cream as a sweet-treat for guests, which was a huge hit. It is worth offering up special thanks for the weather: On a day when there was torrential rain across the whole of Nottinghamshire, in Bingham (and we like to think especially for Grace and James) it stayed miraculously warm and dry. Here's some of my favourites from their day..
Lydia and Andy have been together for years but planned their wedding in just a few short months, wanting to celebrate the strength of their relationship and the importance of their friends and family. As I went to school with Lydia she was familiar with my photographs being posted on Facebook, so she contacted me to photograph the big day and Mirror Imaging was very honoured to do so. Southwell is where we both went to school and Norwood Park is a beautiful local venue and one of my favourites. We started the day with the girls getting ready and I captured some of Lydia's very covetable bridal accessories, including the stunning watch given as a gift from Andy and her unmistakable red-soled Louboutins! Then on to the picturesque Sutton-on-Trent church (well, a quick detour at the pub first to say hello to the groom!). Winds and a little drizzle didn't spoil the day at all, with the help of some fun umbrellas and the beauty of Norwood Park's gardens in full blossom. The cake needs a special mention, an eye-catching glamorous diamanté design by the talented No. 82 Cake Studio, which sparkled by the light of the super-sized light-up initials provided by Mad Philomena. We left an exuberant party in full swing, after capturing the dancing and merriment. Congratulations Lydia and Andy! Below are some 'photographer's favourites' as highlights of their wedding day.
Mirror Imaging Photography is proud to be recommended by The University of Nottingham as one of their trusted wedding suppliers. Their beautiful new bespoke album arrived the other day from Queensberry, showcasing some of our many weddings held at the university and the couples we've photographed amongst the magnificent university gardens and in the impressive white stone Trent Building Quadrangle. Full of variety and the jewel in Nottingham's crown, the gardens are maintained all year round, provide relative privacy for weekend weddings and are a riot of seasonal colour. Contact the team at Nottingham University to find out more, to have a tour of the university and to view this album in person.
Adam and Vanessa's wedding celebrations were Mirror Imaging's first of the year. And, surprisingly as we've been photographing weddings for around eight years now, our first at Thrumpton Hall - an historical building with a great deal of atmosphere and mystery. We lucked out with the sunniest day of 2016 thus far, with blue skies and spring flowers just peeking their way through. The day started at the couple's home with a very calm and happy bride-to-be, before making our way to Trent Vineyard, a youth community church close to Vanessa and Adam's hearts and social life. Vanessa arrived chauffeured by Peter at Dennisson Cars in their beautiful ivory classic car. After the ceremony, guests filled up on cake and coffee before heading for Thrumpton for the wedding reception. Here are their wedding day highlights.
Over this past winter I collaborated with a number of wedding suppliers on a styled wedding photoshoot entitled 'Winter Wonderland Wedding'. Wedding season is traditionally from spring to autumn, with these months being the most popular to get married but winter can provide an incredibly romantic atmosphere and one of the prettiest colour palettes. We wanted to show how this could be done to best effect. However, we didn't want it to be Christmas themed, opting instead for a combination of all shades of white and palest grey with accents of metallic and evergreen - giving this photoshoot more than a touch of old-Hollywood, flim star glamour.
Candlelight, marabou feathers, sumptuous fabrics and sweet smelling narcissi are all uniquely available to winter brides and it's these timeless, romantic elements that make for a magical day. Just add a touch of frost and a sprinkling of snow!
Katie and Paul were married this month at Wollaton Church and held their wedding reception at Nottingham University. We started their day on the top floor of The Orchard Hotel and captured the hustle and bustle of getting ready with Katie and her five bridesmaids, two flowergirls, two pageboys, mum and mum-in-law, make-up artists and hairdressers! The flowers arrived courtesy of Zinc Floral Design, and Katie's unstructured, blousy bouquet was simply sensational. Katie handed out gifts to say thank you to her loved ones before we laced up her rather stunning dress. The light on the roof of the hotel is always so good, so we took a couple of images of Katie looking radiant, before dashing off to the church to meet Paul and his groomsmen at the church. The best men had organised a surprise for the couple (a surprise for me too!) in the form of an owl ring bearer called Tilly, who was absolutely enchanting and delivered the rings beautifully. After the ceremony, we made our way to a secluded part of the university for photographs, before heading to the Trent Building for Katie and Paul to rejoin their family and friends. The cake deserves a mention too as one of the best I've seen, immaculately iced in shades of coffee and cream to tone with Katie's dress, courtesy of April Delights. Here are some of Mirror Imaging's favourite moments to tell the story of their wedding day.
Bethan and Josh were married in their church, the Trent Vineyard in Nottingham, a faith community and group of friends that are close to Bethan and Josh's hearts and lives. There was a huge attendance but it also had a very personal feel. Guests bought homemade cake to serve after the wedding ceremony, as well as indulging in the abundance of sweets in glass jars, before a bubble shower to celebrate the newlyweds. They drove off to cheers in Josh's beloved white Mark II Escort, gifted to him by his dad and restored over the years, which was beribboned for the occasion. We took some photographs in the nearby Nottingham University gardens before arriving at the Trent Building for their wedding reception. Here are some favourites from the day.
