Mr & Mrs Chapman

This year has flown by, how am I nearly at the end of my 2019 wedding season. Absolutely crazy! 

At the start of the year I promised myself I would start blogging about certain weddings that I felt were unique, had a beautiful story or sung to me in a special way. Now.. problem is, every wedding I become apart of becomes a moment in my career history. Every wedding shapes who I am as a photographer and as a person. I get to share some incredibly beautiful and intimate moments with strangers, who very quickly become friends. I shed tears as Dad see's his daughter for the first time, my heart flutters as this gorgeous couple say their I do's and share their first kiss as husband and wife but also I share in the joy as people congratulate and celebrate the joining of two families. 

So, here is my first wedding blog of 2019 and although its a little late as Abigayle and Andy wed back on April 13th, I thought it was a great wedding to start with, especially as I had Ben with me all day capturing it all on video!

Abigayle and Andy met at 16. Their love began as they started talking on social media (bebo – that’s how long ago it was!) and got to know each other and spoke daily over the next 6 months or so. They eventually met at Merry Hill, near where Andy is from, soit  wasn’t that easy to meet when they didn’t drive. It wasn’t until 11 months later that they started seeing each other. Now together 9 years, they have two gorgeous children, two dogs and a home – "getting married we were able to tie it all together and show that how devoted we are to each other."

On a snowy day in 2017 Andy took Abigayle to Frankly Beeches during their lunch break and as they were admiring the view he asked her the all important question, he got a soggy knee from the snow, but with the family and home they had built together of course the answer was yes.

Fast forward to April 13th 2019 this couple were ready to tie together their relationship.

Abigayle got ready at her family home surrounded by her bridesmaids and her two gorgeous little girls. When I arrived she was curling her youngest hair in the quiet of the living room. The atmosphere was relaxed yet ecstatic as everyone was getting more and more excited for the day to start. When I was showed her dress, shoes and all other beautiful details by her Mum I knew this wedding was going to be full of details! They had even decorated the bedroom specifically for the photographs!

Abigayle's dress was from La Couture Bridal Boutique in Blakedown, which despite trying on a year in advance, she left it a while to think about. After a disappointed trip to wed2be Abigayle returned to the store and tried the dress on again, it was the one all along. 

Her Dad helped with her jewellery and as the bridesmaids and flower girls left for the church, it was beautiful to see her and her Dad have a moment together. They drove to the church in a lovely cream coloured Nissan Figaro, which is Abigayle's favourite car! 

Their ceremony was at the beautiful 12th Century St Kenelms Catholic Church, where all their closest family and friends watched as they said their I do's. After a beautiful confetti shot everyone made their way to Gorcott Hall for a champagne reception. The sun was shining, the kids were enjoying the lawn games and bouncy castle!

After I had taken all the family group photographs I went inside the reception room and was stunned by the amount of detail Abigayle had gone too with her table decorations!

"I loved making all the different elements for our wedding, the place settings, signs, favours and other details. My favourite thing I created was the A1 frame that was displayed at the back of the room with lots of details about us as a couple. The details used were more special on the day seeing everyone appreciate them because I didn’t give away any clues to anyone not even parents so nobody knew what to expect. 
On the day Jam Jar Wedding and Events came to dress the tables with table runners and chair sashes. She also did an amazing job at adding the flowers to candelabras and a beautiful floral table runner on top table. As well as this the hexagon that was added was the perfect backdrop for the top table and the dance floor on the evening."

Its fair to say Abigayle paid so much attention to detail and also created a haven for the kids, including them in almost everything possible. This was so apparent as the evening unfolded.

I asked them; How was your experience taking photos/working with me on your wedding day? 

Laura and Ben were both outstanding and do an incredible job at capturing all the posed and natural moments throughout the day. Laura is very talented at what she does and this shows throughout her work and whilst she is capturing the moments. I loved how you wear suitable clothing for the event and don’t stand out in photos from others but look like a guest. We felt very comfortable around Laura and her personality is very genuine and down to earth who you can get on very well with. I loved how Laura made me feel very comfortable when getting ready at home, even in the small hectic house with bodies everywhere she was able to make me feel calmer and was able to capture this. 

Words like this make me well up every time, because the most important thing for me is making sure my bride and groom are happy and able to enjoy their day. 

I feel incredibly honoured that I get to photograph such special occasions so thank you Abigayle and Andy for trusting me.
 I hope you enjoy the images.

LJx


​Wedding Venue: Gorcott Hall
Dress Designer/Boutique: La Couture Bridal Boutique
Hair/Makeup: Louise Walsh
Rings/Jewellery: Rings – Vintage and Modern (Jewellery Quarter)                
Shoes: Quiz
Suits:  Esquires, Next and Dickie Bow (www.dickiebow.co.uk)
Bridesmaid Dresses: Lipsy (Next), Roco Clothing (Chief Flower Girl)
Invitations: Made by me 
Florist: The Flower Room – Chaddesley Corbett
Cake Maker: My Mom
Caterer/Bar Services: Four Leaf Clover 
Entertainment, or Band: Blue Diamond Weddings 
Transportation: Nissan Figaro – Kiss Rides