Let me start by saying “Congratulations Alex, you’re hitched and happy!” My cousin is now married! Whoo hooooo :D

This was my second wedding of the YEAR to attend and again I loved every single minute of it. I was an informal photographer and really attending this wedding in family mode. I had specifically asked Alex if I could shoot at her wedding as I didn’t want to get in the way of the professional photographer attending. Not to say that I’m not a professional photographer too but you know, it’s difficult .. I’m family too!

So I tried really hard and refrained myself from shooting the ceremony .. I do admit, I had to lock my camera away in the car in order to do so but I was there sans camera but with a smile. I sniffed back tears, beamed watery smiles and fell in love with my family all over again.

The The Priory – Bolton Abbey Church was amazing, the sunlight streaming in the windows gave a soft glowing light. The maid of honour (Alex’s sister) absolutely creased me when she read one of my favourite passages from a book I admit, I have never read but love vicariously. The book is Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and no doubt you know the section I’m talking about, you know, the tree one! Where it ends “we found that we were one tree and not two”. Well I loved it, the moment, the reading, the essence of that time. A sister reading to her sister about love, capturing the essence of happiness and hope for the future .. knowing her sister is happy and about to marry her boy. Jeesh I’m leaking happy tears just writing this!

Well I loved the day, I was very very happy the main photographer allowed me to shoot at the wedding as I promised not to get in her way. I was polite and I know exactly how exasperating it can be to have another photographer not be aware of what is going on around them and bumble into shots! It’s a pet hate of nearly all pro photographers. So I didn’t do that, nuhuh not me.

After the ceremony we moved onto the Devonshire Arms Hotel which was a great location for the dinner reception & casino evening. The photo below of the two sisters is one of my favourite photos ever. This photo of them joking around is how I think of them to a ‘T’, this is who my family are.

I won’t plague you with more of my rambles and thoughts of the day, you want to see photos! What I will say in closure is that I truly loved another of my cousins wedding days, especially now being an adult I can capture my memories of the event and treasure them for as long as I am able. So I made them a book of heart, otherwise known in our family as a look book. Something small where each page is one photo so you can see the details up close.

Thank you Alex & Jonny for inviting me to your wedding, I loved every minute of it :D