Lucy and Guy’s Wedding at Lodge Farm Weddings, Yorkshire

Lucy and Guy’s story began on a mountaineering expedition to Nepal. They were at different universities, but both belonged to the University Air Squadron, and the trip brought them together as friends. That friendship carried on long after they came home.

Eventually, somewhere between Guy taking Lucy camping on a Norfolk beach and the two of them watching the sunset beside a campfire, they realised it had become something more.

Guy proposed at sunrise on Winnat’s Pass in the Peak District. It was a place that already meant something to them: Lucy had given him a piece of artwork featuring the very same spot as his first Christmas present. I love that they found their way back there for such a big moment.

Yorkshire felt like the right place for their wedding. It’s close to both their families, and they’d spent a lot of time here in the early years of knowing each other.

As their Lodge Farm Weddings photographer, I got to see exactly the kind of day they’d hoped for: their favourite people together, old friends catching up and plenty of room to simply enjoy it all.

One of my favourite details was the flowers.

Guy was so proud to tell me that his mum had grown the flowers decorating the tables and the church. Knowing whose hands had grown them made everything feel that bit more personal.

Then there was Lucy’s dress.

She and Guy both love antiques and giving previously loved things a new life, so finding her wedding dress in a vintage shop on a trip to Norfolk felt very them. Lucy was completely in love with it, and I could see why. Every bead was still perfectly in place, and it looked as though it had been made for her. She’d had a few alterations, but told me she could probably have worn it without them.

She looked stunning.

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At the church, we were all waiting eagerly for Lucy to arrive. Claire, the vicar, was lovely, and after the ceremony everyone gathered outside for a beautiful confetti throw. The church grounds were such a lovely setting that we stayed for some photographs before heading through the woodland towards the reception.

The reunion Lucy and Guy had hoped for, was happening everywhere I looked. People were so pleased to see each other. There was a constant hum of conversation, and so much love in the room.

Lucy’s sister Hannah gave a particularly beautiful speech. It was heartfelt and full of admiration for her big sister; you could see just how much she had looked up to Lucy growing up.

Lucy had told me before the wedding how much she loved film photographs, and this was the first wedding I’ve ever photographed on film. I photographed the day as I usually would, with two rolls of film alongside my digital cameras, and I’m still eagerly awaiting the results.

Having that film camera with me changed the pace of our portrait sessions in a way I really enjoyed. We took photographs at the church and among the trees after the ceremony, then went out again at dusk.

Each film frame made me pause and think a little more carefully about what I wanted to include. Sometimes I’d ask Lucy and Guy to repeat a movement so I could try it on film too. They were so up for giving me that time to experiment, which made it even more fun.

We didn’t get the golden hour light we’d been hoping for, but I’ve always thought dusk has a magic of its own. I can’t wait to see what those quieter moments look like on film.

By the time the dancing started, quiet was very much off the agenda. The dancefloor was wild.

There were guests doing the splits, and someone had brought along a horn usually used for drinking mead. I still don’t know quite why it was there, but everyone was having a brilliant time, and that feels like reason enough.

Lucy and Guy, thank you for trusting me to photograph your day, and for being so enthusiastic about trying something new with me. From the flowers grown by Guy’s mum to that wonderfully unruly dancefloor, it was a joy to see you surrounded by the people you love.