What a funny old year or so hey? Being a wedding photographer, times have certainly changed a little, and one of those changes has created a welcome opportunity, completely by accident. Weddings are so often large scale affairs, with cousins, friends, uncles and more from around the country, half of which you haven't seen recently... sometimes those you hadn't anticipated seeing again too soon. Joking aside, on the whole, many couples tell me that they felt the day almost ran away from them, without being able to spend time with those most important, and of course, themselves. The year of Covid, has brought life to the smaller, more intimate wedding in some cases, just like Clare and Paul, and it's really lovely to be able to have such a sole focus on the happy couple, almost one to one, catching so many more little moments, and tailoring their day to their exact wants. And so, I introduce the beautiful Clare and her dapper husband Paul, who I had the pleasure of photographing in Melbourne... Derbyshire... but no less wonderful or romantic as a trip to the other side of the world.
As you'll see from the wedding photographs below, the same faces have a habit of appearing time and time again. In fact, there were only six people in total at this intimate wedding, and for probably the very first time, I know everyone by name. Apart from the happy couple that we already know, we had Clare's sister Anne, who was her bridesmaid. There was her mum Jill too, as well as Lynne and Gary... for once I was quite happy that I'd memorised everyone's names properly... I hope! Having such a select group allowed me, as the wedding photographer, to really focus on the beautiful couple, and also ensured that their photographs were filled with those most dearest to them. And the backdrop to this wedding was the amazing Amalfi White, in Melbourne, Derbyshire. An incredibly elegant, chic and modern venue, I would highly recommend having a little look at it, if you yourself are still looking for venues. And as Clare indeed said to me, they chose the venue for exactly this reason, and it reflected a style that they too both shared. As well as the modern and high end look, they also have a small room, just perfect for smaller gatherings, which fitted in perfectly with their big day. It's a truly jaw dropping place, topped off by a really wonderful team... it's that moment again, as I must say a big thank you to Alexandra the co-ordinator, who was an enormous help... thank you!
And so, to the most important part of the big day, the couple in question, Clare and Paul. This sporty, outdoors pair did worry me for a second however, as Clare told me about the engagement. Before I understood the romantic setting, their own background of keeping active and a pro outdoors lifestyle, I did have a few Friday the 13th flashbacks when she detailed a lakeside proposal whilst camping... fortunately the inevitable 80's slasher comparisons halted right there. Being a personal trainer, Paul certainly enjoys an active lifestyle, and it's one that is shared by former teaching assistant Clare. In fact, the only thing the couple enjoy more than long walks, bike rides and a generally fitness first lifestyle, is food apparently... in Clare's own words, "we like food!" Good choice of venue on that note too for our foodie pair, with the Amalfi White boasting a two AA rosette restaurant... delicious!
On the theme of more modern times, our newlyweds also met in the most modern of ways, via internet dating. With Clare busy helping with her cousins wedding (to an Olympic athlete no less), Paul got in touch over the course of a few weeks, eager to meet her in person. With no time like the present, a slightly worse for wear Clare met up the day after said wedding, when Paul contacted her in the morning. Not wanting to go home first, in case she felt like she didn't want to go out again afterwards, Clare made her way out to meet up... and the rest is history...
"... I'm so glad I did. Within minutes, I absolutely loved his personality, and after that, we spent every possible bit of time together. After several months we lived together. Everything was/is easy, just feels right and like it was always meant to be... we are 4 years on now..."
And so I'll finish by congratulating the happy couple, and thanking them for inviting me to be a part of their most special day... it was truly wonderful. Congratulations to Clare and Paul!
