When I hear the dreaded 'Covid' word, the really sad things that springs to mind for me as a wedding photographer, are all the hopes, dreams and plans that were so quickly dashed for so many couples. The two week curve flattening turned to months, then a year and all the 'big days' that brides and grooms across the country had planned, came and went without an 'I do' in sight. So after a trio of venue changes and a number of date postponements, it was an absolute delight to photograph Joanne and Stefan on their wedding day at The Ashes, Endon on the 3rd June 2021. With the sun in the sky, and a venue full of family and friends, it was an absolute pleasure to dust off the old camera and get photographing again...
And then, without a worry of another cancellation or lockdown... an ambulance appeared around the corner! As the man in charge of all things 'wedding photography', I genuinely thought, 'what next?!' A huge sigh of relief spread around the wedding party when we all found out that Joanne's Grandma, for whom the sirens had blared for, was in fact, all ok. Phew! There's usually more than a few memorable moments during a wedding day, belly laughs at the speeches, tears as the bride walks down the aisle, a dodgy dad dance... ambulances? Not usually top of the wish list, but thank goodness Grandma was ok!
On the subject of memorable moments, it was so lovely to hear Joanne and Stefan talk about theirs. For our bride, her favourite part was the speeches... as you'll see from some of the photos below, there was a great mix of giggles and tears shed, which for me, marks the sign of a good speech section. For our groom, in line with the times, and as I said earlier, an important part for me too, it was seeing so many friends and family, who been been apart for so long in such trying circumstances, brought together, in one place, to be happy and celebrate the marriage of this beautiful pair. Truly wonderful to see, and a privilege as the wedding photographer to capture on film.
And so, we must get on and focus on our newlyweds, Joanne and Stefan. The variety of personalities and backgrounds when meeting brides and grooms to be is so interesting and captivating. The one aspect that always fascinates me though is travel. From a photography point of view, seeing all the different corners of the world and capturing it is obviously a passion of mine, and in the case of this wonderful couple, it's a part of their life that brings lots of enjoyment for them too. With a love of food and cooking, it also inspires them both to taste and sample the world, and what better way to do it than whilst traveling. With a forthcoming honeymoon to Kenya after a pre honeymoon trip to the islands of Arran and Islay in Scotland, it would be easy to say that I couldn't get any more jealous than I already was... you'd be wrong. The place of their engagement is a hot spot for tourists traveling east... the Phi Phi islands in Thailand, and specifically the location for the filming of Leonardo DiCaprio's Hollywood movie, The Beach. However, without a ring to hand, Stefan had to improvise...
"I did not have a ring to hand, so I had to make one from a blade of grass."
... now that's going to take some topping let me tell you! I can imagine it was an amazing moment.
And what is it that they say about, 'if it's meant to be'... well having been unable to have their wedding at the venue of their dreams when they first picked their date, due to it being unavailable, it turned out to be third time lucky when the 3rd June was indeed, available. An exclusive use venue, in Endon Staffordshire, The Ashes is a stunning venue with equally gorgeous surroundings. The winners of many awards over the years, I can easily see why they picked it... and from my humble position as wedding photographer, I loved every minute too. A BIG thank you to Vicky and Ange for all of their help on the day. Make sure you check The Ashes out if you're looking for a venue.
So without further ado, congratulations to Joanne and Stefan!
Wedding photography by Jon Thorne at The Ashes, Endon, Staffordshire.
