
An English Wedding
Wedding Photographer in Soughton Hall, Wales
This was a beautiful adventure. It was awhile I dreamed to shoot a wedding abroad, leaving my country to find a new and different light, to write a new page in this adventure i keep walking in.
One day i was talking to Charlotte a sweet young lady and wedding planner I met here in Tuscany years ago when I worked for one of her couples. I propose to Charlotte to work together in England, and she mentioned about Grace and Charlie’s wedding. I knew already the couple as I photographed Grace’s brother wedding before and I was so excited to meet all these people again.
So in the month of June 2019 I left for this 3 days journey to UK, a part of England that I never visited before, a beautiful and peaceful town in front of the ocean just outside Liverpool. I immediately fell in love with the little town of Heswall and with the temperature, coming from the extreme heat of Tuscany I finally could breath nice and cool ocean breeze.
The morning of the second day Charlie picked me up and we drove down to Wales for a quick visit at the wedding venue. I loved to go back to wales after so many years I did not visit anymore. The Wales and its narrow streets framed by small and perfect stone walls, so perfect that it seems to come out of a children’s storybook.
As soon as our car entered the Soughton Hall‘s driveway I thought I had been catapulted into a film about the English royal family. I saw the venue on the web before but it’s nothing compared to the impression to be there in person. I was super excited then!
I got to know the venue staff who went out of their way to try to make my job as easy as possible. I will never thank them enough.
As I will never thank Charlie enough to drive me around and show the nicest part of his town. Thank you Charlie for stopping by every time I ask to take a photo…and I asked many times.
In the afternoon I finally saw my bride Grace, and we all went together to the seaside to shot few engagements photos and then to the St Bartholomews Church Thurstaston, the same church where Charlie’s parents married and where the bridal party had the rehearsal ceremony while I had the chance to meet the vicar who explained all the details for the big day.
The rest of the day I was free and I was very honored to receive a call from one of my old couple from Liverpool that I photographed their wedding on the lake of Como few years ago . We had such a lovely dinner together.
The day of the wedding started really early in the morning, with the bride and bridesmaids getting ready at the bride’s mother house. I finally meet again Whitney (she is the stunning bride you can see every time you open my web site home page, and this is her wedding gallery in Tuscany: Whitney’s wedding).
It was followed by a very formal ceremony in a beautiful British church but the best surprise was to know I was going to hit the reception on a very British red double-decker together with the other guests.
Soughton Hall was perfectly decorated for the wedding. I could shot indoor where I loved the wallpapers and the ancient floor and outdoor around the magnificent gardens. Charlie and Grace couldn’t choose a place that was more perfect for them.
But if I have to tell which part of the day was the best for me I would say with no doubts that it was the final one. When this people hit the dance floor they really know how to have fun. Even if those have been the most dangerous dances in so many weddings (trust me when I say that I risked to fall many times) always surrounded by people dancing like there was no tomorrow, I enjoyed every single moment.
The first time I spoke to Grace I told here I was going to stay until the very last second, until someone was still dancing, and so I did. Finally at midnight I had my lift back to the hotel. This was a very long wedding, no second photo shooter, no time to sit for long, and I loved this day so much. I will bring this experience with me for all the days ahead. And I am so grateful to Charlie and Grace for giving me the opportunity of this journey.
I left Italy with the enthusiasm of a job I had long dreamed of and I returned with the desire to do many more.
The next day….
Wedding venue: Soughton Hall
Wedding Church: St. Bartholomew’s Thurstanston
Bridal dress: Enzoani
Bridal shoes: Kurt Geiger
Florist: Verdure Floral Design
MUA: Nala and Knot
Bridesmaid dresses: ASOS
Groomsmen attire: Whitfield and Ward
Wedding Bus: Weddingbuses
Wedding music band: Soul Revolver
my special thanks to Charlotte Elise Dodd