Wedding – The Fishpond , Matlock Bath

I’ve never seen guests get so emotional at a wedding as this one (and I’ve seen a lot of emotion in my time as a wedding photographer)

Martin and Brett married at The Fishpond – a boutique pub set amongst the beautiful Derbyshire countryside (and one of Englands first tourist destinations) in the little town of Matlock Bath. (If you’ve never visited it’s like a seaside town as far away from the sea as you can physically get in this country)

In fact – I think the Fishpond website says it best:

“Set in the popular tourist town of Matlock Bath, we have everything the discerning bride needs; candy, motorbikes, ice cream, arcades, and fish & chips. The only thing missing here is the sea . . . Matlock Bath, or “little Switzerland” as its nickname suggests truly is a unique landlocked seaside town.”

As you can guess – the celebrations had a lot of character. From the dinosaur / jurassic park themed decor, through to Aura-Jay’s drag act as the evenings entertainment. But what really struck me about the day was how much love and support Martin and Brett’s friends and family shared. And how much love and affection the couple have for each other

Watch the slideshow for the full experience (above) – but below are a handful of favourites.

“We wanted natural, unposed photos and loved Simon’s use of colours and light in his portfolio. His photos of our day are stunning, and really captured the emotions of a very special day.”

Wedding – Electric Cinema Birmingham / Reception – Hotel du Vin

I’ve been so excited to share this wedding on here. The Electric Cinema in Birmingham is such a fantastic venue for a wedding. Especially if, like me, you have a deep rooted love of the cinema – especially old flea pit ones like this beauty – located just opposite New Street Station.
Firstly, Zoe and Karl are such a lovely couple, and a joy to work with (you can see their engagement shoot in Digbeth here). And they got all emotional and it was beautiful, which always adds to the day. They showed short films and slideshows before the ceremony, and a montage of (mainly 80’s) classic scenes afterwards.

Then it was a stroll across Birmingham Centre to Hotel Du Vin for further celebrations. Ending up with Karl DJing in the pub in the basement.

Below are some of my favourites pictures. Enjoy!

 Jen & Chris Married at West Bridgford Hall, followed by a garden party in Jen’s parents back garden before heading on to Lubenham Village Hall to Lindy-Bop the night away.

I’m going to hand it over to Jen & Chris to tell the story:

They’re a super-lovely international couple – with lots of great friends and family. The day took in garden games, lots of emotional moments and a lot of great dancing . It’s such a smorgasbord of events and stories that I think it’s best presented in a totally random fashion… so here goes.

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An Elegant Stately Home Wedding

Sometimes it’s nice to travel out of Derbyshire and the East Midlands to photograph a wedding. And this was certainly a very beautiful day. Nikki & Matt married at the stately Anstey Hall, a 17th century farmhouse set amongst beautiful grounds in Cambridge (I’m originally from Cambridgeshire, if you didn’t already know). It was HOT (as most of our summer was) so I can’t believe Matt and his groomsmen spent the whole day in military dress.  It was also chaotic and fun and full of personality.

I hope you enjoy the photos.

Natascha & Alex’s Carriage Hall Wedding

Those of you familiar with my work will know that I love the Carriage Hall. I’ve been there many times over my time as a wedding photographer.  It’s a perfect venue for those that want to put their own stamp on the day. The staff very much tailor the wedding to you.

Natascha & Alex got married a few weeks ago and it was a beautiful day full of wonderful moments. Natascha’s family are German, so half the speeches were in German so as to include them.  There was beautiful music from Arkangel throughout the day (they played for so many hours and it was all beautiful).

Best moment was getting to see them try and cut the cake with a ceremonial sword.

Pictures below –

Wedding – St Albans Church, Chaddesden
Reception – Osmaston Park

I had serious deja vu at this wedding – I’d photographed Joanna’s sister, Lizzie’s, wedding at Callow Hall two years previously.

The preparations, the church, a lot of the faces are all very familiar. In a way it was interesting to see how far I’d come – how my style had changed in those two years. I think even now, I’m getting a lot better at nailing the moment I want to get!

Joanna & Scott married on a beautiful sunny day with a wedding reception at Osmaston Park near Ashbourne. Surrounded by lakes and woodlands in the private location they were free to celebrate with family and friends.

So these are the pictures – and there’s a real sense of family, friendship and fun throughout.

Wedding & Reception – The West Mill, Darley Abbey

I never feel that words really do the wedding justice. So what was special about this one? I think the deep bond that Emma & John have really shines through. The fact that Emma was so nervous until she met with John at the ceremony. Speaks volumes (you can really see the nerves in the pre-ceremony photo)

It was great to have Kathryn Edwards Photography shooting with me on the day. A second photographer adds so much more coverage and adds a whole new dimension to the wedding day.

I’ve been dying to get inside The West Mill – based in Darley Abbey Mills it’s an old industrial warehouse that has been converted into floor after floor of lusciousness. This was my first wedding there, but I’m already looking forward to the next few.

A Rainy Wedding at Foremark Cottages
Harriet & Gary

It’s so nice to meet a couple who really don’t care if it rains all day. Harriet and Gary were just happy to go with the flow and enjoy the day. Despite missing out on garden games in the gorgeous grounds of Derbyshire’s Foremark Cottages.

(I say meet, but I went to university with Harriet – although I don’t think she realised it was me she got in touch with to photograph her wedding. And although the name rang a bell, I couldn’t quite work out why)

Foremark Cottages is such a complete venue. A beautiful place to get ready, a great reception venue, and it also has its own little church in the grounds.

So many people tell me they just want a fun, relaxed day with their guests. Gary and Harriet really walked the talk.

“Simon, we got them!! And the photos are truly amazing! 

Thank you for being our photographer and being part of our day. Everybody told us that our wedding day would go so fast and pass us by. So Phillip and I tried to take in every moment and detail on the day. But memories do not last forever (especially when we get old and grey). So Simon, what you have done is capture the special and unique moments and given us memories that will last forever. 
Any photographer could give us photos but you have given us much more. You have captured moments, relationships, feelings and love. How you have managed to photograph the things we can’t physically see….we don’t know! But Simon…..you can and you have! 
A precious gift! A million times…..Thank you! “

Mr and Mrs Begley