I first met Megan & Paul over 4 years ago at one of their close friends Weddings in the Lake District. I think I fell in love with Megan’s Pollyanna personality right there and then. We were like kindred spirits and I kind of gravitated towards her. When they contacted me after all these years and asked me to photograph their wedding I absolutely jumped at the chance to spend more beautiful time with them. When I look at Megan and Paul I see myself and my husband… Our personalities are so alike I couldn’t help but feel a strong connection to them and the incredible life adventure they were about to embark on together. Paul is tall, handsome, and notably shy and retiring. If you are lucky to count Paul as a friend, you will also know he is one of the funniest dry humoured people you will ever meet. It doesn’t take much to evoke a beautiful white smile from Megan but with a man like Paul by her side, working his magic, its hard to wipe the grin from her gorgeous face. Who wouldn’t want to photograph their wedding. As blessed as I already am, they chose me, and I was happier than a pig in mud.
I love genuinely nice people, the ones that appreciate every little blessing they have and turn the smallest gesture into the most incredible gift. This is who Megan and Paul are. With an artistic and creative flair Megan pretty much single handed (although her family and bridesmaids would claim a certain amount of creative labour) crafted her entire décor of her wedding. With a fabulous Game of Thrones theme, the House of Day and House of Espin were finally united as one.
I arrived at Megan’s parents house and was greeted by the most loving and kind people, clearly riding the exciting wedding wave and loving every minute. I was looked after like one of the family and was showered with sandwich’s and cups of frothy coffee (thanks Stephen). We had so much fun getting to know each other and before we knew it, it was time to leave for their chosen venue, the beautiful Walton Hall. We knew the place well, in fact we’d done their pre-wedding shoot around the grounds, the Appleton Reservoir and the Bridgewater Canal, so we knew the gorgeous scenery that we had around us like the back of our hands.
Paul looked completely cool and not phased at all. This was a man who knew his decision to Marry this beautiful woman was the best decision he would ever make in his life. So, there we were. Megan was expecting to be chauffeured in her friend’s car, but Mum & Dad wouldn’t have that… oh no… they had booked a vintage classic car as a surprise and boy did they deliver.
I walked into the ceremony room ahead of the bride, ready to catch her arrival. Low and behold I was met with the most spectacular arrangement of Musicians with Brass instruments galore bringing a sound so completely beautiful, that my entire body was covered in goose bumps. I don’t think I could ever find the words to explain just how magnificent and palpable the atmosphere was with this Brass Band in play, it truly was magical. It felt magical and I cried… damn it half the room was crying. It was awesome. I ran out of tissues.
Then there she was… Breathtakingly beautiful with that gorgeous smile on her face, and that was all it took. We all floated on the cloud of wedding happiness during the ceremony and I loved every second of it. Covering my bases with a secondary camera set up at the back of the room and a remote trigger to capture every angle, it was bloody perfect. They gazed into each other’s eyes, the room could have been empty for all they knew and made their promises to each other. This was everything wedding days should be.
I escaped with the happy couple, revisiting all those fabulous places we chose during their pre-wedding shoot and we had the best time, although I’m not sure they noticed me too much, which is how it should be, isn’t it.
So, this is the story of two gorgeous people, their amazing families, the details, the delicate and astonishing crafts, the Big Brass Band, the Love, a surprise visit with three alpacas (yes that really happened) a service and wedding feast to be rivalled by any, and the blessings of all they know and love most.
I wish them every happiness in their adventures. Much Love, Lisa xx
