30 Sep Michelle and Matthews Outside Wedding at Grove Farm
Michelle and Matthew arranged every aspect of their wedding themselves. And what an incredible occasion it was.
Having recently tied the knot in a legal ceremony in Northampton, they wanted to celebrate their marriage with friends and family at an entirely bespoke event. And when I say bespoke, I really mean it.
Michelle and her bridal party, made up of her children, got ready at the impressive Grove Farm, where they could look out of the window and watch Matthew and his groomsmen building the marquee, driving around on quad bikes, moving furniture and putting up signage.
In fact, when I arrived, Matthew was still in shorts and a T-shirt, busy instructing, building and generally making things happen. This was clearly a man who wasn’t going to leave the organisation of his own wedding to somebody else.
The bridal party’s short journey to the woodland ceremony was rather special. They travelled on a beautifully decorated trailer, towed by a vintage tractor that had been cleaned and polished especially for the occasion. The farmer himself was behind the wheel, dressed in his Sunday best.
It looked like enormous fun and certainly put smiles on everyone’s faces.
The ceremony took place in a clearing within a woodland spinney, which formed a natural amphitheatre. Around 150 guests gathered around the staging, where Matthew had somehow transformed himself from the man I’d seen earlier in shorts and a T-shirt into a magnificently presented groom.
Then I spotted the vintage Lambretta scooter, adorned with the logo of his band, Brighton Riot, a well-known local Mod covers band. Suddenly, it all made sense.
The ceremony itself was incredibly emotional.
Everyone was in tears. The groom, the bride, the bridesmaids, the guests — and, eventually, me.
This clearly meant far more than simply getting married. It felt like the culmination of a long journey that Michelle and Matthew had been on together, and the emotion of that was there for everyone to see.
Once I’d dried my eyes, it was time for the reception.
And what a reception.
The huge marquee had been transformed with a venue-sized stage, PA and lighting rig that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a purpose-built live music venue. We were clearly in for a night of entertainment, and that’s exactly what happened, with numerous live bands taking to the stage, including Brighton Riot.
I’d never photographed a wedding at Grove Farm before, and I’m not sure how many weddings they host there, but it’s a wonderful spot. Sitting high on the hillside, it has beautiful views across the Northamptonshire countryside and plenty of space to make the most of.
That included getting some photographs of Michelle and Matthew with the Lambretta, before heading off for a walk through the fields.
I call this my walk-and-talk shoot.
It’s one of my favourite ways to photograph couples. It gives them the chance to escape the hustle and bustle for a few minutes, catch their breath, talk, laugh and take a moment together.
I don’t need to pose them or choreograph every move. I just let them walk and talk while I hang back and click. And it works
This wedding had it all: a woodland ceremony, a vintage tractor, a Lambretta, a huge marquee, live bands, 150 guests, an incredible amount of DIY and, most importantly, a couple with a story worth celebrating.
This was a wedding made entirely their own.
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