Lovely laid-back couple Melissa and Jake promised me their wedding would feature two of my favourite things - lots of bright colours, and a dog. And they really delivered! Right from our first meeting, I was really looking forward to Jake and Melissa’s wedding at one of my most loved Shropshire venues, Moat Hall Barns. Not only are they awesome people who were great fun to spend the day with, but Melissa and Jake had so many fantastic details that helped make their day ace, including the pompoms that adorned the aisle (made by the bride’s godmother), the crocheted flowers bringing bursts of colour to the tables (made by the bride’s mum - as a fellow crocheter I loved this touch), the cake made by Melissa’s mum and decorated with the help of her aunts which featured a replica of the couple’s dog made in icing, the GIANT pompom ball that hung from the big rustic beam in the Top Barn, and Melissa’s STUNNING dress! In our pre-wedding chats Melissa had mentioned that her wedding dress had a “pop of colour” but I was not prepared for how beautiful and vibrant it was going to be. The bride’s brother and his partner had also crafted a wooden archway decorated to fit the day’s theme, and with a personalised name plate as a surprise wedding gift, which looked fab placed as an entrance to the aisle. I was so impressed with the talents and creativity of the couple’s friends and family in crafting all their little details which made the day that bit more personal and unique.
Spending the morning with Melissa, her bridesmaids and her parents as they got ready in Melissa’s childhood home was a lovely relaxed affair that set the tone for the rest of the day. A neighbour had very kindly offered to drive the bride the short journey down the road to the venue in his vintage 1962 Alvis classic car, so she arrived in style! The early Autumn day was beautifully sunny so the couple had chosen to hold their ceremony at the lakeside gazebo, where Jake awaited his beautiful bride’s entrance. One of the best parts of the day for me was seeing all the guests’ reactions to Melissa walking down the aisle on her father’s arm, with many of the couple’s friends and family shedding happy tears, and Melissa beaming with joy all the way down the pom-pom festooned aisle!
The couple’s cockapoo Guinness took on the important role of their enthusiastic ring-bearer, happily bouncing down the aisle to deliver the wedding bands to his humans and accompanying them for their confetti walk once they had been declared wed. In a really lovely touch, the couple stepped away for a quiet moment after their ceremony to share private vows between just the two of them as their guests enjoyed drinks in the sunshine in the paddock, accompanied by delicious nibbles made by the Beefy Boys team. During the group formal pictures the wedding party asked to do a pop-pom throw, which was great fun!
Handsome pup Guinness joined Jake and Melissa for a few photographs in the venue’s lovely gardens before leaving the couple with me for a few more portraits of the two of them in the tucked away cut-flower garden and on the little jetty down by the lake. Following their wedding breakfast and speeches in the Top Barn (with a few rounds of Jagerbombs to get the party started), many of the guests moved back outside into the early evening sun to play lawn games and enjoy the vibrant sunset before the dancing commenced. There were lots of laughs on the dancefloor as the party went on, with some very enthusiastic prisiadka dancing to “Rasputin” by Boney M being a personal highlight. I had an absolute blast capturing Melissa and Jake’s big day - thanks so much guys for letting me be a part of it!
