Claire and Donnacha – 8th September 2017
ST MICHAELS MANOR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
Claire and Donnacha got married at a beautiful little church in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire followed by their wedding reception at St Michael’s Manor in St Albans. Claire got ready at home with her friends, family and gorgeous little baby girl, Annie. She wore a stunning Sottero and Midgley dress, from Bride’s of Berkhamsted, with a low back and pretty diamante detailing at the waist. The bridesmaids wore lovely A line blush dresses which matched the pink and ivory bouquets perfectly.
CHURCH CEREMONY IN HEMEL HEMPSTEAD
I’d photographed a wedding at exactly the same church and reception venue on exactly the same day the year before. Unfortunately, the weather was also exactly the same….rainy! The couple didn’t let it affect their day at all and I love the shots of guests arriving with their brolly’s out. The ceremony was short and sweet with a couple of readings by close friends and everyone cheered as they walked down the aisle as husband and wife.
St Michael’s Manor is a beautiful hotel with gorgeous gardens providing plenty of photo opportunities…it even has it’s own lake! Luckily, there are also plenty of great spaces to use inside as the weather was still drizzly when guests began to arrive. I utilised the large windows which flooded the rooms with natural light to get some shots of the couple together and some close ups of Claire’s beautiful bouquet. For a brief moment, the sun broke through the clouds so we ran outside to get the group pictures using the country style gardens as a backdrop.
WEDDING RECEPTION AT ST MICHAELS MANOR
The guests began to make their way through to the beautifully decorated dining room. The tables were dressed with stone coloured table cloths and lace overlays, pink and ivory rose centrepieces along with hand made menus with pink ribbon and diamante embellishments. Some very funny speeches followed courtesy of the father of the bride, groom and best man. Afterwards, we were able to sneak outside to get a few more couple pictures before the light disappeared. I’m so pleased we did because some of my favourite images of the day were by the lake where you can see the couple’s reflection perfectly.
Claire and Donnacha proceeded to cut the cake and have their first dance as husband and wife. Thank you both for letting me capture your beautiful day, I loved every minute of it. I hope you have a fantastic honeymoon and I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together. If you’re looking for a wedding photographer, I’d love to hear from you!
Wedding Coordinator – Nicola at St Michael’s Manor
Hairdresser – Lauren King
Dress Designer – Sottero and Midgley from Bride’s of Berkhamsted
Florist – Spinney Cottage
Cake – Sandra King
Caterer – St Michael’s Manor
DJ – Smile
ST MICHAELS MANOR WEDDING PHOTOS
