30th April 2021 / Weddings
Socially Distanced Wedding at Sale Town Hall
Lighting up the room with positive energy
Shooting just a small handful of weddings in 2020 meant I cherished them just that little bit more than normal and OH MY DAYS these two were a joy to be around. A truly beautiful couple and Reyna just lights up everywhere she goes! AS ever wedding images are best viewed as set as they tell a story and that story is a personal one to the couple, their friends and family. So with that in mind I’m going to pass you Over to Reyna to tell you a little bit more about them and the day they ended up having.
How did you get here?
We met in February 2014, in the old era of online dating (pre Tinder) on E-harmony. I was studying for my PhD in Leeds and Steve was living in Manchester, a Yorkshireman on the wrong side of the Pennines!
Our Relationship started with a simple afternoon of coffee (or tea in Steve’s case) and cake at a lovely cafe in Leeds, and from there our relationship developed through a mutual love of food, music, films and outdoor adventures (our first holiday together was a walking weekend in Snowdonia). Along the way, I got my PhD and moved to Manchester, moving in with Steve after a year together. We have travelled from Mexico (where I am from) to Australia, and lots in-between. Steve has run a lot, 100 miles around Mt Blanc, 145 miles around Yorkshire, that sort of thing, while I have been supporting and running a few ultramarathons of my own.
Steve proposed to me in a country pub we were staying, on a comfy sofa with a glass of whiskey and an open fire, it was perfect 🙂
Favourite part of the wedding?
Our wedding plan had to change due to COVID, but hey! We had a wonderful day.
Our favourite part of the day was my entrance at the hall with our favourite Elbow track (Gentle Storm) as background. The first thing that I saw was the small party waiting on the entrance and then, I laid my eyes on Steve… he was in tears and I also couldn’t contain mine. We were getting married on a beautiful sunny day in the middle of a pandemic… doesn’t get more romantic than that!!
What was it like working with Mike?
Mike was recommended by a friend photographer in Yorkshire.
As soon as we met for a drink to discuss our first wedding plans (no Mexico trip, sorry Mike!) we knew that we wanted to work with him.
His way was relaxed, friendly and engaging. Most of all, we saw his extreme talent and eye for the small details and parts of a wedding that the normal eye misses.
On the day, he was more than the photographer, but became part of the party. The pictures that he took of our day reflected our mood, our love and also our happiness to be finally married.
Everyone who has seen our pictures agrees that they show who we are and how happy we were on the day.
It is really worth to mention that he also did this amazing job following the tight restrictions put into place due to social distancing.
How do you feel about your wedding photos now?
We ordered a book for ourselves and a few for our close family.
During a lazy afternoon, we take the book and relieve the day and see new small things on the pictures that we might have missed the first time. We love looking at them!
Which are your three favourite images?
We love the picture that Mike took of Steve and myself just before our wedding, in the registry office. He skilfully managed to capture the last moment of us before getting married in the same shot, before we saw each other. You see only our backs, but you feel that the big moment is coming.
Our second choice is the picture where we are looking at each other at the Canal. The background reminded us of the bees (Manchester’s symbol) and also how happy we both look there. We are relaxed, but complete.
Finally, our third choice is the picture where we are walking on the cobbles at the canal, which shows how much fun we were having. I even put the tongue out for the balance effect!
Wonderful Suppliers
We almost forgot to acknowledge our wonderful florist Northern Flower based in Manchester Northern Quarter who were the most friendly and accommodating service that we could’ve asked for.
Adding to this, I want to thank my make-up artist Rebecca Anderton who was a God sent after a really bad first experience with someone else. She completely got my idea of natural make-up and worked under the social distancing rules at the time. She is a delight to work with.
https://rebeccaanderton.co.uk/
The last, but not least, our venue who hosted our social distancing reception, The Belmore at Sale which helped us to raise a glass of champagne and enjoy a delicious meal after our wedding, in short notice. This find was made by our lovely friend Kirsty Ford.
