Aiga & Steve


March is an unusual time to have a wedding, but this year has been very active.  Aiga & Steve's wedding finished off a busy month for me.  Yes it was cold and wet, however everyone had an absolutely wonderful day.

Aiga was helped to get ready by her sister and daughter Brenda.



All the preparations took place at The Venue.  Steve arrived and we all got on a coach for the journey to the Greffe, very convenient.



On our return to The Venue for the reception it was dry enough to do some family group pictures outside and for a walk in the gardens.
Inside spirits were high as we had a very informal reception.




Throughout the afternoon and evening Dave Bradshaw sang and played the guitar, perfect for this event.  The first dance took place quietly without any announcement, who said Steve was too shy to dance?


There was no holding back the children, the balloons were subjected to some entertaining treatment.

Decorations had been made with care, the cake was beautiful with some highly skilful chocolate work.




The pace for the remainder of the day increased considerably, with everyone having a really great time.  This was a small and intimate wedding, packed full of fun.












Diane & Richard

March is one of my busiest months for weddings this year, my latest one was for Diane & Richard. This was a very informal, country themed event. All the decorations had been made by the families themselves, clearly with a huge amount of time and effort.

The first scene I saw in the morning was Diane's dad finishing off the bouquets and a great job he had done too.
 Diane was so happy and relaxed.


Phoebe was probably the most elusive flower girl I have encountered!

 The groomsmen finally found each other in the right pub on the Bridge and enjoyed a drink prior to the ceremony at St. Sampsons Church.  Hands off dad's Guinness Sam!

The ceremony was delightful, Rev. Baskerville ensured everyone had a good laugh.




Afterwards we had a long drive from one end of Guernsey to the other, from St. Sampson's via a brief stop at Rousse, to the Imperial Hotel for the reception.
At the reception we were treated to wonderful details of flowers, ribbons, baskets and loads of ormer shells.  Luckily the wedding didn't coincide with an ormering tide, otherwise I suspect some people may well have been missing over low water!
The cake can only be described as a labour of love, such fine detailing must have taken many hours of intricate work.

After a fine meal, Diane broke with tradition and opened up the speeches herself.



 
Lots of dancing, good conversation and laughter filled out the rest of the day.  Certainly an event with the personal stamp Diane & Richard had hoped for.




Jade & Gerard

Jade & Gerard got married on a bitterly cold February day.  Looking out of the window when I woke up and seeing the lawn was white I was a bit worried about getting around, but even though it snowed occasionally in the first part of the day it wasn't staying.   February is a great time to get married, that is when I got married myself, 24 years ago. 

Jade got ready at the Bella Luce Hotel, one of the most relaxed wedding preparations I have seen.  Plenty of time, no nerves and good humour.

I strive to capture those little moments, like her joy at seeing the flowers arrive.


The perfume Gerard gave Jade as a gift got universal approval.








My wife, Karen, photographed the groomsmen, they even stopped off at the pub for a drink on the way to Delancey Church.











After a lovely church service with Father Michael, complete with the Bel Canto Choir, we stopped off on the cliffs for a quick picture on our way to the reception.  There was no doubt, it was extremely cold out there!  But where better than the cosy interior of the Bella Luce Hotel to retire to afterwards.




 
The reactions to Dad's speech speak for themselves!





Now how long did he talk for?!




The great scoop for the wedding was the appearance of Peter Mehtab, I cannot remember being so entertained at a wedding previously.  This man is a genius and everyone was enthralled and incredulous at his amazing tricks, he really is true magic!





Not the healthiest pursuit from a groom who is into his sport!
Jade & Gerard enjoy your honeymoon, it has got to be warmer than where you got married.

Sophie & Peter

My last wedding of 2012 was for Sophie & Peter.  A lovely event on another wet and windy day.

Sophie looked wonderful, her dress had quite amazing lacework.

As the car waited in the torrential rain Peter and his groomsmen were already in the church.

Somehow the rain stopped when Sophie arrived at the church, so she could walk to the door saving the chauffeur an awkward and long reverse.
Reverend Northover's ceremonies are always filled with good humour.
This was a sweet little moment as a proud dad gave his daughter's hand a squeeze.
No time to hang around, as it was raining again, so straight onto the Bella Luce Hotel for the reception.

The warm interior of the hotel was perfect for the day.  Clearly great attention had being taken with the room set up.  Each table was named after a book, the top table was "The Wedding".



There was plenty of time for people to chat and have a glass of champagne, before settling down for the speeches and meal.




The cake was carried onto the dance floor.  Also the DJs, Q-Sky, had spent a long time setting up various lights which flooded the room with colour.


The dancing began and lasted 5 hours!  A young and energetic crowd took full advantage.  The bouquet came out of the toss rather worse for wear after a little tussle.


 The couple were pulled into a circle of their friends for their last dance, a fitting end to an informal and wonderful day.
As I left, a sign at reception invited people to join the couple for breakfast at 9am.  I wondered how many people would be there on time!




Heather & Andrew

I enjoy winter weddings as there are lots of challenges but the atmosphere is quite unique.  Heather and Andrew's wedding was just before Christmas and it was a lovely event.


 The dress was watched over by one of Heather's cats.


 We got to the Capelles Methodist Church just in time, where Andrew had been waiting and kept amused by his two best men.


We had a very personal ceremony, followed by some family group shots in the church as not only was it wet outside but it was also blowing a full gale.  Then it was onwards to the Bella Luce Hotel for the reception.
The warmth of the interior was just right on a day like this.  Heather and Andrew were in a relaxed mood as they waited to enter the dining room.

Speeches took place before the meal, the bestmen seemed to relish their task, someone else looked a little less than comfortable!




The cake continued the winter theme and looked spectacular, we also took advantage of some festive lights for other pictures.



Soon it was time for the dancing, after the first dance it was all loud and frantic with everyone seeing out the rest of the day in a rather energetic fashion.  It was a fitting send off for Heather and Andrew.





















Julia & Matt


Julia and Matt got married at the Greffe during the week and then their main day was held at the St. Pierre Park Hotel.  Surprisingly rhe weather was pretty good, it was nice to just stroll up the road to the hairdressers.  With both the bride and groom getting ready at the hotel it made for a more relaxing start of the day for us, with everything taking place within a short distance.

The 3 Js got ready together, Julia the bride, Jessica the flower girl and Jerry the bridesmaid.






My wife and assistant was covering the groomsmen prior to the ceremony.


Dad was especially proud to be escorting his only daughter up the aisle.
Jayne White of White Dove conducted the humanist ceremony, this was a very happy and touching event.
On the way to meet Julia's class I spotted this opportunity for an unusual reflection picture, only a fraction of a second to react and grab this as they walked by.  The small children were enthralled to see Julia in her stunning dress.

The reception room was beautifully decorated, I took advantage of the decor for this picture.

Speeches took place at the end of the meal and provided a lot of entertaining information about the groom.
During the speeches Matt shared some exciting news with everyone, but not before he had handed a letter to Julia with the news first.



After the cake cutting it was onto the dancing, I really like the two little onlookers in the picture below.


 

A wedding is all about the people and I pride myself on capturing as many candid shots as possible of people being themselves.


Just room for one more picture to share, but of course lots more to look forward to when I complete editing this wedding.









Sarah & Mark

We started this wedding day at the hairdressers, as Sarah began getting ready.

Ella showed obvious delight as she unwrapped a gift for being flower girl, while Zak soon found an energetic way to show off his new teddy bear.

Sarah looked stunning.

My wife and assistant Karen covered the groomsmen getting ready.


We have to admit the weather wasn't great on the day, but after all mid November wasn't any worse than a fair portion of the last summer.


After the ceremony at the Castel Church it was straight to the Farmhouse Hotel for the reception.
The porcelain figurines of the couple with their dog was a quite remarkable likeness.


Speeches were before the meal and gave many humourous moments.  Naturally Mark's sporting background came up, he has a great record in local sport, especially in triathalons.


Before we knew it the dancing was about to start.
The DJ certainly had a few lights on show!

It was very noticeable that there was a close group of family and friends at this event.  There was lots of chatting and laughter as well as more dancing.



Hopefully Sarah & Mark are enjoying their honeymoon, they must at least be getting better weather than we are experiencing in Guernsey.





Brides Magazine - Wedding of the Week

Congratulations to Michelle & Stephen for getting their wedding featured in Brides Magazine Wedding of the Week feature.

http://www.bridesmagazine.co.uk/community/weddings/story/182921-Wedding-on-the-Rock-/

This was a beautifully detailed wedding, meticulously planned and put together.  Just reward for their hard work.

To see more pictures check out the blog posting I did back in June

/nick-despres/2012/06/michelle-stephen.html

We will be attending the Wedding Fair at the Bella Luce Hotel on Sunday 14th October.  So if you are free between 11am to 4 pm please do pop in and see us.

Flere & Carl

I had photographed Flere & Carl for their engagement book seemingly a long time ago and was looking forward to their wedding.

There was a packed house with Flere getting ready at mum's, the mood was calm and relaxed.



Katie, who supplied the dress, was on hand to lace it up quickly and neatly.


There wasn't far to go to the Vale Church, where Carl appeared to cut a lonely figure, but his groomsmen were not far behind.

Mum proudly walked Flere up the aisle.  Dad unfortunately was too ill to attend and we visited him in hospital after the ceremony.




After the ceremony, we took advantage of the lovely autumn weather for a few pictures on the way to the Farmhouse Hotel for the reception, via the hospital to say Hi to dad.

Speeches tugged at the emotions and were also hilarious at times.  Maybe some of what the bestman said wasn't too appropriate, as people were about to be served their meal!
There was time for a couple of pictures outside before the first dance.


Now I had some inkling about how the evening would go from the bestman's speech, true to expectations the rest of the evening became rather wild.  Numerous "Carl sandwiches" were performed and a few of those pictures are best left for the password protected gallery!  A great end to a fabulous day.










Sophie & Will

An early ceremony and nine bridesmaids meant a prompt start at the hairdressers, La Belge.  But there were no worries as everyone was dealt with efficiently and we were soon at La Grande Mare where Sophie was getting ready.





 Of course during this busy time the groomsmen had other priorities!

 The ceremony was at Vale Church, with Rev. Northover who always ensures all have a good laugh.


 There wasn't much room for Will with such a spectacular dress!
 After some group pictures and confetti, the procession down the hill looked impressive.
 The 1961 S1 Bentley that Sophie and Will used for the day is probably the most beautiful car I have seen, quite appropriate for this occasion.
 Speeches were throughout the meal with some emotional and amusing moments.




 Just before the dancing began, we found time to sneak out for some pictures, just catching the full moon as it appeared briefly between the clouds.  Well worth the effort.

 Some danced sedately, some with great vigour, there was even some choreography evident.
 To finish off, Will took the microphone and sang, a man of many talents. 

Sarah & Mark

After a quick visit to the hairdresser to capture the start of the day for the bride's side of the preparations, it was down to the beach as someone thought it would be a good idea for a swim.  A surprising number of the men invited to the wedding turned out, I was assured the water was lovely!




 Not sure if this was a bit of practice for the dancing later in the day...


Sarah and her bridesmaids had a nice quiet time having their make up done at home.







The ceremony was at St. Paul's Church.




Probably inspired by the Olympics, Harry took a mere 2 seconds to sprint down the aisle!



During the ceremony we were treated to a duet from the fathers of the groom and bride, one on the piano, one singing.  This was very well received.


After the church service we visited the common and then the Bella Luce Hotel for the reception.



Speeches were great, the best man had dragged up a few amusing images of Mark in his earlier years.






Finally we moved inside the hotel for the dancing to complete a wonderful day.











Lianne & Craig

What a lovely day we had for this delightful young couple.  Their wedding had a certain style, which wasn't unexpected after I had worked with them for their engagement book.

Lianne got ready at The Venue where the reception was to be held later.  Sun streaming through the windows and little free space added a few challenges to the photography, but I still have to come up with great results whatever the conditions.





Craig appeared calm and jovial as he chatted to his brother and best man.  The ceremony at St. Peter's Church was pleasant and sensitive, taken by Reverend Strike.








Quiet weather was just right for people to mingle out in the garden at the reception before we went inside for the meal and speeches.  These were eloquent and amusing, good fun to listen to.

Afterwards there was time for a stroll around the gardens for some pictures before the evening entertainment commenced with a Michael Bublé style singer, perfect for this couple.  Their closeness and enjoyment was quite evident.










I'll finish off this preview with a picture of the last dance, something I had previsualised but just had to wait for the right moment for all the elements to come together.  One of my favourite pictures for a while.




Serena & Steve

This was a different wedding day, well two days actually.  Serena and Steve had planned a relaxed and casual event.

Day 1 saw everyone getting ready for the formalities at the Greffe.  Serena was at home and Steve got ready at his best man's house.








Then each group had a drink prior to the Greffe, the bride and her mum with  the bridesmaids at the OGH and the groomsmen enjoying the sun at the Prince of Wales.




Then it was off to enjoy the wonderful weather, first stop was to the Clarence Battery for a cool box full of champagne.







Afterwards we went off for a few more pictures with the newly weds, before catching up with everyone else at La Fregate Hotel for a meal.




Of course the view from the dining room is quite special.  It was nice to capture the bigger scenes as well as other more intimate moments that I am always on the look out for.






The evening was beautiful with a full moon and Castle Cornet glowing in the dark as a backdrop.

Day 2 - an early start saw me meet Serena & Steve at the hotel before making our way back to their house as they got ready once again.  Serena is a great sports fan, especially of rowing in which she has had a fair bit of success.  It proved tricky for her to have the make up done at the same time as some very exciting rowing finals in the Olympics!



Then it was onwards to Les Douvres Hotel where we were going to have an outdoor ceremony, meal and dancing to finish off the day.  A few decorations had to be taken care of first.



This was a clear instruction to the guests!



Someone was in a hurry to see where the party was...


 Once all the guests had assembled we had a lovely outdoor ceremony.







Then it was time to relax in the sun (apart from one brief shower), listen to the speeches and have some fun.








Not quite sure what this sporting display resembled, possibly a cross between Taekwondo and water polo!  Forunately it all passed injury free.


Night fell and some had a quiet chat while another crowd had found a TV and watched Jessica Ennis win her gold medal.




The pool proved useful for those dancing in less than comfortable shoes...





As I left at close to midnight, the hard core party enthusiasts seemed to be going strong and heading for the bestman's house to continue the celebrations!






Natalie & David

Having started an engagement album with Natalie & David a year prior to their wedding, I felt we knew each other pretty well and was looking forward to their big day.

With Natalie getting ready literally just around the corner from St. Matthew's Church, it was nice not to have to travel too far on the morning of the wedding.  Natalie's sister also did the make up.




Natalie wasn't the only one getting some special attention, Ellie the flower girl was excited to get a little gift too.







At the church the groomsmen sorted out their button holes, a bit of nervous pacing from David, then it was time to go inside to await the bride.








After the ceremony we made our way to the Farmhouse Hotel for the reception, with speeches before the meal.












The weather was perfect for lounging about in the garden and terrace in the early evening, then the music and dancing began.   Natalie and David had a lovely first dance then everyone else joined in,  with DJ Carl Ward keeping the floor busy.






Natalie's mother and step-dad had recently completed one of my photographic courses, so hopefully they could see me practice what I preached!

We sneaked outside for some pictures briefly and the night was seen out with more dancing.  A wonderful day and a pleasure to cover for Natalie and David.  







Alex & Geoff

Alex and Geoff's wedding was held over two very full days.  So many of the guests had travelled great distances to attend and it was good that the weather allowed them to see Guernsey at its best.

Alex's preparations with her family were followed by a carriage ride to Sausmarez Manor for the ceremony.





Geoff was very relaxed and people were having a good time waiting for the ceremony to start.





As the bride arrived she had a quiet moment with her father before proceeding downstairs where everyone had assembled.










A little time for themselves after the ceremony before emerging out to cheers, confetti and a traditional cake.




The Manor gardens were the perfect place for such a sunny afternoon. 

An evening meal was arranged for the Cobo Bay Hotel and on the way we stopped briefly for some pictures on the coast.







Always on the look out for unusual angles and picture opportunities, this shadow picture took a while before I was able to capture what I had envisaged.




Day 2 was all based at the Bon Port Hotel, the preparation for the girls included some dance practice as well as the normal hair and make up.





Geoff could have a drink on the patio before he got ready and the guests started to arrive.






With a backdrop like this we could only be at the Bon Port, overlooking some of Guernsey's amazing south coast.


The Denis Burns Band played music for the afternoon and even got everyone to have an impromtu dance!



Then it was into the beautifully decorated marquee for the meal and various speeches.  These were great entertainment and came complete with translators.






As night fell we all moved into the hotel for the first dance.




After the first dance things really took off, in fact they got rather wild!






An incredible couple of days, I am sure Alex and Geoff needed their honeymoon to relax.

Sinead & Jonathan

After the extraordinary wet weather recently and a particularly rainy wedding the weekend before, it was quite a change to have such nice weather for Sinead and Jonathan's special day.

After the hairdressers we photographed Sinead getting ready at the Farmhouse where the reception was due to be held later.


Naturally Sinead looked stunning.





Dad thought so too...


It was quite a busy morning for everyone. The groomsmen were having a good time as they got ready before making their way to the Castel Church.








Not quite sure what was in the hip flask, but it must have been pretty powerful!


Space was tight outside the church with the cars by the door.  But this gave me the chance for an interesting shot of the bride before they left for the reception.  With a little stop for some pictures on the way to the Farmhouse.



After a few family pictures we were treated to some humourous speeches.







The dining room was beautifully decorated, with lots of lovely details, especially the wish tree.


There was plenty of time after the meal for everyone to enjoy the evening sun out in the garden or terrace.



Soon it was time for the first dance, an emotional moment before things became a lot more lively for the rest of the night.


The bridesmaids took a quick dip and the groomsmen were a bit less adventurous as they enjoyed their cigars.



Back to more dancing to the music of City Limits, a great finish to a wonderful day.



Michelle & Andrew

This was a wedding close to home, both to the couple and for us.  Michelle & Andrew live a little walk away from St. Saviours Church, as we do too.  With the reception at the Farmhouse Hotel, we didn't have to travel far all day.

The rough June weather dried up, leaving us with blue skies and, at least to start with, moderate to fresh winds.

Michelle got ready with her bridesmaids, doing their own make-up.


The best lacing up I have probably seen, but then Katie did sell the dress and so should know!




Andrew got ready at the Farmhouse, enjoying a glass of champagne.



It was a nice coincidence that the wedding took place during the Church Flower Festival.  There were lots of stunning displays throughout the church.


Grooms don't come more relaxed than this, Andrew's twin brothers helped to keep him laughing.  The Bel Canto Choir treated us to their beautiful singing during the service, setting a lovely mood.






When we left the church, the wind suddenly whipped up to what felt like gale force.  It was hang on to your hats time and forget about keeping the hair in place.



We did some group shots in Michelle & Andrew's garden, where it was marginally more sheltered.  Then a short drive to the Farmhouse.



More amazing flowers and decorations were at the reception.


Speeches were rather expressive, Andrew's brothers certainly went to a lot of effort to bring up some funny stories.










Then as night fell the dancing began, followed by the cake cutting.  However the cake did have a wobbly moment!



The wind did abate a bit in the evening, but then it rained a touch instead.




The day finished off with everyone having a good laugh and much dance floor fun.  A fantastic day for all, especially for those who had travelled from so far away to take part in this wedding.





Penny & Matt

Penny & Matt's wedding was an eagerly anticipated day, a lot of preparation had gone into this and their excitment was quite evident from a long time beforehand.  Somehow this wedding even managed to squeeze into a window of sunshine in this so far exceptionally wet June.

There was quite a crowd at the hairdressers, the veil was fitted and looked quite special.



I enjoyed juxtaposing a reflection of the wedding dress against a framed little girl's dress.  Pretty shoes too!



Penny looked so pretty and bubbly, with plenty of time on hand they could enjoy a chat and relax in the garden.



With the groomsmen getting ready at the other side of the island it was good to rely on my assistant Karen to cover their preparations before they headed to St. Saviours Church.








Reading from the pulpit ticked off one of Matt's dad's ambitions!



Just where did this beautiful sunshine come from?  Perfect for a little stop for pictures on our way to the marquee and reception.



Great attention had been paid to all sorts of details at the reception, and what an unusual and effective cake.




Drinks outside in the sun went down perfectly before the meal.  Somehow we managed to fit everyone into a picture round the pool.  Thank you Mo for helping to organise people throughout the day.



We were also treated to a rare diffraction ring around the sun.


Speeches preceded the food, set against the beautifully decorated marquee.






What a first dance!  A melody of different tunes and Penny and Matt gave a pretty dramatic show to an appreciative audience.


City Limits provided the music after, they played a long and continuous set and the dance floor was heaving throughout to their great music.





It was inevitable the pool got some attention later that night...


It was also good to make use of the stunning gardens for a bit of photography, followed by more dancing until the coaches arrived.  A fitting event for a wonderful couple.


Michelle & Stephen

What a day we had for Michelle & Stephen's wedding.  It was also nice to have everything contained in St. Peter's, preparations, ceremony and reception all close to or in the parish church.

Michelle had her hair and make up done at home, there was a very relaxed atmosphere and everyone was ready in plenty of time.  Good from my point of view so I could take a few portraits and get to the church without a rush.



What an absolutely stunning dress.




The scene was quite different for the groomsmen, a house bustling full of people and a fine lunch under preparation.




Someone still has to do the hard work.


St. Peter's church is one of my favourite places, full of character and of course we got married there ourselves (over 23 years ago now!)




The Bel Canto Choir treated all present to their wonderful singing, and gave me a tight view of Stephen's final moments as a single man.




Reverend Strike gave a very moving ceremony, quite appropriate as Stephen's family have a long and close association with this church.



No time to stop after, literally a couple of minutes for pictures and a walk to the marquee for the reception.




The marquee had been decorated with such stunning flowers and attention to detail, clearly great effort had been taken over all the details.


There was a great atmosphere as everyone had a chat and a laugh, or a game of football.  Then a shower of rain forced all inside for the speeches and the meal.






Looks like a lot of notes there, but the speeches were not too long, being hilarious and touching as appropriate.





 

"What's this for Dad?"


The cake was so pretty is was a shame to cut it.



The remainder of the night was given over to dancing, some pretty frantic dancing too.



The Big Blue Gipsy Experience provided the music, they had all present rocking and the floor bouncing to their distinctive sound.  The dancers were disappointed when they stopped playing.





All in all a pretty spectacular wedding.