Jeremy & Jen - a touching proposal story

We covered a great story last Sunday.  Jeremy had spent many weeks planning his big proposal.
Remarkably neither couple are local and while Jeremy has friends here this was Jen's first visit to Guernsey.  While on a cruise the ship was due to stop over for a day in Guernsey and Jeremy had made elaborate plans.

He had appealed for local volunteers and it was wonderful to see a good group of people give up some of their own time to be involved.

The plan started with a picnic hidden on the cliff top above Petit Port bay.
As soon as the tide was low enough the team got to work.  Neap tides meant that there wasn't much time to get the message done, just enough beach was available as the tide dropped.
 A bit of cliff top direction ensured the main message was put in the right place.
 On the beach itself it was a busy time as seaweed was cleared.  Measurements and guides were made before the sand was raked to make the message itself.






The friendly side of our island was much in evidence, where else would you get such a team volunteering for a couple no-one had met?
 With the message completed the wait was on for Jeremy and Jen to arrive on the cliff top overlooking the beach.
 The big question approached!
 Absolutely to within a minute of the expected time Jeremy led a blindfolded Jen into view on the cliff path, before she removed the blindfold to see the message.  She was taken totally by surprise.

 Of course she said yes!  The now engaged couple spent a while together and then the boat for the second part of the plan came into view.

 After descending the steps to Petit Port Jen soon wrote her reply in the sand and then they were taken off to nearby Saints Harbour for a barbecue prepared by Sueco.










 What an idyllic place to spent the rest of the afternoon and what a pleasure it was to be involved in such a touching story.

Chloe & Kyle

While each wedding has its unique aspects, every now and then one is totally different.  Such was the case with Chloe and Kyle's wedding.  A huge amount of work was involved to make things like 1,000 origami cranes and many pom poms.  These were all hung in St. James where both the ceremony and reception were held.

I got the sense of style for this wedding as soon as I saw Chloe's shoes.



 Kyle got ready at home with his groomsmen and cats.

 He had received a rather special gift from his bride to be, a personal letter from Arsene Wenger!

 Even Chloe's transport was unusual, a beautifully restored Ford Anglia.

 Chloe was escorted up the aisle by her sister and maid of honour.

 After the ceremony, we took some family pictures while guests enjoyed the sun and ice-creams.



 Personalised shoes included the wedding date and again made a splash of colour.

St. James looked quite spectacular.  A few changes had been made since the ceremony.  Not surprisingly speeches were unconventional, Chloe's sister started off and included a song.  Chloe herself gave a speech too.







Matt, the best man, presented Kyle with a couple of pots of noodles, together with an amusing story.

 What a beautiful backdrop for the first dance.
Music plays a huge part in Chloe & Kyle's life, after the first dance we were treated to a couple of sets from the up and coming band Dealers Left.  They were fantastic and full of energy.  Thoroughly recommended.



This wedding was about a couple with a very personal style who certainly know how to enjoy themselves.

Claire & James

Few brides can be as excited to get into their wedding dress as Claire was, she was so excited and absolutely loved the dress.




 Both Claire and James got ready at the Bella Luce Hotel, being careful to avoid seeing each other in the morning.
 The ceremony took place at St. Saviours Church, James was in a jovial mood, but only he knows what was going through his mind as Claire walked up the aisle.

 Reverend Charmley conducted a touching ceremony.

 We were greeted by a strong wind outside the church, the veil didn't stay put for long!

 Then it was back to the Bella Luce for the reception.  The marquee can only be described as exquisite, both inside and outside.
 The red carpet and avenue of shrubbery made a grand entrance.


 We had worked together on a stunning guest book for the couple in the months before the wedding, this proved a great talking point as guests signed or left messages for Claire and James.

 Speeches were before the meal and were just right, short and entertaining.



 Everyone moved into the hotel for the dancing.  The band had flown in from Manchester and were brilliant, keeping the dance floor packed all night.




I just had to share this picture too, taken earlier in the evening, making use of the marquee, the arches and the beautiful sky and moon.

Michelle & David

Michelle and David's wedding took place just over a week ago.  I knew a fair number of their guests from Lisa & Tom's wedding in June, so I was expecting it to be a rather vibrant day.

While Michelle started her day with the make up, David and his best man met for an early morning walk with their dogs.







 After the beach and getting changed, the next stop was the The Swan for a quick drink before a walk to St. James for the ceremony.


 Michelle was given away by her father.  The Greffier performed the legalities before Lorraine stood in to complete the humanist ceremony.




 With the reception at the OGH Hotel it was convenient to make the short trip to Candie Gardens for some pictures on the way from St. James.

 The Regency Room at the hotel is a grand place for a reception and it was beautifully decorated.



 Speeches can only be described as highly entertaining.
 The same description can be applied to the dancing.  After the couple's first dance, City Limits played a couple of great sets and kept the floor packed with action.


 As I mentioned at the beginning, I was expecting this to be an energetic day and it certainly didn't disappoint.
Have a lovely time away and hope you can log on to see this preview of your wedding pictures.

Fabienne & Jean-Pierre

Fabienne & J-P's wedding was one I had been looking forward to for a long time.  I had got to know Fabienne via her work at Karl Taylor Photography over many years, plus I had worked with the couple on a gorgeous guest book for the wedding.  I just knew their event would be full of character and fun.

I started off at the hairdressers, where Fabienne arrived with the incredible news that the marquee was not ready and couldn't be used for the wedding!  But this certainly wasn't going to spoil the day.

She got ready with her bridesmaids at her brother's house and there was plenty of time, even for a game of table football.



Jean-Pierre enjoyed a barbecue breakfast, the bacon was well done!

 St. Matthews was the church for the ceremony, the thick morning fog had cleared to an absolutely perfect blue sky.






 On the way to the Bon Port Hotel for the reception we stopped off at the park, where Fabienne & J-P had arranged a rendevous with their dog Roxy.

The weather certainly showed off the view at the Bon Port to best effect.
 The bouncy castle proved irresistible while the guests filed into the dining room!
 As mentioned above the couple were let down when the marquee was not ready in time.  But thanks to an absolutely amazing effort by the Bon Port staff and The Wedding Fairy the hotel was made ready in just a few frantic hours for the reception.  The result was beautiful and everyone was so appreciative with the efforts made.
 A lot of planning had paid off in the details, from the bunting to the pot of herbs grown specially for every single guest to take home.
 Fabienne's brother, Mark, gave her away and also started off the speeches.



 The rings were engraved with some sweet words, Fabienne's engagement ring is quite unique.

 We took advantage of the last rays of sunshine as we could see the fog was soon going to roll in again.
 First dances don't come much more spectacular than this, they needed the whole area of the dance floor and had obviously worked hard practising the routine.
 Knowing the couple and some of their guests it was no surprise that the dancing was so energetic.
 I was keen to use the fog to create a beautiful picture for the couple, this was one of the ideas I had in mind. 
Though the fog did cause delays to flights the next day, worrying for Fab & J-P as they travelled off to South America, also for myself as I went away for a meeting at the Royal Photographic Society in Bath.
I suspect Fab & J-P may take a while to see this blog, they will not have internet access on the Amazon river!

Lisa & Tom

Lisa & Tom got married at St. Matthew's Church, followed by a reception in Herm.  The weather was absolutely perfect and showed off our islands at their best to all those who travelled over for the wedding.

Lisa got ready at her parent's house and all were in great spirits with a relaxed mood.



 Tom and his groomsmen enjoyed a glass of champagne in the sun before making their way to the church.  Just a little hiccup when they had to return for the rings!
 A slightly pensive look from Tom as he awaited his beaming bride.



 Rowing is a huge part in the couple's life and this was evident with the guard of honour outside the church.  There is a lot of history associated with the oars used.
 As I mentioned Herm was at its best, we got a lift to the common for a few pictures, Jonathan skilfully got the buggy off the deep sand on the beach and then we joined all the guests in front of the White House Hotel for drinks before the meal.



 The interior of the marquee was splendid, with many detailed touches.  The nautical theme was evident in the decorations and table plan.  I thought I was pretty good at knots, but there were many on display new to me.


Tom got his speech out of the way prior to food being served, there were some touching moments, making me feel emotional as I edit the pictures.

 The first dance was an entertaining affair, Tom's moves were much applauded!




 As night fell the dancing errupted into frantic activity then it seemed all too soon we had to return on the boat back to Guernsey.  What an amazing day everyone had.






Alex & Jon

Alex & Jon had a beautiful wedding last weekend.   Alex's sister Sara was the bridesmaid and also did the bride's makeup.  The closeness of their relationship was apparent as they seemed to have a good laugh as they prepared.
 Everyone was ready in plenty of time, just a little bit of concern as the taxis didn't turn up as expected, but fortunately alternative arrangements worked out and we all got to the church in time.


 Reverend Denise Dekker at St. Andrew's Church gave a ceremony that was very personal and moving.  A beautiful and happy moment.


 It was cloudy and cold, but the rain stayed away and we got a few moments of sun as we left the church grounds.
 A few pictures in the gardens and then onto the Farmhouse Hotel for the reception.


 Alex's mum gave her away and led off the speeches.
 With two best men, we were not short of laughs.
Josh may have been the only child at the wedding, but he more than made up for that with his presence. 

Just before the first dance we took advantage of a brief gap in the clouds that provided some exciting lighting.
 There must be a message in this cake cutting picture!

Lively guests of all ages made for an action filled few hours of dancing.
The Bandits provided a couple of great sets during the evening, I thoroughly enjoyed their music.  Jon's dad used to play in a band and took over the drums for a few songs.  Apparently he hasn't played for over 15 years, but he seamlessly slotted back into his role to great appreciation.

 Everyone had a thoroughly enjoyable day, which seemed to go all too quickly.

Cassandra & William

Cassy and William's wedding was a beautifully sunny day, in fact it seemed this was the day spring had finally arrived in Guernsey.

A nice relaxed morning where the make up was done at home.


Meanwhile the groomsmen seemed keen to check Will's shave before they made their way to St. Matthew's Church.







Rev. Stephen Bailey took a lovely ceremony, my first wedding at this church since he became rector earlier this year.  Then it was back out into the sun, we stopped off briefly at Vazon Bay on the way to the Farmhouse Hotel for the reception.






 The interior of the Farmhouse had been decorated beautifully, with lots of little personal touches. 

Three bestmen made for some great speeches, plus a quiz kept people well entertained.
All too soon it seemed the evening was upon us and after the cake cutting we took advantage of some nice sunset light before the couple put on an amazing first dance!




 The dance floor was busy for the whole night, everyone obviously having a great time.

Have a lovely time on honeymoon Cassy & Will, what a great wedding day you had.

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.