Ida + Tom’s Wedding Story at Lake Street Methodist Church + Packington Moor Wedding Venue Lichfield
Lichfield Documentary Wedding Photographer Stuart James
Ida and Tom first came to discuss their wedding plans for their upcoming wedding at the fabulous Packington Moor in Lichfield in July of this year, quite late considering their October wedding, however, with the date still available it was a pleasure to sit down and talk, cover their ideas and plans, and put together the perfect bespoke coverage to capture their wedding perfectly.
I actually got to spend a little time with Ida + Tom on the lead-up to their day on a stunning Sunday morning in September when we met at Birches Valley and apart from getting over any initial ‘nerves’ or mis-conceptions about being photographs, we had a great time together creating natural and fun photographs…a few of which got utilised during the wedding day itself!
Come the day of the wedding I was thoroughly excited to get into their story, documenting their day and capturing a truly special wedding.
Ida is actually from Albania and I remember when we met at Birches Valley that there was a chance that her parents may not be able to come over for the celebrations, however, only a few days before the wedding, the clearance was given and thankfully they were there for the day, along with close friends and family who travelled over too. I knew the addition of the Albanian traditions to the day would make it extra special, and from the start this was the case…only concluded in fabulous fashion when the Albanian dancing took over following the first dance when we were at Packington Moor on the evening!
My coverage of Ida + Tom’s wedding started at Tom’s parents home in Sedgley, capturing the nervous groom finishing getting ready before heading off to the church with his groomsmen, ahead of spending the rest of the morning with Ida and her bridesmaids in the fabulous care of Ganga whose creative touch on the hair and makeup made sure everyone looked spectacular!
For me it was seeing the pure excitement from everyone there, with the emotion clear to see and capture from Ida and her parents, only added to when Tom’s parents came to see everyone before they headed to church themselves…
Lake Street Mehtodist Church is a church I have not previously had the pleasure of working at, but from the immediate welcoming reaction from the attending vicar, providing the understanding to allow me to capture the wedding story discreetly, I knew it would be a fabulous afternoon. Ida + Tom are actually from Bracknell but the minister from their church came to give the address during the service, and I can honestly say from the start and throughout, the ceremony was one of the most warm and uplifting I have had the pleasure to witness…only emphasised by Tom’s usher’s son whom spent the majority of each hymn dancing and playing guitar along with the music from the congregation and the church band.
Proceeding from the church we were back to Tom’s parents house for a traditional Albanian blessing, wherby the Bride is offered honey which is then placed upon the doorway to the family home, symbolist the coming together of the families, and the wish for the marriage to be ‘as sweet as honey’. Capturing the moment reminded me of photographing the wonderful Persian ceremony at Emma + Nader’s wedding a few years ago…
From the house we travelled to Packington Moor, looking splendid surrounded by the autumnal colours and blessed with beautiful weather we were able to explore and enjoy the grounds of the venue with the couple, along with capturing the relaxed group photographs of the wedding party and families before the fabulous wedding reception started with food provided by Galloping Gourmet – always a treat!
Ida + Tom put so much care and thought into making their wedding look perfect, from the flowers by Flower Design by Kate and the stunning bunting adding to the setting of the barn.
The speeches were as ever one of my favourite points of the day to document, with the speech from Ida’s father being translated by her Brother-in-Law to the attentive crowd…so much emotion and laughter from one speech, it really was terrific. The other speeches from Tom’s father, Tom himself and of course the Best Man did not disappoint…though the Best Man set out his feelings quite clearly, requesting that next time Tom gets married to “hold the speeches before the meal…and before a bottle or so of wine has been consumed…”!
The evening was a wonderful relaxed affair with friends and family joining the fabulous spirit of the day, all brought to a wonderful climax with the very entertaining dancing and partying with the traditional First Dance being followed by a collection of Albanian dancing…I just wish I could be heading to Albania to photograph the rest of the wedding…those guys know how to party!
Here is a look at Ida + Tom’s beautiful wedding at Lake Street Methodist and Packington Moor with wedding photography by Lichfield Documentary Wedding Photographer Stuart James.
Contact Lichfield Documentary Wedding Photographer Stuart James : info@stuartjamesphoto.co.uk : 0800 331 7741 : 07834 978905
[pexcirclecta pex_attr_small_title=”To see more featured weddings from Packington Moor Wedding Photographer Stuart James, click on the button below.” pex_attr_title=”Packington Moor Wedding Photographer” pex_attr_button_text=”Click to see more” pex_attr_button_link=”https://www.stuartjamesphoto.co.uk/venues/packington-moor-wedding-photographer/” pex_attr_button_link_open=”same” pex_attr_button_color=””][/pexcirclecta]
