Tom & Danielle

My first wedding of the year, and what a beautiful wedding it was for Tom & Danielle. It was a glorious morning at the Dower House in Woodhall Spa. I absolutely love being surrounded by nature; you could really feel a sense of peace and tranquility in the air.

As I entered the bridal suite, I could already hear the laughter coming from the ladies. The Prosecco was flowing, and the vibe was amazing. Hair was being styled, makeup was being applied, and there I was, trying to snap away as these moments happened. However, I was warned by the mother of the bride that I couldn't get a picture of her without being dolled up. Obviously, I ignored this and had some fun with it.

The sun started to really shine as Danielle got into her dress, and her dad waited nervously in the corridor to see her for the first time in it. Let me tell you, it was a beautiful moment to witness, and another reason why I love doing what I do. Seeing the pride coming from him as he embraced her and the emotions that followed was truly a beautiful sight.

Before we knew it, the guests were here and taking their seats outdoors in the glorious sunshine. Tom was taking his position, waiting for Danielle to make her entrance. You could see the emotion on his face as he laid eyes on Danielle, his future wife, walking down the aisle in her stunning dress, accompanied by her dad, who had the job of giving her away.

The ceremony was lovely to witness, even in the scorching sun, and afterward was the time for all of Tom & Danielle's friends and family to congratulate them. There were lots of hugs and kisses as they were swarmed with love. And then came the moment that most wedding photographers dread: the group shots and gathering everyone for them, as this is the prime time to head to the bar. Luckily for me, I had Phil, the best man, who was confident in gathering people for me. I can still see the confidence slowly draining from him as time went on; he felt my pain by the end of it and needed a pint himself.

By this time on a wedding day, the bride and groom are ready for a little break from the attention, which is the perfect time for me to take them away for some "us time," as I like to call it. It's the perfect time to get some photos of just them, and the beauty of Woodhall is that it's all open forest, so I had some great locations to take the photos—in between the dog walkers walking past and congratulating the couple, that is.

When it came time for the wedding breakfast, you could see the realization kick in that they were now husband and wife. Tom even stood on his chair and cheered, which got a great reaction from the guests. The speeches were carried out before the food to save on nerves, and they were all hilarious. It's so hard to take pictures when you are crying with laughter. And to top it off, they had Matty Haynes playing in the corner, with some absolute tunes, which led to one of the biggest sing-alongs I have ever seen. It really went off, and I was right there in the middle capturing it, which is what I absolutely love.

Before we knew it, the evening guests began to arrive, and the venue was rammed full. You could really tell that Tom & Danielle had so many people who cared about them. And I am not kidding about the "rammed full" statement; I could barely move at some points. The drinks kept coming, and just as I was about to pack up, I got wind of a little surprise from the groom and best man about a little dance from the movie Dumb & Dumber that they have been doing since a young age. It really was a hilarious way to end the night.