In the 9 months since, we have often chatted on Facebook and discussed tears and fears and glasses versus contact lenses and generally tried to put Ruth at ease for her wedding day - all part of the service.
Martin is a joker, a real fun guy to be around and he's obviously head over heels with Ruth, and she is devoted to him too. Our pre-wed shoot at Sedgefield Country Park went well, and Ruth in particular was very pleased the with images I created, and was really looking forward to her wedding day. I teased that she would probably cry, and she didn't deny it!
Come the day, we had been chatting on Facebook on the run up so it was great to see her happy and relaxed at her Mum's as she helped to dress the flower girl and bridesmaids, with her Dad helping out at times too. Her Benjamin Roberts dress was sensational and she certainly had the figure for it!
As I left for the church, the emotion of the day had overtaken Ruth, and Martin was in the least bit surprised when I briefed him after meeting at church, and I also mentioned that she would knock his socks off when he turned around to see her come down the aisle at St Aidans Church in Hartlepool - a lovely parish church more than a century old.
The vicar was cool too, amazing for a Church of England Vicar, though he did brief me on an 'episode' with another 'wedding photographer' that was truly shocking, no wonder so many CofE clergy tar all wedding photographers with the same brush.
Smiles came in waves over Ruth's face amid the emotion of the occassion and before long we were involved in some quick family photographs in the church while the congregation watched and then took their own photographs of the bride and groom.
Wynyard Golf Club was a new venue to me, sad side by side with the magnificent Wynyard Hall, but it was ideal for a small intimate family wedding. There was time for a quick group photograph in front of the greens, then it was straight into the wedding breakfast (thanks folks!) and very entertaining speeches, which included a lovely heartfelt one from Martin that brought Ruth to tears again!
There was time for me to 'borrow the happy couple for 15 minutes before the evening guests to turn up, and we laughed and had fun as I figured out what I was going to do. It worked out fine.
Time for the first dance and cutting the cake to clapping and cheers from family and friends.
A lovely day for Martin and Ruth and their families and friends.
There are more on Facebook, so add me as a friend HERE
See Caroline and Antony's Wynyard Hall wedding HERE
View the sneak peek of Kirstey and Mark's wedding at Wynyard Hall HERE
See the sneak peek of Nikki and Steve's 2nd time around wedding HERE
Caroline's review of my photography on their day at Wynyard hall is HERE
View Nikki's review of me HERE .. and her husband Steve's review of my photography and customer experience HERE.
If you would like me to be a small but important part of your day at Wynyard Hall, all day coverage for 2013 / 2014 / 2015, photography is £1250 - £1495 and includes superb customer service, great customer experience, a pre-wed portrait shoot with a signing board, up to ten hours coverage of your celebrations, a presentation box with up to 500 hard copy prints of all your final edited digital images, a password protected website so you can show your wedding to those friends and relatives abroad or who were not able to travel and a CD of all your final edited images for you to make unlimited personal copies.
A3 wedding books with up to 40 pages and 180 images are from £400 with lots of options and choices.
Ring me on 0778 7150966 and tell me all about your wedding plans at Wynyard Golf Club or Wynyard Hall, or any other wedding venue or location anywhere in the UK or your destination wedding anywhere in the world!
Don't delay, book today!
DIRK VAN DER WERFF
