From the moment I met them they were so filled with enthusiasm for their special day.
Rowena was already making hundreds of special hand-made decorative details many months before their big day and they also had BIG plans for a second day of celebrations too - an Alice in Wonderland themed tea party on the Sunday following their wedding celebrations at Northumberland's exclusive use wedding venue at Ellingham Hall.
Ellingham Hall is a great wedding venue for those people who wish to spread their wedding celebrations across three days or so .. gathering with their closest friends and relatives who can all stay in the lodges and cottages on the estate. This was the fourth wedding I have photographed at Ellingham Hall .. such a lovely wedding venue.
Rowena was busy with her make-up when I arrived good and early and was VERY excited, though a glass or two of champagne was settling her nerves.
Her mum Barbara was cool as a cucumber as was her father who I bumped into as I wandered the hall to take photographs of the ceremony room which was being decorated. There were flags on all the seats in the ceremony room which I recognised from months before at Rowena and William's house in Tynemouth ... they all said 'Yahoo' and 'Yippee' and 'Well Done' or 'Congratulations!' .. and were to be waved after the bride and groom and their guests had sung 'When I'm 64' at the end of the civil ceremony and before the hand fasting ceremony.
Sprigs of heather were tied to the chairs, a nod to William's family's Scottish heritage and there were many kilts on show at the wedding too!
Upstairs there was the unveiling of Rowena's beautiful wedding dress before her bridesmaid, her sister also got ready as guests started to assemble for drinks in the main hall at Ellingham.
There was a definite air of excitement around the place as I wandered past a couple of the famous Ellingham peacocks back to the cottages at the back of the hall to find William and his family and friends making last minute adjustments to his kilt and outfit. It was the second time William had dressed that morning. The first time he was all ready to go before someone pointed out he hadn't had a shave! I told you it was chilled out at Ellingham Hall!
Time for a few quick photographs with Rowena and her mum and dad and her sister in their bridal suiteas well as shots of her beautiful hand made wedding gown and her Di Hassall wedding shoes before she swept downstairs and I headed to the front of a very crowded ceremony room for the vows!
During 'The Kiss' the flags were waved for the first time followed again after a rousing rendition of 'When I'm 64' by the bride and groom and their guests!
After the hand fasting ceremony with Rowena's Mum Barbara and close family, the happy couple left the room to more applause and out into the hall for canapes and drinks as guests spilled outside. despite the intemittent rain and dark clouds!
This was the first time that the newly refurbished chapel had been used at Ellingham Hall after the fire there last year, and what a great new space they have created, and the room looked lovely with the old windows back in place in a much brighter, nicer space than before the fire.
There were lots of laughs during the speeches and the wedding breakfast (thank you folks!), with Rowena's fascination for fancy dress and facial hair (which also made an appearance at her Hen Night) as guests donned fake moustaches - and her sister even wore one during her fabulous speech to the happy couple!
We had some time as the crew at Ellingham Hall turned around the chapel room for the evening guests to get a few images of Rowena and William together for the first time, and how happy and content they looked together!
Rowena was absolutely loving it and even though it was raining and I was worried for her safety insisted on dragging me to the playground, up a wooden ladder onto a rope bridge to do some photographs of her in her wedding dress -and was then determined to slide down the children's slide in her dress - and promptly got stuck because of the rain on the slide.
Cue much hilarity as yours truly and Rowena extracated ourselves from the dilemma! It would have made a great photograph or two .. but I was too busy with the bride!
By the time we got back to the chapel the band had set up and it was time for their first dance as Husband and Wife, and before long all their friends and relatives were on the dance floor for 'mad dancing' with 'Scotland's Liveliest Ceilidh / Rock band The Cutting Edge. Great fun!
I grabbed a bottle of lager at the bar and chatted with Sally Black and Jenny Stevenson who co-ordinate weddings and events at Ellingham Hall and complimented them on the day - especially as it was the first time in the new chapel space for a wedding.
Then it was pack up and off 100 metres down the lane to The Pack Horse pub where I was staying overnight before the following day's Alice in Wonderland tea party for the bride and groom and all their family and friends who were staying for the weekend!
SEE THEIR ALICE IN WONDERLAND THEMED TEA PARTY IN FANCY DRESS THE FOLLOWING DAY - HERE!
See my BRIDAL INSPIRATION BOARD FOR ELLINGHAM HALL HERE
If you would like me to be a small but important part of your wedding at Ellingham Hall in 2013 or 2014 or any other exclusive use wedding venue in Northumberland such as Woodhill Hall, Lemmington Hall or Middleton Hall or Guyzance Hall, then ring me now on 0778 7150966 and tell me all about your plans - and BOOK YOUR DATE!! Don't delay!
SEE my wedding at Ellingham Hall with Amy and Fraser who flew in from Calgary Canada for their wedding HERE
See their review of my wedding photography HERE
See a SNEAK PEEK of Liz's wedding at Ellingham Hall HERE
DIRK VAN DER WERFF
