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| A WARM WELCOME AWAITS GUESTS ON THE WEDDING DAY AT LYNDSEY'S MUM'S HOUSE |
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| NICE NAILS! LYNDSEY AND HER BRIDESMAIDS RELAX IN THE BUILD-UP TO HER WEDDING |
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| CHAMPAGNE? WHY NOT ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT DAY! |
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| TIME TO GET THE WEDDING DRESS SORTED FOR THE DAY ........ |
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| ALL IS REVEALED .. AND TIME TO GET IT ON! |
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| JUST MINUTES AWAY ..... |
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| LYNDSEY IS DELIGHTED THAT HER DRESS IS FINALLY ON .. SHE'S READY FOR HER WEDDING TO JAMES! |
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| ROLLS ROYCE PLUS BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS ... FIT FOR A BRIDE TO BE |
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| JAMES GREETS HIS FAMILY AND GUESTS |
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| THE LOOK OF LOVE AS LYNDSEY COMPLETES HER WALK DOWN THE AISLE AND GREETS JAMES WITH A BEAMING SMILE |
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| WELL, SOMEONE HAD TO CRY, DIDN'T THEY? |
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| AND OUTSIDE, SOMEONE SPOTS A 'LUCKY' LADYBIRD ON LYNDSEY'S WEDDING GOWN! |
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| YES, IT'S DEFINITELY A LADYBIRD! |
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| ... AND SO TO SEAHAM HALL, WHERE GUESTS CELEBRATE IN THEIR OWN WAY AS JAMES DICIDES TO DON THE COOL GLASSES IN THE SPRING SUNSHINE .... PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF |
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| THE FLOWERS ARE READY ON TOP TABLE ....... |
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| ... AND THE BEAUTIFUL HAND-MADE TABLE PLACE NAMES ARE READY FOR GUESTS |
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| LYNDSEY AND JAMES .. SO IN LOVE AT SEAHAM HALL |
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| HAPPY AND CONTENT AND RELAXED .. READY TO FACE THE SPEECHES! |
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| EVERYONE LIKES BUBBLES ...... |
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| ESPECIALLY CHILDREN AT A WEDDING ..... |
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| LYNDSEY'S SISTER ENJOYS THE SPEECHES! |
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| TIME FOR SOME QUICK PHOTOGRAPHS WITH THE WATER SCULPTURE AT SEAHAM HALL BEFORE WE DASH TO THE BEACH AS THE LIGH DISAPPEARS QUICKLY |
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| LAST RAYS OF THE SUN HIT LYNDSEY AS SHE LOOKS TO THE SKIES AND GIVES THANKS FOR FANTASTIC SPRING WEATHER FOR HER WEDDING TO JAMES AT SEAHAM HALL - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY |
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| IT'S GETTING DARK AT THE BEACH, BUT THE HAPPY COUPLE ONLY HAVE TIME AND EYES FOR EACH OTHER! |
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| JUST BEFORE DARK, A ROMANTIC WALK ON THE BEACH BEFORE THE FIRST DANCE! |
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| .... AND, AS IF BY MAGIC, LYNDSEY DISAPPEARS INTO HER DRESS! TIME FOR ME TO HEAD HOME I THINK! |
Seaham Hall is a great location for a wedding celebration in the north east of England, and Lyndsey and James had booked it some time ago as the venue for their wedding reception, even though they both live and work in London.
Their wedding was to be in Birtley, close to where Lynsey was educated and I met her and her closest friends and family who were gathering at the family home on the morning of the wedding.
Lyndsey was as calm and cool and collected as any bride I have photographed over the years, and was just really looking forward to a day of fun and happiness with her new husband, their closest friends from the north east, from Somerset, London and Ireland.
The flowers and bouquet had just been delivered as I arrived and so it was time for champagne all round to kickstart the day. Soon we were off tracking down Lynsey's wedding gown that was being stored a few doors up from her Mum's for safe keeping, and once back to the family home it wasnt too long before it was time for Lyndsey bridesmaids and her to get ready for the day.
Once I had finsihed there, it was time for a short dash to the pub car park next to the church which is where the guests from around the UK and abroad were assembling, for a drink or two to steady the pre-wedding nerves, all apart from James who I greeted warmly. James looked more relaxed than I guessed he would be and he seemed determined, that although he was to be the centre of attention for the day, he would enjoy himself as well.
Luckily for me, the vicar was a charming chap and allowed me to be close to the front where all the action would be, a rare opportunity nowadays in a C of E church who seem to have all wedding photographers placed right at the back, away from the fun. However, I digress!
As the last of the gursts trooped into church Lynsey arrived bearing a big smile and happy wide-eyed joy on her face, one of my favourite photographs from her wedding!
The service was relaxed and fun, though I captured a few tears from her sister during the service, and before long, we were in the beautiful sunshine with all their guests back-slapping and kissing and cuddling and handshaking - great for nice natural relaxed photographs. We had time for the traditional confetti shot, and I made sure that all their guests had an opportunity for a great photograph too!
Seaham Hall was a great deal more windy than it had been 20 miles inland as it's amost on the coast, but it was still very bright sunshine and blue skies. A few formal family photographs followed .. taking no longer than 5 minutes, with some lovely relaxed photographs of guests chatting and laughing too.
The wedding breakfast was a real treat - thanks folks - as Seaham Hall is renowned for great food, and while James was a little bervous about his own speech, he carried it off with aplomb and the room errupted in applause when a speech was read out from James' brother on active service in Afghanistan who missed the wedding by just 5 days.
Lyndsey and James had been determined from the moment I had met them the first time, that they wanted some photograph on the beach at Seaham, and so family members including James' mum headed off for some fun family group shots and a few of the happy couple on the beach too ....
Lyndsey and James' first dance not long later was not traditional, but brought the house down before the band carried the fun and dancing away into the night. James told me that he had enjoyed the wedding 'much more than he though he was going to .. it must have been a good day!
As I said my farewells to the bride and groom and their parents, and thanked them for their hospitality, Lynsey's Mum told me: "You've been brilliant today Dirk, I wasn't sure how it would all work out as you are different to other wedding photgraphers I've seen, but I'd like to think you are a member of our family now ....." How nice is that?
A great day for Lynsey and James ... Enjoy this 20 or so sneak peek images, and when they return from their travels, all their wedding photographs will be online, and they will email out the access and password details.
View the sneak peek from Lynne and Ian's wedding HERE
Have a look at Lucy and Paul's Seaham Hall wedding HEREIF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO BE A SMALL BUT IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR WEDDING DAY AT SEAHAM HALL, OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE UK OR ABROAD, RING ME IN THE OFFICE UP TO 6PM ON 01429 423165 OR ON MY MOBILE TELEPHONE AT ANYTIME ON 0778 7150966 AND TELL ME ALL ABOUT THE PLANS FOR YOUR WEDDING CELEBRATIONS.
