Abbeywood Cheshire // Emily & Steven

Relaxed and fun wedding at Abbeywood Cheshire – Emily and Steven

When your oldest friend gets married at your favourite wedding venue, well, that’s just a match made in heaven! 

I’ve known Emily for what feels like forever and was over the moon when Steve popped the question in New Zealand. They are amazing together and I couldn’t wait to see them get married. 

Emily was torn between having me be part of the day and also wanting me to photograph it for her. I was equally conflicted, I really wanted to capture everything but I also couldn’t wait to let my hair down and watch my best friend marry the love of her life. Luckily the wonderful Lou stepped in as my associate shooter, meaning I got the best of both worlds. I could relax knowing that the photography was in Lou’s excellent hands but I also got to edit the photographs for Emily and put together her wedding gallery. 

If you’ve not heard of an associate photographer before, it’s simply someone who steps in to act as me for the day. If I was ill or unable to attend a wedding I had booked in for any reason then I’d speak to one of my photographer friends and they would go along in my place. They’d photograph the day in my style and I’d then sort through, edit and post the wedding gallery as normal. Knowing I’ve got so many wonderful and talented photographer friends is really reassuring, for me and my couples! 

Wedding photography at Abbeywood Cheshire

If you’ve ever seen anything I’ve posted on social media or read some of my blogs then you’ll know that I adore Abbeywood. It’s one of my all time favourite wedding venues, surrounded by the beautiful Cheshire countryside. I just love it there. Emily and Steve wanted a really relaxed day, with a garden party feel, and as soon as we started chatting about their plans for the day I knew Abbeywood would be the perfect location. 

That morning I got ready with Emily, her family and my daughter Maisie. The bridal prep rooms at Abbeywood are lovely and spacious with lots of natural light. The rooms are right by the entrance to Abbeywood so we could peek out of the windows and watch everyone arriving! 

We were all so excited, chattering away as we got our hair and makeup done. My good friend Danielle Broughton Evans was on hair duty and the wonderful makeup artist was Farryn. I’d recommended them both to Emily, I wanted to make sure she had the best people around her on her day! 

Summer outdoor wedding 

Emily and Steve were getting married out on Abbeywood’s lawn, looking out over the Cheshire hills. The weather was amazing, bright sunshine and blue skies. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day. I was buzzing with excitement as I took my seat amongst the guests, although a little nervous as I’d been asked to read “The Blessing of the Hands” during the ceremony. 

My nerves soon vanished as the music started and Emily walked across the gardens towards Steve, huge smiles lit up their faces and I loved seeing how happy they both looked. Steve was so emotional and I don’t blame him, Emily looked amazing! 

The rest of the day passed in a blur of hugs, smiles and happy tears! I absolutely love my job but it was incredible to spend the day as a guest and celebrate with Emily. I had a few more duties before I could fully relax though, namely helping organise a few group photos – I just couldn’t stop myself! – and introducing the newly weds into the Glasshouse before the wedding breakfast. I made sure everyone was waving their napkins in the air, clapping and cheering as they made their entrance. It was time to celebrate! 

The whole afternoon was one big party – just as Emily and Steve had planned. Singing waiters got everyone up on their feet and dancing during the meal, they went down a storm. Then, later that evening, The Rush kicked things up a notch and the dancefloor went wild. The Rush are one of the best wedding bands around and I was over the moon that they were available for Emily and Steve’s day. 

Emily, Steve, I love you both so much! I had so much fun at your wedding and I got to relive it all over again when I edited your photos. Here are just some of my highlights!

Check out their slideshow here