Ben & Kris // Cheshire woodland weddings
Cheshire woodland wedding was the chosen venue for Ben & Kris.
“We chose Jess for our wedding specifically for the relaxed and documentary style, and we were not disappointed! Jess was an absolute joy, feeling fully part of the day and like a support to us among all the festivities! Warm, friendly, personable, supportive, and part of the fun, Jess was all we wanted and more!”
Describe your wedding in three words
Relaxed, woodland, different
Why you chose the date of wedding (did it have any meaning?)
No special meaning; we wanted a date we thought would be dry, and thought autumn colours would be pretty, so September seemed a good choice.
Anything about how you met/proposal story
We met online on a fandom site for a game. Kris was in Finland at the time, and it was only after talking online for two years that we awkwardly sussed out we thought there could be more there! Eleven years and an international move later, there definitely was something there!
Your inspiration/style/aspirations for the day
We wanted the day to be as relaxed and informal as possible, going along with the outdoor woodland vibe on the venue. Everything we planned was done to be as far away from a traditional, formal wedding as possible! We also knew we wanted to incorporate some traditional elements from Kris’ Karelian culture.
Memorable/emotional/funny moment on the day
The little screech owl Nova landing on Kris’ head is definitely up there! The traditional Karelian elements – the poem song and shoe gifting the morning, and the lament after the ceremony – were also standouts for celebrating the culture and bringing in more points of difference. Also seeing all the guests embrace the activities and games was great, and really showed people had embraced the tone.
How did you discover me and why you chose me to photograph the day
We found Jess online and liked the style we could see, and the generally relaxed feeling. The very first email we had back also confirmed our thinking, with its sheer enthusiasm and with grabbing us immediately!
Wedding song?
Love Me Through, by Port O’Brien
Any advice for couples planning their wedding?
Remember the day is ultimately about you, and you need to be happy that what you plan is what you want. Forget what tradition says you need, or what you think people will expect or want; plan the day YOU want.
Are you going on a honeymoon?
Not immediately; we’ve struggled to find someone to look after our dogs, so for now we’re taking a couple of weeks off together to rest, recover, and then do day trips and such. We might see about taking a proper honeymoon next summer.
Anything else….
Honestly, our wedding day was everything we wanted it to be, with it being relaxed and easy and, above all, fun. Jess really got the vibe straight away and was an absolute dream to have as our photographer. We laughed together, shared bemused looks, and she faced her fear of birds for us! Thank you Jess, so much!
