I met Sam & Liz at Mike & Livi’s Cornwall Wedding. Sam was Mike’s best man and I think he was impressed I stayed shooting until late into the evening. This was going to be quite an important requirement for their Brooksby Hall Wedding Photographer as they were planning to get married on New Years Eve and needed someone to see in the New Years celebrations with them. I was happy to oblige, particularly so as Sam and Liz are possibly the nicest couple you could ever meet. They even invited my girlfriend Rachel along to the evening celebrations which was really kind of them. The day started early in the morning with me scouting out Brooksby Hall for nice spots for some shots. They weren’t hard to find; it’s an absolutely stunning 16th century manor house set in the beautiful Leicestershire countryside between Leicester and Melton Mowbray. Following that I headed to Liz’s family home in Birstall to find all the girls getting ready. Everyone was remarkably calm but excited too. There were plenty of mirrors about which not only helped the girls with their hair and makeup but also helped create some interesting compositions! The wedding itself took place in their local church complete with choir and campanologists. The place was fitted to the rafters with go-pro cameras so keep an eye out for the wedding video! Sam was, as us guys typically are, a bag of nerves but proud to bursting when he caught sight of lovely Liz who looked absolutely stunning. Their happy dance out of the venue was a highlight for me. After a glorious confetti moment and drive to Brooksby Hall, it was time for champagne, a truly brilliant string quartet and, of course, a few group shots just before the sun went down on this bright wintery day.

The food and speeches were fantastic. We headed out afterwards for some night time photography which despite the low temperatures was a nice time for Sam and Liz to spend a bit of time (almost) alone and for me to get some creative shots of them enjoying each others company. But then came the best bit of all….the ceilidh! Almost impossible to spell, much easier and fun to dance to! Sam and Liz and found one of the best ceilidh bands I’ve ever seen. They were truly terrific and had everyone dancing until very late into the night! And of course no respectable New Years Eve celebration is complete without a spectacular fireworks display…Thanks so much for inviting me to your New Years Eve wedding guys! It was amazing.

All photos supplied in both colour and black and white. Here is a selection of some of my favourite shots.