Donna and Andrew’s wedding day began somewhere pretty spectacular: St Michael’s and All Angels Church, before everyone headed over to The Firs to carry on the celebrations.

And honestly, as churches go, this one was an absolute dream to photograph.

With its huge wooden beams, warm stone, stained-glass windows and that ridiculously impressive view straight down the aisle, St Michael’s and All Angels gave their ceremony a proper sense of occasion without taking anything away from the people actually getting married.

A traditional church wedding at St Michael’s and All Angels

Donna and Andrew chose a traditional church ceremony surrounded by their family and friends.

One of my favourite things about photographing church weddings is being able to capture both sides of the ceremony. There are the big, wide photographs that show exactly where everything happened, but then there are all of the smaller moments happening within it too.

The looks between the couple. The expressions during the vows. Family watching from the pews. That little mixture of nerves, concentration and excitement when you realise you’re actually standing there getting married.

St Michael’s and All Angels was particularly beautiful from the back of the church. The timber roof draws your eye straight towards Donna and Andrew at the altar, while all of the warm wood and sandstone gives the photographs so much character.

I always think photographs like these become more important as time goes on. A close-up tells you how somebody felt, but a wide photograph gives you the whole memory back.

Where you stood. Who was there. What the building looked like.

The actual setting of the day.

That just-married feeling

Once everything was official, Donna and Andrew made their way back down the aisle together as husband and wife.

This is always one of my favourite parts of a wedding ceremony to photograph because there is such a noticeable shift. All of the build-up and anticipation has gone and suddenly it’s just we did it.

Those first few minutes after leaving the church gave us some lovely natural photographs of the two of them together before we headed off for their portraits.

Nothing too complicated. Nothing overly staged.

Just Donna and Andrew enjoying the fact that they’d actually got married.

Relaxed wedding portraits surrounded by greenery

For their couple photographs, we found plenty of greenery which gave us a completely different feel from the dramatic interior of the church.

And this is exactly why I don’t think wedding portraits need to involve disappearing for an hour and turning the day into a photoshoot.

A little wander, good light and two people being themselves is usually enough.

We photographed some more classic portraits, but my favourites are the ones where Donna and Andrew stopped thinking about the camera altogether. The little looks at each other, the kiss surrounded by the trees and especially Donna laughing as they walked together.

That photograph sums up the way I like wedding photography to feel.

Beautiful, absolutely.

But still you.

I’ll give you enough direction that you’re never left wondering what on earth you’re supposed to do with your hands, then give you space to interact naturally with each other. The result is a mixture of photographs that feel polished enough to frame while still looking like real moments from your wedding day.

Celebrating at The Firs

After the ceremony and photographs, celebrations continued at The Firs, where Donna and Andrew could finally settle into the rest of the day with their guests.

One thing I love about photographing weddings is that the story isn’t only about the traditionally “big” moments.

Of course I’m watching for the ceremony, portraits and all of the things you expect to see in a wedding gallery, but I’m also looking for the people around you.

The family photographs that become more valuable years later. Guests catching up. Someone laughing in the background. The people who travelled to spend that day with you.

Those photographs might not necessarily be the ones you immediately picture when you think about wedding photography, but they help make a gallery actually feel like your wedding, rather than a collection of pretty photographs that could have been taken anywhere.

Donna & Andrew’s wedding photography

Donna and Andrew’s day was such a lovely example of why I enjoy photographing weddings in a documentary way.

There was an incredible church to work with, plenty of beautiful traditional wedding moments and time for some gorgeous couple portraits, but the photographs I delivered still tell the story of what was actually happening rather than trying to manufacture a completely different version of their day.

From the scale of St Michael’s and All Angels Church to those quieter moments together outside and the celebrations afterwards at The Firs, they ended up with a gallery that feels varied while still belonging together.

And that’s always the goal.

Not hundreds of versions of the same photograph.

A proper record of your wedding day, the big bits, the little bits and all the people who were part of it.

Looking for your wedding photographer?

If you’re planning a church wedding followed by a relaxed reception of your own and you’re looking for photography that mixes natural documentary moments with beautiful, gently directed portraits, I’d love to hear what you’re planning.

I photograph weddings across the UK, with a relaxed approach that lets you actually enjoy your day rather than spending half of it posing for photographs.

You can take a look through my wedding photography packages, explore more real weddings or get in touch to check whether I’m available for your date.