Photographs For An Old Friend
When Lauren asked me last year if I could photograph her wedding to Brian, I was delighted. Lauren is one of my oldest friends and while I don't see her much these days, we always kept in touch. She was marrying in the centre of Newcastle, a city I love but haven't visited in a while, so I was super excited. The venue was the amazing Newcastle Castle. Lauren and Brian love history so the castle was the perfect venue. She arrived with her Dad via Mustang (pretty bad-ass) and made her way to the ceremony room with her bridal party.
A Well Guarded Ceremony
In keeping with the medieval theme, two guards with full uniform and swords were stationed outside the room. They stood watch over the ceremony and kept a lookout for any Scots; it was pretty awkward when one arrived in full kilt. Guests and Groom were ready and Lauren was walked down the aisle by her absolute legend of a Dad, Trevor. The ceremony was being beautifully backlit by a small window behind the desk and the room looked lovely as they exchanged vows and became husband and wife.
Swordfights & Snacks
The ceremony was followed by a bloody sword battle ending in death, as is tradition in Newcastle. (Not quite, but there was a display of sword fighting from our two medieval guards.) Snacks and drinks followed in the oldest part of the castle (the old castle at Newcastle Castle in Newcastle, not the new castle in Newcastle Castle in Newcastle.) We grabbed some quick group shots on the roof with amazing views of the city below us and I struggled up and down the winding stone staircase with my bad knees and camera gear (thank God for mirrorless cameras.)
Get On The Bus
With everyone refreshed it was time to catch a glorious double decker bus to the reception venue, St Mary's Heritage Centre. Some highlights of the bus ride included Lauren & Brian jumping off and running in to Hard Rock Cafe to down some shots before running back on the bus (bad-ass moment #2) and Lauren shouting "don't do it!" to a hen party that we were briefly stopped near. We arrived at the reception and everyone settled in, including a special appearance from a cardboard cutout of The Undertaker.
Pizza Party
And all that was left was to eat pizza, drink and dance and be merry! It was a fantastic day and an honour to capture it all. Lauren and Brian are such a fun couple and I couldn't be happier for them. Congratulations guys, come and visit us in Liverpool ASAP!
