It’s always such an honour to be asked to capture true love on camera, but seeing the love between Courtney & Tom was simply next-level! After a church ceremony, we let our hair down together at Hall Farm Hotel & Restaurant in Grimsby.
The Beginning
“We met at school through mutual friends way back in 2009! Funnily enough Tom had been tasked with finding out my favourite chocolate for his friend (“his friend” really was his friend, not a cover up for himself!) who had planned to win me over, but we got talking instead and the rest is history. Moral of the story: never trust Tom to be your wingman!”
“Some would say that after almost 13 years together it had been a long time coming, but it was still a total surprise to me! In July 2023 we jetted off to Rhodes and I was completely unaware that an engagement ring was hiding in a folded up tissue waiting for its time to shine (literally).
Every night before going out for our evening meal we’d set up a tripod to take some photos for the holiday album, so 5 nights in to our week-long holiday I was none the wiser to what was about to happen as we pulled stupid faces for the camera. It was a really special moment and I’m so pleased Tom captured it so we could share it with our family and friends too. It’s a video that will always make me smile!”
“We’re most looking forward to seeing one another at the end of the aisle (though if Tom answered 100% honestly, it’d likely be the cake!)!”
Top tip from the newlyweds
“Don’t sweat the small stuff and enjoy every step of the way! We regularly had to reality-check ourselves throughout the wedding planning process – this is a day we’ve waited a long time for and all that really matters is that we’re getting married, not whether the cake needs its own sign or what colour the confetti should be!”
The Wedding
Meet Tom
We started the day at Tom’s parent’s house in Humberston. The guys were all buzzing with excitement for the day ahead and were more than happy to strut their stuff which, when you’re a wedding photographer, means you can get so many more shots of what’s going on! I can dive straight in.
Mum helped Tom get his tie on properly, just look at how proud she is bless her! They’re such a loving family. Pre-wedding gifts were given to the groomsmen, which seemed to put a big smile on their faces! (I’m sure Mum will get some flowers later on!)
Tom was given a beautiful and sentimental card from his wife-to-be Courtney; and it took everything he had to read it out loud to the group! Credit to him really, I wouldn’t have been able to have read it out loud!
After a quick game of pool and a photo with Mum, I made my way to the ladies!
Suit boutique: Slater Menswear, Hull
Meet Courtney
Hair and make-up was in full swing over at Courtney’s parent’s home in Scartho! The excitement was parallel to that of the guys back in Humberston! I grabbed some detail shots while the girls finished in hair & makeup, as I was told Tom had a video surprise for Courtney… Colour me intrigued!
Hair: @mandydeacon.hair
Make-up: @cloud_9beautybyemma
Stationery: @siennamaiinvites
The video was played and it was some clips of Tom taking his and Courtney’s dog to have his pawprint made and engraved into a beautiful silver bracelet for her! How incredibly sweet!
Beckie and Mum (Mel) got Courtney into her beautiful wedding dress and we prepared ourselves for an emotional bridal reveal to Dad (John).
Dress boutique: @champagne_lace_bridal
Flowers: @bloomsborrowdale
The Ceremony
A very emotional service with tears and laughter throughout, but Tom & Courtney lit up the moment they saw each other and the parents all looked so proud!
Their ceremony was just lovely and Reverend Rachel Fowler was such a delight to work with!
Church: All Saints Church in Waltham
They made their rockstar exit and the look on their faces says it all! We then all surrounded the newlyweds ready for confetti! The energy was high and every person there was just so happy for them! You could really feel the love.
Cocktail hour
“We chose Hall Farm for our wedding reception because it’s a venue we’ve always liked the look of that also suited the rustic theme. It was close proximity to the church, and we knew we wanted a fairly small/intimate wedding which it was perfect for!”
We soon made our way to Hall Farm Hotel & Restaurant to get the rest of the wedding festivities started!
We of course had to get some photos with the fabulous cars before they left.
Wedding cars: Select Limos & Vintage Wedding Cars
Reception venue: Hall Farm Hotel
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Family Photos
It was at this time I learned that Mel & John knew me as a baby! They’ve been friends with my parents for years; small world! The lighting was perfect so we had our family photos right on schedule in front of the lush green backdrop at Hall Farm. They even wanted a photo with me! I’m so flattered! Here’s a selection of my favourites!
Wedding breakfast
We finished our portraits pretty quickly, and got down to some serious eating and drinking! Hall Farm really do the nicest sea bass! Huge thanks again to the couple for providing such a delicious meal. They were introduced to the room as the new Mr & Mrs Bennett and there was so much hype for them!
“We loved the idea of a rustic themed wedding with lots of greenery. Hall Farm was the perfect choice for our fairly intimate wedding with our closest family and friends. We loved the warm/welcoming feel, the wooden beams and the beautiful grounds.”
Venue dressing: @loveinthelimelight
Signage: @siennamaiinvites
The speeches
You learn so much about a couple during the speeches, Courtney and Tom have been together since school. It’s not every day you get the pleasure of witnessing two childhood sweethearts get married. I’m very lucky!
I always love the speech photos because if you’re a practiced photographer and have fast reactions, you can capture a plethora of emotions! There’s certainly some cracking photos here!
Newlywed Photoshoot
After dinner, I stole the newlyweds for 20 minutes of calm so they could soak up the energy of the day, have their couples portraits done in the beautiful evening light and just take a breath together. They were absolutely buzzing, and we were all buzzing for them! We explored the Hall Farm grounds together and got some stunning images that they can cherish forever.
We started near the entrance pathway, then moved on over to the bridge where it was so quiet (apart from our banter!) Candid photography is my style, so I usually warm up with a portrait then follow up by giving an easy prompt, in this case, it was for Tom to whisper a word to Courtney that would make her laugh!
I moved the newlyweds to across the lake, I asked Tom to twirl Courtney if she could manage it with her dress; he agreed, providing I’d get photos of Courtney twirling him too! What a fabulous couple!
Personally I think they both nailed it!
As we headed back, the sunset lit up the courtyard outside the reception hall so perfectly that I just had to get a couple more photos; just look how happy they are!
Cake cut & first dance
We came back in time to cut the cake and for the reception to begin! We had Matt playing saxophone on the dancefloor and I even got to witness Tom’s dad running back from the car with a bin bag of inflatable saxophones! Talk about being prepared!
Cake maker: @cakesbyzoelincoln
Saxophonist: @matthewsmithsaxophonist
“Our first dance is going to be to ‘You & Me’ by Lifehouse. We’re both huge fans of the sitcom ‘Gavin & Stacey’ – it’s our go-to feel-good series and we’ve always loved this song which features in the very first episode. It’s all the more special that Tom’s sister is singing it for us!”
Reception
The dancefloor was full all night and the photos below really show the energy of it!
Congratulations newlyweds on what was truly a wedding to remember! Thank you so much for choosing me to capture it for you.
Photobooth: @waterfallphotobooth
Why choose Hall Farm Hotel for your big day?
As a wedding photographer I have the pleasure of working at so many different venues for weddings of all shapes and sizes. Hall farm is a great choice for those who want a smaller number of guests there for the full day, and to have everything under one roof from prep to party!
You can spend the night in one of the modern rooms immediately across the courtyard or in one of the cottages just the other side of the building.
Hall farm has this timeless rustic charm that compliments any wedding theme, and there are some beautiful spots for your wedding photos, including on the jetty if you’re brave enough!
