An Emotion-Packed Intimate Wedding at 315 Lepton - Lauren and Oliver
On a beautiful spring day I had the pleasure of being 315 Lepton Hotel and Spa's wedding photographer for Lauren and Oliver's wedding. With a small to medium guest list for their wedding, West Yorkshire based Lauren and Oliver found that 315 was the natural choice of location for their wedding party. The purpose built ceremony room is well lit yet intimate, softly lit with large LOVE letter lights, and adorned by the lovely and talented Jane Baines, aka Woo B Woo Fairy who created gorgeous, original, fresh floral displays throughout the day. With all these elements, combined with personal touches from the couple themselves, it provided the perfect ceremony and reception location for the couple and their families.
From the early stages of planning their wedding, I had spoken to Lauren about their priorities. It was clear that family are intertwined in hers and Oliver's lives. I feel it's important to listen carefully to a couple's wishes and to know what is most important to them, both daily and on their wedding day.
When I arrived to photograph Lauren's prep I was greeted by her two sisters and mum, all getting ready together, just the close family morning I'd come to expect with Lauren. There was a real sense of anticipation in the air that morning.
As Lauren stepped into her dress (utterly perfect for her) it was hard to hold back the tears. The girls passed around the tissues and took deep breaths so that they didn't mess up their makeup!
With the help of her siblings and mum, the finishing touches were added to her wedding dress - a removable lace off-the-shoulder bodice.
The colour scheme of the wedding day was blush pink, which really suited the bridesmaids who were wearing dusky pink dresses, and matched Lauren's peony and rose bridal bouquet with her dusty pink Ted Baker shoes.
Dad joined us moments before leaving to get married, another quick pass around of tissues and the bridal party were ready.
With mum, dad and sisters around her, Lauren was ready to meet Oliver.
Following her son and nephew, then sisters down the aisle, Lauren joined Oliver to make heartfelt declarations and promises in front of their loved ones. These two just smashed it! So much love and happiness, and a 'yes, we did it!' air punch from Ol when it was all signed and sealed.
After being mobbed with confetti, Lauren and Oliver found their friends for hugs and congratulations out on the terrace.
We made sure that guests were happily occupied and sneaked away to capture Oliver and Lauren enjoying all that 315 has to offer.
Overlooking Hudderfield's gently rolling landscape, we had the best backdrop for them and took 5 minutes to wind down after the morning's anticipation.
When we returned, the room had been turned around and was almost ready for the wedding breakfast. Great care and attention had been put into the presentation of the room throughout the day by the staff at 315 led by their wedding coordinator Emma and Jane of 'Woo B Woo' fame.
The room was fresh and pretty, with a little nod to Easter around the corner (guests had jars of Mini Eggs to share before the meal - they looked very happy about this!)
At this point, I wished I'd popped a packet of tissues in my own pocket, because what followed were the most emotional speeches. By the time Lauren's dad had finished his Father of the Bride speech and Oliver had spoken about his own dad, there was not a dry eye in the room. It's clear to see that Lauren and Oliver have very close bonds with their family and friends, their lives are meshed together and the love for them in the room, with everyone gathered together, was palpable.
A huge thank you to Lauren and Oliver for asking us to photograph their wedding and for making us feel so welcome. A very big thank you must also go to everyone involved in making their day just perfect for them.
