Leah & Rob - Their Intimate Wedding at a West Yorkshire Textile Mill

At the heart of Rob and Leah's plans was the wish for a relaxed celebration and for everyone they love to have a wonderful day.

Leah and Rob's wedding planning story began - they found a venue, actually - The Venue - Bowers Mill, their ideal combination of elements including its edgy, characterful interior with exposed brick, stripped back floors and hints at the building's rich history as a mill from the 17th Century. With arrangements to have 80 guests and a laid-back wedding day interwoven with hand made elements throughout the day, their plans were in motion and Leah began making the personal touches (and impressive feats of construction).

With March's Coronavirus lockdown announcements came some uncertainty for Leah and Rob's wedding; leaving their plans in limbo while they waited to find out more about how long restrictions would last and what they would look like. Sadly, their first wedding date wasn't to be, but Leah and Rob understood, it was all for the best and beyond their control.

When the opportunity of getting married reopened, these two felt that they didn't want to wait, and hope, to see whether next year would allow them to have their big wedding plans, to stay in limbo for another 8 months, 10 months, a year. Instead, they embraced the opportunity to be married. In the space of a few months, they were able to rethink their plans and invite a smaller guest list.

Yes, their wedding day at The Venue would be shorter and they were just able to celebrate the day itself with their closest of family and friends, but they were able to get married. The most important thing.

Still wishing to have a wedding day full of celebration, Leah and Rob spoke with every one of their guests to make sure that they were comfortable with the plans, the social distancing in place at the venue, able to travel and understood that the day would be a little different. Of course, everyone was on-board with the revised plans, delighted, I'm sure, that Leah and Rob were able to go ahead with their plans and honoured to play a part in their special day.

Not quite able to believe that their wedding day would be able to go ahead, Leah and Rob's day arrived.

And oh my, wasn't it stunning.

The Spinning Room was delicately adorned with sprigs of greenery, clusters of flickering candles and lanterns to enhance the already cosy welcome of the vaulted ceremony room.

Accompanied by his groomsmen and family, Rob waited for Leah to arrive. Peaceful anticipation filled the air.

In dresses of cornflower blue and made by the bride herself, the bridesmaids arrived before her, in the vintage wedding car. Leah's bridesmaids waited beside the mill pond for her arrival and soon they were ready to join the rest of the wedding party.

Leah and Rob wanted a short ceremony, their biggest wish was to be married and to celebrate with their families and friends.

After they made their vows to one another, they made their grand exit as newly weds, to get their festivities started.

Leah and her Maid of Honour had built a sweet cart (I told you there were some feats of engineering going on during preparations for this wedding!) but lockdown restrictions meant that they weren't able to share sweets on the cart, so they did the next best thing and made pick and mix bags up for all of their guests to find on their seats in the ceremony. Guests joined Leah and Rob to toast their big day and to enjoy the finest ice cream in the north - Dixons, who were serving up delicious helpings of their famous ices, as much ice cream as you could manage. What a treat.

A huge congratulations to Leah and Rob, wishing you both the happiest of marriages. From the moment of first speaking with Rob & Leah, to having their wedding photography consultation, to photographing for them, it's been a dream to be their photographer. They have the biggest hearts and even when it came to rearranging their carefully made plans, they had everyone else at the front of their minds.

Leah and Rob, you're rays of sunshine!