An Alternative LGBTQ Wedding In Saffron Walden Town Hall
So, after endless cancellations and re-arranged dates, Carla and Lisa finally managed to ‘tie the knot’ at Saffron Walden Town Hall, Essex. It was a small and intimate affair which was just perfect, and as an alternative wedding photographer…it was even better! I’ve been lucky enough to call Carla a dear friend for many years now, so I was honoured to capture hers and Lisa’s special day surrounded by their closest friends and family. If you are after a small and personal wedding in the heart of rural Essex, then carry on reading this blog.
Start As You Mean To Go On
When the brides first told me of their plans to marry, I squealed with excitement and couldn’t have been happier for them. I knew instantly that my camera would be itching to capture their perfectly alterantive day. Move forward a couple of years and we finally got to watch this idyllic same sex couple saying their nuptials and expressing their love for one and other. I met the girls in The Cross Keys in the morning where they had been getting ready, doing all the usual type bridal prep kinda things. Both brides had already visited the hairdressers and make up artists, but decided that they wanted some private down time before I arrived. I did manage to grab a few images of them getting the final details ready, but it wasn’t long before we headed out into the street and walked to the town hall to get their hitch on.
Saying ‘I DO’
The ceremony took place inside this historic building. We were well looked after by the staff, where they couldn’t have done more to assist us. It wasn’t long before all the guests arrived and one by one started to put on their corsages. The registrars we also so lovely and made my job as official photographer that much easier. Once the wedding was finalised, the brides and guests headed back out into the Market Square where everyone grabbed handfuls of environmentally friendly confetti and stuck with tradition and threw it over the happy couple. There was even a special surprise guest, cunningly disguised as a bubble blowing unicorn!!
The After Party
Both brides and guests and myself armed with my camera, walked through the town and onto our next destination which was Bridge End Gardens. This is a beautifully manicured part of Saffron Walden, and an awesome spot to stop for bubbles and grab a few portraits. As an alternative wedding photographer, I am always on the lookout for ideal locations to shoot in, and this place did not disappoint. Once we had finished, we headed on through the town to our last destination, which was The Eight Bells. This 16th century building is a beautiful place to have a wedding reception. The girls had a very low key reception, which was just perfect. Both brides and the guests toasted the amazing day that had been had, ate a lovely dinner and then stuck with the ultimate wedding tradition of cutting the cake. The cake was an AMAZING (and yummy) rainbow cake - a little surprise the girls had kept to themselves until the big reveal . It wasn’t long after dinner, when the brides and guests were once again all mingling, laughing and clinking their glasses together. Enjoying the after party and celebrating the happily ever after of my beautiful friend Carla and her gorgeous new Wife Lisa. Congratulations guys, I can’t tell you how privileged I was to capture your special day.
