Elopement wedding photographer
Justin & Grainne's intimate wedding in manchester, uk
UK elopement wedding photographer
Grainne & Justin's Manchester city centre elopement was the most magical day. With just two guests (& myself!) it was the smallest wedding I have ever attended and I felt very privileged to be a part of it. Grainne & Justin arrived at Manchester Town Hall together meaning I got to photograph some beautiful, natural portraits of them both moments before their ceremony. The ceremony itself was short & sweet but somehow the emotion was intensified by the fact that it was such an intimate wedding party. Afterwards, we went outside for some photographs with the help of my lovely assistants (their two guests!) and stopped for some fun & natural portraits around Manchester. I really love Manchester city centre weddings because there is such a fantastic range of backdrops for photographs! It's also really fun & surreal to be wandering around in wedding attire - we got a few 'congratulations!' shouted our way. When we were at the Christmas Markets, a whole family stopped Justin & Grainne to congratulate them! I had a brilliant time with Grainne & Justin and even stopped for a Gluhwein with them on the way home to celebrate.
Thanks again guys & I really appreciate being a part of your day! I absolutely love photographing elopements & small weddings.
A few words from Grainne & Justin:
How did you two meet?: Through mutual friends at a New Year's Eve party.
Describe the proposal!: An early morning walk to the top of Edinburgh's most famous viewpoint, Arthur's Seat, led to a traditional 'down on one knee' proposal overlooking the city and beyond. He even brought Champagne in his backpack! We continued the celebrations with Afternoon Tea at The Signet Library before heading off to a shore-side cabin in Loch Lomond.
What is special about your venue?: Neither of us were born in Manchester but the city has certainly become our home. So with it's stunning Neo-Gothic architecture (and beautiful 'Bee' tiled floors!), the Town Hall was hard to ignore. Especially on hearing it was due to close for a 7 year refurbishment!
Any details of note about your big day?: Always knowing the 'Big White Wedding' wasn't for us, we opted for an intimate day with just ourselves and two of our closest friends as witnesses.
Wedding Team:
Venue: Manchester Town Hall
Bride's Outfit: Dress: Ivy and Oak • Bridal Belt: Monsoon • Jacket: Ted Baker • Shoes: M&S
Groom's Outfit: Suit: Next • Shirt, Tie and Pocket Square: TM Lewin • Shoes: Hudson
Bridesmaids/Groomsmen Outfits: NA
Hair : Ash, Heaton Moor • www.ashheatonmoor.co.uk
Makeup : Sophia Georgiou, Heaton Moor • www.facebook.com/sgeorgioustudio
Flowers: Blue Door Flowers, Heaton Moor • www.bluedoorflowers.com
Catering: A cheeky Gluhwein at the Christmas markets, cocktails at Mr Cooper's, and dinner at The French • www.mrcoopers.co.uk • www.the-french.co.uk
Transport: Mercedes E Class from Lynx Executive Chauffeurs • www.lynxexecutive.co.uk
Elopement Wedding Photography
Click here to see more small intimate weddings & elopements I have photographed.
UK elopement photographer
Are you planning a small, intimate wedding in the UK? Or wanting to elope with just yourselves and your witnesses? I absolutely love photographing small weddings and elopements. You can see some other small weddings & elopements I have photographed below plus more information about my pricing and how to book.
Click through to view more!
What is a Micro Wedding?
A micro wedding differs slightly from an elopement in that you have more guests that just your witnesses, but still less guests than a typical wedding. Under 30 guests is usual for a micro wedding or what would be classed as a small wedding!
Here are some of the pros for choosing to have a micro wedding from my experience, plus some planning tips!
Pros of having a smaller wedding
Save money for the things that are important to you -
Not everyone wants to have a big wedding and that’s perfectly okay! Perhaps you’d rather save money for your first home or an amazing honeymoon. Less guests means less people to feed (and buy booze for!) Or maybe you’d just rather have fewer people there but spend more money on what is important to you on your wedding day, an incredible three course meal for everyone? Perhaps your dream entertainment? Or a bigger budget to spend on photography and videography!
No pressure to stick to traditions -
Maybe the idea of a traditional big white wedding just isn’t you. You don’t want to have a cake cut, or speeches or a first dance. If you want to keep your day super relaxed a micro wedding might be just your thing! You can pick and choose what ‘traditions’ you want on your wedding day.
A more relaxed timeline -
On a similar note a smaller wedding also means less pressure when it comes to the timeline of the day, which means you can spend more time with your guests. One example of a micro wedding timeline which I think works really well is when a couple chooses to have a later afternoon ceremony (say 2pm).
It means you can have a nice relaxed morning, (perhaps even meet with your guests for breakfast), have time for a small drinks reception & photos after the ceremony and then finish the day with a lovely evening meal somewhere special with your nearest & dearest.
Tips for planning a Micro Wedding
Plan a party for later -
Splitting the day over two days is a great idea if you want to keep your wedding ceremony low-key and just have your closest family and friends there, but don’t want your extended circle to feel excluded.
You could rent an event space, not necessarily a wedding venue, for a party to invite people such as old friends, work colleagues, extended family etc.
Great ideas I’ve seen at events like this are incorporating photos from your wedding day as décor. For example, you could get party guests to write a message on a photo from your wedding day as a keepsake! You also get to wear your wedding gear again, or use the party as an excuse to buy whole other outfit!
Choose the right venue -
Another important tip for micro weddings is to make sure you properly research and choose a venue that is fitting for a small wedding.
If you have a dream venue in mind, but it seems like it may be a little big for a micro wedding, you could always get in touch and see if they offer a different size room for smaller weddings. Some venues may have a bar or bistro space for example that would perfectly suit a small wedding.
Also look specifically for venues in your area that specialise in small weddings.
Here’s a list of my favourite small wedding venues in the North West:
Alternatively, you could have your small wedding ceremony at your local Town Hall or registry office and then book your favourite restaurant for a meal with your guests afterwards!
Have a first look -
This one is more of an unusual tip, but if you are having a smaller wedding because you don’t want the stress and pressure of a big day, I would highly recommend having a first look with your partner to calm your nerves. This can apply to weddings of all sizes, but I think it is a really special moment to have at a smaller wedding.
If you’re not sure what a ‘first look’ is, it’s when the couple meet before the wedding ceremony so they can see each other in their wedding outfits for the first time and spend a little bit of time together before the ceremony. It’s usually a very emotional moment and one I love to photograph!
Having a first look can take the pressure off the wedding ceremony a little and help ease your nerves. A lot of couples then choose to travel to their wedding ceremony together.
Becky & James had a first look at their small wedding in Leeds:
Remember there are no rules when it comes to micro weddings, that’s the beauty of them!
I hope my planning tips have helped you in your journey to planning a micro wedding! If you have any questions or are stuck with your planning get in touch below and I’m more than happy to offer any advice.
Elopement Photographer UK
Pricing
Small weddings (under 30 guests) and elopements are priced at £250 per hour. Minimum booking is 3 hours if you are less than an hour from me. I recommend around 4 hours minimum for me to photograph guests arriving, the ceremony, family photos and some relaxed portraits of yourselves. This includes an online gallery & USB for bookings of 4 hours or more. I’m more than happy to count as a witness at your wedding! Each small wedding & elopement is different so please get in touch below and we can chat further about what may suit your needs.
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