If you're a video game fan you're going to love this wedding as much as I did!

I photographed Alison & Paul's wedding recently at Styal Lodge Wedding Venue. It was my first time here at this beautiful wedding venue just south of Manchester and I loved it! Styal Lodge, Cheshire has such a natural feel to it, just like you're in a cozy little cabin in the woods.

It was a glorious September wedding and Alison & Paul's warm & bright colour scheme suited perfectly! Lots of colourful flowers & details with hints of orange.

Each table had its own video game theme, (my favourite was Cerulean City) and after some tasty food everyone joined in on Alison & Paul's quiz with its own Stranger Things style credits sequence.

We then headed off on the golf buggy to the lake for a few relaxed photos, timed perfectly to catch that gorgeous evening light, and came back in time for cake, sparklers & plenty of dancing!

Such a perfect day at Styal Lodge. Thanks for having me there Alison & Paul!

A few words from Alison & Paul about their Styal Lodge wedding:

”How did you two meet?: We met on Tinder (the modern way, haha) and we bonded over Battlestar Galactica, beer and emoji plots. We met in The Britons Protection pub in town and apparently I walked right past him when I arrived, so he waited a few minutes to save face and then came over to where I was sitting like he had just arrived.

Describe the proposal!: It was completely unexpected! It happened in our old house in Whalley Range, I was getting ready upstairs as we were going to a family party that night and staying over at his mums. I don't usually take ages to get ready but on this occasion I was taking my time and watching random YouTube videos about Beyonce. Unbeknownst to me Paul was downstairs preparing to propose in a candlelit room with our favourite band playing on Spotify in the background - apparently by the time I had come downstairs the playlist had already been on twice and most of the candles had gone out. So I entered the room with a bundle of my clothes and toiletries in my arms and immediately wondered why the heck it was so dark until I turned around and he was on one knee asking me to marry him. I obviously immediately burst in to tears but said yes. :)

What is special about your venue?: We went to an open day at Styal Lodge and immediately liked it's vibe. The team there are lovely and really made us feel welcome, we especially like that it is family run. The space is so bright and open, with the convenience of having everything in one place. It's a purpose built venue but with character. The use of wood makes it feel earthy and natural which is what we wanted.

Any details of note about your big day?: My mum actually knitted some bunting and we love it! The tables will be all themed on locations in our favourite video games which has been very fun to plan. We're one half of a quiz team called Risky Quizness and love a good pub quiz so we're having a quiz after the speeches with the tables competing against each other - they'll be a PowerPoint presentation and everything. The band's drummer is a friend from my work.”

Venue: Styal Lodge - https://www.styallodge.co.uk

Bride's Outfit: Bridal Shop: Dream Dress Bridal in Bredbury - http://www.dreamdressbridal.co.uk / Dress Brand: Lillian West

Groom's Outfit: Moss Bros

Bridesmaids/Groomsmen Outfits:

Hair : Mikki Blackshaw - https://www.julesdaniels-bridaluk.com/mikki.html

Makeup : Jules Daniels - www.julesdaniels-bridaluk.com

Cake: M&S

Flowers: JN Flowers - https://www.facebook.com/jnflowers/

Catering: Pink Pepper - https://pinkpeppercatering.co.uk

Band/DJ: Ellwood the Band - https://ellwoodtheband.wordpress.com

A few kind words from Alison & Paul: “Maddie photographed our wedding in September. She was highly recommended and communication from the very start was easy. When we met Maddie at her lovely studio, we knew she was the photographer for us! Her fantastic, passionate and professional attitude with her love of cats and geekier things sealed the deal. Maddie turned up early on the wedding day and immediately got to work, she was honestly amazing. Never obtrusive and really relaxed and friendly. We were lucky to have a freakishly sunny day and Maddie worked around the light issues really well. She really went above and beyond, staying until the band showed up and dealing with the difficult sparklers shot with ease. Many of our guests commented on how great Maddie was during the day, she managed the crowds so well and was so polite whilst making sure people were in the right place at the right time for photographs. The photographs themselves are stunning, so colourful, bright and full of joy - Maddie captured the little moments as well as the big ones, and we couldn't be happier with the results. We would recommend Maddie to anyone and everyone who is looking for a wedding photographer, she is an absolute gem! Alison & Paul.”