A picture is worth a thousand words {Mike & Kate}

In this guest post, one of my couples, Mike & Kate, share some of their favourite wedding images and what they mean to them.

I started this feature last year, when bride Jess Smith shared her selection. So that the collection of images I create on a wedding day serve as memories that are meaningful to the couple, I invest time in getting to know them to understand more of what they love and what is important to them. On the day I can capture the details and moments that they will value most.

Mike and Kate’s South Farm wedding was this Spring, among the pretty white cherry blossom. They crafted a day unique to them, from very special details to a cinema for the wedding speeches. Following, they share 17 of their images and the stories they tell.

When Ria asked us to do this feature, we didn’t realise how hard it was going to be to choose only a few favourites! Ria and Jake are so talented and we are so glad that we chose them to photograph our wedding and we are so happy with all of our pictures.

{The stories follow the images}

Mike: This picture, for me, sums up all of the nervous energy, trepidation and excitement I felt whilst getting ready for the ceremony with only half an hour to go. The mood of the picture is a quite a contrast to the other pictures taken on the day as it is quite dark and film noir-esque, something which I am particularly fond of (being a big film fan). The ceremony itself is something I wasn’t looking forward to so I was trying to focus on one thing at a time. At this instance it was just me and my shoes and this image captures that perfectly. The shoes are also something special that I shared with just my best man so to have a picture that showcases them so brilliantly is great.

Kate: I chose these two pictures because they take me back to the last hour prior to the ceremony and of being fairly calm up until around this time.  I began to get a little nervous and I was taken aback because within 1 or 2 seconds of those nervous thoughts popping into my head, Denise who I had chosen to do my make-up, just quietly asked if I was OK with a knowing tone.  Somehow she instantly knew that I wasn’t OK and was limbering up for a freak out but her asking this simple question reassured and calmed me and made me feel like I had nothing to worry about.  I like this photo because when I look at it I remember being grateful to Denise for this small moment as it made me realise how important it is to have positive people around you the morning of your wedding who are looking out for you.

Kate: Although me and Mike didn’t want a church wedding we still wanted to stick with some traditions including having ‘something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue’.  So for my something(s) borrowed my mum collected items from ladies from both hers and my dad’s families.  She also did this for my sister’s wedding so now this is our own little tradition.  The idea was for the jewellery to be pinned into my under-skirt in my great grandmother’s hankie however in all the commotion of getting ready, I thought we hadn’t done this and later on in the day realised that it had been forgotten and was a little upset (I had also forgotten to put on my something blue!).  However the next day I mentioned this to my mum and she corrected me telling me she had pinned it in before I had gone to get dressed and ‘the ladies’ had been with me all day, so this photograph reminds me of my family, both past and present and that I can always count on my very special mum.

Kate: This is my favourite picture of my bridesmaids as I think it is absolutely stunning.  my niece was so excited in the lead up to the wedding and this is such a cute moment between the girls.

Kate: This was the first few minutes Mike and I had alone together after leaving the ceremony and was taken after all of our group photos.  We like it because it was amongst some of the more posed photos yet this one were feel we were a lot more natural and ourselves .  We love that Ria captured this moment in front of the beautiful farmhouse (we also love the farmhouse because the front door matches our wedding colours!).

Mike: None of the people who traditionally do speeches at a wedding were particularly keen on the idea so, as a big film fan, we came up with the solution of having each of us create a short film which could play in its place. Writing a speech is difficult at the best of times but I don’t think any of us really considered how much more stressful it could be having to not only write the words but also think of locations, outfits and skits and then go through the process of filming and editing it. Even on the day itself there was the stress of getting the kit set up and keeping it a secret from all the guests as we wanted this to be a surprise. This picture ties together all the hard work by everybody involved that went into the whole process and captures what the guests would have seen walking in to the barn without knowing what to expect. It was one my personal highlights of the day.

Kate: We laughed so much when we saw this picture.  The picture captures everything that we hoped the speeches would be and we love looking at the expression on each and every person’s face! We haven’t yet worked out where in the speeches this picture was taken but it really makes all the hard work that was put in to this part of the day worthwhile when we can see how much people seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Kate:  Mike and I were so lucky to have this beautiful blossom on our wedding day.  We had visited South Farm 4 days before the big day and there was only a small amount of blossom out, so when we arrived at South Farm’s entrance in the morning and were greeted by such a beautiful site it was such a nice surprise.  We chose April as we wanted a spring-time feel to the wedding and spring flowers but visiting in April 2013 there were very few flowers due to the rather long winter.  So we were very grateful to be able to have a photo like this as this is exactly what we wanted when we chose South Farm.

Kate: As Ria and Jake know all too well after our engagement shoot, Mike and I are not the most camera loving couple, me in particular, so I quite like that I have a lovely photograph of me with my flowers without worrying about what my face is doing!

Kate and Mike: We love that Ria and Jake are able to make random candid moments look effortless and beautiful.

Mike: This was something that Kate’s parents, Terri and Richard, organised. Each picture is a different family member on their wedding day including siblings, parents and grandparents. It was a lovely touch and for me this picture highlights that it is not just a day for the bride and groom but also for the whole family and guests to enjoy.  Also, since some none of our grandparents could be there on the day it was nice to have something there to remind us that even without their presence they were still a part of our wedding.

Kate & Mike:  This sums up our relationship in one photo, it’s soft and romantic without being over the top or in your face, we are close and respectful to one another and sweet without being sickly.

Mike: This picture is Kate in a nutshell. Even on her wedding day she finds time to sneak in a cup of tea and a truffle. Ria and Jake are exceptionally skilled at understanding the people they are photographing and capturing everything about that person in one picture.

Kate: Who needs additional entertainment when you have a 3 year old niece and friends who agree to be your wedding band?  My niece was so exhausted and so ‘star struck’ by Penny our lead singer, that for the rest of the evening she would collapse on the dance floor to stare at Penny,  which would re-charge her batteries just enough for her to do a bit more frantic dancing (jumping!) only for her to collapse again.  I love the expressions on my niece’s face and how happy she looks when she’s dancing and she provided everyone will some very memorable moments throughout the day.

Mike: At the end of the evening, when everything is winding down after the manic-ness of the day’s events it’s  nice to just take a step back and appreciate everything that has happened. Months of planning, stressing over every little detail and constantly reminding yourself of things still left to do and all that’s left at the end is a few stragglers and some bunting to take down. It makes everything feel worthwhile and I think it was around this time of the evening that I finally started to calm down a little and take it all in.

Thank you so much Mike & Kate for sharing these images and the memories and significance they hold for you.

If you would like to see more of Mike & Kate’s celebrations, please see their wedding premiere.