Awww what can I say... so many feelings and emotions about this wedding. Firstly I've known the bride Sam for a few years as we used to work together and after overcoming various life changing obstacles she has always upheld determination, sincerity and the greatest love and wonderful relationship with her 2 amazing children.  I couldn't be happier that she met Jon and they fell in love and got MARRIED!!! Sam & Jon are amazing together, he is the ying to her yang, they go together like beans on toast.

It was also lovely to work with them both as they were so relaxed and happy it made my job much easier, especially as the wedding day posed many challenges for me as a photographer. Firstly they got married at 4pm on the last weekend of October - anyone that knows about photography would automatically think 'it will be dark', 'how can I maximise the available light'. It was also a gloomy day so no guests mingled outside after the wedding and the space inside Pontypridd Gold Club is limited and intimate. I haven't used flash at a wedding this year but brought it out for this one, using it manually so the effect of artificial light wasn't obvious. I also made sure that all guests headed out immediately after the ceremony so that I could maximise the 20 minutes of natural light we had to do group shots. I had spoken to Sam and Jon previously and suggested that they get kitted up a week later to do their couple shots if the conditions were particularly gloomy. This is what we ended up doing a week Sunday after on pontypridd Common, where we had amazing light and beautiful autumn colours. 

Anyway what made this wedding so special?... Firstly although there were 80 guests it felt really intimate, I could sense that the relationships between people were close. It didn't feel like 2 families and 2 sets of friends but like one, you seriously couldn't tell who was on the bride's side and who was on the grooms. Secondly, people cried - I love a weepy wedding, weeping for happiness.. I witnesses both Sam and Jon shed a tear, the bridesmaids and Jon's nephew who was practically in floods during the ceremony. I must admit I had to hold it back myself, it was lovely.  Thirdly the wedding was personal, Sam had made the wedding cake and over 100 cupcakes herself (I know - crazy right), I'm glad she did because I was invited to eat one and man can she bake! Her hair was done by a friend, make up by her best friend Hayley and bridesmaid, flowers by an ex colleague and close friend Jacquie (who is also an ex colleague of mine and she is soo talented) and of course the photography was by me :-). 

There was also a really good magician called Steve. If you are looking for a magician for an event please consider him, he was amazing. Link to his Facebook HERE (just click). There was also a a pop corn / candy floss cart and the disco was brilliant. 

Their first dance was to Norah Jones, Fly away with me which was so lovely because it's a meaningful song to me too, as I actually used it to walk down the aisle on my own wedding day.

Anyway here are some of the best bits.. an amazing day Sam & Jon, with lots of laughter, fun, tears of joy and over all cosy emotion.. just the way a wedding should be. May you live happily ever after. Big love xxx

As it was a late wedding I also offered Sam and Jon a photo booth. So much fun and had to kick the children out so the big kids could have a go lol, they loved it. Here are some classics from the booth...