Amy & Matt - A Rock n' Roll Manchester City Centre Deaf Institute Wedding & Victoria Warehouse Party!

If you love all things music and Manchester then you’ll adore this industrial chic, rock n' roll, DIY wedding!

Amy and Matt got married at the awesome gig venue, The Deaf Institute, this past May. It was a super fun wedding, with flowers all over the tables and tealights everywhere plus personal touches put together by the happy couple - Rennies jar? Hangover kit? PARTY.

The couple met at University and have been together for ages. They are just the loveliest, raddest people. We were so excited to have worked out that we probably met several years ago when they both would come into the hairdressers where I worked in admin! It was such a cool coincidence that we discovered on our first meeting and we hit it off from there… Matt and Amy have just the most fun aesthetic and a real eye for design so I knew that their wedding would be a veritable photography feast. I was certainly not disappointed! From the 'ode to Manchester' venue choices to Amy's evening do outfit change into a KILLER Stella McCartney jumpsuit, plus a golden hour wander down to the canal, I had an absolute ball capturing this wonderful pair's big day.

The excitement before the wedding

Amy got ready at her friend Abi's flat in Chorlton, surrounded by the most important women in her life: her mum Sue and mother-in-law Carol plus bridesmaids Steph & Jen, and there was such a relaxed vibe. Amy was such a low-maintenance bride, keeping incredibly calm and chilled throughout. She wore a beautifully simple tea-length gown designed by a local dressmaker in her native York and a pair of UNREAL teal velvet Miu Miu platforms, and looked so beautiful. She then hopped into a cab to get to the ceremony.

Matt got ready at home with his dad and best man Tom. He wore a three-piece navy Ted Baker suit topped with a perfectly befitting bee-print tie, and looked really dapper. Amy & Matt opted for a pre-wedding 'first look' just outside the Deaf Institute. I can’t even explain just how moving the moment was when Matt turned and saw his STUNNING bride walking towards him. There were plenty of tears all around and afterwards we took some lovely family photos.

The Serious Part

The ceremony took place in the iconic upstairs music hall, set up as if for a gig with guests filling the raised bleachers and seats below. The ceremony area was arranged to be facing the stage with our lovebirds stood at the front, which was perfect for the surroundings. The ceremony began with the couple walking down the aisle together, and finished with a big cheer from everyone. It was a wonderful ceremony, full of nervous giggles and so much love.

After the ceremony, we wandered around the area surrounding venue doing portrait photos, which is such a great time for the newly married couple to have some time to let it sink in. Then we took a bus through the city to the reception at Victoria Warehouse. I got some really special candid photos as they enjoyed the afternoon – we were really keen to show off the grit and grunge of the area surrounding the ceremony venue and I had a ball playing with line and space in contrast to this very cool, very elegantly dressed couple. Natalie of The Deaf Institute was so supportive of any crazy ideas I had and we finished our mini-session on the roof of the venue. The weather was all sunshine and blue skies, it was a stunning day.

The reception

Amy and Matt chose to have their reception at Victoria Warehouse because it has so many options, and it’s such a perfect example of industrial Manchester. Victoria Warehouse is a huge space, and it’s got such an unusual vibe, especially in the main room when the room is full of people having a great party.

For the reception, the couple had planned a beer and fizz welcome drink and an ice cream cart for their guests, and everyone had a blast – it just felt like one big love-fest! You could really see how important Amy & Matt’s friendships are to them as well - Abi made the amazing naked cake and bridesmaid Steph created Amy’s INCREDIBLE bouquet. Everyone was then called in for food, which was a barbecue buffet feast. It was a great way of serving food - and seriously delicious. They had speeches after the meal, which were so emotional – you really got the sense that Amy & Matt are truly best friends and know each other so so well. I was incredibly moved by the tributes to family members no longer with us.

The Party

After the speeches, guests played in the photobooth, and the evening kicked off. The live band played all the best songs to get everyone dancing. The couple's first dance was to The Smiths, There is a Light That Never Goes Out and the dance floor was completely flooded with boogeying guests by the end.

The whole wedding was just the happiest occasion, from the romantic vows to the wonderful speeches. Amy & Matt's big day was truly the wedding of my dreams and I felt so honoured to have captured it for them. One of the most memorable moments of the wedding was sneaking out with the happy couple for a golden hour stroll along the leafy canal, because Amy and Matt were even more relaxed and you could really feel the closeness between them. The photobooth was also a talking point of the wedding – a vintage-style job where the guests let loose and got crazy.

I loved this Deaf Institute and Victoria Warehouse wedding so much. If you’re getting married and looking for a laid-back but creative wedding photographer, get in touch. Here are the photos!