The Wedding Bucket List - The Wild, the Wacky, the Whimsical - Manchester Wedding Photographer
My beauties, it is the month of LOOOOOVE!!! As I get my ducks in a row for the year ahead and plan out new and exciting updates to my mini KMP empire (a face-lifted website happened in January! New gorgeous packaging in February! What next??!!), I’ve been taking the time to scope out some very exciting new Manchester wedding venues and iconic Cheshire institutions that I’m lucky enough to work at this year. For the first time ever, I get to hang out in the hay at the brand new boho barn Stock Farm in Knutsford - I get to gawk at flowers at the STUNNING Palm House in Sefton Park, explore the nooks and crannies of my beloved Tatton Park, & traipse through Manchester city centre from St. Ann’s Cathedral to the uber modern HOME. And I get to return to some of my very favourite haunts including the very rock n’ roll wedding venue of my dreams, Manchester’s own Deaf Institute plus hang out with the supergroup running the show in a 1-2-3 whammy of Eclectic Hotels at Didsbury house Hotel, Great John Street Hotel and King Street Townhouse.
Every year is more magical than the next and I’m just amazed that I’m so lucky to do this job and hang out with happy people in pretty places at the start of their next great adventure. 2019 marks my fourth year capturing weddings full-time and SEVEN DAMN YEARS since I shot my very first wedding. I swear it’s impossible to ever get bitter, I’m exposed to that much sheer JOY on a regular basis.
So it’s in celebration, in the spirit of all this joy and with a good few years under my belt that I’m FINALLY ready to compile and share my WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY BUCKET LIST!
Listed below are 15 weddings and wedding venues that would put stars in my eyes and send me giddy! I want to climb outside the box and have a bit of a play and these 15 dream jobs all fit the bill. They range from iconic Manchester hidden gems to adventures abroad and everything in between. I want to capture and celebrate love in ALL of it’s beautiful forms, in stunning or weird or special or romantic settings, let’s branch out and have some fun.
As I’m always mentioning on here, to lay it all out there, I’m not content to sit back and be a totally documentary wedding photographer - whilst natural, unposed and un-staged candids account for 80% of your final wedding gallery, the other 20% is the time we spend together, sneaking away from your guests, telling jokes and sharing first looks and quiet moments - looking at each other until your eyes cross and you can’t help but laugh - that breaking point is where the magic happens - and whilst I want you to spend as much time as possible AT your wedding (it’s not a photo shoot after all, no matter how much you guys constantly inspire me!), it’s so important to take a step back for 10 minutes, have that ‘holyshitwe’remarried’ squeal and shoot some BEAUTIFUL portraits of you guys dressed to the nines. And if you’re planning a wedding that appears on this bucket list, we’re going to have sooo much fun with that ten minutes!
Take a quick read of my wedding photography bucket list below and if you or someone you know might fit the bill, I’d LOVE chat more about how we can hang out and make some pretty pictures!
VICTORIA BATHS - a true Manchester institution and a regular weekend haunt for my family and I, I’d love to explore the labyrinth of rooms and corridors and capture you two against that iconic green tile!
A FREE AND FUNKY WEDDING FESTIVAL (WEDSTIVAL?!) - fields of wheat and bonfires, sparklers, face paint, glitter everything, live music, craft beer and cheap wine.
AMALFI COAST WEDDING - Ciao bellissimi!!! (BOOKED FOR MAY 2019!) √
A BOHO BEACH WEDDING - hey the UK has gorgeous beaches! I’m not opposed to getting some Formby sand between my toes - but you know, Majorca is warmer ;-)
A HARRY POTTER THEMED WEDDING - Always. (bonus points for costumes!)
A WEDDING AT THE ZOO - GUYS! You can feed the elephants. On your wedding day. Why the hell NOT?!
A LAKE DISTRICT ELOPEMENT - windswept kisses and epic scenerey, vows more solemn than church, happy tears and wildflower bouquets (BOOKED FOR JUNE 2019!) √
MANCHESTER MUSEUM - you can get married under a giant t-rex called Stan. And he’s long gone so no need for Jeff Goldblum to save the day. Unless….
A TRADITIONAL HINDU CELEBRATION - Something I’ve never had the pleasure of capturing before, I’m a constant student and always eager to learn more about wedding traditions I’ve not had any first hand experience of. Weddings are such a universal celebration and it’s INCREDIBLE to me how many different ways there are to mark the beginning of a marriage. (BOOKED FOR JUNE 2019!) √
A WEDDING WITH A FLASH MOB PLANNED - bonus points for any and all musical theatre references (one day mooooore….)
A MASQUERADE/FANCY DRESS WEDDING - with guests required to come in costume
MANCHESTER ART GALLERY OR THE WHITWORTH - gimmee aaaalll the artsy fartsy weddings!
A WEDDING (OR ELOPEMENT!) IN PARIS! - my most favourite city in the whole wide world, any excuse to go back pleeeeease
A COLOURFUL NON-TRADITIONALLY-GARBED WEDDING PARTY - not a white dresse or morning suit in sight! Bonus points for glitter beards and DIY details
AN LGBTQ+ LOVEFEST - this is a tricky one to add because I’m wary of the dangers of tokenism BUT as a proud ally and supporter of the LGBTQ+ community (and member of the amazing LGBTQ+ Equality Weddings supplier directory) I’ve not yet shot a wedding that supports and reflects my ethos as an inclusive wedding supplier and would really love to capture your gorgeous love story for you!
There you have it! I’ll leave you with a quote from a genius, my beloved theatre nerd, Lin-Manuel Miranda
“We rise and fall, and light from dying embers
Remembrances that hope and love last longer.
And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love; ”