January is almost magical to me - it’s the start of a new year, this time a new decade, it’s the birth month of my daughter and sister-in-law and it’s a re-set period before I begin shooting another year of AMAZING weddings. I use January as a time for reflecting on my business as a whole and putting in some serious hours editing and marketing and planning for the months ahead. I attend workshops and give my website a much-needed facelift updating images and copy and constantly work on reaching out to new couples and families. I think one of the best things we can do as humans is to invest in ourselves…not just financially but to give ourselves the space and time to learn and grow and progress. One of my very favourite ways of investing in my business and challenging myself is to call upon a team of incredible wedding creatives and produce a styled shoot of epic proportions! I’m most inspired by the people I’m lucky enough to work with throughout the year so a styled shoot is a chance for us to stretch our legs and bit, experiment and play without the pressures of a real wedding and to hopefully create some GORGEOUS wedding inspiration to reach some new and wonderful couples.

Eighteen months ago I shot my first styled shoot with the INCREDIBLE Kate Bader of Florence and Vera Events - she is a wedding stylist and coordinater with VISION and such a clear idea of her own aesthetic that it’s an utter joy to work in her orbit. Whist planning an editorial for yet another wedding Kate (Beavis of Bond Bride and Magpie Weddings) we started talking about Manchester city centre wedding venues and our dream list of locations for our January shoot…immediately we both landed on The Deaf Institute - a true Manchester landmark! This iconic music hall was built in 1877, originally as an actual institution for the ‘deaf & dumb’ but was sat derelict until 2008 when it was bought and re-imagined as a concert hall and gig venue. Now hosting concerts & club nights (pre-parenthood, my husband and I spent MANY nights boogeying here) as well as serving AWESOME food (it’s under the same management group as Trof and Gorilla!) The Deaf Institute is dipping into the world of private events and, lucky for us, WEDDINGS! I shot my first wedding here back in 2018 and fell completely in love with it in a totally new way - weddings are IMPECCABLY run by the force that is Natalie and her killer team and it has swiftly become my very favourite Manchester city centre wedding venue - when I was lucky enough to return last month for Harri & Jamie’s wedding I had a BALL and could have stayed all night!

A venue like The Deaf Institute doesn’t actually need much in terms of adornment - it’s own gritty splendour is the perfect setting - so rather than creating big crazy installations for our shoot, the GENIUS that is Sian of The Flower Lounge opted for wild arrangements of dried clematis, soft peachy roses and raw-edged silk ribbons trailing - the effect only enhances the venue’s natural beauty and gives it that elegant touch of ‘wedding’. Kate assembled a veritable rogues gallery of KILLER Manchester wedding suppliers to round out the elements of our shoot including Jellypress Stationary, Pink Cocoa cakes, Whitehouse Crockery, dresses from Rock the Frock, tux from Whitfield & Ward, makeup by Lauren Poole & hair by Gemma Walker and of course our EXTRAORDINARY models Duffy & Frankie who literally were a DREAM. I also had the massive pleasure of FINALLY getting to shoot alongside the insanely talented Jenny Appleton who was shooting video yesterday (I’ll post it here when the trailer is ready!).

THANK YOU SO SO MUCH to everyone that made yesterday such a wild success and took the time to work so hard on creating something so beautiful and fun and special. I can’t wait to do it all again!! Here’s a sneak peek of what we got up to…

Dream Team

Venue - The Deaf Institute https://www.thedeafinstitute.co.uk/

Styling/Coordination - Florence & Vera Events https://www.florenceandvera.co.uk/

Florals - The Flower Lounge https://www.didsburyflowerlounge.co.uk/

Dresses - Rock the Frock Cheshire https://rockthefrockbridal.co.uk/collections/cheshire

Crowns/Hair Accessories - Glorious by Hedi https://www.gloriousbyheidi.com/

Suit - Whitfield & Ward https://whitfieldandward.co.uk/

Hair - Gemma Walker https://www.facebook.com/gemmawalkerhair/

Makeup - Makeup by Lauren Poole https://www.makeupbylaurenpoole.com/

Stationary - Jellypress https://jellypress.co.uk/

Cake - Pink Cocoa http://pinkcocoa.co.uk/

Crockery Hire - Whitehouse Crockery https://www.eventcrockeryhire.co.uk/

Videography - Jenny Appleton https://www.jennyappleton.co.uk/