Rob & Katie's joyous wedding took place in rural Derbyshire. The venues provided a brilliantly pastoral scene with sheep in the church grounds and a view onto the fields of cows below. From the moment Katie arrived at the altar of Bradfield Church, it was obvious this was going to be a very happy occasion. After the marriage pronouncements, the couple couldn't help but grin at one another and we all knew we were part of something special.
As we drove from the church to Hassop Hall, the reception venue, we found ourselves on part of the Tour de France route and only just missed Team Sky, who were in the middle of a practise run! This was particularly poignant for Rob and Katie as they are both keen cyclists. Their honeymoon in Italy involved a lot of bike activity, as the couple cycled from Lake Garda to Venice via Verona, Montagnana and Padua.
Another big feature of this wedding was musical detail. Guests were serenaded by an al fresco guitar player when they arrived at the Hall and the bride and groom themselves were serenaded by a rogue saxophonist who appeared while they were seated at their table. By the way, this wasn't any old saxophonist, this was Rob's friend, who's played with George Michael!
Before the meal we took a walk outside to get some photos of the newlyweds by themselves. The gardens were spectacular with lots of ornate walkways and fountains. We managed to get a few nice shots in the sun before it was time for the couple to form the receiving line, eat and shed a tear or two at the very emotional speeches. I think everybody was deeply touched by the Groom's heartfelt words!
The night ended with a great set by one of the best bands around, The Bootleggers. Everybody thoroughly enjoyed themselves and hit the dance floor in a frenzy. Much later on, Rob and Katie were still riding high. Not just on the shoulders of the grooms men (!) but also having a very good time. This was the feel-good wedding of the year!
Mark Tierney is a Yorkshire based Contemporary Wedding Photographer covering the UK and beyond.