Best of 2018

2018 was bloody fabulous ! So many incredible weddings and couples who did their day their way!

Working in Lancashire and up and down the country heading down to Cornwall and up to Scotland I really did cover the lengths of the UK photographing weddings over the past 12 months. Over 50 weddings later and I’m itching for 2019 weddings to start so I can dive into more unique days.

From 3 day long festivals to intimate elopements no two weddings have been the same which is exactly why this year has been so amazing! To each and every couple who chose me to document their day THANK YOU! I’ve absolutely loved documenting every laugh, tear, hug and epic dance off.

I’ve worked alongside some insanely talented photographers this year and to all of you who have second shot for myself or invited me to shoot alongside you I cannot thank you enough, I’ve had an absolute blast!

2019 is shaping up to equally epic with weddings in Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales and even Sorrento…. BRING IT ON !

Here’s a tiny snippet of what I got up to in 2018- enjoy!

Happy New Year !

Olivia x

Casey and Liam's wedding at The Peacock Room

I've known Casey since high school after being in the same form class so I was extra excited when she asked me to document her and Liam's big day. 

After meeting in Lourdes and later becoming engaged there while on pilgrimage Liam and Casey's day was extra special in paying homage to this in a day surrounded by their family and friends. Bridal preparations were enjoyed over a glass of bubbly and some throwback music supplied by Steps and beautiful makeup by Briony Jayne

The beautiful ceremony was held in Liam's family church at Our Immaculate Mother & ST Anselm's with the service delivered from both Casey and Liam's parish priests making it extra special and personal to the pair. 

After a hefty showering of confetti and the formal group shots the heavens opened just in time for us to make our way over to The Peacock Room. Luckily we dodged the rain for the most part and made use out of the beautiful grounds at the peacock room for some bridal portraits. 

Some emotional speeches recounting of long friendships, and fate bringing Casey and Liam together 

Huge thank you to Sarah for coming along and second shooting with me for the day and capturing some of these moments! 

Fiona and Ian's intimate farm wedding in Kinross

From the moment Fiona's email detailing her wedding to Ian hit my inbox I knew it was going to be special. An intimate wedding set on their very own farm with their nearest and dearest - a grand total of 9 guests and Polly (the ring bearing sheep) Set in the incredibly beautiful Kinross in Scotland and I was looking forward to this wedding for a long time! 

After getting their hair done at the salon the girls headed back to Fiona and Ian’s farm house to bind beautiful rose and thistle buttonholes before doing makeup and getting dressed. Once dressed Fiona headed over to see her calves and other animals on the farm before… wait for it….. driving herself down the “aisle” in a tractor- Seriously one of the coolest entrances EVER! 

Following a traditional bag piper Fiona, bridesmaid and flower girls headed down the aisle for a hand fasting ceremony. It was such an honour to be part of Fiona and Ian’s intimate ceremony with what can only be described as the most phenomenal views! 

After the ceremony Fiona, Ian and I wandered around their farm taking photos of the two before heading back to the field directly behind the farmhouse where the couple had set up bride and groom hay bales as well as a hay bale pyramid for their group shot *swoon* It felt so special taking photos not only where they had been married 20 minutes prior but on their land where they both worked and lived. A brief stop in the farmhouse for some snacks and refreshments and we headed off for a mini tour of the couples favourite spots including Loch Leven (if you get a chance to visit I cannot recommend it enough) I loved being able to explore the stunning scenery and take portraits of these guys before heading to an intimate (and amazingly tasty) meal at a local restaurant before they headed off on their honeymoon. I had such a beautiful and fun day celebrating and documenting this intimate wedding.

If you’re planning a relaxed countryside wedding, or an intimate elopement get in touch ! I adore shooting this sort of beautiful wedding 

Sarah & Dave's seaside wedding at The Clifton Hotel Southport

Thowback to those summer months with beautiful golden sunsets and warm afternoons. After getting ready at her mums house Sarah and Dave were married at ST Cuthbert's Church in ChurchTown. It was such a beautiful church and the perfect setting for this wedding and a welcome shade from the beaming sunlight on one of the hottest days of last year. It was an emotional service followed by a hefty showering of confetti outside of the church grounds. 

After the service we headed down the road to Southport Botanical gardens for some couples portraits, which were extra special as this is where Sarah's parents had their own wedding portraits. Luckily we were greeted with beautiful sunshine unlike their very rainy pre wedding shoot a couple of months prior. 

After the all important portraits we headed to the Royal Clifton Hotel in Southport which was the perfect setting for some seaside portraits.Following the all important speeches we headed out front for some lovely golden hour portraits down by the pier.

After kicking off the party with a first dance to Arctic Monkeys Sarah and Dave had such an amazing dance floor full of the best music! I absolutely LOVED this wedding and I'm so happy to be sharing it!

Lauren & Ian's vintage village hall wedding in Chipping Lancashire

Lauren and Ian's wedding was definitely one of my favourites from last year. Full of love, family and beautiful hand made touches this is what rustic village hall weddings are all about! 

Prior to the big day I met Lauren, Ian along with their closest family and friends to document them dressing the room together. So much care and attention went into every single part of the day making it so personal and extra special. Lauren's mum and grandma created beautiful floral arrangements for the tables in an array of jars and vases collected in the year leading up to the wedding. The best man and groom were set to hang bunting that Lauren had handmade throughout the hall. Handmade handkerchiefs and napkins were tied and organised ready for ceremony and wedding breakfast and family photos of marriages previous were stacked on a ladder Lauren had found and up-cycled. Alongside their wedding cake Lauren and Ian opted for a table full of cakes ranging from gluten free lemon cake to chocolate cake (My idea of heaven!) 

Set in stunning rural Chipping in Lancashire the day started off in Plum Cottage with Lauren, bridesmaid Helen, daughter Emily and friends for bridal preparations. There was plenty of laughter as I photographed the bridal party getting ready along with all the special details including Lauren's vintage inspired Vivian of Holloway wedding dress and Irregular Choice heels (swoon!) 

We headed over to Parish church of St Bartholomews for an intimate service before Lauren and Ian were showered with dried petals. Following some family photos and a walk around the village with Lauren and Ian we made the very quick walk across the road to Chipping Village Hall for an evening of pimms, afternoon tea and plenty of dancing. 

If you're wanting a rustic vintage feel for your wedding this is definitely the way to do it! 

Styled bridal shoot

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to collaborate on a beautiful styled bridal shoot in Leeds. Working alongside the wonderfully talented Emma Louise Bartlam whose make up studio is based in Leeds city centre we created 3 bridal looks. 

In true Yorkshire style the temperamental weather restricted us from having the opportunity to head outside as originally planned but that didn't stop us from being able to create some bridal portraits within the studio.

If you're looking for a makeup artist for your wedding or even just fancy a pamper I cannot recommend Emma enough so drop her a message or pop into her studio.  

Here's a little bit of what we got up to...