Linden Hall Hotel for Amy & Michael’s Wedding
Arriving at the Macdonald Linden Hall Hotel on a bright and warm May day makes you feel you are in the right profession. We got great vibes from Amy & Michael when we had met with them. A quiet but confident couple everything sounded fabulously straight forward for their wedding.
The only stress I had in the morning was a very expensive sports car that was parked outside of the hotel, blocking any shots outside of Linden Hall. The reception was heaving with checkouts and staff were hectically getting the service room ready. Halo Photography been to Linden Hall on many occasions and I don’t think we’ve been in the same service room twice. Today was the turn of the Drawing Room.
Amy’s Wedding Prep
Lisa arrived as the hairdresser was working her magic and the girls were getting their stuff out and ready. Lisa kept getting a bit confused as she thought the Bride’s sister looked so much like the groom’s sister and they were both bridesmaids. She kept getting them mixed up because they looked identical. The girls couldn’t have been kinder. They helped her throughout the day. Lisa set up some fun shots with the bottles of prosecco and jumping on the bed. The girls thought this was wild.
A Hot & Hectic Boys Bedroom
One thing I do remember was how hot Micheal’s room was that morning. Four lads and one photographer crammed into a small bedroom with suits, jackets and ties flying all over the place. With no room to manoeuvre, I photographed the buttonholes and ring out on the landing.
I was starting to get a measure of how funny Michael is. The banter between the guys was great fun. Sam, Micheal’s brother and Best Man seemed to be the cheeky instigator of most of the banter. I thought I best keep them busy and all out of trouble with lots of photos.
Dad’s & Dresses
We knew this was going to be a very family centred wedding. Amy’s family were very protective of her dad who was unwell, and it was touch and go whether her brother would make it back on leave from the army. He would be travelling home from abroad on the day of the wedding. Emotions were running high when her dad saw her for the first time that morning.
Amy’s mum shared her time between popping into the room to help and then checking on her dad. Putting on the dress was quite magical. She was so emotional but Amy held it together as she didn’t want others to see her cry. As her dad entered the room he opened his eyes to see how beautiful his daughter was. A moment of excitement and amazement. I will always remember the look on his face. He was so proud.
The Drawing-Room at Linden Hall
This was our first time photographing a wedding in the Drawing-Room at Linden Hall. It’s a well-lit room with windows on 2 sides. There wasn’t much room for me
Amy’s Dad was so tired before he started his day, but once he had his daughter’s arm to walk her down the aisle, he was like a new man. It was breathtaking to watch.
Family is Everything
After a beautiful service by Northumberland Registrars, we cracked on outside to get some family photographs. Our main priority was to do the groups as efficiently as possible so Amy’s dad didn’t get too tired. Amy’s brother sadly hadn’t been able to make the service. There was no guarantee he would make it at all, so we made the judgement call to take groups without him, in hope we could redo some later that day.
It’s at this point I need to say just how hilarious Michael and his family are. Their humour drags you in and makes you want to join in the fun. While doing the groups their banter was infectious. Amy fits into this family variety show perfectly. Innuendo and quick one-liners had me joining in. I was saying things I would never have said at another wedding. I wanted to be part of the gang and I didn’t realise I was doing it until Lisa pointed it out. She was wondering what had got into me.
Micheal’s grandparents were also important to him. We recreated images of them, from when Michael was a toddler, specially for his grandfather.
Dodging Rain Clouds
At this point of the day, we started dodging rain clouds. One of the main reasons we recommend taking an all-day wedding package is, if the weather decides to change, we have time to adjust plans or delay them until later in the day. As some showers came over we delayed some alone time with Amy & Micheal and took them inside to use Linden Hall’s wonderful staircase with their friends.
The Bigge Suite at Linden Hall
The Bigge suite lives up to its name. It gave us loads of room to move around without blocking guests view of the speeches. Simple & elegant, Amy & Michael blew the budget on the Mr & Mrs Letters at the head of the room. We used them a few times but the shot of them walking in was a bit of “right place, right time”.
With brollies on stand by, we stole Micheal & Amy for 20 mins after their meal. We had the run of the grounds but kept to sheltered areas as clouds threatened again. I was tortured by the sports car returning to the front of the hall again but otherwise we had great fun with this wonderful couple.
Partytime at Linden Hall
Amy & Micheal’s first dance kicked off the night. Normally dance floors are slow to get some love at the start of wedding nights, but not with this family. The floor was filled from start to finish. We could have filled this blog just with images from the dance floor, there were so many great shots – especially when Amy took to the floor with her dad.
One Last Kiss
At the end of the night, we started to pack up after a wonderful day. Amy’s family had kindly bought us some drinks so rather than be rude and turn them down we chilled out for a few minutes before heading off. We always do a final check with our bride & groom before leaving to make sure there isn’t anything else they would like to do. Amy & Michael’s last request was a shot with their huge Mr & Mrs Letters. So some able-bodied guests quickly helped to move tables and chairs to get it.
While writing this, a little bird has told us that Amy & Micheal have just brought their first bundle of joy home. Halo Photography wish them all the best and we can’t wait to meet the new arrival.
