Morpeth Town Hall is the start of many of our weddings. It has its challenges. Firstly, it’s on a very busy high street. We are so used to secluded hotels and country halls when photographing weddings. It’s sometimes jarring to be run over with mobility scooters and pushchairs when organising confetti throws. It’s also a very busy registry office with back to back weddings. But on a day like Linda & Carl’s wedding day, the sun shone and we were really looking forward to it.
Linda & Carl were a relaxed couple. They wanted their wedding day to be just as relaxed. We had no list of shots or groups, just a brief to capture the day. Both bride & groom had grown up children from previous relationships. What stood out to us was how happy they were that their parents had found each other. Linda’s two sons greeted Carl while his daughter escorted Linda as a bridesmaid.
Morpeth Town Hall
The registrars at Morpeth Town Hall are always helpful and pleasant. We just wish they could give more time to each ceremony, especially in the “Ballroom”. It’s a beautifully spacious room with large windows and wood panelled walls. The Fireplace is very impressive but your given little time to make use of it as a backdrop. Likewise, with the fantastic staircase, it’s great for medium-sized groups. But you are lucky if you can get just a couple of minutes to make use of it. It’s tricky knowing how far you can push the staff to allow a little more time. They are always eager to stay on their tight schedule. We assume it’s because Morpeth Town Hall is such a popular registry. We just wish they would allocate an hour like a lot of other town halls.
Carlisle Park in Morpeth
When you’re in
Linda & Carl had booked us for 2 hrs. We had to be careful with our time but we seemed to get an awful lot taken. We never guarantee that both Lisa & I will attend a 2 hr wedding but if we are free we always like to do a wedding as a team. Lisa will normally build large groups while I “backseat drive” from a distance. I then normally get the main angle and Lisa takes from an alternative. Then for smaller groups, we’ll work singularly to cover more people. After photographing guests we let them go so they can get to the bar until eventually we are left with the bride & groom. Linda & Carl just let us do our “thing” and had a good giggle during their time alone.
The Waterford Lodge Hotel
We’d photographed a number of weddings and christenings at the Waterford Lodge Hotel. Its function room is small but perfectly formed. The light is great because of the ceiling Lantern, even on a dull day. The tables finished the room off magically. There are some weddings where you just want to stay longer. You want to enjoy the rest of the day with them. But we had gone well over our booked time. It was worth it though, to be part of such a great day.
