Lauren & Jordan’s Wedding, starting at St Anne’s Church and on to The Roker Hotel in Sunderland
Lauren & Jordan’s wedding had been initially planned for August 2020 at The Roker Hotel in Sunderland, but Covid forced them to reschedule. Thankfully they only had to do it once as the restrictions on wedding sizes were relaxed 2 weeks before. They are such a fantastic couple and we had been looking forward to their wedding. Theirs was our third wedding back and we were pleased it would be at a familiar venue.
Welcoming Family
Lauren had planned on getting ready at their home in Sunderland. Meanwhile, Jordan was being spoilt rotten at his parents’ home. Both families were so inviting and there was evidence of some fun times the night before the wedding. Either that or the McDonald’s breakfast had been accompanied by Ouzo! Jordan obviously hadn’t read our Wedding Tips Blog because they had a few wardrobe hiccups. Nothing that a Stanley knife and a crafty mum couldn’t fix but it took a good chunk of time out of their morning.
St Annes Church in Sunderland
Even though it was the end of July, the rain had been threatening all morning and it splashed as I was leaving the lads and on the way to the church. It eased off just as the lads arrived at St Annes Church and it let me get some great shots of them but Lauren got caught in a second shower arriving. Her driver did a great job of keeping her dry.
St Annes was a great church to photograph. Loads of light, buckets of space to move unnoticed and a balcony at the back for an aerial view. Best of all a Priest that understood that we are documenting a momentous occasion in the couple’s life. With all the options for venues these days it baffles us when priests & vicars stop us from taking photos. Either they have come across some right plonkers in the past or they ignore that churches need exposure to be relevant.
Why the masks? It was only a few weeks since mandatory masks had been relaxed but we believe the church’s registrar might have been high risk. It was the only point in the ceremony that required one in such a huge open space. I’m sure we’ll mention it again but it would be months before we didn’t carry a mask, just in case.
Best Beagle
After the ceremony, we asked everyone to stay in their seats for an easy shot of everyone from the balcony at the back of the church. We were also joined by Lauren & Jordan’s beagle, Ollie. He was so good. I think he was the first dog allowed in church this year but bet he wouldn’t be the last.
Roker Beach
After some family photos in front of St Annes Church, we headed to Roker Beach with Lauren & Jordan. At this point, we were pushed for time but the weather was forecast to get worse and we’d rather ask for forgiveness from the Roker Hotel than miss the opportunity to get on a beach for the first time in what was now a couple of years.
The Roker Hotel on Sunderland Sea Front
The Roker Hotel is literally across the road from the beach. Right on the seafront. We were just a little bit late by the time we parked our cars so I headed straight into the gorgeous Six Soldiers Suite, a very grand ballroom. The room looked fantastic, right down to Lauren & Jordan’s little details.
This was one Lauren & Jordan’s favourite images and I have to admit I love it too. Lisa took it after all the guests were seated and she was about to leave them for some alone time. She took this as she was going through the door and caught Lauren & Jordan in an unposed moment. It was the first moment they could relax together.
As predicted, we weren’t going to get a stunning sunset tonight. The rain had turned to fog and we wanted to grab Lauren & Jordan back out in front of the Roker Hotel before we left for the night. The fog was thick enough to give a wonderful moody look but not to obscure the Roker Pier & Lighthouse.
We loved every minute of our day with Lauren & Jordan. They have a wonderful family & friends. We know they loved their photos and the beautiful album we made for them and hope to see them both in the near future.
