For lots of people, their idea of a nightmare is rain on their wedding day (there’s even a song about it, courtesy of Alanis Morrisette.) But in reality, your wedding will still be incredible if it rains…even if it is mid July in one of the hottest years on record, like it was for Annabel and James. Their rainy wedding photos, which I’m sharing with you today, are testament to that!
Annabel and James live in London, but wanted to get married back in Shropshire. They got in touch because I had the pleasure of photographing James’ sister’s wedding back in 2021. I love getting every enquiry in my inbox because it’s such a privilege people want ME (what?!) to photograph their wedding, but referrals are a special kind of joy as they mean I get to see some of my couples and their loved ones time and time again.
Pre-ceremony morning
The day started off calmly, with Annabel getting ready at her parents’ home. In their silky pale champagne dresses, all of her bridesmaids waited downstairs to see the bride in her dress for the first time: and when Annabel came down the stairs, it did not disappoint.
A modern take on vintage bridal for a church wedding ceremony
Annabel’s wedding outfit was a modern take on vintage bridal: a two-piece dress custom made by Lucy Martin Bridal. The base layer was a silky slip dress, completed by a stunning lace top with a dramatic high neck and fluted sleeves, which were both beautiful and helpful for some extra coverage when we were taking rainy wedding photos!
She paired this with a sleek updo and a long veil, which was not just vintage, but belonged to Annabel’s Mum when she married her Dad, 40 years ago. Talk about an amazing something old and borrowed!
The church was a short walk away and, not put off one bit by the weather, Annabel, her bridesmaids and her Dad walked down the road with umbrellas for coverage. There, James was waiting at the top of the altar to say those two magic words in front of their loved ones (which, in this case were “I do”, though “that dress!” would have been acceptable too.)
A refined, elegant Shropshire wedding reception
After gathering everyone under some tree cover for a joyous confetti through, Annabel and James departed in a cream vintage wedding car that would take them to their reception venue, Goldstone Hall.
Their guests weren’t far behind, and neither were the bubbles or the nibbles – which, in a genius move, included platters of delicious, posh crisps and dips alongside the other canapés. Whilst their guests enjoyed these, I whisked Annabel, James and their respective parties off to a covered section outside for the group shots.
Once these were done, I kept the bride and groom behind for some more portraits, just the two of them. Part of my job as your wedding photographer is to have Plans A, B and C in my back pocket if something were to go wrong, so I always scout out your location before your wedding day. This is how I knew about the covered location, and that it would be an ideal spot for some rainy wedding photos.
By that point the rain had eased off a little, so we strolled through the manicured lawn to get back to the main party. (We also came back after the meal, for a golden hour portrait session, which we did in the garden.) With his smart bow tie, her vintage veil and a glass of prosecco in hand, Annabel and James looked every bit movie stars of a bygone golden era – which I played on with a number of black and white shots in their final gallery, to really emphasise that beautiful nostalgic feeling.
Annabel and James had chosen a refined, luxurious feel for their wedding decor, using beautiful pale florals by Big Little Things as the main décor element. Across the bouquets and the tables, every single arrangement was bursting with creamy white and pale pink flowers with gorgeous full petals. Flowers also formed the decoration for the cake, with individual rose heads studded around the bottom of each layer, accented with picture-perfect leaves, and a teeny-tiny spray of flowers in a vase as the cake topper.
Like rain on your wedding day
Annabel and James’ rainy wedding photos are a shining example of how your wedding day can still be perfect, even if it tips it down. I pride myself on being able to empathetically but practically problem solve both during the planning and on the day itself, so if there is anything worrying you that you think might get in the way of you just fully relaxing and allowing yourself to live in every single moment during, then let me know – I’m there to help.
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