I met Leanne and Dan in Thailand travelling around six years ago. Back then, they were this über cute couple, having the absolute time of their lives travelling for six months, clearly besotted with each other. Leanne told me about how Dan had 'swept her off her feet' and that, after being together for just over a year, they were still in the honeymoon phase, but I had a sneaking suspicion this was the exact opposite of a phase. They were always kind and respectful to each other and never bickered over the little things, which is very easy to do when you're travelling as a couple and living in each other's pockets (and I saw plenty like that one my travels). They would pay compliments to each other with no shame at who heard and no false charm or agenda. Basically, they were one of those couples who you couldn't help but love, and hope that one day you'd be as happy. I only spent three or four days with them on Ko Pha Ngan, but they were kind enough to let me share a room in a guest house with them (I was travelling alone) and I felt like I got to know them in that time. Here were are, sun setting as I did couple of quick sketches of them both:
Skip forward four years and the birth of their little boy Dylan, and Leanne told me they were engaged and asked if I would shoot their wedding. Hurrah! It was two years away and I'd only recently started shooting weddings when they asked, but I was thrilled. I didn't see them until we did their engagement shoot in May but I can tell you: my suspicions were correct, and they were still EXACTLY the same couple I left sunning themselves on a beach all those years before. The only difference was the addition of the mini version of themselves, Dylan, who came along.
Their wedding was on a beautifully hot, sunny Friday in June at Cooling Castle Barn - a gorgeous Kent wedding venue with beautiful gardens and bags of character around the barn, including the stunning castle turrets. I think both Dan and Leanne had been waiting for this day for a very long time, so emotions ran high and I found myself welling up behind the camera too. It's such a pleasure to photograph the wedding of a couple you've known for a long time; you can really appreciate everything they've been through to get to that point in their story. Leanne held it together really well all day, but had a good cry during their first dance. It was a really wonderful day to be a part of, and I feel very lucky to have met those loved up kids on a boat in the Gulf of Thailand.
JNP