I will be honest, I turned up to this one with slightly sweatier palms than usual. Emily is a wedding photographer. Her mum and dad were wedding photographers too, for years, back when she was growing up. So there I was, photographing a wedding photographer’s wedding, for a bride who has spent her whole life around this industry and knows exactly what a good day looks like. No pressure at all. I loved every single minute of it. Emily and Adam married at Standon Hall on the 22nd of September, 58 of them for the day and another 90 once the evening crowd arrived. The venue has since had a rebrand and now goes by Salt House, but on the day it was still Standon Hall, red stone and gardens and all, so that is what I am calling it here. Pink hair, a Bowie soundtrack running through the whole day (Emily’s middle name is genuinely Bowie, so that theme was never up for debate), and a dog called Iggy who very nearly stole the ceremony. Here is how the day went.

Getting ready

Mornings like this one are exactly why I love the getting ready part of the day. Champagne, sequin robes, and a stack of hangers with Katie, Abi and Lou written across them in rose gold.

Bouquet and shoes laid out together, hair going up, make up going on, and Adam in another room entirely holding a pocket watch engraved with a line from a Bowie song. That is the kind of detail that tells you everything about a couple before you have even met them properly.

Then the dress went on, Emily’s pink hair already done, and the moment she turned around to face her bridesmaids properly for the first time. Five seconds of complete silence and then everyone talking at once.

I was asked for a father first look before the ceremony, which is always a request I say yes to immediately. Emily’s dad held it together for about as long as most dads do, which is to say not very long at all.

The ceremony

Down the stairs and out through the front door together, laughing the whole way, before Emily’s dad walked her out to Adam.

They married outside on the terrace at midday, under about the only patch of proper sunshine Staffordshire gave us all September.

Adam’s face the second he saw her. I do not think I need to caption this one any further.

Emily’s dad placed her hand in Adam’s, and a few minutes later that was that. Married.

Register signed out in the garden, the two of them grinning at each other like they had got away with something.

Confetti and celebrations

Iggy, the dog, had clearly been waiting all morning for her moment. She made the absolute most of it the second she was reunited with her "pawrents" at the top of the aisle.

Then confetti, properly thrown, properly chaotic, exactly how I like it.

A quiet minute with their little girl straight after, which is one of my favourite kinds of photograph to get on a wedding day. The bit nobody plans for that ends up meaning the most.

Family, friends and the group shots

Standon Hall’s gardens do a lot of the heavy lifting for family formals, and this lot needed very little persuading to laugh on demand.

The whole wedding party gathered under the big tree at the bottom of the garden for the group shot everyone always says they will hate and then loves.

Bridesmaids and groomsmen in a proper mismatch of autumn colours, which I will always prefer over everyone matching exactly.

And Iggy again, because once a dog is that good in front of a camera you use every excuse you can find.

Golden hour portraits

This is the part of the day I look forward to most, and Emily and Adam gave me one of the best golden hours I have shot in a long time. Smoke flares in Bowie blue and pink, because obviously.

Then out into the gardens while the light did that thing it only does for about twenty minutes in September.

A sit down on a bench with Iggy squeezed in between them, followed by a few minutes where they properly forgot I was there.

Speeches, cake and the party

Back inside to a reception room dressed in the kind of bold, colourful flowers I wish every couple would choose.

The dessert table deserves its own paragraph. Naked cakes stacked on top of David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Kate Bush biographies, because a coordinated theme is one thing but this was on another level entirely.

Emily’s dad stood up to speak and made it about four sentences in before the emotion caught up with him. Emily was not far behind him.

Their girl, wide awake through the speeches and grinning at the whole room from her mum’s lap.

Cake cut, and a change of outfit for Emily into a fringed flapper style dress for the party, which is a look I firmly believe more brides should steal.

Then a father daughter dance that had absolutely nobody in that room dry eyed, myself included.

And a sparkler send off to close things out properly.

Emily, I know exactly how much you notice when you are stood on the other side of the camera, so believe me when I say this day did not need to prove anything to anyone. It was brilliant, start to finish, and I had the best time being the one behind the lens for once. Congratulations to you both. Thank you for having me.

With huge thanks to

• Venue: Standon Hall, now known as Salt House
• Dress: The Bridal Lounge (gown by Essense of Australia)
• Suits: Cavani
• Cake: Ggs Cheesecakes
• Videographer: UpClose Wedding Productions
• Hair: Sweethearts
• Make up: Laura Whitehurst MUA
• Rings: Ernest Jones
• Bridesmaid dresses: ASOS
• Afternoon food van: Cheddleton Oatcakes
• Photo booth: Instant Photobooth
• DJ: Wedding Sounds
• Caterers: Ridgway Caterers
• String quartet: Toscana Strings
• Pet care: Quintessential Wedding Day Dogs
• Glitter bar: The Final Edit

Thinking about your own wedding at Salt House?

I am a Staffordshire wedding photographer and Standon Hall, now Salt House, is one of my favourite venues to shoot. If you are planning a wedding there, or anywhere else nearby, get in touch and let’s have a chat.

More from Salt House: this venue goes by Salt House now. My Salt House wedding photographer page has more real weddings here, plus what the place is actually like to get married in.