“Hey Mate. Just watched the slide show and it’s AMAZING!! They’re all amazing mate, we can’t thank you enough for such fantastic work.”

DORÉ & LEON’S ELOPEMENT TO MOUSEHOLE, CORNWALL

Cool couple alert!

I’ve known Leon for quite a while. He is the best hair stylist I know and owns the awesome Vox Hair dressing in Manchester’s trendy Northern Quarter. I used to go to get my hair cut there when I lived in Manchester and we became friends and chatted over our shared love of music and clubbing. I hadn’t seen him for a little while so it was a really lovely surprise when he got in touch to ask if I could photograph his and Doré’s wedding.

I later found out that they were to get married just outside the beautiful seaside village of Mousehole near Penzance, and that it was an elopement - just the two of them!

My photography style at weddings is 90 percent documentary, meaning that I capture the day creatively and naturally as it happens without setting up, directing, or staging anything apart from a few family photo’s and 10-15 minutes of the couple together. In order to achieve this I need to be discreet and unobtrusive so that people are themselves around me. It was going to be a challenge to do this for an elopement but it was extra important to me, as I was the third person there on their wedding day. I don’t want their memories to be of me, I want them to be of the day they had together.

Getting ready together at ‘The fallen Angel’

It was the first time I’d been to Mousehole, and I can see where it gets its name from, like a rabbit warren of tight winding roads and cottages, just wide enough to get your car through. At the bottom there is a walled harbour to the sea. I just loved it here. It took a little finding up a few tiny paths, but I found my way to the Fallen Angel where Doré and Leon were staying.

To call it a luxurious honeymoon cottage doesn’t really do it justice. The Studio West Architects design and decor is amazing, built into the slope of a hill. Modern yet in keeping with its surroundings and making sure you can take in the views at all times in practically every room. Described best by themselves as a ‘private oasis in the very heart of Mousehole over-looking the sea’

When I arrived Doré and Leon were mid way through getting ready. I’m so used to seeing the girls getting ready together and the boys getting ready together, it was so nice to see the two of them getting ready together. Leon of course helping to do Doré’s hair and head jewellery. There was these lovely moments between them which I captured without (hopefully) them really noticing me. I had some lovely portraits of them over the sea views before they had even left to get married and I didn’t direct any of it - I knew it was going to be an awesome day.

As Doré is a DJ (I forgot to mention that bit didn’t I?! - Told you they were cool!!) They had a trusty technics 1210 turntable set up so they could play their favourite records to each other, so there was time for a couple of tunes before they left to tie the knot.

Beautiful wedding at Chypraze

After a short drive (and a wait for the local cows to pass us on the road) we arrived at the Chypraze Farm and Wedding Barn, a rustic wedding venue which sits at the top of a cliff over looking the Atlantic ocean. Chypraze is a family owned venue and you can see they put a lot of pride into the place. They were so friendly and welcoming and loved talking with Doré and Leon about their day - such a nice touch, they couldn’t do enough to help their day go perfectly.

The views from here are stunning and it would be an unbelievable venue to spend a whole wedding day. Today though, we were just here for the ‘I do’ part. As there was just the two of them with no guests, Doré and Leon exchanged vows in the cosy snug room to the side of the main barn.

A quick run along Marazion Beach to see St Michael’s Mount

After the ceremony Doré and Leon wanted to go for a stroll and some photo’s around Tremenheere Sculpture Park. However, on the way we took a quick stop. It must have been a sudden rush of excitement but they pulled over, burst out of the car and just ran along the beach. So much fun. One of the highlights of the day for me was everyone cheering and congratulating them as they walked back to the car.

Tremenheere Sculpture Park

Overlooking St Michael’s Mount and set in a large, exotic and sub-tropical planting is Tremenheere Sculpture Park. The weather although dry wasn’t amazing and typical for January, and yet here it felt like we were away in another country, like I was photographing a destination wedding - I could see why they wanted to come here for photo’s.

This was the ‘portrait’ part of the day, but as always I didn’t want it to feel like that, instead treating it as a chance to give them time together to walk around and enjoy the beautiful gardens and stunning, totally unique art installations and sculptures, using them as a setting for natural unposed photographs.

The most direction I would give here and there would just be ‘That’s a beautiful spot on that chess board style floor if you’d like to head over there for a moment.’

In this case I was talking about the Chelsea garden designed by Darren Hawkes. I could get two angles from here. One from across the pond and one from above. Both totally different shots without them having to move around to endless locations. I particularly loved this area described by themselves as ‘consisting of 41,000 pieces of slate arranged in a subtly layered arc in a sunken dale surrounded by a majestic weeping willow and old characterful shaped trees. Dappled woodland light, the sounds of burbling water and views across the pond create a magical and restful backdrop.’

scene setting shot of the bay at Mousehole with two seagulls flying through the sky

The scenery of Mousehole from through the window

Reflection of bride doing her hair taken from over her shoulder and through her arm

groom in the kitchen taken from bottom of tiled steps

bride and groom getting ready together in bedroom

bw photo of reflection of bride and reflection of groom getting ready

bw photo. Natural shot of groom kissing bride on the forehead

reflection of bride in mirror, taken from behind bride and groom. Scenery of Mousehole through the window

bride and groom ready, bride coming up the stairs to meet the groom

dynamic bw shot of the bride and groom having a moment outside taken from inside through 3 rectangular windows

bride dancing to the record the groom has chosen

silhouette of the bride and groom in the window to the right with a blue reflection to the left

bride and groom leaving the apartment together

close up of bride’s ‘Dr Martins’ boots as she walks down the stairs

bride and groom looking at each other as they walk through Mousehole

Cows passing my car on the way to the wedding venue

bride laughs at the groom during the vows

bw image of the bride wiping a tear from her eyes as the grooms says his vows

bride and groom getting their wedding certificate, taken from outside the room so that the door they are framed within is to the left. Bride is celebrating and holding her flowers up above her head

bride holds her arms up with excitement as she arrives at the beach

bride and groom run onto Marazion Beach with St Michael's Mount in the background.

bride and grooms legs as they run along the beach

bw image of the bride leaning into the groom while he kisses her head as they stroll along the beach

bride and groom strolling along Marazion Beach with St Michael's Mount in the background.

Close shot of the bride looking back to the groom on Marazion Beach with St Michael's Mount in the background.

bride and groom on the beach. Low angle taken from ground level

photo taken from the bride and groom perspective focusing on the people in the background who are cheering and congratulating them

bride and groom portrait. They are positioned small, in the top left corner of the frame and everything else is the sea

groom emptying the sand out of his shoes back at the car

bride and groom at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens

bride and groom at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, stood on an almost chess board like floor

bride and groom taken through a hole in the tree which is framing them to the bottom right of the image

bride and groom walking through Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens.

bride and groom laughing at the bar in local pub in Mousehole

silhouette of the bride and groom in the pub window

relaxed shot of the bride and groom in the pub

bride laughs as the groom ‘downs’ the remains of his crisps

close up of the brides hands picking up a glass of champagne

Silhouette of the bride and groom dancing

Back for a pint in the local pub

Arriving back in Mousehole, Doré and Leon decided a pint was most definitely needed before heading back to their apartment to settle in for the night. This is the beauty of eloping. It’s your day and you can just do what you like on a whim without having to worry about anything else.

Once again I kept my distance here, enjoying a beer myself while keeping an eye out for any moments between them, like Doré laughing hysterically as Leon downed a packet of cheese and onion crisps.

Back to the Fallen Angel

The day was almost over for me. They had got some caterers coming to the apartment to make them a gourmet meal. But, they had mentioned they would just be playing records to each other while the chef prepared the food. This seemed like the perfect way to ‘end the story’ (I can’t think of non cheesy way to put that) before saying my ‘good byes’ so I came up to photograph their first dance that wasn’t a first dance.

THINKING OF ELOPING?

I’d love to hear from you. The way things are with the current environment and restrictions on numbers I imagine more people will be eloping over the next few months.

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