Dunham Forest Golf Club Wedding Photography

Laura and Daniel’s Dunham Forest Golf Club wedding was absolutely perfect. Laura and Daniel both looked incredible and were so happy, the sun didn’t stop shining for them all day, beautiful venues and all their guests had an amazing day. All I had to do was point my camera at all the happiness 🙂

Not long before their wedding I had met up with Laura and Daniel in for their engagement shoot in London and we had such a fun time. I knew then that their wedding was going to be a really great day and that is exactly what it turned out to be. A bonus for me is that I had also photographed Laura’s brother Mark’s wedding to the lovely Kylie 3 years ago and it was so lovely to see them both again 🙂

To Laura and Daniel, thank you both so much for asking me to be your wedding photographer. I loved being a part of your day and I wish you both a very very long and happy marriage together x

Here is Laura with the story of her amazing day:

How did yourself and Daniel first meet?
Although our paths had been crossing over a few years – we’d been gone to the same University and both spent time in Manchester and New York – we finally met at the Halloween Party of our friends Jason and Vicky. Daniel was dressed as a gorilla – it was pretty romantic!

How did Daniel propose?
We spent the Easter weekend at my parents’ in Manchester and then had planned a holiday in north Wales. It was a chilly but beautiful day (there was still a lot of snow on the ground) and after a walk around some nearby hills, Daniel proposed when we were sat on the beach at Llanfairfechan, watching the sun go down. I hadn’t realised that he’d already asked for my parents’ blessing whilst we’d been in Manchester the previous weekend!

How did you find wedding planning? Do you have any tips for other brides?
On the whole we really enjoyed the wedding planning process – ultimately it’s making lots of decisions about fun things like flowers and dresses and cake. There were times when it did all get a bit overwhelming, so I think what really worked well for us is that we had quite a long time (about 15 months) to plan, so we were able to pace ourselves. We also knew that a lot of our guests would be traveling a long way from Daniel’s hometown in the USA, so early on we decided not to go down the crafting/DIY route and just to prioritise making things as easy and stress-free as possible. In terms of tips I would definitely recommend building as much contingency time as possible into the final week. I was determined to get most of the big things done ahead of time and knowing that there wasn’t a lot left to do in the last few days definitely meant we could actually relax, enjoy spending some time with family and friends and take the whole experience in.

How did you choose your wedding venues?
Choosing the right Church was really important to us – we hoped to find somewhere that felt familiar to Daniel’s Methodist Church in the US and could accommodate my mixed Church of England/Jewish background. We feel so lucky that we found Hale Unitarian Chapel just round the corner from where my parents live. It’s just the most welcoming and kind community, and the Minister, Jeff Gould, has been amazingly supportive throughout the whole process.

Living in London and planning a wedding in Manchester, it was brilliant having my Mum’s help. She spotted an advert for the reception venue, Dunham Forest Golf and Country Club, in a local newspaper. As soon as we visited, Daniel and I knew it was the perfect venue for us. With lots of guests travelling a long way to be there, the priority was making sure they’d be comfortable, well-fed and well looked after. We felt completely confident in Mike and Lesley – they are such professionals and have been fantastic throughout the whole planning process. We were incredibly lucky with the weather on the day, meaning our guests could enjoy the fantastic grounds – and the food is fabulous.

What was your favourite part of your wedding day?
The build up to the wedding was so much fun – I had such a great time choosing dresses, shoes, hair and make-up with my nine beautiful bridesmaids – my cousins and sister-in-law. Having all our friends and family turn up the suburbs of Manchester in the days leading up to the wedding felt completely surreal, but incredible, and we’re so grateful to all of them for making the effort to be there.

On the day itself the service was particularly special for us. Daniel and I are both a bit geeky about hymns, so that was one of the things we spent a lot of time choosing! The three readings from my friend Hanna and our two brothers, Mark and Tim, were especially moving – I was a very emotional bride! My Dad, Daniel and the Best Man Jim, also did a fantastic job with the speeches, and there were a few more tears!

Thank so much Laura 🙂 Here are some of my favourite moments from your beautiful wedding day: