A classic, traditional, elegant wedding at the stunning Christchurch Harbour Hotel, Dorset.

It was the perfect day for a wedding in Dorset. The sun was shining, the venue - Christchurch Harbour Hotel - looked picture-perfect and Christchurch harbour was in its full glory, even the swans and their signets were out and about. I had arrived early and so spent a few minutes wandering outside taking some photos of the hotel and harbour and having a look around for some pretty portrait areas for later on, when I came across a table looking very relaxed, having a few beers by the water-front. It was the Groom and his sons! There were such good vibes coming from his table that I just knew the day was going to go off perfectly. And it did!

The Bride and her bridesmaids were getting ready in a suite in the hotel and I had lots of fun photographing the red, white and blue themed dresses and accessories. These were throughout the wedding, in the colours of the bridesmaid dresses, the groomsmen's ties, the cake and the gorgeous chair ties for the Bride and Groom during the ceremony. The Groom had a blue bow and the Bride had a red English rose style tie. This patriotic colour scheme was a nod to how Helen and Trevor got engaged. Trevor received an MBE, and proposed just after he had received it, even managing to get a few photos of the proposal by the official photographer! What a great engagement story!

The other theme throughout the day was music. Both the Bride and Groom love music in all its forms, and so their seating plan, table decorations and cake were all music themed. They even had a saxophonist play as Helen walked down the aisle with her father, and play as the guests enjoyed their cocktail hour after the ceremony. A random fact about me - I used to play the saxophone when I was in school, and so was chatting to the saxophonist. It turns out that he knows my old music teacher! I guess the professional saxophonist world is a fairly small one!

My favourite thing about this whole day was just how happy the newly married couple were. Of course, couples are always happy on their wedding day, but for Helen and Trevor, I don't think there were any photos AT ALL where they didn't have enormous smiles on their faces! The Bride was a little bit nervous as she was getting ready, but as soon as she saw Trevor waiting for her at the end of the aisle, a huge smile lit up her face and she didn't stop smiling for the rest of the day.

I also love that we went outside for golden hour to capture some photos on the jetty, with the sun lighting up Christchurch harbour. During the portrait time earlier on in the day, the tide was out, leaving a rather muddy background to those jetty photos, but by sneaking out of the party for 10 minutes we were able to capture some of my favourite shots of the day, and the Bride and Groom were able to enjoy a few moments of quiet together in the beautiful evening sunshine.

These really were the sweetest, most adorable couple i've had the pleasure to work with. I love their photos and the happiness of the day that I feel they capture well. I wish them every happiness in the world for their married lives.