Mark Crayden Photography

Mid-February 2017 and I found myself back at the Mount Pleasant Hotel, Doncaster, photographing my first wedding of 2017 with Dane & Louise.

I have photographed many weddings here over the last couple of years and I always get a warm welcome from David, the wedding co-ordinator, and his professional team, who will stop at nothing to make sure everything runs smoothly and professionally, nothing is too much trouble for the Mount Pleasant wedding team.

The day started around mid-day with the bridal preparations, followed by a close family formal session at the back of the hotel, the trick here was to try and smuggle Louise out of the hotel without Dane or any other family members noticing. We agreed to work it this way as the ceremony was at 4pm and the natural day light outside would be gone by 4.30, so with Louise’s side of the family in the bag it was time to photograph Dane and his close family and friends.

The ceremony was a small intimate affair, filled with family and friends, making it all the more special. With only 10-15 minutes of good natural day light left, it was time to take Dane & Louise outside for their couple portraits.

I always try and find new locations to photograph couples, especially if I have shot at the venue before. That’s one of the great bonuses of shooting weddings at the Mount Pleasant Hotel, there’s an abundance of locations to choose from, which makes my job as a wedding photographer a lot easier to do.

With the wedding cake cut, it was time to hit the dance floor for the first dance, which on this occasion was confetti-bombed by a group of small excitable children! With the live band playing soulful and funky tunes, the dance floor quickly filled up, with foot tapping, hip shaking, and shape-shifting wedding guests of all ages. Laughter and smiles were plentiful as Dane & Louise’s guests boogied on into the night.

What a fantastic winter wedding to kick start my 2017 wedding season. Thank you Dane & Louise, for having me to photograph your wonderful wedding day.

Mark