Woodhill Hall Wedding - Kelly and Dean

Woodhill Hall is one of those venues which oozes charisma and character.  On the outside, an elegant Georgian Manor house, on the inside a breathtaking blend of old and new following a huge refurbishment.  The centrepiece of this is the Orangery....which was to be the setting for Kelly and Dean's wedding.  

The few days before Kelly and Dean's big day the North East had been pummelled by the storm of a lifetime.  Newcastle resembled some sort of Armageddon as a freak 2 hour thunderstorm hit causing flash floods.  So naturally all eyes were on the weather forecast which wasn't looking great....but as ever, the forecasters got it spectacularly wrong.  The Saturday morning was greeted by clear blue skies and up at Otterburn, clouds floated across the sky creating a stunning vista!


So the weather was perfect and at different ends of the hall, Dean and Kelly calmly prepared for the day, taking it all in their stride.  Meanwhile in the courtyard the kids started a game of football.  Not sure who won but there were 3 Joe Hart's at one point.

Now over the past few months I've become fondly know as "The Converse behind The Camera" because of my love of wearing my Converse boots while I'm working.  I always feel more comfortable wearing them and they're really comfy especially when you're on your feet all day.  So when I saw that the pageboys were also wearing converse I was in my element.

As the guest settled in the Orangery, Dean sat nervously with his brother and best man, patting each other on the knees!  Nothing like a bit of humour to defuse the tension!  Meanwhile Kelly had one last sip of champagne in the honeymoon suite and made her way through the hall.  She looked absolutely stunning  When she entered the Orangery you could here the gasps while Dean grinned like a Cheshire Cat.  

With the doors open the breeze wafted through from outside, taking the edge off the heat inside the hall.  It all added to a wonderful atmosphere.  Dean looked like a kid who had just found the keys to the sweetshop!  He couldn't hide his excitement.  

With the ceremony over and being announced as husband and wife, Dean punched the air like he'd just scored the winning goal in the FA Cup Final!  It was a fantastic overspill of emotion.  


Outside the guests sipped Pimms.  There was a real party atmosphere and Corrinne, Paul and the rest of the staff at Woodhill Hall were the perfect hosts.  The food was to die for!  Not a scrap was left on a single plate!

In the evening the guests were entertained by an amazing brother and sister act called Unique 2.  They are only 14 and 13 and are so talented playing trumpets, flutes, keyboards and guitars as well as a bit of singing!  

The first dance was to The Jackson 5's "I'll be there" although Dean spent most of it serenading Kelly on 1 knee!  But I don't think they would have had it any other way.  This was a wedding full of fun, laughter and was one hell of a party!  I'm just so pleased I was given the opportunity to capture such a wonderful day in beautiful surroundings.  Dean's parting words to me were so touching too.. "I am so pleased you were our wedding photographer.  You're not dull, you like a bit of fun and more importantly you're a top bloke.  I've got a friend for life!"  Needless to say I drove back from Otterburn tired, bitten to death by the midges but most importantly very very happy.  Job well done with an amazing couple!

Kelly and Dean asked me to take my Olympic Torch to their wedding.  It was like having a celebrity there