**CHICHELEY HALL WEDDING VENUE, CHICHELEY ROAD, NEWPORT PAGNELL, BEDFORDSHIRE, MK16 9JJ**

I'd assumed Steve and Emma's Chichelely Hall wedding photos would be elegant and refined. I was half right, half wrong, as you’ll discover!

Chicheley Hall is a stunning venue that’s dramatic on the outside and oozing with history and character on the inside.

So, everything and everyone looked as beautiful as I expected, but this classy bunch had a hilarious edge to them. It was like 'Downton Abbey' meets 'The Inbetweeners' at times!

OK, I'm exaggerating, but there were more dark horses than a Lloyds Bank Advert! I'm looking at you Steve's dad and Steve's uncle!

The whole wedding was at Chicheley Hall, from getting ready, to the ceremony and the reception. This saved everyone a lot of time and rushing around, which added even more to the chilled, party vibe.

I photographed Emma getting ready upstairs while my second photographer Ash photographed Steve.

Emma’s mum started the day very cautiously around me as she hates being photographed, but by the end of the day she said “I take it all back, I like you now!”

I loved the dramatic winding staircase that leads down to the arched entrance to the ceremony room. It’s definitely one of the most elegant ‘aisle walks’ I’ve ever seen.

Emma looked amazing as she glided down the stairs in her dress from ‘The Bridal Affair’ and she was beaming the whole way.

A fantastic feature of Chicheley Hall is you can look over the ceremony room from the upstairs balcony. This provides a rare and special viewpoint that most weddings don’t get. My colleague Ash stood up there while I remained at the front of the room photographing Steve and Emma’s expressions throughout the service You can see my glistening bald head in the photograph below!

It was early March so it was pretty chilly but we still managed to do all the group photographs outside. If it had been raining then Chicheley Hall’s beautiful interior would have been just as good.

I’d scouted the venue to establish the best locations for the group and romantic photographs so guests weren’t kept waiting any longer than necessary. I also did my signature shot where I brought 2 bottles of Prosecco - one to be sprayed around Formula 1 style and the other was a prize for whoever performed the best during the group photographs. It adds a little fun to the part of a wedding some people normally find tedious.

The Gardens of Chicheley Hall were beautiful and the lake at the end of the lawn made a lovely foreground, too. Those gym sessions came in handy when I had to run round to the far side of the lake to get the best angle.

After the romantic photographs everyone tucked into the wedding breakfast and Steve and Emma had kindly offered to cover our meal in the bar.

The speeches were ruthless but excellent, with Emma’s mum’s dry, scathing wit being a fantastic addition, while the two best men ripped Steve to pieces. Not that anything fazes Steve as he chuckled, grinned and gurned the whole way through.

After the meal there was some down-time where people could check in to their rooms and have a chat and a drink. I spent this time entertaining the children by walking on my hands and generally being an idiot.

The evening was when things started to unravel… and so did Steve’s uncle’s tie - which ended up tied around his head like Rambo.

There was live music from the band Allergy which hammered out brilliant covers of hits from my old university days. Common People by Pulp and The Smashing Pumpkins were two of my favourites, but there were many, many more.

Steve grabbed the mic and belted out some of his own songs as he serenaded Emma, while one of the Best men played the bass.

The balcony and the staircase were were just as good for getting creative shots of the dancing as they were for the ceremony. I set up my off-camera flashes to add some pizzazz and mood to the shots too.

Everyone tore up the dance-floor (myself included) but a special mention must go to Steve’s dad who flailed around in a mesmerising manner that seemed both chaotic and choreographed. Only a dancing legend could dance that fine line between genius and madness! And when he bought me a drink his legendary status was confirmed!

Frankly everyone made me feel so welcome, I had more fun than anyone deserves to have and still call it a job!

Please like, share and comment below, it really helps my website get found. I hope you enjoy the following highlights of the day.

“Dan is just simply one of the nicest, most helpful, fun, and talented people out there. He has done our engagement shoot as well as our wedding a few weeks ago and we cannot fault him! Dan has a natural ability to make you feel at ease, make you smile, and somehow make you look half decent and beautiful with his photography skills”

— Emma Wakeman

Finally, here’s a shout out to some of the people who made it such a great day:

My second photographer: Ashley Swift

The slamming rock band: Live Music - Allergy
Hair and makeup: Elizabeth Jane Wedding Hair
Wedding Dress: The Bridal Affair UK Ltd
Cake: Gardners Bakery
Flowers: Steve's Aunt.