Hexham House - Kristina and Richie

Kristina and Richie decided to postpone their wedding day at Healey Barn when it became apparent that Covid restrictions at the time would not allow them to have the day that they wanted, so instead, they chose to get married at their local registry office - Hexham House with their closest family and friends present and keep the day at Healey Barn for a big celebration when Covid 19 would no longer hamper their plans. We had never worked at Hexham House before, so it came as a pleasant surprise to see how lovely the building was, surrounded by parkland with the abbey serving as a stunning backdrop to their family photos. Afterwards, we all headed back to Kristina and Richie’s home for an outdoor drinks reception in their garden and some takeaway food. It was a fab few hours with a fab couple, and we can’t wait to join them for day 2 of their celebrations next week!

Aykley Heads register office - Daiana and Simon's 2020 lockdown wedding

2020 was tough for us all, but it’s hard to imagine what couples trying to get married that year went through. I have so much respect for all of them - for those who re-arranged their weddings and suppliers for later dates, and for those stoic couples who got married as soon as was allowed. Daiana and Simon were the last of our 6 couples who refused to give in and got married in 2020 after Covid 19 came on the scene. Their original date was planned for only a few days after the national lockdown in March, but their big day finally came around in December. Their large wedding at Beamish Hall became a much more intimate occasion at the Aykley Heads register office in Durham. It may not have been the day that they originally envisaged, but it was no less special. They escorted one another into the room where their four guests watched as they gave their vows, and family and friends braved the downpour to surprise the happy couple as they left the registry office, resulting in an impromptu and very romantic first dance in the car park!

Day two of their wedding day is now only a few months away. Over two years after their original date, they will finally be able to celebrate with all of their family and friends at their dream wedding venue - Beamish Hall, and we can’t wait to be there to photograph all of the fun!

Auckland Castle - Sarah and Will's 2020 lockdown wedding

Sarah and Will certainly didn’t have it easy planning their 2020 wedding, but enduring setback after setback, and refusing to let Covid get too much in their way, they somehow managed it. There was no other setting more perfect for Sarah and Will than Auckland Castle - her father is the current Bishop of Durham, and Auckland Castle is the Bishop’s official residence, and no one more perfect to perform the ceremony than Will’s father who is an Army Chaplain. Their ceremony in the Chapel of St Peter was beautiful, filled with sentiment, funny stories from Sarah and Will’s childhood, and so much love for the two of them. It was wonderful to witness. They along with their families could not have made us feel more welcome. The atmosphere throughout our time with them was amazing and is something that we won’t ever forget.

Of course, it’s been a little while since their wedding - with a very busy 2021 leaving us little to no time for blogging, but even so, I very much wanted to share their special day with you, along with their words below.

(Please note, we haven’t included many photographs of guests mingling and chatting, simply to avoid any potential issues related to social distancing).

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“AMAZING!

They are so fantastic we couldn't be happier with them! We are struggling to stop looking at them... Dad who has seen his fair share of Wedding photos over the years says these are the best he's ever seen! Thank you so much, we also got loads of positive comments from friends and family who were there, saying how great you both were!

Will and Sarah”

"THANK YOU SO MUCH NIGEL AND CHRISSIE! We are so so grateful for all the time and energy you have invested in creating our amazing Photo's, we absolutely love them! Trying to do a wedding in 2020 has certainly been an experience! But your continued help and support and sense of humour really made things so much easier for us. You worked tirelessly with us on changing dates and so many plan B's we lost count. On the day, you made us feel completely at ease and you've been able to capture the day for us perfectly. It was clearly evident how much you both love your jobs! We had such a great day and we couldn't recommend you guys as photographers more! P.s. If anyone is reading this, wondering whether to book Nigel and Chrissie, then please... go for it, honestly, you really won't regret it!”

Ouseburn - Josie and Kelvin's 2020 lockdown wedding

Back in 2019, Josie and Kelvin booked us to photograph their August 2020 wedding at the True Jesus Church in Newcastle. Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, they had to reduce their numbers and the duration of the day to fall in line with the restrictions at the time. Being a part of such a tight-knit community that treat their friends like family, it was almost impossible for them to get down to the maximum number of 30 guests. Somehow, they did manage it, but sadly, there was no room left for photographers. Instead, we met them outside the church for a few socially distanced family photos, and a walk down to Ouseburn afterwards.

A few of our couples have asked how we organise socially distanced family photos, so I’ve included some so you can see. They take a little longer than normal, but they are easy enough to do, and actually, I quite like the different placements of the family groups.