Kirsty and Hugo’s Wedding at Essendon Country Club
Kirsty and Hugo’s wedding at Essendon Country Club was one of those days where everything seemed to fall into place. From the moment I arrived, there was a real sense that this was going to be a relaxed, fun and very emotional wedding. Kirsty had clearly thought carefully about every detail, and the choice of venue worked particularly well. Having the preparations, ceremony, meal and party all in the same place meant there was no travelling between venues and the whole day could simply flow.
The grand barn gave them exactly the feel they were looking for, with the traditional character of Hugo’s village in northern Portugal reflected in the setting. It also meant their Cavapoochon could be part of the celebrations, which was important to them. With the weather behaving itself, guests were able to enjoy drinks outside on the golf course, while we took a short golf buggy ride around the grounds for a few portraits.
A wedding that started with a very long first date
Kirsty and Hugo originally met online, although their first date nearly didn't happen. Hugo cancelled just two hours before they were due to meet, explaining that he'd forgotten it was his parents' wedding anniversary. Kirsty was understandably not impressed, but agreed to move the date to the following day. It turned out to be a pretty good decision. Their first date included drinks, football in a sports bar, dinner and a milkshake, making it something of a marathon first date.
That same sense of fun was very much present on the wedding day. When they entered the dining room, rather than simply taking their seats to the usual applause and music, they headed straight for the dancefloor and encouraged everyone to join them. The party had started before the meal had even begun. The speeches, food and dancing continued in the same spirit, and by the time I left, Kirsty and Hugo were sharing the microphone and singing along to one of their favourite songs. It was a spectacularly fun wedding, with plenty of genuine moments throughout the day.
Where do we even start with Gary?!
Honestly, if we could give more than 5 stars, we absolutely would. Gary was incredible from start to finish. It was so obvious from the moment we met him just how passionate he is about photography and, more importantly, about getting the very best out of the people he is photographing. And this is no small achievement with us… because we HATE having our pictures taken!
We are definitely not the couple who naturally knows how to pose, smile on cue or look effortlessly fabulous while someone points a camera at us. But somehow, Gary made the whole thing feel completely natural, comfortable and actually really fun.
There was never that awkward feeling of “what am I supposed to do with my hands?” or feeling like we were constantly posing for the camera. Gary just knew what to do. He guided us when we needed it, let us be ourselves when we didn't, and captured so many moments without us even realising he was there.
What we loved most was that Gary made it all about us. He took the time to understand us, our relationship and what was important to us, rather than just turning up and ticking off a list of wedding photographs. He captured the emotion, the laughter, the madness, the little moments and everything in between.
He was professional, incredibly talented and clearly a true craftsman, but he was also just an absolute pleasure to have around on such an important day. He somehow managed to become part of the day without ever taking over it. Looking back, we honestly couldn't imagine having anyone else behind the camera.
Gary, thank you for giving us photographs that will take us straight back to the best day of our lives. You captured not just what the day looked like, but what it felt like, and that's something we will treasure forever. If you are looking for a photographer who is ridiculously talented, genuinely passionate about what he does and can somehow make two people who hate having their photos taken actually enjoy the experience…
Gary is your guy. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend him in a heartbeat. In fact, we'd probably recommend him before you've even finished asking! A true professional. A true craftsman. An absolute legend.
Kirsty and Hugo
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