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?!
If we could give more than 5 stars, we absolutely would. We HATE having our photos taken, but somehow Gary made the whole experience feel completely natural, relaxed and genuinely fun.
He took the time to understand us and captured not just the big moments, but all the little ones, emotions and laughter in between. He guided us when we needed it, let us be ourselves, and never once made us feel like we were constantly posing.
Gary is incredibly talented, professional, passionate and just an absolute pleasure to have around. Looking back, we honestly couldn’t imagine having anyone else behind the camera.
Thank you, Gary, for capturing not just what our day looked like, but what it felt like. We’ll treasure these memories forever.
A true professional, a true craftsman and an absolute legend.
slideshow
