A Summer Wedding at The Plough Inn, Eaton – Siân & Scott
Some wedding venues have a way of making you feel at home as soon as you walk through the door. The Plough Inn in Eaton is one of those places. A beautiful pub, a historic barn full of twinkling fairy lights and a lovely setting for a wedding that was all about family, friends and a seriously good party.
Siân and Scott got married on a sunny August day, with their favourite people gathered around them and plenty to look forward to once the formalities were out of the way.
Getting ready for the big day
Siân spent the morning getting ready with her mum and friends at Shellow Lane Lodges in Sawpit Wood, near Congleton. It's a lovely spot to get ready away from the hustle and bustle, with everyone together and time to enjoy the build-up to the day.
Meanwhile, Scott and his groomsmen were getting suited and booted. And they looked fantastic in their tuxedos and bow ties. There's something about a group of smartly dressed lads who know they're off to a wedding that makes for some cracking photographs.
Before long, it was time to head over to The Plough.
An intimate ceremony in the barn
The Plough's historic barn is a brilliant setting for a wedding ceremony. The old beams, dressed with twinkling fairy lights, give the room plenty of character without needing to do much else.
Siân and Scott were married surrounded by their family and friends, in an intimate ceremony that suited the venue perfectly.
Once they'd said their vows and officially become husband and wife, it was time to get outside and celebrate. There was confetti in front of the pub, plenty of congratulations and a chance for everyone to grab a drink and catch up. The celebrations continued in The Plough's orangery, where guests could relax and enjoy the afternoon.
A quick wander for some lovely portraits
After the confetti and congratulations, we made time for the family photographs. These are important photographs, and I always want couples to have pictures with the people who mean the most to them.
I'll ask for your list beforehand, we'll get the combinations sorted, and then everyone can get back to enjoying the wedding. Parents, grandparents, siblings and all the other important people — job done.
For Siân and Scott's couple portraits, we took a short walk to the park just up the road from the pub. And what a spot.
The park has an ancient oak tree that makes a fantastic backdrop for wedding photographs. With the light coming through the branches, we had some cracking conditions, including some lovely lens flare that added a bit of magic to the images without needing to do anything complicated.
This is exactly how I like to approach couple portraits. You don't need to spend an hour posing for the camera while your guests wonder where you've disappeared to. A short walk, around 15 minutes, is usually plenty of time to make some beautiful photographs of the two of you.
Then it's straight back to the pub.
Because you've invited all those people to celebrate with you, and you should get to spend time with them.
Speeches, stories and a few tears
Back at The Plough, it was time to eat, drink and enjoy the speeches. And these speeches clearly hit the mark. There were stories, plenty of laughs and some lovely words about Siân and Scott. But the moment that stood out was seeing Scott's big, burly brothers reduced to tears.
I'm not sure what they'd say about that being written into a wedding blog, but it's exactly the sort of thing I love capturing. The people who are usually the loudest in the room suddenly finding themselves a little lost for words.
These are the moments that make a wedding gallery about more than just how the day looked. They're the little glimpses of family life, the relationships and the connections that have been there long before the wedding day itself.
The Hustle Band UK bring the party
As the evening got underway, it was time for the band to take over. The Hustle UK closed the night with an epic set, getting everyone onto the dancefloor and giving Siân and Scott the kind of evening party that a wedding deserves.
After the intimacy of the barn ceremony and the emotion of the speeches, the dancefloor was the perfect way to finish the celebrations.
Siân and Scott's wedding had everything I love about photographing weddings: a beautiful venue full of character, a close-knit group of family and friends, some brilliant portraits in gorgeous light and plenty of moments that happened naturally.
We got the important family photographs done, took a quick wander for some portraits and then let the day unfold.
A historic barn, an ancient oak tree, a few tears from some very tough-looking brothers and one cracking band.
A pretty brilliant way to get married.
