An Autumn Wedding at Manchester Monastery – Debbie & Lee

Some weddings are about starting out together. Others are about finding each other when you've already lived a fair bit of life. Debbie and Lee's wedding at Manchester Monastery was very much the latter. Both had children of their own and had found each other later in life. Their wedding was a brilliant celebration of bringing two families together, surrounded by the people who mattered most to them.

It was also a cracking party.

Set in the heart of Manchester, the Monastery made a brilliant backdrop for their autumn wedding. The Great Nave is an incredible space, with its soaring architecture and huge sense of occasion, and it was here that Debbie and Lee were married in a civil ceremony.

Debbie was given away by her brother, making her entrance surrounded by family and friends before joining Lee at the front.

There was something particularly lovely about seeing two established families come together for the day. Weddings don't always have to be about starting a new chapter from scratch. Sometimes they're about bringing together everything and everyone you've already built your life around.

Once the ceremony was over, everyone had time to enjoy the Monastery and celebrate with the newlyweds.

As a photographer, I'm always looking for the people within the big moments. The parents watching their children, brothers and sisters catching up, friends who haven't seen each other for ages and all the little interactions that happen when you put a large group of people who care about each other in the same room.

That's the stuff I love photographing.

The Monastery was a fantastic setting for all of this, and the staff were, as always, brilliant. The food was spot on too, which is never a bad thing when you've got a wedding party ready to celebrate.

As the evening arrived, the speeches took place by candlelight.

With the room lit by candles, the atmosphere completely changed. Debbie and Lee's friends and family had their chance to say a few words, share some stories and celebrate the two of them.

Then it was time for the first dance.

And this wasn't a case of simply swaying backwards and forwards for three minutes while everyone watches.

Debbie and Lee had choreographed their first dance, and they absolutely nailed it. It was a brilliant moment — confident, fun and clearly something they'd put some thought into. And judging by the reaction from their guests, it went down very well. Then the dancefloor properly opened.

The DJ was Debbie's nephew, which meant there was no shortage of insider knowledge when it came to keeping the dancefloor busy. And he was pretty epic. The music was on point, the guests were up for it and the party carried on late into the evening.

This is exactly the sort of wedding I love photographing.

There were important family photographs to make, of course, and those are always worth doing. The photographs with parents, children and the people who have been there through the years matter.

But after we've done those, you should be back with your guests.

You don't need to spend hours posing for photographs. You don't need to disappear from your own wedding for half the afternoon. I'll photograph the day as it happens, concentrate on the people and the relationships, and then grab you for a quick portrait session when there's a good opportunity.

Debbie and Lee's wedding was about two people who found each other later in life and decided to celebrate that with the people they loved.

A brilliant venue, two families becoming one big wedding party, candlelit speeches, an excellent first dance and a nephew who clearly knew exactly how to fill a dancefloor.

Not a bad way to celebrate finding your person.