Somerset wedding photography – Abi + Rory

Things to get out there right off the bat, before we launch into this slice of Somerset wedding photography:

This was an incredible day. Abi and Rory are beyond good together. Being greeted like an old friend is the best thing. Their families are amazing people. This has to be the best job in the world.

I should probably put some detail into those points.

I first met Abi in 2013 when I shot her sister’s wedding. That was Claire and Tom and it’s a wedding that’s stuck in my memory. Not least because it was also a wonderful wedding to photograph, but because we’ve stayed in touch in the years since with Tom being a damn fine cyclist, and if you shop at John Lewis you’ve probably bought one of Claire’s designs. So when Abi mailed me early last year to ask if I’d shoot her wedding as well I couldn’t have been happier. It’s always a bit special when you know some of the people at a wedding, even more so when it’s with families as warm as Abi and Rory’s. When you arrive for the bridal prep and remember the way, despite it being hard to find, and the first question is ‘fancy some smoked salmon and scrambled eggs’ you know what I’m getting at. Richard and Lucilla, Abi’s parents, remain as lovely and generous as ever. The same is true of Mark, Claire’s brother, and his wife Fin (and kudos to Fin for making an amazing cake for them). These are, as I said on Instagram later that day, the loveliest people.

So, after the most relaxed morning, and with Abi looking an absolute knock-0ut, it was over to the beautiful village of Mell for the ceremony, and back to the same church I’d been at in 2013 with Claire and Tom. The same gorgeous weather gave us the bluest of skies. I hadn’t met Rory before today – he and Abi got together shortly after that earlier wedding – but I immediately warmed to him and could see why he was the one for Abi. Same church, different vicar, genuine laughs.

A 15 minute scoot across the gorgeous Somerset countryside to the lovely Seymours Court in Beckington for a warm, chilled reception which spilled into a wonderful meal. I was lucky enough to be sat with Mark, Fin and a variety of cousins so enjoyed the full three courses amongst great company. After brilliant speeches (and both Dads could form a double act if they’re ever stuck for work) it was time for some shots of Abi and Rory with the most perfect late evening summer light. Look at those skies……I won’t mention asking them to lean against a door only to find out it wasn’t closed properly. Thanks to Rory’s rugby background he managed to both stay upright and catch Abi. I, on the other hand, was mortified as I looked on like a slow-motion car crash. Ahem.

Back inside for the cutting of Fin’s cake, and then into an absolutely brilliant first dance and set from Chris and the superb Tux Fizz. This is a band who knows how to get a dancefloor going. I departed to fond hugs from people I’d first met in 2013 and who I was lucky enough to see again. Tom and I have made vague plans for a ride together – he’s younger, faster and fitter than me, so I’m getting my excuses in early.

Abi and Rory then. There are days when I leave a wedding and know it’ll be one that lives with me. This is one. Not just because of the history, but also because of who they are and what they become together. To see Abi’s smile when she’s with Rory is to see love made real. To see how tender Rory is with Abi is equally so. I loved them both, and everything about this day. What a life they have ahead of them.

You both absolutely killed it, and you didn’t even have to try. Thank you all so much. This is your story……

Somerset wedding photography by Guy Collier Photography