Claire & Aurélien’s Wedding at The Story

Saturday 9th May

There’s something incredibly special about a wedding where everyone is simply happy to be there. No stress, no rush, no unnecessary fuss — just excitement, laughter and a genuine sense of togetherness from the very beginning of the day. Claire and Aurélien’s wedding at The Story was exactly that.

From the moment I arrived at The Honest Lawyer Hotel at 2.30pm, the atmosphere was relaxed and full of anticipation. Guests were gathering downstairs, drinks were flowing, and there was that unmistakable buzz that always surrounds the hours before a wedding ceremony. Outside, the spring weather was kind to us, and inside, family and friends chatted excitedly while waiting for the day to unfold.

The Honest Lawyer is a fantastic spot just outside Durham and an ideal location for wedding preparations. Full of character and charm, it offers a warm and welcoming atmosphere that immediately puts everyone at ease. With comfortable rooms, plenty of space for guests and beautiful surroundings nearby, it worked perfectly as the base for both the morning preparations and the evening celebrations later in the day. It also meant everyone could stay together and enjoy every part of the wedding without needing to travel far.

Upstairs, Claire was getting ready surrounded by the people closest to her. Despite the excitement of the day, she was incredibly calm throughout the preparations. Some brides are understandably nervous before the ceremony, but Claire carried such a lovely sense of composure all afternoon. She simply looked happy — and that mood spread throughout the room.

Joining her were Bridesmaids and sisters Laura, Becky and Anna, along with Bridesmaid Chrisie, all helping to create a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. There was plenty of laughter, lots of chatting and those lovely little moments that naturally happen while everyone gets ready together. Hair was being finished, dresses were hanging neatly around the room, and final touches were quietly coming together while music played softly in the background. The fun was amplified by Flowergirs Alice and Emy.

One of the absolute stars of the preparations was Matilda, Claire’s daughter and Ring Bearer for the day. Children always bring an extra layer of personality to weddings, and Matilda certainly did that. She looked fantastic and completely embraced her role in the wedding party. There were so many natural moments between her and Claire throughout the afternoon — the kind of moments that tell the real story of a wedding day and become even more meaningful over time.

As the final preparations continued upstairs, downstairs the Groom and guests were gathering ready for the journey into Durham. Aurélien looked incredibly smart and was clearly excited for the ceremony ahead. There’s always a different kind of energy around the Groom before a wedding. While the bridal preparations are often calm and emotional, the Groom’s side usually brings plenty of laughter and nervous jokes — and this wedding was no exception.

At around 3.30pm, a wonderful surprise arrived outside The Honest Lawyer — a classic 1960 London Routemaster bus. It immediately became a talking point among the guests and added such a fantastic vintage touch to the day. Weddings are all about personality, and details like this really help make a celebration unique. The iconic red bus looked brilliant parked outside the venue and provided a perfect opportunity for some relaxed documentary-style photographs before everyone boarded.

The guests climbed aboard, finding seats upstairs and downstairs while chatting excitedly about the ceremony ahead. The Routemaster brought a real sense of occasion to the journey and instantly added to the atmosphere. It’s impossible not to smile when you see one of those classic London buses, and it certainly turned heads as it made its way towards Durham.

I travelled ahead to The Story to await the arrival of Claire and the bridal party. The Story has quickly become one of Durham’s most unique wedding venues. Combining historic architecture with beautifully modern interiors, it offers an incredible backdrop for photography at every turn. From the elegant entrance to the stunning staircase inside, there’s a real sense of grandeur without the venue ever feeling overwhelming.

As guests arrived from the Routemaster, they made their way directly into the Oswald Suite ready for the ceremony. The room looked elegant and welcoming, with everyone eagerly waiting for Claire’s arrival. There’s always a shift in atmosphere just before the Bride enters — conversations quieten, guests settle into place and suddenly everything feels very real.

Shortly afterwards, Claire arrived with the bridal party, and we spent a few moments capturing some photographs outside before heading in. The steps outside The Story provide such a fantastic setting for group photographs and bridal portraits. The symmetry of the building, combined with the soft spring light, gave us the perfect opportunity for some timeless images before the ceremony began.

Claire looked absolutely stunning as she prepared to walk into the Oswald Suite. There’s often one particular moment before the ceremony where everything pauses briefly — a deep breath, a smile exchanged with family, the anticipation of seeing your partner waiting at the front. Those moments are always among my favourites to photograph because they’re completely genuine and impossible to recreate.

The ceremony itself was beautiful. Warm, emotional and filled with smiles from beginning to end. Aurélien’s face as Claire entered the room said everything. That instant reaction is always one of the most powerful moments of any wedding day, and this one was no different.

Throughout the ceremony there were so many lovely little interactions between family and friends. Smiles exchanged across the room, quiet laughter during readings and emotional moments that perfectly reflected the closeness of everyone present. Weddings are never just about two people — they’re about all the connections surrounding them — and Claire and Aurélien’s ceremony captured that beautifully.

Following the ceremony, the Bride and Groom stood on the Grand Staircase for photographs. The staircase is one of the venue’s standout features and creates such a dramatic backdrop for wedding photography. It works beautifully for both formal photographs and more relaxed portraits, and we made full use of it.

One thing I particularly loved about this wedding was how relaxed everyone remained throughout the day. Nobody disappeared, nobody rushed away and nobody seemed overly concerned about timings. Instead, guests simply enjoyed being present and celebrating with Claire and Aurélien. That always creates the best atmosphere for photography because people feel comfortable enough to simply be themselves.

After the staircase photographs, the bride and groom headed outside for one of the most fun parts of the day — the Bubble Run.

Confetti shots have long been a staple of weddings, but bubble runs are becoming increasingly popular and it’s easy to see why. They create such a magical atmosphere and work brilliantly in photographs. As Claire and Aurélien walked through a sea of floating bubbles surrounded by cheering guests, the entire scene felt joyful and energetic. The sunlight catching the bubbles created a wonderful effect, and there was plenty of laughter as guests tried to create as many bubbles as possible.

The beauty of a bubble run is that it feels slightly more interactive than traditional confetti. Guests genuinely get involved, children absolutely love it, and it often produces some wonderfully natural reactions. This one certainly did. There were smiles everywhere and the resulting photographs perfectly captured the fun and excitement of the afternoon.

Following the bubble run, it was straight into the Formal Photography, relaxed and quick, the way I like it.

We spent some time on the lawn capturing portraits of Claire and Aurélien together. These quieter moments away from the guests are always important. Weddings move incredibly quickly, and portrait time often becomes one of the few opportunities for couples to simply pause and spend a little time together.

The grounds around The Story offer some lovely spaces for portraits, with clean architectural lines mixed with softer green spaces. Claire and Aurélien were incredibly easy to photograph because they were so relaxed with each other. Nothing forced, nothing overly posed — just genuine interaction and natural moments together.

Some of my favourite photographs from the afternoon came during this part of the day. A quiet smile between them, laughter while walking across the lawn, moments where they completely forgot about the camera and simply enjoyed being newly married. Those are always the photographs couples treasure most years later because they reflect how the day actually felt.

As guests boarded the bus I made my way back towards The Honest Lawyer Hotel for the evening celebrations.

Returning to The Honest Lawyer worked perfectly and allowed the relaxed atmosphere from earlier in the day to continue seamlessly into the evening. Guests settled back in comfortably, conversations picked up where they had left off earlier and everyone looked ready for a fantastic night ahead.

And then came one of the most memorable touches of the entire wedding day.

Because many of the guests — and Claire herself — worked at Greggs, there was only ever going to be one perfect wedding snack…

Greggs sausage rolls for everyone.

Honestly, absolute genius.

The moment they appeared, guests were immediately excited. It was such a personal touch and perfectly reflected the personalities of Claire and Aurélien. Weddings are always at their best when couples include details that genuinely mean something to them, and this was one of those details people will remember for years.

There’s something wonderfully unpretentious and brilliantly British about serving Greggs sausage rolls at a wedding reception. It instantly relaxed everyone even further and created such a fun talking point among guests. You could tell people absolutely loved it.

These kinds of details are also what make wedding photography so important. Years from now, those photographs won’t just remind Claire and Aurélien what their wedding looked like — they’ll remind them exactly what it felt like. The laughter around the sausage rolls, the excitement of the Routemaster bus, the bubbles floating through the air outside The Story, the calm moments during bridal preparations — all those small moments become part of the story.

As the reception continued, guests gathered for drinks, conversations and celebrations before eventually preparing to sit down for the wedding breakfast. By this point, the atmosphere was absolutely perfect — relaxed, joyful and full of energy.

I left shortly before everyone took their seats for the meal, but it was clear the celebrations were only just beginning.

Claire and Aurélien’s wedding was a wonderful reminder that the best weddings don’t need to be overly complicated. They simply need great people, genuine emotion and a couple completely comfortable being themselves. From the relaxed preparations at The Honest Lawyer to the elegant ceremony at The Story and the unforgettable Greggs sausage rolls afterwards, the entire day reflected exactly who they are.

It was an absolute pleasure to photograph every part of it.

Congratulations once again to Claire and Aurélien — and thank you for allowing me to capture such a fantastic wedding day.