Megan & Kurt - The Story, Durham & Woodham Golf and Country Club

Some weddings are beautiful.
Some weddings are emotional.
Some weddings are filled with laughter.

And every now and then, a wedding comes along that somehow manages to be all three at once.

Megan and Kurt's wedding at The Story in Durham and Woodham Golf and Country Club was exactly that.

The Calmest Wedding Morning

I arrived at Megan's house to complete calm.

Some wedding mornings are a whirlwind of excitement, music blaring, prosecco popping, last-minute nerves. And then some are just... calm. Completely, beautifully calm. That's exactly how I found things when I arrived.

Hair and makeup were just adding the finishing touches when I arrived. That's often my favourite time to arrive. The main work is done, everyone is starting to feel like the best version of themselves.

Megan was sat, relaxed, smiling, watching everything unfold around her. There's something so telling about a bride who is calm on the morning of her wedding.

Around her, the house was buzzing in the gentlest way. Mum Annie was there, so proud, so attentive. Maid of Honour Chelsea was on hand for absolutely everything - the true definition of a best friend and right-hand woman. Bridesmaids Ellie and Meg were chatting and laughing, and flower girl Hope was already in full princess mode.

And then there was Ada.

Kurt and Megan's daughter, one year old, our second flower girl, with the most gorgeous smile I have ever photographed. Ada didn't chat, because she is only one year old! But my goodness, she knows how to pose for a photo. That big, gummy, infectious grin. She was an absolute dream to photograph all morning.

I spent the first hour just documenting it as it happened. No posing, no stopping anyone. Just the little moments. The perfume, the flowers, the smiles, the laughter.

While Megan was getting ready, the bridesmaids appeared in their peach dresses. What a perfect choice. Soft, flattering, summery without being overpowering. Flower girl Hope was in white, just like a mini-bride - so grown up and so proud. And Ada - in her own little white flower girl dress, being cuddled by everyone, giving us that smile again and again.

Megan had chosen a traditional white wedding dress, but with the most exquisite fine detail. Classic, elegant, timeless, but when you got close, the detail was incredible. Fine lacework, delicate beading that caught the light.

One of my favourite parts of any wedding morning is the reveal, and Megan's was in the living room.

Dad Baz walked into the living room to see Megan in her dress for the first time. He didn't make a big fuss, he didn't rush over to hug her - he just stood and looked proud. Really proud. That quiet, solid pride you only get from a dad seeing his daughter as a bride. You could see it in his face. He told her she looked beautiful, and stood back admiring her. It was a lovely, understated moment that said everything.

Next, Grandma Florence and Grandad Keith walked into the living room for their reveal. Florence's face lit up, and Keith just stood and beamed alongside Baz. Generations of love in that living room.

We then took a little time for portraits of everyone in the house. Not stiff, not formal, but relaxed. Mum and daughter. Bride with her maid of honour. The bridesmaids together, laughing because Ada had just decided to try and run off down the garden.

By 12.00, the excitement started to build just a little. Bags being packed, cars being loaded. Chelsea doing an amazing job keeping everything calm. And at 12.15, it was time for me to make my way to The Story.

Arrival at The Story, Durham - Oswald Suite

If you've read my previous Story blogs you'll know why I love this venue.

The Story is at Mount Oswald, Durham. A recently restored Grade II listed manor house, set back from the road in its own grounds. It combines Georgian grandeur with state-of-the-art modern facilities.

Megan and Kurt chose the Oswald Suite - room holds 60 guests. It's one of my favourites - elegant, beautifully bright, which is rare for registry offices, with stunning natural light.

I arrived 30 minutes ahead, as I always do. Kurt was already there with his groomsmen, Morgan and Alex, greeting guests. That's the lovely thing about The Story - guests arrive early and fill the courtyard. The dedicated Ceremony Team were on hand - welcoming, helpful, calm, and genuinely lovely to work with.

The Ceremony: Short, Sweet and Full of Love

Kurt and the guests were seated just as Megan arrived looking absolutely radiant.

Perfect timing.

I photographed the bridal party on the steps before we headed into the Bridal Suite for those final few photographs and moments before the ceremony.

Then came the words we had been waiting for.

It was time to go!

With around 60 guests, Megan and Kurt were getting married in the Oswald Suite, the second largest ceremony room at The Story.

The guests were seated, Kurt was waiting and I took up my position ready for the entrance.

The bridal party made their way into the room. Hope and Ada. The Maid of Honour and Bridesmaids.

Then came Megan.

And she had a very proud dad accompanying her.

Megan made her entrance and walked towards Kurt.

It was a lovely moment.

As always, I wasn't only watching Megan through my camera. I was looking around the room for reactions – Kurt seeing his bride, parents watching proudly and friends and family smiling as the ceremony began.

The ceremony in the Oswald Suite itself is typically 20-30 minutes. I photograph it documentary style - the entrance, the groom's reaction, vows, ring close-ups, signing, and the first kiss. The light in the Oswald Suite means I can stay discreet.

Megan and Kurt's ceremony had everything. Kurt's reaction as Megan walked in, Annie dabbing away a tear, Chelsea holding the bouquet, little flower girl Ada being held up to watch Mum and Dad get married.

These fleeting moments are such an important part of telling the complete story of a wedding.

What followed was a typically lovely Story ceremony and before long...

Megan and Kurt were married!

Afterwards, we made our way to one of my favourite photographic locations inside the building – the magnificent grand staircase.

We created some portraits before heading outside into what had become glorious sunshine.

And then things got bubbly!

The Bubble Run

Bubble runs have become extremely popular at weddings at The Story, and this one certainly didn't disappoint.

In fact, very bubbly would probably be an understatement!

The guests gathered outside, some armed with bubble guns and the bubbles started flying.

Megan and Kurt made their way through the crowd surrounded by bubbles, laughter and cheering.

Meanwhile, I was somewhere in front trying to photograph everything without disappearing inside a wall of bubbles!

Brilliant fun.

Bride and Groom Portraits

The Formal Photos were to be taken at Woodham so I concentrated on more portraits of Megan and Kurt.

We made our way around the front of The Story onto the wonderful lawn. The Story building makes a fantastic backdrop for photographs.

Guests headed to cars to make their way to Woodham Golf and Country Club and I packed my gear away and made the short drive to Woodham.

Woodham Golf and Country Club - Details, Guests & Formals

When I arrived at Woodham Golf and Country Club I made my way straight into the building to photograph little details.

It's a habit I have at every wedding, and it's one I never skip. Before the room fills, before the guests arrive from The Story in Durham, before the music starts - just a few quiet minutes with the details that Megan and Kurt and their families had spent so long planning.

The Mr & Mrs sign, perfectly placed. The guest book, ready and waiting for messages. The cake - stunning - sitting proud and waiting for its moment. The table settings, the flowers, the little touches that make a reception feel personal. I always say details are the first thing to disappear on a wedding day, so photographing them early means they are remembered forever.

And then the guests filed into the room.

For the next hour I made my way around the room photographing guests as they celebrated. This is my favourite part of any reception - that first hour after the ceremony when everyone arrives from The Story and finally gets to relax.

Drinks flowed, laughter surrounded the room, hugs, kisses, kids running around. You could feel the relief - the formal part done, married at last in the Oswald Suite, now time to properly celebrate.

I worked the room documentary style - no posing, just capturing it as it happened. Old friends seeing each other for the first time in years. Annie and Baz being congratulated. Chelsea, Ellie and Meg finally able to kick off their shoes and have a proper catch up. Hope running around with the other children, very proud to still be in her flower girl dress.

And Ada. Ada getting passed around everybody, still smiling. I don't think I saw that little girl without a smile on her face all day. From the calm of the morning at Megan's house, to the bubble run at The Story, to Woodham - she was passed from auntie to grandma to family friend and loved every second of it. That gorgeous, gummy grin that makes you lift the camera without even thinking. She is one year old and already knows how to work a room.

Woodham Golf and Country Club is brilliant for this kind of atmosphere. Light, spacious, welcoming. Staff were fantastic, guests felt at home straight away, and there was that lovely hum of a room that is full but not crowded. Just celebration.

At 3.30 it was time for the Formal Group Photography.

We made our way outside into the sunshine, a little windy but refreshing - one of those North East days where the sun is warm and the breeze keeps you fresh. Perfect actually - everyone looked alive, hair blowing a little, no one too hot.

As I've written in my previous blogs, I make my way through the Formals as I always do - fun, efficient and no hanging about. No one wants to stand outside for an hour while drinks await inside.

We started with the small ones and worked up to everyone. Family groups, bridesmaids in their peach dresses looking stunning against the green of the golf course, Hope and Ada together - Hope trying to hold Ada's hand, Ada trying to run off laughing - Mum and Dad, Grandma Florence and Grandad Keith, extended family, friends.

I always keep it moving, keep it light, keep people laughing. A few jokes, a lot of "look at me, big smiles" and before long we were done. Twenty minutes for the must-have family and friend groups.

I whisked Megan and Kurt away for 10 minutes for bride and groom portraits on the grounds of Woodham while we had that beautiful sunshine. There is a beautiful pond with reeds around it that always make a stunning backdrop.

Before long the guests made their way back into the reception to celebrate, accompanied by the amazing acoustic guitar and voice of family friend Connor.

This is what makes a wedding like Megan and Kurt's so special. Not just a playlist, but someone who knows them, singing live. Connor's voice filled the room as guests took their seats, the bar still busy, children still running around, Ada now back with Mum and Dad and finally having a little rest.

The Speeches

At 5.30 it was time for the speeches.

Best Men Morgan and Alex, Dad Baz, and amazingly little flower girl Hope!

I've photographed a lot of weddings, and I've heard a lot of speeches. Some funny, some emotional, some read word-for-word from a crumpled piece of paper that's been in a pocket for three months.

The men's speeches at Megan and Kurt's were quite honestly some of the best I have heard.

No written script. No phones held up with notes. Just pure love from the heart.

Morgan and Alex stood up first - two Best Men, which is always a brilliant dynamic. They spoke about Kurt with such genuine affection, about friendship that has lasted years, about what Kurt means to them, and what Megan has brought to his life. Funny in all the right places, but never taking away from how much they care about the two of them. You could tell every word was meant.

Then Dad, Baz.

After that quiet, proud moment in the living room that morning when he walked in and just stood and looked at Megan in her dress, this was his moment to say what he had been holding in all day. Baz spoke from the heart about his daughter, about watching her grow up, about Kurt joining the family, about little Ada and what it means to see his family grow. It was beautiful. Honest. Real.

There really wasn't a dry eye in the room. I got dust in my eyes and shed tears through all the speeches - and I'm supposed to be the one behind the camera keeping it together! But when speeches are that genuine, you can't help but feel it. Annie was in tears, Chelsea was holding Hopes hand, the bridesmaids Ellie and Meg were wiping their eyes. Even the staff at Woodham stopped to listen.

And then - little flower girl Hope!

Hope stood up confidently and did a short speech, incredible for a little girl. Clear voice, big smile, so brave standing up in front of a full room of adults at Woodham Golf and Country Club. I have never seen a flower girl do a speech before, and she absolutely nailed it. Short, sweet, from the heart, and with all the confidence in the world.

She left the floor to a massive round of applause. Everyone was on their feet, cheering her. It was one of those moments that will be talked about for years - "remember Hope's speech at Megan and Kurt's wedding?"

Then it was time for the buffet and time for me to relax and fuel up.

The buffet was incredible. I love a good buffet. Woodham Golf and Country Club really put on a spread - plenty for everyone, guests piling plates high, kids with sausage rolls, adults going back for seconds. After the emotion of the speeches, it was exactly what everyone needed - food, a drink, a sit down, and time to let it all sink in.

Speeches done, bellies full, and the party still to come.

First Dance, Cake & Goodbyes

After the food the DJ announced the First Dance.

Megan and Kurt took to the dancefloor to a lovely tune. The room went quiet, everyone turned to watch, phones up, that soft first dance moment that every couple waits for. Megan in her traditional white dress with fine detail, Kurt looking at her like he did when she walked into the Oswald Suite at The Story that morning - like he couldn't quite believe his luck.

But within seconds the tune changed.

From lovely and romantic to a bouncy dance track - and the floor filled.

I have never seen as much energy in a room. It seemed that everyone was on the floor! No slow shuffle at the edges, no one too shy to dance. Annie and Baz, Chelsea, Ellie and Meg in their peach dresses, Morgan and Alex the Best Men, Hope still in her flower girl dress, Florence and Keith clapping along, kids running in and out of the dancers legs - everyone. The DJ at Woodham Golf and Country Club barely had to ask twice.

After a sweaty 5 minutes of pure energy - laughter, hands in the air, the kind of dancing where you forget anyone is watching - came one of the most emotional moments of the day.

Kurt took to the dancefloor with daughter Ada to dance to one of Ada's favourite songs.

The room changed in an instant. From bouncing to beautiful.

Kurt now with his one-year-old daughter in his arms. Ada, our other flower girl, who had smiled her way through the morning at Megan's house, through the bubble run at The Story, through being passed around every guest at Woodham, still smiling. Still giving us that gorgeous grin, now dancing with her Dad.

Once again the room was filled with teary eyes. I got dust in my eyes again. After Morgan and Alex, Baz and Hope's speeches, I thought I was done crying, but this - this was something else. A daddy and his little girl, dancing to her favourite song, surrounded by everyone who loves them.

After the dances it was time for the cutting of the cake, always a key moment. Megan and Kurt together, hands on the knife, Hope and Ada watching on, guests cheering. The cake that I had photographed so carefully when I first arrived at Woodham that afternoon, now finally having its moment.

After this, I worked the room another couple of times and then said my goodbyes to all of my new friends then headed home, tired but very very happy.

That's the sign of a good wedding day. When you drive home tired, camera bag heavy, memory cards full, but very, very happy.

To Megan, Kurt, Annie, Baz, Chelsea, Ellie, Meg, Hope, Florence, Keith, Morgan, Alex, Connor on guitar, little superstar Ada, and everyone at The Story and Woodham Golf and Country Club - thank you.

It was calm, it was beautiful, it was emotional, it was energetic, it was everything a wedding should be.

All my love,

John