Vanessa and Joe’s Wedding at The Story, Durham

Some wedding mornings are beautifully calm, and Vanessa's was exactly that.

I arrived at Vanessa's Mam and Dad's house at 11am to photograph some portraits before heading to the ceremony. I was greeted at the door by two very determined, very yappy little chihuahuas who made sure I was properly announced, followed by a much more dignified greeter - Dolce, Vanessa's own dog. A dark grey miniature poodle with a perfect pom-pom haircut and the friendliest nature, Dolce stuck close to Vanessa all morning.

Inside the house, it was complete calm. No rush, no chaos - just a quiet, happy feeling of everything being exactly where it needed to be. Vanessa looked absolutely stunning and so relaxed. We started with some portraits of Vanessa on her own, taking our time in the lovely natural light at home. I love starting the day like this, before the day speeds up. It gives us a chance to create something really soft and natural.

Then we photographed Vanessa with her daughter Ebony. Those mother-daughter portraits were so tender and natural - quiet, unposed moments that really show their bond. Ebony was so proud of her Mam, and you could see it in every frame. We kept it simple and relaxed, just the two of them together, which is often when the best images happen. It was a lovely, unhurried start to the day.

Vanessa's Mam and Dad have a beautiful garden, and they had erected a fantastic wedding gazebo for the day. It was decorated perfectly and made an ideal spot for photos. Outside we did more portraits with her Mam Judith and and Dad John next to the gazebo. The light out there was gorgeous, soft and even, and with such a calm morning we had time to do it properly - no rushing from one setup to the next. Her Mam and Dad were so proud and so natural in front of the camera, and it was a real privilege to photograph the three of them together in the garden before the wedding. It's so special to have family photos at the family home - it adds a layer of meaning you can't recreate anywhere else.

Dolce, of course, made a guest appearance in a few frames as well. She has definitely perfected his wedding-day pose and was more than happy to sit in with the family.

At 11.30am it was time to leave the house and head over to The Story in Durham for the ceremony. If you haven't been, The Story is a fantastic venue for a wedding. The restoration is stunning - historic, light-filled, elegant, but still warm and welcoming. It feels special without feeling stuffy, which was perfect for Vanessa and Joseph.

Arriving at The Story

If you haven't photographed or been to a wedding at The Story before, it's hard to describe how good it is. The Story is Durham's history centre, archive and museum, but as a wedding venue it is absolutely fantastic. The restoration is stunning - historic stone, original features, but with beautiful modern light, clean lines and elegant decor. It feels grand and important without ever feeling stuffy or intimidating. It is warm, welcoming, and full of light - which as a photographer, I absolutely love.

Shortly after I arrived at The Story, Joe turned up with his son LJ, his stepson Zack and stepdaughter Ebony. It was lovely to see them all together and so excited for the day. Joe looked smart, calm and happy - that quiet, confident calm you see when a groom knows this is absolutely the right day.

We had a 20 minutes before the ceremony, so we took some quick photos in The Story Museum itself. This is one of the hidden gems of getting married here. The museum spaces are so visual and interesting, with textured walls, displays and lovely window light. It gave us a chance to get some relaxed, natural portraits of Joe with LJ, Zack and Ebony before things got more formal. Everyone was full of smiles, a bit of cheeky banter, and clearly so happy for Joe and Vanessa.

After those quick photos, Joe and the guests were shown into the ceremony room.

The Manor Suite - Small, Intimate and Beautiful

Today's ceremony room was the Manor Suite. The Story has a few different spaces for ceremonies, but the Manor Suite is the smallest ceremony room in the venue - and for a wedding like Vanessa and Joe's, it was absolutely perfect.

The Manor Suite is intimate in the best possible way. It is not small and cramped; it is small and close. Everyone is near, everyone can see, everyone feels part of it. The decor is beautiful - soft, neutral tones that work with any wedding colour scheme, elegant furnishings, and wonderful natural light that floods in from the large windows. On a sunny day like this one, the room glows. The light bounces off the light walls and picks up the details of the room without being harsh. It is incredibly flattering and makes for beautiful, clean ceremony photography.

What I love about the Manor Suite is that it forces an intimate atmosphere. You can't hide away in the back row. You are right there with the couple. For Vanessa and Joe, who had their closest family and friends around them, it created the most lovely, personal ceremony - every smile, every laugh, every tear was shared by everyone in the room.

With Joe and the guests seated and settled, I headed back outside.

Vanessa was already outside waiting in the wedding car with Mum, Dad and friend Elaine. They had timed it perfectly and were parked just out of sight of the entrance. My job at this point is part photographer, part traffic controller - I let them know when the ceremony room was ready, when the coast was clear, and when it was safe to leave the car.

Once we got the signal, we did something really lovely. Before going inside, we took some photos on the steps of The Story with Vanessa and her Dad. The stone steps at the front of The Story are iconic for weddings in Durham - wide, grand, but not overpowering. Vanessa looked incredible stood on the steps with her Dad. These are always such emotional photos - that last few moments as father and daughter before the ceremony.

From the steps, we were led inside to the Bridal Suite for 10 minutes of chill before the wedding. Every bride needs this. Ten minutes, just to breathe, relax, have a sip of water, and be calm before walking in. The Bridal Suite at The Story is a lovely private space, again full of light, with space to relax and a big mirror for last checks.

In there, we did some portraits of Vanessa and her Dad. Quiet, emotional portraits - just the two of them before he walked her into the ceremony. Her Dad was so proud, trying to hold it together, and Vanessa was beaming. Those 10 minutes are so important for the flow of the day - it stops everything feeling like a rush.

The Ceremony - Smiles, Laughter and Love

Then it was time. Into the ceremony.

The ceremony itself was beautiful. Because the Manor Suite is so intimate, you really feel every word. It was full of smiles, full of laughter, and full of love. Vanessa and Joe had written their day around their family, and you could feel that in the room.

Zack was responsible for handing the rings to Vanessa and Joe. He did it perfectly, with a huge smile and very seriously, like it was the most important job in the world - which, of course, it was. Ebony and LJ were watching so intently from the front row. Moments like that are what make a wedding feel like a family day, not just a couple's day.

Before we knew it, they were married. It always goes so quickly, even when you try to savour it. One minute you are photographing the vows, the next you are hearing the applause and seeing their first married smiles.

After the ceremony, we did the signing of the wedding certificate. The registrars at The Story are always brilliant and give us time to work. Once the legal part was done and the certificate was signed, we used that exact spot where they had just signed for some posed Bride and Groom shots. I love doing this - it's where they just became husband and wife, so there is a real energy to the images. Just the two of them, at the signing table, rings on, freshly married. Simple, elegant, and very meaningful.

The Grand Staircase and The Bubble Exit

While the guests were shown out into the sunshine in the courtyard, I took Vanessa and Joe away for a few minutes to the Grand Staircase for portraits.

The Grand Staircase at The Story deserves a special mention for any couple thinking of getting married there. It is a showstopper. A wide, sweeping staircase with beautiful banisters, incredible natural light from the tall windows, and stone and wood textures that give you a timeless, editorial look. The light falls down the staircase in such a flattering way - soft from above and from the side - so you get beautiful catchlights and lovely shadows without any harshness.

It is also wonderfully private. While guests are outside, you get a few minutes alone with the couple away from everyone, which is so valuable on a busy day. We took some classic Bride and Groom portraits on the staircase - Vanessa's dress looked stunning against the stone, and Joe looked so proud standing beside her. The Grand Staircase makes everyone look elegant.

After the staircase, it was time for their big appearance.

The couple made their appearance on the steps to a flutter of bubbles from a precisely placed bubble machine. Vanessa's family had thought of everything - the bubble machine was positioned perfectly at the bottom of the steps to create a beautiful bubble tunnel as they walked out to huge cheers from their guests.

But - as is so often the case in the North East - the wind had other ideas. The wind was a bit too strong and the bubbles drifted off in a completely different direction, away from the couple, much to everyone's amusement.

Up jumped LJ to save the day. Joe's son grabbed the bubble machine and held it up in the wind, trying to angle it so the bubbles would actually reach Vanessa and Joe. To varying success, I have to say - some went straight up, some went sideways, some went straight back at LJ himself - but it had everyone in absolute stitches. It was one of those unplanned, perfectly imperfect moments that you could never stage. Everyone was laughing, Vanessa and Joseph were laughing, and LJ was doing his absolute best to be the official bubble engineer for the day. Those are the photos that tell the real story of the day.

Once the laughter had died down, we did the formal family portraits on the steps. The steps at The Story are ideal for this - you can get a nice height and layering, everyone can be seen, and the stone building behind is a gorgeous backdrop. We worked through the guests efficiently but without rushing, making sure everyone was happy and relaxed.

Then, with the formalities done, we had more time for Bride and Groom portraits on The Story's wonderful lawn. The lawn is a fantastic space - open, green, beautifully kept, with the historic building as a backdrop. In the sunshine we had, it was perfect.

Before long, it was time to head back to Vanessa's Mum and Dad's house for the rest of the celebrations. It felt so fitting - starting and ending the day at the family home, with the ceremony and portraits at one of Durham's most beautiful venues in the middle.

Back to the house

Arriving back at Mum and Dad's house after the ceremony at The Story, I was once again greeted in exactly the same way I had been at 11am that morning.

Dolce was first - the dark grey miniature poodle with the perfect pom-pom haircut. Calm, dignified, tail wagging, happy to see us back. A true professional.

And then... the chihuahuas.

If you thought they were loud at 11am, you should have heard them at 2pm. I was barked at enthusiastically all the way through the garden. The neighbours were left in no doubt that the wedding party was home.

We had a brief but brilliant final portrait session planned in the wedding gazebo. This is one of the things I love about when couples go back to a family home after the ceremony - you get a completely different energy. The formal bit is done, the nerves are gone, everyone is relaxed, married, and ready to celebrate. And the light in the gazebo in the afternoon was even better than it had been in the morning.

We started with Joe and Vanessa in the gazebo. Just the two of them - husband and wife now - having a quiet moment together while everyone else gathered round. They looked so happy and so at ease. The gazebo, which had been decorated so beautifully, made a perfect frame. Soft, diffused light, a bit of greenery around it, and a lovely sense of being at home.

As the chihuahuas barked.

We had timed it for confetti. Two confetti cannons were let off behind the married couple - a huge burst of colour and paper right as I was photographing them. Vanessa laughed, Joe laughed, the confetti rained down perfectly, and Dolce looked up like, what on earth was that?

The chihuahuas barked. Loudly. They were not fans of the confetti cannons. Not fans at all. In fact, I think they thought the confetti cannons were an intruder that needed to be barked at until it left the garden. Which it didn't, so they kept barking.

After the confetti, we moved onto family portraits. This is always a lovely part of the day when you're back at a family home. No rushing people in and out of a venue foyer, just everyone together in the garden where they are comfortable. We did Vanessa and Joe with Mum and Dad, with Ebony, LJ and Zack, with Elaine - all in the garden. Everyone was relaxed, everyone was smiling, and everyone was talking over each other in that happy, post-wedding way.

And through every single group, the chihuahuas barked.

Every click of the shutter was accompanied by a little chorus from the flowerbed. I have to say, I have photographed weddings with live bands, with choirs, with DJs, but this was the first time I had a full chihuahua backing track for family portraits. They were incredibly committed to their role. If barking was an Olympic sport, these two would have gold medals.

Dolce, meanwhile, maintained her professionalism throughout. She sat, she posed, she wandered in and out of family groups like she owned the place - which, let's be honest, she does - and didn't bark once. A true pro.

Once the family groups were done, that was it, a wrap. It was a perfect way to finish - back where we started the morning, but now as a married couple.

And then it was time for me to leave them to celebrate.

I packed up, said my goodbyes, thanked Mum and Dad for being so welcoming, gave Dolce a final pat, and headed back to my car.

The chihuahuas barked as I left.

They barked as I got in the car. I suspect they barked for a good five minutes after I'd driven away, just to make sure I was really gone.

From a calm, quiet morning with Dolce supervising, to vows in the intimate Manor Suite, to portraits on the Grand Staircase and a bubble machine battle at The Story, to confetti cannons and a chihuahua guard of honour back at home - Vanessa and Joe's day was personal, joyful, family-filled and full of character.

It was a privilege to be part of it.