Becki & Alan – A super quirky Manchester wedding – Islington Mill

 

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Becki & Alan’s wedding has to be one of the quirkiest I have ever had the pleasure to photograph, I loved their super relaxed, fun and laid back style….and why not travel from ceremony to reception on foot by way of a three stop pub crawl through Manchester city centre?

I arrived early in the morning to the Ainscow hotel in Manchester, where Becki was getting ready with her Mum and Bridesmaids. It was a lovely, chilled out morning with lots of laughs and an air of excitement. I loved Becki’s choice of non-traditional vintage style wedding dress, complete with the most fabulous sparkly gold shoes. She even wore a big sparkly bow in her hair instead of the traditional veil or tiara. She definitely rocked the alternative style!

When I arrived at the ceremony venue, the stunning Victorian neo gothic building of Manchester town hall, I was greeted by the lovely Alan. He looked fab in his tweed suit and orange tie combo, complete with matching trilby. All the guests were dressed in beautiful colours and alternative style clothes … no formal attire in sight! I particularly liked the purple tartan suit worn by one of the groomsmen!

After a beautiful, relaxed, ceremony full of laughs and emotion, Becki and Alan spent some time mingling with their guests over a glass of bubbly. Everybody was also treated to a burst of musical theatre by a group of guests who had written a song about the meeting of Becki & Alan. It was great to see the surprised looks on everyone’s faces as it was such a great song and performance.

I then took the happy couple away for a few relaxed photos around the grounds of the town hall and I was wowed by the beauty of the architecture – it almost looked like we were in Venice rather than Manchester city centre.

Then followed the three stop pub crawl which was so much fun. First stop: The Rising Sun, then onto the Oast House (teepees … I LOVE teepees!), then last stop The Kings Arms. After a short (and very entertaining) walk, we found ourselves at Islington Mill for the reception. Cue some very funny speeches, food from the Hip Hop Chip Shop, and lots of dancing to tunes played by the fantastic Mojo-matics. I left the party in full swing, which I believe continued until the early hours!

The thing I loved most about Becki and Alan’s wedding is that is was so ‘them’. They made it their own, and although there were hints of tradition, it was definitely unique and reflected their personalities every step of the way. 

Hair: Lindsay Warburton, Absolutely Flawless
Make up: Rachael Green, Absolutely Flawless
Band: Mojo-matics
DJ: Sly Fandango
Flowers: Poppies Florist
Wedding Breakfast: Hip Hop Chip Shop

 

 

“Thank you so much for your fabulous photos. I’m sorry it has taken us so long to reply, I kept putting it off so that I could spend the time to compose an email that would suitably express how pleased we were with them… but I don’t think we can.
 
The slide show was amazing and so well put together. It was wonderful for Alan and I to sit down together and especially see the parts of the day we hadn’t been privy to. We’ve toured it around our family and friends over Christmas. Each time I watch it I have a massive smile on my face and everyone is very impressed and complimentary of the photos.
 
Thank you so much for everything you did throughout the day – including working around the inconvenience of my arm! We loved having you as part of our day and would happily recommend you to any of our friends looking for a wedding photographer.”

If you are getting married and looking for an alternative/documentary style wedding photographer please get in touch, I’d love to hear all about your plans!

 

Manchester town hall and Islington Mill wedding photography – Hayley Blackledge Photography