This was my first time at the beautiful Victoria, situated in Kelham Island and it did not dissapoint.
On arrival the staff were immediately super friendly and showed me around their venue quickly including some spaces I could put batteries on charge or leave my spare equipment securely with easy access. The wedding planner from the venue gave me a really clear rundown of the day and gave me a few specifics I needed to know for photo timings and good locations for portraits around the venue.
I'd arrived early with plenty of time to explore the venue and get my bearings - upon arrival in the ceremony room I was greeted with the angelic voices of a choir (the groom is a professional coral conductor) and the beaty of the room immediately sunk in. The room had bundles of natural light and the exposed brick warms the tones of the room so perfectly.
The ceremony itself went very smoothly and the indirect sunlight streaming in through the windows made for easy capturing of the couple as they read their vows and took part in a handfasting ceremony - the service was wonderful and their friend, acting as celebrant did an incredible job of crafting a sincere ceremony that was perfect for Tim and Ivvy.
After the ceremony the courtyard made a perfect space for the confetti photos and a quick group shot angled down from the bell tower. The couple weren't interested in posed family photos so we took the time to leave the venue just the three of us for some couple portraits. A 5 minute drive to the top of Parkwood Springs made the perfect setting for some secluded shots with trees and a view over the city. I will definitely be using this area again for portraits as it's a very quiet park without many passers by aside from the odd dog walker.
A quick coffee and snack for me at Gaard round the corner whilst the guests took a short break too and we were ready to go again. These micro breaks are so important to find on a full day photographing - lets your mind and body reset so you can stay on the ball at the important moments. It's easy to get carried away shooting all day but by the 10th hour your brain is cloudy and it's tricky to react fast enough.
Next up the food - hands down the best wedding food I've had. After capturing the couple coming into the room where the ceremony had been but the Victoria staff had transformed, the food started to arrive. Plate after plate of incredible looking sharing dishes were brought out. The venue was kind enough to plate me up some aubergine parmigiana and some bits of salad which I happily munched in the bar area whilst I reviewed some of the photos from the day.
Then came the speeches - heartfelt and emotional with space to enjoy them now everyones bellies are filled. I always think speeches should be after food to be enjoyed fully. The evening light was warming so the atmosphere and aesthetic was exceptional.
Another quick turn for the Victoria staff who quickly cleared the tables and chairs away ready for a Ceilidh provided by wedding guests and friends of the couple Kate Griffin and Ford Collier. Always a crowd pleaser.
After the Ceilidh it was the turn of Life Aquatic Band - usually accompanied by the groom on Trombone, the Sheffield musicians ushered in the first dance then proceeded to rip through a set of their greatest hits and a handful of covers chosen by Tim and Ivvy. I've been a gig photographer a long time and have worked with the band on multiple occasions so it was a joy to capture them playing at such an intimate and personal event.
Then came the disco - I hung around for a short while, captured the vibe as it snowballed into something more chaotic then called it a night and left people to boogie into the night without a camera in their faces.
It can be tempted to stick around to the end when the wedding is as amazing as this one was. But I think it's crucial for the enjoyment of the wedding party to take your leave and allow people to be free from being filmed and captured. There's an important moment when you've got the shots you need and it's time to head home, back up your photos and sleep off the marathon day you've just had.
