Wedding Day for Sarah & Mark

This particular blog post has a bitter sweet taste to it for me and will touch on sadness as well as joy, so bear with me.

I received a communication from a dear friend (and fellow photographer), David Pearce on Friday morning to tell me his little baby son, Oliver, had died suddenly. The shock and sadness that came from reading, and re-reading, that information is still tangible. On a practical note, David had a wedding booked for the Saturday, in Kent, and so he was asking me if I could find someone to help him. I am a member of a wonderful photographic community, the DWF, and so of course I immediately started to ask if someone was available. Long story short, as I was free, I decided that I would dearly love to help David out. Another friend and fellow photographer, Helen Bartlett, said she would work with me, a huge relief.

I travelled to Helen's home in Cambridge on Friday night to collect her and we then stayed at her parent's home in Blackheath, London, a mere 45 minutes drive to the first location for shooting the next morning. We shot the preps in our own unique styles, then headed off to Upnor Castle in Maidstone for the ceremony. David was there to shoot the ceremony and it was a wonderful opportunity for me to give him huge hugs ... there are absolutely no words that can be said in this situation, what can anyone say, after all.

David shot the ceremony while I took a break, then we carried on with some formals and bride and groom shots. The venue was beautiful, the guests all soaked in the wonderful sunshine and drank champagne on the terrace. I managed to get up onto the castle turrets to take the large formal shot, but I think there may be a few worried faces in that photo - I was well and truly precariously balance, I can tell you ! LOL

David went off home to be with his wife, Sarah and other son, James, so Helen and I headed off to capture the speeches and evening goings on. We managed to have some more fun with Sarah and Mark and their bridal party too :)

Here are a few of my favourites from the day ...

The preps and some detail shots ...

Waiting for Sarah to arrive at the Castle ...

After the ceremony ...

One of their guests was being "ribbed" for looking like a famous person, so he pretended to be being "papped" LOL

The speeches ...

Fun with off-camera flash ...

Helen ...

David ...

Oliver

Here is a beautiful photo of Oliver, taken by David minutes after he was born last August (it would have been his first birthday on the 9th) with proud Mum, Sarah. To read the story of his birth through David's writing and photos, click here for the blog post.

Finally, I would like to add ... David, Sarah and James, my heart and my thoughts are with you during this terrible tragedy ... may you find strength in each other and those around you to get through.

Gill