JOE + VIKI // 13.07.2019 // The Sun Pavilion, Harrogate
I’ve been doing this job for over 10 years now. As confident as I am that I can do this in my sleep, I still get the pre-wedding nerves before capturing someone’s wedding day.
Take those jitters, and add on the nerves of knowing every single guest at a wedding you’re shooting! I’ve probably photographed about 80% of the guests already back in the day when we’d frequently be at The Cockpit in Leeds (now at The Key Club). I was the club’s night photographer (aka, the ‘photo girl’), so it’s amazing to see your friends go from the club dance floor to the ceremony room. Even if it is nerve-wracking.
I’ve known Joe and Viki so long now, and have seen their relationship grow from day one. I helped Joe propose at The Key Club, and I’ve absolutely loved being involved in their wedding – it was such an honour! Joe is a teacher, and Viki is a School Administrator. Both have a passion for video games, cats, and music. Their wedding day focused heavily on those interests, from the cute polaroids of their two cats, Chi & Yuki, to the cassette tapes as table names, and custom guitar pick favours.
Grabbing a bev with Joe, I ask him the all-important questions about their big day (and be sure to check out their wedding video at the end!)
HOW MUCH DID YOU SPEND ON THE WEDDING?:
I can’t remember exact figures but somewhere around the 10-11k mark.
HOW DID YOU START YOUR PLANNING?:
We started by searching for venues. We were originally wanting to get married at Sefton Park Palm House in Liverpool, but the dates we wanted were unavailable, and the price was way beyond our budget. When we came across The Sun Pavilion, we couldn’t believe how nice it was. We went to view it and we fell in love!
HOW WAS THE PLANNING PROCESS FOR YOU?:
For me personally, the process was kind of stress-free. I say stress-free… I mean as stress-free as it can be. Viki planned and designed the look and aesthetics of the wedding, and I just got the wallet out and paid for my share when I needed to. The months that led up to the wedding were the most stressful for me, trying to get mine and my groomsmen’s suits sorted. It was a bit stressful at the time, but looking back I loved every second of it.
WHAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART FOR YOU BOTH WHEN PLANNING YOUR WEDDING?:
For me, it was just making sure that everything was perfect for Viki, and everything was the way she wanted it. She has something that I don’t when it comes to aesthetics. The thing I think Viki held as highly important was finding the right venue. When we realised that Sefton Park was going to be too far out of our budget, we worried we wouldn’t find somewhere as ideal. But we found The Sun Pavilion, and then the rest was history! Viki had spreadsheets going and everything. I can’t commend that woman enough!
WHAT WAS THE THEME OF YOUR DAY?:
We had a subtle music theme. We used numbered vinyl records for the table numbers, cassette tapes for the name placements, and custom guitar picks for the favours. Instead of a first dance, I wrote my wife a song.
WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE YOUR VENUE?:
The dome glass roof let lots of natural light in, and the veranda outside looked out over the Harrogate’s Valley gardens, so there was plenty of nice flowers and scenery. The actual ceremony took place out there as well.
HOW DID YOU BRING YOUR PERSONALITIES & VALUES INTO YOUR WEDDING DAY?:
The theme consisted of parts of our personalities. I am a musician, and me and Viki connected through our love for music and music festivals, so it played a big part in our day.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COUPLES WHO ARE GETTING MARRIED? WOULD YOU DO ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY?:
When you hear that you need £20k to have a perfect wedding… That is complete bullshit. Trust me. We spent £5k on catering and another £5k on EVERYTHING else, and you would have never known. We could have even done it cheaper than that, I think. I know it sounds cliché to say, but I honestly wouldn’t have done a single thing differently. It was the most perfect day of my life.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH ALT WEDDING CO?!:
Katie is just supreme. I cannot really put into words how committed she is to ensuring your day is captured perfectly. She is so non-intrusive, that when you look back through the pictures, you won’t even realise some of the shots were being taken! All of the photos Katie took captured all of the emotion that was in the room in each moment. The video Alt Wedding Co. did for us was just unbelievably good as well, I honestly recommend getting the video as part of your package. I’ll never forget the moment when I was stood at the front, waiting for my soon-to-be-wife to walk down the aisle. My nerves were all over the place, and Katie just totally calmed me down. Its not part of her job description, but she seriously values how important the day is for the people involved, and it comes across in everything her and her team does.
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT – RECOMMEND ANY SUPPLIERS YOU THOUGHT WERE AMAZING:
The Ivy Florist! Amazing flowers, delivery service, and amazing prices. Also Moss Bro’s for my suit. The staff in there were incredibly helpful.
SUPPLIERS:
This content was originally published here.