Vintage Bride with tea and shortbread

Helen and her husband are good friends of Rob and I, knowing your couple can have as many advantages as disadvantages. Fortunately (for me at least) our relationship offered us the opportunity to gatecrash what was essentially a closed affair.

The wedding party consisted of the bride and groom's parents and siblings only. An intimate celebration for two private people. Quite the opposite to most of the weddings I have attended and poles apart from my own wedding on many a level.

Hassop Hall was the venue, a privately owned house in Derbyshire near Bakewell. The ceremony was at 11:00, tea and shortbread served immediately after and all photos were wrapped up by lunch at 13:30. Rob and I were de-rigged back on the road by 14:00. One of the shortest shoots I have ever been on.

I mentioned before that this wedding offered me advantages. I was able to sneak in to Helen's dressing room and capture the many emotions that rippled over her face, nerves, elation and the overwhelming conflicting grips of stage fright and confidence. Such honest accounts can be hindered by knowing someone too much, or too little. Perhaps says more about Helen's character than anything else.

Helen's dress is over 80 years old, bought from a vintage bridal fair. The dress was tweaked and fitted by her talented mum, a former Home Economics teacher, the lady who also created the wedding cake.

Details of names and suppliers to follow shortly, but I can advise that the stunning feathered headpiece was created by one of my tweeps DC Bouquets.

Shhh... a secret look at today's wedding

My fabulous boss allowed me to take a day off today to allow me to photograph Helen's wedding. As I rule I do not take bookings in the week, but long story short these two lovelies are very important to Rob and I, it was essential that we were there today and I begged, all but on my knees to a very understanding boss who initially had not been able to authorise the leave.As the couple are fairly private this will not be a facebook wedding, so will only appear on the official website's gallery, but here is a peek through my lens this afternoon.

More to come following my interview with the bride.