We fell in love with this gorgeous couple and they’re snowy(!) spring wedding pics as soon as we saw them! Jordan and Laura were wed at Middleton Lodge and chose Joss Denham Photography to capture their day. Now, I feel I should apologise to all of you lovely people planning your spring weddings… snow might not be what you’re planning for. But oh my, isn’t it beautiful?!

“We got married on 11th March 2023. We chose this date to try and avoid any inclement winter weather but much to our surprise, we were treated to a dusting of snow which amplified the beauty of the Fig House and Walled Gardens.”

Joss Denham Photography

From the preview of images we have seen so far, we have been blown away by how they have captured the joy, love and happiness expressed by both ourselves and our guests on the best day of our lives. The images tell a story of the day from start to finish capturing both the big moments, from saying “I do”, to the speeches and first dance, to the more intricate moments such as the tears and laughter of our ourselves and our guests. This has allowed us to relive the day in the finer details that otherwise wouldn’t be possible if we had opted for a formal approach.

Selecting Joss Denham Photography was one of the earliest and easiest decisions we made in the planning. His relaxed and non-cheesy style appealed to us a couple as we were determined to capture the day in a way that was both authentic and natural. On the day, Joss delivered beyond our expectations. His unobtrusive and professional approach was recognised by all of our family and friends.

Wedding days are made up of lots of intricate and subtle moments, many of which would go untold without an experienced and skilled photographer. On the day, you can’t possibly experience it all – which is why documenting the emotions, reactions and stories on film is so crucial to providing a lifetime of memories to cherish forever.

Joss was present at every moment, and yet seemed invisible to us and our guests – meaning that the raw emotions of the day could be captured in their truest form. To say that we would recommend Joss would be an understatement. If you are looking for a photographer to truly capture your day in its most joyous and honest form, Joss is the only photographer for you.

A wedding at Middleton Lodge

We got married at the Fig House, Middleton Lodge. Laura’s dream was always to get married in an orangery and the Fig House provided a spin on this that we had never seen before. Passing through the archway, you experience the dramatic transition from the intimate and cosiness of the Boiler Bar where the ceremony takes place, to the bright and spacious Fig House where the guests are seated for the wedding breakfast. For us there was no other venue that could match up to Middleton Lodge.

Wedding style

The theme for our wedding day was chic but timeless. We were determined to stay away from anything trend driven that may date over time, instead making choices that were classic but modern with a luxe theme through out. The outcome was beyond our wildest dreams.

Our colour scheme started with whites and some very pale nudes but as time went on this developed into a wider palette of sands, peaches and pinks. The colours felt soft but romantic and paired with the greenery in the Fig House worked perfectly.

Dress by Jesus Peiro from The White Closet

When I went to the White Closet in Didsbury I had a very clear image in mind of the dress that I would be leaving with. This dress was halter neck, satin, slinky and form fitting. After trying on many dresses in this style although I appreciated the beauty of each and every one I knew none of them were mine. This is when I tried on the Jesus Peiro dress. As soon as I put on the dress and looked in the mirror I knew this was the one. The dress was effortlessly chic, understated but dramatic and had a back that was to die for. The dress made me feel like a bride and although it’s never what I imagined I would get married in, now I cannot imagine anything but the Jesus Peiro dress.

Flowers by The Wilde

Flowers were a hugely important part of the day for us. The way that they can make a space feel is transformational. For us, we wanted flowers that were both wild but refined with irregular arrangements that owned the space in which they took up. We opted for 2 large urns at the bottom of the aisle as our focal point, these were then replicated on the long tables in miniature form with long stem candles to finish off the look. Our florist was Kirsty at The Wilde who we found through Middleton Lodge. Kirsty saw our vision immediately from the bouquets to the smaller arrangements at the start of the aisle – everything was perfect.

Cake by Where The Ribbon Ends

Where the Ribbon Ends were the only cake choice for us and boy did they deliver. We chose a three tired, vintage style cake with frilled piping and pearls. To us this cake resembled the timelessly romantic vibe that we were going for and on the day we were over the moon with how it turned out. The flavours were biscoff, lemon and poppy seed and white chocolate and raspberry.

Special, personal touches

We are lucky enough to have an incredibly talented friend, Laura Hampson who specialises in illustration but does not usually do wedding stationery. Laura designed everything from our invitations to our wedding day creative including the welcome signs, table plan, place settings and even turned her hand to book binding for the creation of our guestbook. Laura poured her heart and soul into every minor detail of our wedding day and it massively paid off in the perfection of each and every element she touched.

Another talented friend to mention is Jessica Cutler who specialises in weave and made us a pair of custom blankets in our wedding colour palette to act as a finishing touch to the fire pits that were lit in the early evening.

Wine is something that is very important to us and it on the day we chose to have our favourite Amié wines for all of our guests. This wine is one that we have enjoyed countless times as a couple and it was amazing to share it with our family and friends on our special day.

We would also like to mention La Maison Guimauve Marshmallows who provided our favours: a mix of affogato; and raspberry and prosecco marshmallows. Not only did these taste delicious but they were the perfect addition to our table dressing with the colours complimenting our overall look and feel.

Entertainment from day to night

The day was punctuated by performances from a string arrangement for the ceremony and drinks reception; a magician during the transition from day to evening and a band to fill the dance floor. We chose Aurora Strings for our ceremony music. They were available in a 2, 3 or 4 piece offering. We opted for a 3 piece offering and they played Canon in D as Laura walked down the aisle. They played This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) as we walked up the aisle. They have an enormous and versatile repertoire of music from classical to modern, and brought real a touch of class to our wedding.

The magic was provided by the brilliant Paul Lytton. We discovered Paul just a few weeks before our wedding during a showcase at the Fig House. Paul is unlike any magician we have encountered. His credentials and past audiences speak to his incredible talent. Our guests were mesmerised by his tricks and showmanship. Not least he provided some fantastic reactions and was perfect for filling that ‘lull’ period before the evening got underway.

Filling the dance floor was the 3 piece band, The Overthinkers. With vocals led by David Aryn, they learned and delivered a beautiful rendition of our first dance song, Can’t Help Falling in Love.

The band was fun, energetic and got our guests up dancing the night away. As a bonus, they also a offer a DJ service, where they hang around until the end of night, playing a pre-curated list of some of our favourite hits.