Up on the Roof - as Carole King would say!

On Sunday I had the pleasure of shooting the celebrations of Hannah and Stephen`s wedding party at Barwick in Elmet Cricket Club. Great story where the couple had ran away and got married at Gretna Green for a quiet day to themselves, then planned this party afterwards to celebrate with friends and family. Took me back to my own wedding when we went for a similar small affair for an easy life and it seems only yesterday ;-)

 Stephen and Hannah looking good!

I must admit my heart sank when I saw the venue! Nothing wrong with it - a lovely little club and social venue( available for bookings) but being a cricket club it was flat ( as pitches usually are I am told) and one of the requests was for a group shot of over 90 guests. Armed only with a 3 step ladder, a crazy notion of having 6/8 blokes lifting an incredibly heavy picnic table for 8 some 20 feet into the outfield and sitting the bride and groom on top like a wedding cake  I thought "Should do it". Of course when everyone has been asked to dress for a wedding the last thing they want to do is lift heavy stuff and a plan B was needed. "If I had a bigger ladder I could get on that garage roof" I heard myself say out loud instead of to myself, with no regard for whether it was really safe to do so. Groom Stephen says "We can do that" and before you know it 90  people are making their way out and a kind guest held the lightweight ladder whilst my considerable (but diminishing by the day ) frame climbed on to the top level and clambered the last few feet onto the roof, pausing only to lie over the edge and reach for my precious camera. As I teetered on the roof remembering my deficient balance organ in my left ear, leaving me prone to vertigo issues and hearing the roof timbers creak, I resolved to keep to the edges for safety. "Wonder if I will be making my first ever claim on my public liability / indemnity insurance" , I mused. Instructions were hard to give as they could not hear me up there but soon I was shooting to a crescendo of high pitched "Eeeeeeeees" from the gathered crown and whilst no prize winner a group shot was gathered safely.

Of course they all wanted to get back to the serious drinking and more than one wag was heard to say "See you" as they jokingly moved the ladder but I was soon assisted down safely and my knees had stopped knocking within an hour.

Great event with some nice little touches / incidentals and lovely friendly people and as usual for these things a range of cute kids stole the show.

But of course  the bride and groom  looked stunning!

As a dyed in the wool geordie with a love for fottball I have  no time for whites when black and white rules. The sound of ball on willow is nothing compared to the roar of 50,000 people casting aspersions on the parentage of another referee failing to call correctly.The view from row zz at the top of the main stand at St James` Park reducing the players to ants on the pitch gives a great vantage point. Yes  I feel  cricket would benefit from taking place in the centre of a large hollow bowl, enabling photos from up on high at the edges and thus keeping scores down with fewer boundaries - I am sure India would agree to this notion when next playing England.

 Of course there were also the usual glamorous ladies and abandoned shoes and bags that seem to turn up whenever drink and good times roll!

Great fun - and next time I do not think out loud ;-) 

 Good luck in your life together with the gorgeous little Matilda to Hannah and Stephen.