
Who wouldn’t want to be an Oast House Wedding Photographer? It’s a 16th century hops roaster turned quirky pub in the centre of Manchester. It sets up ‘ The Curious Tipi’ in its large outdoor courtyard during the winter months, serving as a wedding venue for couples who want a relaxed and novel inner city wedding. The Oast House can cater for up to 100 diners and 150 people for drinks and canapes.
Olivia and Jonny didn’t want bride and groom prep. For them it was all about catching up with family, friends and chilled vibes. They wanted to break with the conventions of typical weddings and just let their hair down. I met them at Alberts Chop House as they waited for their guests to arrive. Olivia and Jonny weren’t worried about seeing each other before the ceremony. Your wedding is your party to make it as you will, there’s no problem in not following traditions! I floated round the crowd capturing happy moments as friends and family who hadn’t seen each other i years reunited.
Everyone moved over to Heron House, Manchester’s registry office, where there were more hugs as people who hadn’t bumped into each other in the pub, were able to come together in a new room. The ceremony was a super fun and relaxed occasion with plenty of laughter. A little boy ring bearer was making just a little too much noise and his older brother had to tell him to be quiet. Olivia and Jonny didn’t have a first kiss, that’s fine, you can tell by the look on their faces just how happy they were to be married. They left the ceremony room to rapturous applause and the father of the groom gave Jonny a heartfelt hug.
It was time to take the short walk to their wedding venue in Spinningfields. The Curious Tipi was adorned with festive christmas lights. Shortly after arrival we moved onto some group photos using the pretty inner city lights as a nice backdrop. Even though our bride and groom had asked for a purely documentary approach with no posed photos, I was able to get a quick impromptu couple photo while they waited for the next group of guests to line up. The lights and Olivia’s expression made the photo in my opinion!
The children had a little time to play with their paper aeroplanes and then it was time for the wedding breakfast and speeches. Lots of laughing as you can imagine, and then to Jonny’s shock a surprise song performed by his best man, which lyrics provided on a large plaque so that all the crowd could sing along.
The reception starting in earnest, Twisted Tubes took to the stage. These guys totall rocked it, playing popular songs on their brass instruments. Olivia and Jonny didn’t have a first dance, but it didn’t matter. Their guests needed no encouragement to get on the dance floor. The booze was flowing freely and I was able to capture some really funny moments throughout the evening. You might not consider these typical wedding photos – but they captured the spirit of Olivia and Jonny’s day and they were very happy with them. A passing magician ran circles round Jonny outside, and later in the evening a gang of drinkers did shots together which made for a funny photo.
Massive congratultions to Olivia and Jonny!
Are you getting married at the Oast House’s Curious Tipi? Need a photographer? If you haven’t already, why not take a look at a few more of my blog posts, get in touch to check for availability, or read more about the packages I offer.
Ceremony Venue: Manchester Registry Office
Reception Venue: The Oast House, Manchester
Entertainment: Twisted Tubes