Alice & Michael - An Emotionally Joyous Hope Mill Theatre Wedding - Manchester Wedding Photography
“I look at your picture and I smile
How awful’s that? I’m like a teenage girl
I might as well write all over my notebook
That you “rock my world”
But you do, you really do
You’ve turned me upside down
And that’s okay, I’ll let it happen
’Cause I like having you around
I’m electric, a romantic cliché
Yeah, they really are all true”
Oh, this one was special.
Alice and Michael have been together since they were 17. SEVENTEEN! Ten years of growing up together, going to university together (both studying graphic design), becoming part of each other’s families and generally being the kind of couple where it’s impossible to imagine one without the other. By the time their wedding at Hope Mill Theatre in Ancoats rolled around, their families were already so beautifully intertwined — and that made the whole day feel incredibly emotional and full of love.
It also rained. Because Manchester.
But honestly? Who cares. A bit of drizzle was never going to get in the way of this one, and Hope Mill Theatre is such a gorgeous, characterful place for a Manchester wedding that we were more than happy disappearing into little corners of Ancoats whenever the rain eased off.
One of my favourite things about the day was how brilliantly Alice and Michael had worked out what actually mattered to them. There was such a lovely mix of carefully chosen suppliers and things they (and their extremely talented family!) had made themselves. Alice had her beautiful bridal bouquet professionally made, but they bought flowers directly from a flower farm and created the rest of the arrangements themselves. Her mum Louise made the huge banner hanging above the ceremony aisle, and her sister Abbie made the gorgeous floral-adorned wedding cake.
And my wonderful work wives at Florence & Vera Events were there styling and coordinating everything on the day, which meant it all ran like an absolute dream.
Then there was the FOOD. An incredible Italian-inspired barbecue, piled onto the tables and served family-style, which is basically my dream way to eat at a wedding.
And after dinner? A pub quiz in the bar.
More. Wedding. Pub. Quizzes. Please.
Then everyone headed back upstairs for Alice and Michael’s first dance to Don’t Delete the Kisses by Wolf Alice, which felt completely, utterly perfect.
I came away from this one thinking about how good weddings are when you strip away all the things you think you’re supposed to do and prioritise what actually matters to you. Good food. Your favourite people. Brilliant music. Personal touches. A room full of people who are completely invested in the two of you.
Alice and Michael trusted me completely to photograph their day as it happened, and I felt so supported and appreciated throughout — which meant I could just get stuck in, follow the moments and photograph all the joy and chaos and tiny in-between bits that I love.
Ten years in the making. A drizzly day in Ancoats. A pub quiz, happy tears, brilliant food and two people who really do feel like soul mates.
What a bloody lovely wedding.
