Alissa & Tom's Shortflatt Tower Wedding, Northumberland

Real Wedding
Written By Lou Rob

When I asked Alissa and Tom if they were having a ceilidh, the answer came back: "No – too many English people."

Fair. Very fair.

So I packed my passport and headed south to Shortflatt Tower in Northumberland for a day that had brass, birthday hats, a dog called dave and more cake than I've seen at any wedding, ever. Here's how it went.

A parkrun before the glam

Most brides spend the morning of their wedding relaxing. Alissa's plan was to squeeze in a parkrun first, if the make-up artist would allow it. Iconic behaviour.

The beauty of Shortflatt is that everything happens on site. The girls got ready in the Bolam Room up in the main tower before nipping into one of the cottages for the dress, while Tom and the groomsmen took over the Stables cottage. Longest commute of the day? A few minutes' walk across the grounds.

They also went for a first look before the ceremony – one of my favourite wee moments to photograph. No crowd, no pressure, just the two of them seeing each other for the first time that day.

The ceremony

At 1.30pm, 125 guests settled in for the ceremony led by Northumberland Registrars. Alissa walked in to Crazier by Taylor Swift (yes, the Hannah Montana one) – sung live by her childhood friend, Mark who flew all the way home from the States. If you've ever wondered whether you can cry and laugh at the same time, the answer is yes, and I have the photos to prove it.

Then it was out the door into a shower of confetti, which is always my cue to get very excited and slightly sweaty.

Dave the dog

I need to talk about Dave.

Dave is the dog. Dave had an outfit from Coco Pup. Dave featured in several photos and was, frankly, a professional about it. Every wedding should have a Dave.

Family photos (and one from the roof)

We whizzed through the family groups so everyone could get back to their drinks, then headed up to one of the upper bedrooms, which opens onto a roof balcony overlooking the lawn. Perfect spot for the big everyone shot – 125 faces looking up at me while I tried not to drop anything.

The happiest couple I've ever photographed

I say this with my hand on my heart: I have never seen a couple smile and laugh as much as these two. All. Day. The first look, the ceremony, the confetti, the speeches – and especially their portraits, which is usually when couples feel a little bit stiff. Not Alissa and Tom. Every time I lifted the camera, they were creased up about something.

And it was infectious. Bridesmaids, groomsmen, guests, me – everyone was grinning. An absolute joy to be part of.

Speeches and a LOT of cake

The speeches came before dinner – six of them. Now, the cake. Alissa and Tom didn't do a formal cake cutting. Instead, there were homemade cakes from friends and family on every table, and each table picked someone to cut theirs – all at the same time. A friend and an auntie with big birthdays around the date did the honours on theirs wearing party hats. It was chaos in the best possible way and I loved every second.

Brass band, Queen and confetti cannons

The evening belonged to the Saltire Street Brass Band, with Ken Masters keeping things going on the decks between sets. If you've never had a brass band at your wedding, I'd strongly recommend reconsidering your life choices.

The first dance was to You're My Best Friend by Queen – which tells you everything you need to know about these two – and then the confetti cannons went off on the dancefloor and the place erupted.

The dream team

Planning something colourful, a wee bit chaotic and full of your favourite people? Let’s chat!

Lou x

Lou Rob
Next

an intimate wedding at cromlix: georgina, james (& nelly)