30 August 2019 · Ringwood Hall
A festival, a zoo and eight years together
Gary & Natalie
Watch their film ↓
Gary and Natalie first met at a festival, eight years and five days before their wedding at Ringwood Hall. In his speech, Gary remembered being too shy to ask Natalie to be his girlfriend during their first date at Chester Zoo. He eventually asked by text. By the wedding day, he had rather more to say.
An outdoor ceremony at Ringwood Hall
They married beneath the garden pavilion, with flowers overhead and their guests gathered close. Natalie’s lace dress, the greenery and the house behind them made a lovely setting, but we kept returning to their faces as they spoke.
Both had written things for the other to read during the morning. Those private moments sit alongside the public promises in their film, preserving something each of them would otherwise have missed.
Two speeches that agreed on the important things
Gary and Natalie both spoke about making each other laugh every day. They had not compared speeches beforehand, which made the agreement all the sweeter. Natalie thanked her mum for her support and positivity; Gary thanked the family who had welcomed him in.
There was plenty of room for old friends to contribute too. Two decades of friendship meant the best man could call on some questionable former hairstyles and plenty of eyeliner. Gary and Natalie were laughing along with everyone else.
A wedding worth returning to
Ringwood Hall’s gardens gave them space for a walk together, while the reception brought everyone back into the house. There was plenty of affection around the tables, with familiar faces catching up and enjoying being together.
Gary had told us that a film would help him take in parts of the day he might miss at the time. Their own words do much of that work: a festival encounter, a shy question and a shared sense of humour, all remembered in the company of the people who had seen it happen.
With thanks to
The people behind the day
VenueRingwood Hall Hotel
PhotographyPhotogenick