Rain wasn't going to stop Michael and Lesley from enjoying their wedding day.
Their intimate wedding ceremony took place at Runcorn Town Hall, with just their closest family and friends there to share the occasion. It was one of those typically unpredictable British wedding days where the rain had other ideas about the plans for photographs.
But that's the thing about wedding photography.
You can't control the weather. You can control how you respond to it.
And thankfully, a wet wedding day doesn't mean you have to spend the entire day hiding indoors.
An intimate ceremony in the Leira Room
Michael and Lesley chose the Leira Room at Runcorn Town Hall for their ceremony. It's a lovely setting for a smaller, more intimate wedding, and the atmosphere suited the day perfectly.
There was no need for a huge production or a long list of formalities. The focus was simply on Michael and Lesley, the people who mattered to them and the occasion itself.
That's something I particularly enjoy about photographing intimate weddings at Runcorn Town Hall. With fewer guests and less fuss, there's often more opportunity to concentrate on the genuine moments happening around the couple.
After the ceremony, we moved through to the Drawing Room for the group photographs.
Even when the weather isn't playing ball, there are some excellent indoor options at Runcorn Town Hall. Knowing the building well means I can make use of different rooms, available light and backgrounds rather than simply hoping the rain disappears.
And on this particular day, it didn't.
Yes, we went outside in the rain
Once the formal photographs were finished, we headed outside for some portraits.
It was wet.
Not "there might be a shower" wet.
Properly wet.
But that didn't mean we couldn't get some great photographs.
We made use of the Peace Garden and the area around the front of Runcorn Town Hall, working around the conditions rather than allowing them to dictate the day.
Rain can actually add something to photographs. Wet pavements create reflections, overcast skies provide soft, even light and the darker surroundings can give photographs a completely different atmosphere to those taken on a bright summer afternoon.
The important thing is knowing how to use what's there.
I'm not a photographer who needs perfect sunshine and blue skies before I can take photographs.
Give me the weather you've got and I'll work with it.
Wedding photography isn't about waiting for perfect conditions
Every wedding is different.
Sometimes the problem is rain. Sometimes it's harsh midday sunshine. Sometimes it's a dark ceremony room, mixed artificial lighting, a tiny space, a huge group of people or a reception venue with very little available light.
You don't get to choose the conditions on a wedding day.
That's why I don't rely on everything going according to plan.
My approach is to look at what's in front of me and work out how to make the most of it.
At Runcorn Town Hall, that might mean using the natural light in the Leira Room, finding a different angle in the Drawing Room, moving outside between showers or using the architecture and surroundings of the building for portraits.
It might even mean getting slightly wet.
The photographs don't have to be perfect because the weather was perfect. They just need to tell the story of the day.
Michael & Lesley's day
For Michael and Lesley, the rain became part of the story rather than something that spoiled it.
They still had their ceremony in the Leira Room, their group photographs in the Drawing Room and their portraits outside in the Peace Garden and at the front of the Town Hall.
Most importantly, the weather didn't take away from the atmosphere of the day.
There were still smiles, laughter, emotion and all the little moments that make a wedding personal.
And that's ultimately what I'm looking for.
Not perfect weather.
Not perfectly posed photographs.
Real people having a real day together.
Runcorn Town Hall wedding photography
I've photographed a lot of weddings at Runcorn Town Hall and know the building and its surroundings extremely well.
That familiarity is useful when conditions aren't ideal because I'm not trying to work out where to go when the rain starts. I already know the options.
If you're planning a wedding at Runcorn Town Hall and you're worried about what happens if it rains, don't be.
We can still make photographs.
We might use the rooms inside. We might find a break in the weather. We might embrace the rain and go outside anyway.
Most likely, we'll do a bit of all three.
Because your wedding day doesn't need perfect weather.
It just needs to be your wedding day.
