Osteria Wedding | Lucy & Dan

Some weddings are all about recreating the latest TikTok trend or getting that perfect Instagram shot. Lucy and Dan’s wedding was definitely not one of those. I had photographed one of Lucy’s close friend’s weddings a while back, where Lucy was a bridesmaid, so I already knew a few of the crew and had a pretty good feeling this was going to be a party with a wedding attached. Turns out, I was right.

The day started with the girls getting ready, and there was already a great atmosphere as hair and makeup were being finished. Lucy’s mum popped a bottle of champagne and everyone shared a glass before it was time to get into the gowns. Once Lucy was dressed, her mum and bridesmaids helped with the final details and we grabbed some beautiful portraits before heading over to catch up with Dan.

Dan was getting ready with his family and groomsmen, with his mum helping him put his buttonhole on before we grabbed a few family photos. After that, it was time for a beer with the boys and a few laughs before they headed off to take their places at the altar.

The garden at Osteria is a beautiful spot for a ceremony and, thankfully, the weather played along for most of it. There was a tiny sprinkle of rain just as the first bridesmaid walked out, but it was gone before the last one made it down the aisle. The barn doors were closed and everyone waited, when they opened Lucy walked out with her mum. All eyes were on her, especially Dan’s, who did his best to hold it together but couldn’t quite hide the nervous shuffle and swallow the lump in his throat. Their friend Mary officiated the ceremony, and it was exactly what you’d expect from these two. Plenty of heartfelt moments mixed in with plenty of laughs. They exchanged rings, shared their first kiss and signed the papers before Mary announced the new Mr and Mrs Plowman. The response from the guests was pretty impressive. Lucy and Dan walked back up the aisle and confetti cannons went off around them, with everyone cheering as they made their way through the crowd. Family and friends quickly surrounded them with hugs and congratulations before we gathered everyone together for a big group photo, followed by the family photos.

Once that was done, everyone could finally relax and enjoy the afternoon properly. The champagne tower was set up and it didn’t take long for the glasses to start flowing. There were plenty of laughs as everyone mingled, caught up and celebrated, and by this stage it was pretty obvious that the party was only getting started.

As the sun started to drop, I grabbed the bridal party and we headed to a nearby park for some fun photos before giving Lucy and Dan a little time on their own. We’d originally planned to head down to the beach, but the wind had other ideas. It didn’t really matter though. The light was beautiful and these two were so relaxed and comfortable together that we didn’t need much else. The golden sunset, a couple who were completely at ease with each other and a bit of time away from the crowd was more than enough to get some great photos.

When we returned to Osteria, they were greeted with another huge cheer from their guests before jumping straight back into the celebrations. As night started to fall it was time to head inside, with the guests going in first, followed by the bridal party and then Lucy and Dan. They danced their way into the room to a pretty massive reception, and from there it was speeches, dinner and plenty of partying as the night started to heat up. We grabbed some photos of the cake cutting before stealing Lucy and Dan away for one last little escape. The garden was now empty and lit with fairy lights, so we took advantage of it for some quiet night time portraits. It was a nice change of pace after the noise of the reception and gave the two of them a few minutes together before Lucy disappeared to change into her party outfit.

The barn doors were closed again and everyone waited for them to open. When they did, the newlyweds came back in and the cheers started all over again. They launched straight into their choreographed first dance, and halfway through, their guests joined them on the dancefloor. That was pretty much the moment the party went up another level. The dancefloor was packed, everyone had completely let their hair down and these guys were clearly determined to make the most of the night. It was one of those weddings where the photos really just happen around you because nobody is worried about looking perfect or putting on a show for the camera. They were too busy having fun.

And I reckon that’s exactly what a wedding should be. Lucy and Dan didn’t try to make their day look like someone else’s. They just surrounded themselves with their favourite people, got married, had a bloody good time and threw one hell of a party.

Click images to fill screen