Prudhoe Castle.

the wedding of Emma and Christopher

No caption here.
if you need one, you're just being silly . .

it's a flower, . .
well, lots of flowers . .
a bouquet to be precise.

Emma, busy having makeup applied, tips her head back for the makeup artist - and the mad guy with the camera pounces, click. hah - she looks lovely !

But where are we now ?

I spy some dressed up chairs,

but it looks like daylight,

surely, we couldn't be outdoors

Hah - yes, it's an outdoor ceremony in the grounds of Prudhoe Castle,
and here we have the congregation, or audience or . . . or . . .

hey - they're called family and friends !

The religious guy appears, and he looks very formal to me . . .

this was the mood of the day - laughter all the way !

I find a handy tree,
shin up onto a branch and get
a birds eye view of things.

But, this being outdoors - and I have permission
from the religious bod to do anything I like
as long as I'm not too visible
(try being invisible in a field . . )

I sneak around and get to various vantage points,

obtaining pictures with a huge telescope type lens

pictures taken whilst hiding in a bush / whilst hiding behind a log

pictures taken whilst sliding down a ditch

(by the way, in this instance, ditch = castle moat)

and me sliding = a mad panicked slip then a heavy thudding run as I ended up at the bottom

as all of this happened, the guests were totally unaware. well, sort of.

hopefully they didn't see me too much

ouch - flipping moat. . . .you'd think it was made as an obstacle . . . .

you can probably imagine, guy in a suit, carrying lots of cameras,
feet start to slip,
frantically stumble forward putting one foot in front of another as fast as possible

going doooooown the ditch,     ooooooh aaaaaaa . . arms thrashing wildly . .

kerthud  kerthud  kerthud  faster and faster  kerthud  kerthud  thump WHAM. hit the bottom,

we've all done it at some time or other . .

but most of us don't fall into ditches very often after childhood . . .

OK back to the wedding,
I was miles away with a long lens so I was out of earshot,
I don't know what was said in the picture above . . but it certainly had an effect !

Hopping (limping)
around the rear of the proceedings, we get to see the castle in the background.

yep - that valley inbetween
is a very steep moat.

ouch.

Rather than go for the obvious, I try to get creative, photographing the ceremony reflected in the funnel of a french horn. . Oh, I forgot to mention -
there was a brass in the field . hired by Emma & Christopher !

Twas such a sunny day,
people were using their orders of service as sunshades

OK then . confetti and off to the car.

the car zooms off (what a car . . Emmas fathers pal built it, or rebuilt it, it's a Ford Model T.

anyhow - they zoom off and . . .

all of the guests follow them

cunning plan eh !

the car hid round the corner,

the guests all departed for the reception
and the car sneaked back
with Emma and Christopher !

ha. tricked em. we only stay in the castle for 20 mins or so,

but it's enough to get some pictures .

Emma looking good.

Christopher also,
reflected in a window

A wild gust of wind gets up

I take the picture, thinking , drat,the pictures ruined

but on reflection (no pun intended)

I rather like it.

ok its a bit odd. but it's real !

Emma couldn't keep a serious look for long

whilst taking the pictures above, I'm not sure if I said something silly.

anyway - the lady found it amusing !

This time, the car REALLY goes off to the reception,
which is held in the garden of Emmas parents home, Eltringham House.

We spot Emmas grandparents
and nobble a quick picture.

Emmas dress catches the light, well, a bow does.

so I get a picture of it.

Speeches, meal and that sort of thing are held in a marquee.

Emmas father here,
is making Chris and everyone else smile !

You don't need a caption -
it's just affection. simple.

pictures above don't really need much comment either.

ok. so you want a comment

band dance band.

is that ok.

WHADYA MEAN, NO.

saxophone blowing fit to burst

Emma and Christopher take to the floor,
their first dance, they've obviously practised this one

Chris whirls Emma in a blur of speed, what a show

bottom picture

band. ok it's a battery of trombones and trumpets.

are you happy with the comments now then ?.

hinese lanterns are strung about the house and grounds. each has a candle in it. softly glowing in the dusk.

below, we have
Emma & Chris near to the front of the house

and below, we have . . . . .

a pyromaniac

or whatever is the word for a mad geezer holding fireworks

it's Emmas dad, clutching a suspicious box

labelled TNT SUPER FINALE

THAT HUGE PARCEL / BOX THING IN HIS HAND

is a firework.

and he had a stack of them.

One of Emmas Fathers

landmines / missiles erupts into life.

I'm snapping frantically trying to catch one on camera

Then I turn around and notice - everyone lit up by one of the firework explosions.

in an insane burst of activity - I try to handle two cameras simultaneously,
and get a picture of the crowd lit up by a flash

you can almost hear the oohs and aaaahs.

oh - and the white dress in the middle contains Emma , she's nicked Christophers jacket . .

as one does . .

a perfect end to a perfect day  !