A Rainy Summer Micro Wedding at Bridgford Hall | Riddhi & Vivek

Some wedding days arrive with perfect blue skies. Others arrive with rain, umbrellas and the occasional break in the clouds that gives us just enough time to head outside with a camera.

Riddhi and Vivek's civil ceremony at Bridgford Hall in West Bridgford was definitely a rainy one, but it didn't stop them enjoying every minute of it.

I photographed their ceremony in July 2025, followed by drinks and celebrations at The Botanist in West Bridgford. With around 40 of their closest family and friends there, it was a wonderfully intimate celebration and a lovely example of how personal a smaller wedding can be.

The couple would go on to celebrate with their larger Indian wedding in summer 2026, but this day was all about their civil ceremony, the people closest to them and enjoying the occasion together.

And although the weather was very wet indeed, Riddhi and Vivek simply embraced it.

A relaxed civil ceremony at Bridgford Hall

Riddhi and Vivek arrived together at Bridgford Hall, which immediately set the tone for the day. There was no big entrance or elaborate production. Just the two of them arriving together, surrounded by the people who mattered most.

Riddhi looked fantastic in a dress from Coast's wedding collection. It was elegant but still felt completely right for the relaxed feel of the day.

The ceremony itself was full of those lovely little moments that can easily be missed when everyone is concentrating on what happens next. Family and friends chatting, people reacting to the ceremony, laughter and all the interactions between the people who had come to celebrate with them.

There were plenty of natural documentary moments throughout the day, but this wasn't a wedding where the couple wanted to avoid the camera either.

Riddhi knew exactly what she wanted from her photographs and she was brilliant to work with. She wanted a mixture of natural moments alongside something a little more editorial and edgy, and I loved being able to bring both sides of that into their photographs.

Some couples genuinely enjoy being in front of the camera, and when that's the case, I'm more than happy to embrace it.

Making the most of the breaks in the rain

It was a very wet day.

There were breaks in the rain though, and whenever we had a window, we headed outside into the park around Bridgford Hall.

And this is where the weather actually became part of the story.

Riddhi didn't spend the day worrying about keeping her dress pristine. She embraced the rain and you can see exactly what I mean in the photographs.

There was a point where the brolly had to come out, but rather than seeing it as something that had ruined the photographs, we simply used it.

The result is a set of photographs that feel very much like their day. A little romantic, a little dramatic, slightly edgy and completely unbothered by the weather.

We also had time for some more editorial photographs around the park, alongside the natural moments and interactions with their guests.

Confetti cannons, laughter and plenty of real moments

One of my favourite things about smaller weddings is how much space there is for people to actually interact with each other.

There was no rushing from one large part of the day to another. There was time for hugs, conversations, laughter and all the little interactions that happen when people who love each other are together.

There were confetti cannons too, which added a fair bit of fun to the photographs! They did take a while to go off - sometimes these things happen. The canon just would not twist!

These are the moments I love photographing. Not everything needs to be carefully arranged. Sometimes it's simply about being ready when something happens.

Drinks at The Botanist in West Bridgford

After the ceremony, everyone headed to The Botanist in West Bridgford for drinks.

It was a great place to continue the celebrations and gave me another opportunity to photograph the day as it unfolded naturally.

There were conversations, drinks, laughter and plenty of interaction between family and friends, alongside some photographs of Riddhi and Vivek together.

My coverage finished at The Botanist, with Riddhi and Vivek heading into Nottingham city centre afterwards for a meal.

It was a relatively short wedding photography booking, but there was still plenty of time to tell the story of their civil ceremony and the people who came to celebrate with them.

A micro wedding with its own personality

This was my second time photographing a micro wedding at Bridgford Hall, and it was another great reminder that smaller weddings don't mean less to photograph.

In many ways, there's more opportunity to focus on the people and the atmosphere.

Riddhi and Vivek were fantastic to work with. They knew what they wanted, they were completely themselves in front of the camera and most importantly, they embraced the day exactly as it was.

Including the rain.

And honestly, I'm rather glad they did.

The wet pavements, the umbrellas, Riddhi's dress getting a little damp and those breaks in the clouds all became part of the story.

That's what I love about photographing intimate weddings. I'm not there to manufacture a perfect version of your day. I'm there to photograph the day you actually had, with all the laughter, emotion, people, weather and little unexpected moments that make it yours.

Planning a micro wedding or intimate wedding?

If you're planning a small civil ceremony, micro wedding or elopement and want photographs that feel natural, personal and true to the atmosphere of your day, I'd love to hear what you're planning.

Whether you're getting married at a registry office, having a small celebration with your closest people or heading somewhere beautiful for an elopement, coverage can be shaped around the parts of the day that matter most to you.

Find out more about micro wedding and elopement photography or get in touch to tell me about your plans.