A beautiful second-chance wedding at The Folly, Mackworth 🤍
There is something rather lovely about a wedding that feels completely and utterly like the couple who are getting married.
Not a wedding built around traditions because they are expected. Not a day designed to look like somebody else's idea of a wedding. Just two people choosing to celebrate their marriage in a way that feels right for them.
That was exactly what I loved about H & R's beautiful July wedding at The Folly at The Farmhouse at Mackworth.
It was intimate, relaxed and full of thoughtful little details and most importantly, it was completely theirs.
An intimate wedding at The Folly, Mackworth
The Folly sits within the grounds of The Farmhouse at Mackworth, a beautiful former 18th-century farmhouse just outside Derby. With its more intimate setting and licence to hold wedding ceremonies, it is a lovely option for couples looking for something a little smaller and more personal.
And that suited H & R perfectly.
Their wedding wasn't about having a huge guest list or following every traditional wedding convention. It was about bringing together the people who mattered and celebrating their marriage in a way that felt comfortable and authentic to them.
The July sunshine certainly played its part too, giving the whole day that wonderful feeling of a proper English summer wedding.
And I have to say, I absolutely loved it.
A bride with her own style
One of my favourite things about H & R's wedding was how much personality was woven through the details.
The bride looked incredible in her tea-length ivory wedding dress, paired with the most fabulous racing green suede shoes. It was elegant, stylish and completely her.
R chose a classic brown suit which complemented her look beautifully.
Sometimes it is the simplest combinations that work best, and these two got it absolutely right.
There were also lots of personal touches throughout the day, including the table decorations which the bride had made herself, sourcing items from the local High Street.
Those handmade details are always some of my favourites to photograph because they tell you something about the people behind the wedding. They don't have to be elaborate or expensive to be meaningful, sometimes knowing that someone has spent time creating something especially for their wedding makes it all the more special.
A wedding day full of little moments
Although H & R had chosen a smaller wedding, there was certainly no shortage of moments to photograph.
For me, photographing a wedding is about far more than simply recording the big things.
It is the little interactions, the laughter, the quiet moments, the details you've carefully chosen and the expressions you might not even realise are happening around you.
It is also about being there without taking over.
That was particularly important to H & R and I was so pleased to hear afterwards that they felt completely comfortable with me being part of their day.
The bride even described me as a calming presence during the getting-ready part of the morning which honestly means such a lot to me.
Because while I am there to photograph your wedding, I also want you to feel that you can simply be yourselves around me.
A second chance at love
H & R had both been married before, which gave their wedding an especially lovely sense of perspective.
There is something incredibly special about finding your person, knowing yourself a little better and choosing to celebrate your relationship in a way that genuinely reflects who you are.
There was no need for their day to look like anybody else's.
It was their marriage, their choices and their story.
And perhaps that is one of the things I loved most about photographing it.
When the photographs bring it all back
After the wedding, H & R sent me the loveliest feedback about their experience.
They told me that they had wanted a relatively small wedding without lots of the usual traditions and that I had immediately understood what they were hoping for.
They also told me that when they received their photographs, they cried all over again and laughed a lot at some of the candid photographs I had captured.
That is exactly what I hope wedding photographs will do.
Yes, I want them to be beautiful.
But more than that, I want them to bring you straight back to how the day felt.
The laughter. The nerves. The people you love. The little things you had forgotten. The moments you didn't even know were happening.
Because years from now, those photographs become much more than pictures of a wedding day.
They become your memories.
“When we received the photographs we cried all over again and laughed a lot at some of the candid pictures Tracey had captured.”
And then came the loveliest compliment of all.
Having both been married before, H & R said they had something to compare their experience with and they described Tracey M Photography as the best.
I don't think you can ask for a better testimonial than that.
Kind words from H & R
After their wedding, H & R sent me the loveliest feedback about their experience.
Their words perfectly sum up what I hope every couple feels when they choose me to photograph their wedding:
“We wanted to give feedback about our amazing experience with Tracey. We had a relatively small wedding without lots of the traditions and Tracey made us feel so comfortable with all of our choices. Tracey immediately understood what we were hoping for with our wedding photos and made so many helpful suggestions. The process of booking and pre meetings was straightforward which helped a lot.
On the day Tracey was just amazing and a natural part of the wedding. There were times it was just me (the bride) and Tracey, and she was such a calming addition to the getting ready process!
When we received the photographs we cried all over again and laughed a lot at some of the candid pictures Tracey had captured.
We have both been married before so we do actually have something to compare to and we can absolutely say Tracey is the best!”
I don't think I could ask for much more from a wedding testimonial.
What particularly touched me was hearing that they felt comfortable with their choices. Weddings don't all have to follow the same formula and I genuinely believe your photographer should embrace the wedding you want to have rather than trying to turn it into something else.
And knowing that the photographs brought back both tears and laughter when H & R received them is exactly why I love what I do.
Beautiful photographs are wonderful but photographs that make you feel something all over again are the ones that really matter.
A private wedding can still have a story
H & R chose to keep their wedding photographs private, other than allowing me to share images where they cannot be identified.
And I am completely happy to respect that.
Not every couple wants their wedding all over the internet and that is absolutely fine.
Privacy doesn't make a wedding any less worthy of being photographed and it certainly doesn't mean there isn't a story to tell.
Sometimes the story is in the details.
The dress.
The shoes.
The handmade table decorations.
The venue.
The summer sunshine.
The laughter.
The quiet moments.
And most importantly, the people and the love behind it all.
So while you won't see H & R's faces here, I hope you can still get a little feeling for just how beautiful their wedding day was.
Because I certainly did.
And I feel very lucky to have been there to document it.
Considering a small or intimate wedding in Derbyshire?
If you're planning a smaller wedding, an intimate ceremony or a second-time-around marriage, you don't need a huge wedding to have photographs that tell the whole story.
I photograph weddings in a relaxed, documentary way, with coverage tailored around what actually matters to you whether that is a couple of hours for an intimate ceremony and celebration or a little longer to tell more of the day.
The Folly at The Farmhouse at Mackworth is certainly one Derbyshire venue worth considering if you're looking for somewhere intimate and personal for your wedding.
And if you are planning a wedding where privacy is important, we can talk about that too. Your photographs don't have to be shared online for them to be incredibly meaningful to you.
If H & R's approach sounds a little like yours, I'd love to hear about your plans.
