A Small Catholic Wedding Ceremony in Preston

When planning a smaller, more intimate wedding celebration there are some wonderful ways to document your day in a more candid and relaxed way.

For Lauren and Aaron it was really important to capture their Catholic Marriage Ceremony and Mass at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church. After a chat to find out more about them as a couple but also as two families coming together, we agreed it would be nice to capture a little more of their story.

We created a bespoke ‘all-inclusive’ approach to their more intimate wedding in Preston. Booking 4 hours coverage in both videography and photography to not only capture their Catholic mass and ceremony but also a little of the morning and the celebrations afterwards at the Priest House.

When planning a smaller celebration, it doesn’t have to feel like you’re cutting corners and with this more relaxed approach we can work out the best coverage for your day so you have the ‘best bit’s captured to relive for many years to come.

Catholic Wedding Traditions in The Heart Of Preston

Preston is in the heart of Lancashire and boasts a wealth of wedding venues that are perfect for planning a smaller, more intimate wedding.

For Lauren and Aaron it was important to celebrate their Catholic beliefs and what I love about Catholic marriage ceremonies is that goes way beyond the ceremony itself. Families are encouraged to come together and embrace the traditions of celebrating with the church after the ceremony and mass too! For this wedding, that was only a short walk down the cobbled streets by Winckley Square and over to the Priest House by Avenham Park.

The day started with a quick trip on Northern Rail from Burscough to Preston and a short walk over to Lauren’s Air BnB near Avenham Park. Her Mum and Sister were busy getting the wedding flowers ready, even popping them in the fridge in an attempt to keep them looking fresh!

Thanks to some celebrating the evening before, Lauren had lost her voice and so we all found ourselves whispering along as she tried to save her voice for the ceremony vows later. Heather from Gracey Hart Bridal Makeup was on hand to create a really natural bridal look.

A Classic Wedding Dress For A Traditional Catholic Ceremony

It was soon time to get into her beautiful wedding dress from Wed2B, after a lot of steaming from her friends who had popped over to give her a hand. With the finishing touch of the stunning Spanish lace veil (or Mantilla), which is a deeply rooted Catholic tradition that I believe represents modesty, reverence, and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Female guests also wear them during mass, you’ll spot some in the wedding video and photos!

An Intimate Catholic Nuptials Mass in Preston

Inside from the cool Winter air, candles were lit and guests took their seats as they waited for the arrival of the Bride and Groom.

Despite not being Catholic myself I love being immersed in other cultures and traditions, it helps me see what’s important to the couple and capture moments that give them a way to be taken right back to that moment. Lauren was really helpful at sharing the moments she wanted me to keep an eye out for during the marriage ceremony and mass. As were the members of the church on the day.

A sense of calm was felt throughout as silence fell before the traditional ring of the ceremony mass bell. Lauren paused for a moment before making her walk down the aisle. After a reading the service followed a very traditional order of service, including the Nuptial Blessing and Blessing of The Wedding Rings and followed by Holy Communion. The couple kneeling in front of the altar was as iconic as I hoped and a shot the couple really wanted us to capture for them.

A More Relaxed and Natural Attempt At Group Photos!

After the traditional Catholic mass service the couple turned to walk back down the aisle as Husband and Wife. Guests greeted them with warm hugs and smiles (and we were there to capture them!) before heading outside into that gorgeous diffused winter light for the group photos.

We agreed that we didn’t want the group photos to take over this part of their day so we came armed with a short list of groups. In true me style, it was more about being relaxed and genuine so we kept it as candid as you can with posed group shots! Guests were then sent ahead to the reception whilst we went for a longer walk via Avenham Park.

Wedding Video and Photos in Avenham Park Preston

The couple were full of that giddy just married glow as we took a stroll down the cobbled streets to the park. Lots of people stopped to wish them well which is always a fun thing that happens at any city wedding! Again this was all about keeping it relaxed and not taking them away from their guests for too long so it was simply a longer wander over to the Priest House.

Traditional Catholic Reception at The Priest House

The couple arrived to guests tucking into homemade sandwiches and teas and coffees, cosying up on sofas and chatting inside the Priests House in Preston. Everyone was chipping in to see if kids had something to eat and if anyone wants biscuits, it had a really lovely community vibe about it.

This was part of the day they weren’t so sure on capturing but I’m glad they put their trust in me to add an extra hour on to allow for capturing these informal celebrations. It’s also one of those really lovely traditions within the Catholic church so it’s another way to show their faith through wedding videos and photos!

All of this was captured in only 4 hours and goes to show that with careful consideration of your needs/desires for your wedding photos and video, we can figure out the best coverage for your very own ‘highlights’. I was on the train with a slice of cake in time before tea time as their guests carried on enjoying catching up.

Video + Photography of Smaller Weddings in Lancashire

If you love the idea of being able to capture a snippet of your smaller more intimate wedding celebrations then this relaxed approach could be for you. I offer a buildable option or ‘all inclusive’ style package for both video and photo, I’ll help you work out how to get the best from trusting me to capture it for you.

Find out more by getting in touch, I can’t wait to hear more about your wedding plans.