We photographed David and Gemma’s wedding back in July last Summer and after shuttling album design backwards and forwards until they were 100% over the moon with their layout, we are now able to deliver! In many ways, we feel like we’re handing over a baby when clients come to the studio to collect their finished albums – we work right from the moment of ‘conception’ and develop their baby into a little toddler! As a wedding photographer in Hull, David and Gemma’s wedding was a blessing to be involved with. Both the bride and groom are deaf and I knew I wanted to work with them the moment we met at Lazaat’s wedding fayre. They were accompanied by an interpreter on that day we first met and it didn’t take much for us to be having a right old chin wag through her! I was honoured when they chose me to shoot their wedding and then began the process of helping them plan their big day. All of our meetings took place with the help of their interpreter, but after so long we began to communicate quite easily and my confidence grew and grew! For me the game change was when we met for our pre-wedding shoot – I knew I would have to work slightly differently so I just opened up and allowed the magic to happen. I was amazed and almost slightly overwhelmed by how the language of photography took over. Through body language, gestures, facial expressions and some terrible attempts at a very limited vocab of signing – we all seemed to know exactly what we needed from each other. I felt really elated after our pre-shoot and also quite proud of how it had played out – the image above came from that pre-wedding session and was used on their signing board.
The actual wedding day was equally as inspiring – I think that at least 50-75% of David and Gemma’s guests were deaf or hearing impaired so once again, I had to use very different language skills. David and Gemma were married at the church in Walkington, once again, their interpreter did an awesome job as she signed the vows for the happy couple. After the ceremony, we headed over to Lazaat where the wedding breakfast and evening reception was held. Speeches were very cool and also very funny, the interpreter had to stop and think a few times as she tried to put into signs some of David’s anecdotes – don’t think signs actually existed for what he was trying to say! One of my lasting memories of David and Gemma’s big day was the arrival of the evening guests – many who were also deaf or hearing impaired – an impromptu receiving line formed as the bride an groom greeted their guests and I was overwhelmed at the ‘buzz’ in the room with so little words or sounds been made – truly amazing and inspiring. So, I’d like to share David and Gemma’s album pages with you, I hope you enjoy and if you would like to see more, just head over to my Hull Wedding Photography portfolio.
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