A Tipi Wedding Under Stormy Skies | Amie & Jordan at The Hidden Hive

Some wedding days give you sunshine, blue skies and the perfect conditions for outdoor photographs.

And some give you thunderstorms.

Lots of thunderstorms 😂

Amie & Jordan's wedding at The Hidden Hive in Derbyshire was definitely one of the latter but despite the weather throwing absolutely everything at us, their day was filled with so much love, laughter and happiness. And by the time we finally got that little break in the clouds, we made the absolute most of it.

A Familiar Face in Front of the Camera

Amie & Jordan weren't actually strangers when they booked me. I'd previously photographed two weddings for their dear friends, Sarah & Andrew and Brogan & Jake, so I'd already had the pleasure of meeting them at those celebrations.

They'd been together since 2014, and after seeing me work at weddings and seeing the images I'd created, they told me they didn't feel they needed a consultation before booking. They already trusted me.

And honestly, being given that level of faith before I've even photographed your wedding is such a lovely feeling.

A Little Good Luck From the Rain

The morning of Amie & Jordan's wedding day didn't start exactly how we thought it would. I was so kindly awoken by thunderstorms and heavy rain clouds! Upon looking outside my window, I couldn't help but immediately think of Amie and hope she wasn't too disheartened by the wet weather. The forecast for the day was rain, rain and more rain... but...

Rain on your wedding day is good luck!

It creates a tighter knot, one that's harder to untie. So that was going to be my mantra for the day.

When I arrived on the morning of their wedding, I joined Amie for the final hour of bridal prep at a nearby hotel. She was surrounded by her bridesmaids, maid of honour, mum and soon-to-be mother-in-law, with the excitement of the day really starting to build. There was definitely some anticipation about the weather, but Amie’s hair stylist and I were determined to turn that rain into a positive!

Whilst we couldn't control the weather, we could absolutely control how we responded to it.

A Ceremony Full of Love

Thunderstorms had been rolling through all morning, and by the time we reached the ceremony, the rain had been, and still was, relentless. The ceremony took place inside the smaller barn at The Hidden Hive, keeping everyone sheltered from the downpour outside.

The ceremony itself was wonderfully light-hearted and cutesy, with plenty of excitement and laughter.

And then Amie & Jordan saw each other.

Jordan was absolutely beaming from ear to ear, and seeing them lock eyes for the first time was one of my favourite moments of the entire day. By this point, Amie had reached the point of simply embracing whatever the weather decided to throw at us. And when they saw each other, you could almost see everything else disappear.

The rain didn't matter anymore.

It was just the two of them.

When the Weather Has Other Plans

The heavy rain continued after the ceremony, so we had to get creative.

The ceremony barn needed to become our photography space, so we rearranged the room to create somewhere we could photograph both the family group shots and their couple portraits.

It wasn't necessarily what we'd planned but we made it work.

And honestly? That's what wedding days are about.

The plan can change, but the couple and their experience always come first.

The couple portraits we created inside were still beautiful, but we were definitely keeping one eye on the weather... Because surely it couldn't rain forever?

Laughter, Speeches & A Very Important Award

Once everyone was seated, it was time for the speeches. They were sweet, funny and full of personality. One of my favourite moments was Jordan presenting Amie with a very important award...

A goalie glove. Because obviously she's a keeper. 😂

It was such a perfectly them moment! Fun, personal and guaranteed to get a laugh, which it absolutely did!

A Tipi Full of Colour & Celebration

The wedding breakfast took place inside the large tipi, with beautiful red and orange tones bringing warmth and colour into the space.

The Hidden Hive is such a wonderfully different wedding venue, with the large tipi providing the space for the wedding breakfast and reception, alongside the smaller barn where the ceremony took place.

The sides of the tipi could be rolled down to keep the rain out, which was definitely needed on this particular day! 😂

While everyone was enjoying their wedding breakfast, and I too was eating some delicious food, something magical happened!

Finally… The Clouds Parted!

The rain stopped.

And not just for five minutes. The clouds finally parted and we were able to head outside for their couple portraits and some beautiful family photographs with Amie, Jordan and their 3 boys, Cody, Hunter & Tommy.

And then, somehow... SUNSHINE ☀️

After spending so much of the day working around rain and keeping everything indoors, stepping outside into that warm light felt incredible, and the difference in Amie & Jordan was beautiful to see. They could finally breathe, enjoy the space around them and simply have fun together.

Those outdoor portraits ended up being some of my favourite photographs from the day because you can genuinely see the happiness radiating from them.

The best part?

The rain didn't come back.

We'd made it.

The Dip We Nearly Didn't Get

And then we had to recreate a moment that Jordan had originally wanted during their ceremony. A dip.

With everything happening on the day, the original plan just wasn't quite the right moment for it but once the weather cleared and we were outside in the sunshine, we had our chance.

So we did it. And OH MY GOODNESS.

The joy in that photograph, and the cheers from all the guests! It was like a scene out of a movie!

After everything the weather had thrown at them, seeing Jordan dip Amie outside in the sunshine felt like the perfect ending to their portrait time.

Sometimes the photographs you end up creating aren't the ones you planned at all. Sometimes they're even better.

Let the Party Begin

From that point onwards, the skies stayed dry and the wedding could finally settle into the celebration they'd been looking forward to. Guests were able to mingle outside, enjoy the grounds, and I definitely spotted groomsmen, as well as the kids outside playing football.

Back inside the tipi, the reception was beginning to get underway and Mark the DJ kept the energy high throughout the evening. I always love when a DJ takes the time to find out a little about the couple beforehand and uses that information to make the evening feel personal rather than simply pressing play. Mark did exactly that, creating a really fun and energetic atmosphere and getting guests involved on the dance floor.

After a day that had started with thunderstorms and seemingly endless rain, watching everyone finally let loose and enjoy themselves was the perfect way to finish.

What This Wedding Reminded Me

If there's one thing this wedding reminded me, it's that you cannot control your wedding day but you can control how you experience it. And my job isn't to force your wedding day into a particular plan.

If you want to go outside and get wet?

Let's go get wet 😂

Want to hold off and see whether the weather improves?

Absolutely!

Feeling overwhelmed because everyone has suddenly ended up in the same small space?

Tell me. I'll move people around and create some breathing room.

It's your wedding day. I'm there to help you get what you want from it.

Amie & Jordan were such a brilliant example of that. Despite a day that tested everyone's flexibility, they still laughed, loved, embraced the unexpected and ultimately had an amazing time together.

And after photographing a wedding with thunderstorms, torrential rain, indoor portraits, outdoor portraits and a surprise appearance from the sun... I think I've earned the right to say that pretty much any other weather situation is a breeze from here on out 😂

I've photographed plenty of weddings over the years, but every one teaches me something new.

Amie & Jordan's reminded me that sometimes you have to throw the plan out of the window, trust your instincts and simply focus on what matters most.

Two people in love.

Their family around them.

And a whole lot of fun.

Kind Words From Amie 🤍

After the wedding, Amie sent me some of the loveliest words I've ever received about the previews I had delivered. She told me that she could see the love and passion I put into what I do, and that I'd had a smile on my face all day. She even said that several of their guests had commented on how amazing I was, and that they “wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to capture our day.”

And honestly? That one really got me.

Because photographs are obviously a huge part of what I do, but the experience I give my couples matters just as much. I want you to feel comfortable, looked after and completely yourselves in front of my camera and on a wedding day where plans had to change so much, knowing Amie felt supported throughout the day means more to me than I can put into words.

She also told me that I'd “smashed it”, that I had the “patience of a saint” and that seeing their preview images had made her even more excited to receive the rest of their gallery. Those words genuinely mean the world to me. And then, because apparently she hadn't already made me emotional enough, she told me that “the love and passion you put into it is just so inspiring.”

That's exactly what I hope comes across in every wedding I photograph. 🤍

Amie & Jordan, thank you for trusting me to capture your day and for being willing to embrace whatever came our way. It was an absolute pleasure to be part of it and I don't think I'll ever look at a storm cloud quite the same way again x