A little while ago I had the great pleasure of photographing a truly amazing wedding. The whole day was a roller-coaster ride of laughter, spontaneous crying, swings and a dog attack but one of the things that has stuck in my mind the most since that day was Arlene’s special request for a photograph. Brides nearly always ask me for a specific picture or two to be taken on the day (cakes, flowers, the hotel doorway etc.), but it is not often that I am asked to take a shot of something as meaningful and heartfelt as Arlene’s request.

On their own wedding day in October 1970, Arlene’s parents, Sadie and George, had a photograph taken in the back of their wedding car. Arlene thought it would be lovely for them to have a follow-up photograph taken in her own car 42 years later.

Could two people look more happy? For me this photograph captures everything that is great about marriage. After all that time with each other, which surely must have seen a fair share of bad days as well good times, they still look so in love with each other and contented together and that is surely what every newly married couple, like Arlene and Gary, is striving to achieve.

As for the rest of the wedding, I will be writing all about it here in the next week or two and, for a change, I think Arlene is putting together some of her own views, so it should be an interesting read!