An Industrial city wedding at Fairfield Social Club in Manchester – Hannah + Jacob
An alternative city wedding in the heart of winter at Fairfield Social Club, Manchester
This alternative winter wedding in the heart of Manchester was fantastic fun to photograph. Sadly Fairfield Social Club is no longer a wedding venue and soon to be part of regeneration works in Manchester however, as my last wedding at this amazing venue I couldn’t have asked for more. Hannah and Jacobs alternative city wedding had all the elements of a memorable day – an epic wedding venue, amazing food, guests ready to have a good time and a Gingerbeard to capture all of those memorable moments.
Hannah + Jacob are a really fun couple, coming from the era of pop punk and emo music – their wedding was always set to be a very fun, relaxed and informal day. They found me initially through a friend of a friend who was a guest at another wedding I shot at Victoria Baths in Manchester. When Hannah + Jacob came to meet up with me for the initial consultation, Hannah was quietly cautious about how involved I would be in the day. You’ll hear me tell you often during a consultation that on the wedding day itself, my approach is very relaxed and fun, by the end of the day ill be one of your mates, knocking out shapes on the dance floor and doing shots with your nan. Expect me to blend in with your friends and be a big part of your day – capturing every moment you might miss and making sure that capturing your wedding photographs doesn’t take up your whole day.
Fairfield Social Club, Manchester
There really wasn’t a wedding venue better in Manchester than Fairfield social club, if you’re looking for an industrial style warehouse venue with loads of history…think NYC meat packing district but with a very Manc influence. Hannah + Jacobs wedding day was one of the last weddings ever at Fairfield Social Club, which has now been absorbed by a new development and due to become part of Freight Island with a new gig venue.
THE DAY
Bridal prep was at a grand old victorian apartment in the nearby canal street, on arrival I was greeted by Hannahs group of bridesmaids that were a lot of fun to photograph. Hannahs Wedding Dress from Adele howarth-winstasnley in Saddleworth, it was absolutely gorgeous, a really unusual dress with beautiful detailing – and dare I say it, very brave for the cold Manchester weather in January. Hannah finished her look off perfectly with a leather jacket.
Hannah and Jacobs ceremony was a beautiful event, lit with fairy lights and natural light flooding in. The couple decided against confetti during there wedding, so after the main ceremony, following lots of hugs and kisses from their loved ones we headed out with the bridal party for some portraits around the streets of Manchester, whilst the rest of the guests had their drinks flowing.
Once I had captured the bridal party, myself and the couple headed out in search of show stopping doors for some industrial style shots. A particularly memorable moment was when Hannah and Jacob were dancing in the street, at night, near piccadilly, lit only by the street lights – this made for some truly striking shots.
As we were heading back to the party Hannah gave me a sly look and said “you were right!”, You really have become our friend and been a big part of the day.
During the meal, I’m sneaking like a ninja across the 1st floor to capture some of the guests when I hear the groom yelling at the top of his lungs….”PAUUULLL….this ones for you mate” followed by the dulcet tones of Dallas Green, I’m a big city and colour fan. A really nice touch from a fantastic Bride and Groom.
The long harry potter style tables at Fairfield social club, add to the charm of this industrial city wedding venue, and also make shooting the guests much more accessible than round tables. Hannah and Jacob opted for Pieminister pies for their main Course and then later into the evening the food truck served up (my personal favourite) arancini balls.
You might notice from some of these shots that Hannahs dress was no longer pristine by the end of the night, she had planned her entire day around having as much fun as she possibly could – even coming prepared with her own bridal pair of Adidas Gazelles for knocking out some shapes on the dance floor. Take it from me, If a brides dress is still clean by the end of the night then you’ve not partied hard enough – enjoy every second, you’ll never wear it again!
SUPPLIERS
Venue/Event Organisers: Fairfield social club
Flowers: Northern Flower Co.
Hair/MUA: jordainemakeup
Dress: @ahabride
Caterer: pieminister
Cake: feedgeneralstore
One word of advice when considering a city wedding in the middle of winter – think about what time of day you plan to get married and as a result how much daylight will be left to capture your photos. As an alternative wedding photographer I’m always keen to get you out of the venue and onto the streets, this gives you some alone time and allows me to capture some fun alternative photos for your portrait collection as the natural light fades so do the options available for where and what we can capture. Aim to get married between 12-1pm because by 4pm the light will be gone.
