Laura & Pete’s May the 4th Wedding | A City View & Just a Hint of Star Wars

The Cube Hotel — Birmingham

There was a real ease to the whole day, and that suited Pete and Laura perfectly.

For all the skyline views and big city setting, Pete and Laura’s wedding never felt showy. It just felt like a really good day with really good people, which is usually the sweet spot.

Pete had the usual wedding morning nerves, helped along nicely by the best man forgetting the shoes. There is almost always a bit of drama in the morning somewhere, and that was theirs.

Laura, on the other hand, was spending the morning with her bridesmaids overlooking Birmingham, getting ready in the city she had always wanted to get married in. Fair play, if you are going to do Birmingham properly, you may as well do it with that view.

That set the tone for the rest of the day. Nothing felt stiff. Nothing felt over-managed. Pete and Laura were the kind of couple who just got on with enjoying it, which is always how the best days tend to feel. Weddings are meant to be lived in, not micromanaged to within an inch of their life. The little things that feel like a crisis at 10am are usually the same things people laugh about every year afterwards.

The Cube photographed brilliantly all day. With the glass walls, the May sunshine and natural light coming in from every direction, it gave everything a clean backdrop without ever feeling cold. It suited the day, and it suited them.

There were plenty of personal touches too. Pete had set up a full gaming area, including a racing simulator, which was testing my professionalism slightly as guests kept trying to get me involved. Sadly, you cannot photograph a wedding and set lap records at the same time. I have learned to accept this.

A few moments really stood out. One was the evening drone shot over Birmingham, which is still one of my favourites. The setting was perfect for it and the whole wedding felt made for that kind of photograph. Another was the quick trip to the cinema for a photo in front of the May the Fourth be with you sign, which would have been rude not to do really. Then there was the tequila stop as we moved through the bars in Birmingham, with strangers cheering Pete and Laura on like they were local celebrities for the night. Not every wedding gets that sort of crowd participation.

That is what I want couples to see in a wedding like this. You do not need to force anything when the day already has this much life in it. Give people space, let things happen, keep the photography relaxed, and you end up with images that feel like the day actually felt.

Reflections from Pete and Laura after the wedding; —

“All the pictures look fantastic, James you have done such an amazing job and everyone we have shown them to loves them.”

A huge thank you to Pete and Laura for having me along to photograph such a brilliant day. It was an absolute pleasure to be part of it, and one I will remember for a long time.

If you are planning a wedding at The Cube Birmingham and want photography that feels natural, easy and fully part of the day, Pete and Laura’s wedding is exactly the kind of example I would point to.

Collection chosen —

The Heirloom Collection
£2195.

The Heirloom Collection is my most complete wedding photography experience. Made for couples who want not only the full story of their wedding day captured naturally and beautifully, but also something tangible and lasting to hold onto afterwards.

With full-day coverage, an engagement shoot, and a handcrafted album set including two matching parent albums. It is created to preserve your photographs as heirlooms that can be revisited, shared and passed on for years to come.

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