Stuart and Mizuki's marriage blessing was the first time I'd had the pleasure of photographing at St Asaph Parish Church. This beautiful church is over 800 years old. It's reputed to have been founded by St Kentigern around 560 AD and the dedication to St Asaph added in the mid 12th Century. It has some beautiful stained glass windows, which are thankfully still intact and haven't fallen foul of vandalism.

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Stuart and Mizuki are living in Thailand and had gotten married in Thailand, followed by a ceremony in Japan where Mizuki's family live. So this was as Stuart jokingly said, their 3rd "wedding". As such it wasn't a legal wedding ceremony but a marriage blessing, which meant that it was a much more relaxed event. Without needing to stick to the legal wording their vows were able to be really meaningful to them, (and really funny too). Something that is also possible with celebrant led weddings, if you are currently planning your own special day.

Mizuki's Dad and brothers came over from Japan for the event, which was lovely. Sadly her Mum is no longer with us, but as you'll see in some of the pictures, her Dad carried a picture of her, so she wasn't forgotten and was very much part of the day.

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Mizuki's Dad gave a really touching speech, translated by her brother as her dad doesn't speak English, and said he felt it was destiny that the 2 of them got together. Followed by a reading from Stuart's Dad.

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After this is was back outside for confetti and pictures, before heading back to a reception in Stuart's parents garden, (although for privacy I haven't included many pictures from that part of the day). Up until we got back to the garden it had been scorching hot and sunny, but an hour after arriving at the house the heavens opened. But thanks to gazebos and lots of umbrellas it didn't dampen spirits at all.

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A Perfect Find!


Chris was amazing throughout the whole process. We live abroad and he was always willing to make contact work. Even if time differences and delayed responses occurred on my end he was always on it. Before the day he gave us great tips and made sure everything was organised and we knew exactly what was going on. When meeting Chris you will find an incredibly enthusiastic and personable human being. He makes sure everything is comfortable and exactly what you want while also taking care of organising the photos without you having to think about it. He was always positive and it really did make our UK celebration of our marriage better. I’m very glad I contacted Chris as it was all so easy and so smooth. He did all of this whilst being a very good human being. Highly recommended!


Stuart Drake - 04/08/2026