“My Wife and I…” Sian and Andy Regan, Friday 22nd January 2010

Well it’s been ages since I’ve been on here with things being a bit stressful over the last few months, and I’d been meaning to write about the prospect of doing Sian and Andy’s wedding since they asked me last year and here we are a week and a half after the event.

I’ve known Andy and Sian for about 3 years now, first meeting at a gig in Dempsey’s in Cardiff Andy and I both played. He was just moving to Cardiff at the time when we met and he fit nicely into the rather large social circle we became part of, being into music as he is, and being the all round nice chap he is.  We’d often see each other out at gigs or in the pub, and we’ve always got on well, but I suppose I didn’t really know much about him or Sian. Then we bumped into each other one Saturday in September 2009 and went for a drink and had a really nice chat, and I found out what a great pair of people they really are, as individuals and a couple, and they probably learned quite a bit about me. It was one of those conversations that elevates people above others in your mind. I have a lot of respect for people who devote their time to help others and Andy and Sian have done that and continue to do it (Sian recently working to raise awareness for Cardiac Risk in the Young), and if my memory’s correct, that’s one of the reasons they got to know each other so well. 

Anyway, a month after that Saturday evening I got a message   from Andy telling me they were getting married and that they’d like me to photograph it for them.  I’d only done one (and a half) wedding(s) before, and I knew how much work I needed to put in to do it, but there was no way I didn’t want to do it. I’ve been reading up on wedding photography pretty much obsessively almost out of habit since our other friends Gareth and Nicola asked me to do their wedding last year, and there is so much to learn, as there is with photography in general- it really is never ending and there is always room to improve no matter how good you are.  So while I found it daunting, I think it’s quite an honour for friends to have the confidence in me at the level I’m at, especially when Sian is such a great photographer herself.

So after 3 months of research, practice and last minute (week, really) panic over a second camera the time had come. On the Thursday I went to City Hall with Andy to find out where I’d be standing, what I was and wasn’t allowed to do and take a few test shots and decide which lenses would be best on which camera, then in the evening we went to the Gate for them to set everything up for the afternoon/evening and for me to test the lighting conditions. Everything was fine- there was nothing left for me to do except panic.

The day arrived and I went to the Park Plaza hotel to meet Sian and take photos of her and the birdesmaids, and generally try to stay out of the way, which is sort of hard when you’re my size, but I think I managed it, just. The bridesmaids looked great in their teal dresses and Sian looked fantastic in her ivory dress. So after a few photos I headed over to City Hall ahead of them and they arrived in the lovebug!

The ceremony went well despite the attempts from Ada, Laura and Dave’s baby to stop it from going ahead. It was a hairy moment for everyone there, but it was decided that a baby needing changing (possibly!) wasn’t enough reason to stop them getting married. Nice try Ada.

So after the formals we all toddled off to the Gate. It’s such a nice venue and the table arrangements were genius.  The jars of sweets on every table were a really nice touch, but the idea of having a 7inch single with a custom label on one side with your name on it was a really nice touch and a great conversation starter. For those interested, mine was the Weezer single, We Are All on Drugs (from the album Make Believe), which just so happens to be one of my favourite Weezer songs. Coincidence? Or do they know my musical tastes that well?   Talking of taste, the food was reet good.

And then came the evening and I have to say, the DJ did a great job (the DJ being a playlist Andy had prepared in advance on his Mac). I’ve rarely been to a wedding where there were people dancing all night, but that’s what happened, from beginning to end. There was plenty of room for people to sit down and talk and plenty of room to dance, which is just as well considering some of the moves that were going on! Highlights included Weezer’s Buddy Holly, some Jackson 5 stuff, some guests doing the locomotion to something that wasn’t the locomotion, (maybe something by battles?) Andy er… crowdsurfing (to Andrew WK I think), and the final dance, Bowie’s Life on Mars where everyone joined into a big circle and charged in and out during the chorus, then Andy pulling Sian into the middle at the end of the song as if to say “yeah everyone’s here, but tonight’s about us,” then everyone running in to hug them. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

I don’t even think it rained.