We all have our own ideas of what makes a truly good wedding, but there are just some ceremonies out there that make us gasp in bewilderment.
Some people prepare the most extravagant wedding cake ever seen, and others choose to hold their ceremonies in the most unlikely venues.
Earlier this month, Micha and Phillip, from Essex, England, invited 40 guests to attend their wedding, which was held nearly 200 feet below ground in a bat cave.
While most people would probably never think of holding events in situations that looked this risky, the environment in the cave was perfectly safe for the wedding.
Below, we see the stunning photos that photographer Colin Paul, of Macleod Paul Photography, took while the whole wedding crew was down there.
Colin also spoke with LittleThings about his experience capturing these photos in the challenging, near-pitch-black conditions.
Scroll further to see the beautiful wedding photos, and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
[H/T: Daily Mail]
Earlier this month, lovebirds Micha, 27, and Phillip Trim, 36, from Essex, England, tied the knot.
But theirs was no ordinary wedding. The two exchanged vows far beneath the ground, in a dark cavern among a giant population of bats.
The Carnglaze Caverns are located in the Loveny Valley, Cornwall, a place bordered by historical coastal scenery.
The newlyweds invited 40 guests to attend the ceremony, which was decked out with more than 500 glittering candles.
Everyone who traveled underground into the caves had to wear safety construction hard hats.
The wedding photographer, Colin Paul, of Macleod Paul Photography, even had to turn off the flash on his camera, to avoid disturbing the bats that were sleeping there.
The beautiful bride had to walk down 60 slate steps to reach the bottom of the ceremony site, which sat at almost 200 feet below ground.
She even wore her hard hat beneath her cape!
The caverns were initially mined during the Industrial Revolution, some 200 years ago.
They used to be the site of an old slate quarry that was hollowed out of the ground by hand.
Today, the caverns are open to visitors, who are free to browse the comprehensive collection of minerals that are mined and quarried.
Down there, it measures a chilly 50 °F year-round, but makes for an “ideal wet weather activity” environment, according to its website.
For Colin — who has photographed two weddings at the caverns before — the experience was challenging, but extremely rewarding.
The only source of lighting in the caverns was designed for safety, rather than for aesthetics.
So Colin used daylight-balanced continuous lighting and some smaller handheld units to fill the dark corners in the caves with a substantial amount of light.
Colin said that he had seen a couple of bats throughout his visits to the caves, but that they do seem very adept at hiding from humans.
“We’ve seen a couple roosting high up on the cave walls, but I’m not aware of any guests being uneasy about their presence… perhaps they didn’t know [the people] were there!” he told LittleThings.
There is also a stunning underground lake filled with crystal blue-green water deep in the caverns.
Along with the majestic, slightly otherworldly atmosphere of the caves, it made the wedding ceremony that much more memorable for all who attended.
The most important thing that guests had to remember was to be careful while down there, as the ground was loose and dangerous in some spots.
Ultimately, however, it was a memorable and successful experience.
“The best thing about photographing a cave wedding is the sense of satisfaction I get when showing the results to clients, and seeing their reaction when they see photos they thought would be impossible to take,” said Colin.
His next trip down to the caverns will be on Valentine’s Day, to photograph another couple’s wedding ceremony.
Would you ever get married in a cave, or do you prefer more traditional venues? Let us know in the comments below.
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