Surprise Snowstorm Creates Magical Photos For Newlyweds

It was an unexpected, Frozen-style fairy-tale wedding for Carly and Chris Atwill earlier in December, as eight inches of unexpected snow blanketed County Durham, England. The Atwills — who tied the knot on December 11 at Larington Hall, a Gosford Park-looking country estate — weren't expecting much white stuff, seeing as how this December has been exceptionally warm. They had thought perhaps there was a "1% chance of it snowing," but when the morning began with rain, the pair accepted that they'd be starting their life off together under umbrellas. As is evident from the images, the Atwills felt very blessed by the dreamy blanket of white. "No one could believe it was snowing, particularly as it has been the warmest December on record," they told Refinery29. "We were all just enjoying the moment, it was like a little miracle."

As Carly and Chris turned from fiancés to newlyweds inside, a wedding gift arrived from Mother Nature. The rain turned to snow — and lots of it. Wedding photographer Paul Liddement noticed the turn, though he never thought it would stick. He gathered a bit together into a snowball, so they'd have some snow on their wedding day. "When they came out after the ceremony the snow was quite deep and I realised we’d be able to get some photos in the snow," says Liddement, who cajoled the bride and groom out into the idyllic scene. "We were having a bit of fun and I was telling them things to make them laugh and help them forget they were in the cold. When they saw the finished photo, they were gobsmacked and didn’t really believe the picture was of them." Looks like the Atwills got a little snowy wedding miracle — and stunning photos, to boot!