A few of my favourites from Helena and Williams wonderful wedding in Sherbourne, Dorset. We photographed Helena’s sister’s wedding last year. Helena wasn’t quite so comfortable being photographed so we’ve taken a more documentary approach to the coverage and kept the photographs of the two of them very natural.

As William is in the navy, they were allowed to get married at Sherborne Abbey, a beautiful setting for a wedding. The reception was a held at Leweston School. A marquee, decorated in pink flowers was used for the wedding breakfast.

Similar to another recent wedding, William is also a helicopter pilot doing air sea rescue and he also proposed up a mountain. Despite Helena’s fear of heights, she said yes!

Everyone danced the night away to Ocasan, an up and coming band that have just been signed.

Thank you so much for being such fantastic photographers, as someone who is camera shy, you really put me at ease. The photos on facebook look great and I’m so pleased we have such a beautiful record of the day.

Sherborne Abbey

Helenas friend and make-up artist does her make-up

Bella the bridesmaid, is excited about her dress

The mother of the groom hugs her son

flowers by Sue Scott

Martyn followed the groom in the morning to the pub!

a relaxed looking groom

morning preparations at Printers Court

a moment between father and daughter en-route to the Abbey

kiss during the guard of honour

a moment in the school library

the couple make their entrance

a confident best mans speech

the best mans speech gets a lot of laughs

Sherborne Abbey at night

Every wedding has a story and Gemma and Gareth originally kept their wedding a secret from their guests, including the bridesmaids, best man and their families! They were told to keep the date free for Gareths 30th birthday party. However family guessed and the secret was out but it did mean the best man and bridesmaids got to try on their outfits and luckily everything fitted.

Gemma made her grand entrance down the staircase, which both Martyn and myself from different angles. The couple wrote their own vows and mentioned how important their children were to them. It was a very emotional service.

It wasn’t the warmest day in March but after the service we all braved the weather for some outside photographs and made the most of sunshine.

After the meal, the best man did his speech, which he had only a week to prepare for! He did manage to present the couple with some children’s toys. Meanwhile the children had the biggest goodie bags I’ve ever seen. They were then entertained by Magic Mike, I must say he got them very excited, which made for some great photographs. The adults were immortalised by a caricaturist.

During the first dance the DJ projected about 30 of our images that we had taken throughout the wedding. I noticed a lot of oo’s and ah’s and quite a few tears, which gave me a real sense of satisfaction.

We ended coverage with the guests doing some fancy moves on the dance floor.

They really are wonderful photos

Suppliers
Hair and make-up – Katherine Jennings
Florist – IV Florist
Childrens Entertainer – Magic Mike
Car hire – Roger Sansum – Roger Sansum Vintage Care Hire
Cupcakes – Yummy Days

Gemma and Gareths little girl, Charlotte

Gemma and Gareths little boy, Harry

Gemma on her way down to get married, captured by Martyn

Gemma as she walks down to get married

the flower girl, page boy and bridesmaid waiting before they walk down the aisle

emotional moment during the service

kiss with little Harry inbetween the couple

I waited for this moment and framed the shot using the archway

the boys messing around

Stanton House

the guests taking photos of each other

The best man gives the couple childrens toys, they didn’t seem to know why either!

One of the children drags his goodie bag to the next room

Magic Mike keeps the little ones entertained

This boy was so excited

Its all too much for the best man!

What shall I have from the chocolate fountain?

Whether you’re going small and simple or spectacularly overboard, your wedding will almost certainly be one of the happiest and most memorable days of your life – not to mention the most expensive! It will also no doubt be the most carefully planned and skilfully organised 24-hours you’ve ever spent, with a ‘To Do’ list as long as your arm.

So considering how much time and effort is put into achieving the ‘dream’, it seems only logical that you’d make sure you find the right wedding photographer to capture those precious memories.

With many couples today not having access to a huge budget (or parents with deep pockets in which to dip), they are understandably looking for way to cut costs. But even when working with a tight budget, it is still advisable (and possible) to put the quality of your wedding photographs ahead of volume or price. So if it does come down to cost, always go with a reduced coverage package from a highly established photographer (and receive a small collection of stunning images) rather than opting for an entire album of mediocre shots, which will only lead to disappointment and some serious post-honeymoon blues.

When budgets are being squeezed in all directions, it can also be tempting to ask a friend with a ‘good camera’ to photograph the wedding. Now whilst saving money is always going to be an appealing idea, it isn’t necessarily a great one.

Even professional photographers need many years of experience to learn how to ‘capture’ the right moment, so any novice is likely to buckle under the responsibility of having to record your Big Day. Add to that the fact that they probably wouldn’t have the proper equipment to deal with every possible scenario (let alone the back-up cameras should anything go wrong) and you can easily see that saving a few pounds in the short term can often cost you dearly in the long run.

So, assuming you sensibly decide to opt for professional help, what is it that you need to look for when choosing a good wedding photographer?

Complete weddings not just the best shots.

When looking through a photographer’s portfolio, make sure that the examples you are shown reflect the complete coverage of a wedding, not just a carefully prepared handful of the best shots. Images should consist of both the bride and groom preparations, the service (ideally photographed from the front and back) the couple shots, lots of natural photographs of the guests, the speeches and the First Dance.
There should also be a wide range of completely natural, emotive images that tell a story and offer personal glimpses throughout the day.

The flower girls playing outside as they wait and the groom checking his watch for the hundredth time that day. The bride as she arrives in a flurry of nerves and her father’s look of love as he gives her away. The guest’s reactions to the speeches – those who laugh and those who sit with their heads in their hands. The beautiful detail on the back of the dress and those gorgeous designer shoes from Jimmy Choo. The sweeping staircase and stunning bridal bouquet. The something old, something borrowed, something new and something blue.

Quality, Quality Quality.

Make sure that none of the images in the portfolio you view are too dark or too bright. Blown out images are a disaster when photographing such occasions as they often lose all the intricate detail on that designer wedding gown. Colours and skin tones should also be consistent and pleasing, with no strange colour casts!

Lights, Camera, Action!

One of the most important elements to be taken into consideration when taking photographs is the lighting. People should never be photographed directly into the sun as this results in dark shadows under the eyes (racoon eyes) – a look that is guaranteed to add years to even the most youthful and fresh-faced person!

You also need to check that the images all have an aesthetically pleasing composition – rule of thirds or centrally composed generally works best. Or in other words, make sure that the Mother of the Bride doesn’t appear to have a tree growing out of her head, or an entire row of guests have their feet chopped off in the group shots. There should no distracting elements in the background, such as signs, or guests pulling faces!

An easy way to see whether the couple were happy with their choice of photographer is to look at their expressions in the photos. Do they look comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera, or do they have a false, staged smile that doesn’t quite reach the eyes? Are the photographs of the guests natural and show them smiling and enjoying themselves? Above all else, are all the images flattering? No one wants to be depicted not looking his or her very best!

Important photographer background checks

Find out how long the photographer has been in the business and whether they work full time. A really good wedding photographer rarely does this work as a sideline as they’re simply too busy and in demand. It’s important to remember that whilst a fledging photographer may well be brimming with great ideas and good intentions, they will not have the experience necessary to guarantee you the results you’ll expect. And when it comes to photographing the biggest, most important day of your life, there really is no room for silly mistakes or second chances.

An experienced wedding photographer – one that has been going for at least 5 years – is also more likely to be able to ride out the recession. The last thing you want is for them to go out of business weeks before your Big Day, leaving you in the lurch and photographer free.

On that note, you also must check that the photographer has insurance (especially if the photographer is not full time). This is particularly important in this economic climate because without insurance you are not protected – not just from the photographer in question, but also from the other suppliers they work with.

Does the photographer carry back-up equipment? Whilst it’s rare to have problems on the day, if the worst should happen, you want to be safe in the knowledge that they can carry on photographing your wedding AND have backups of all the images they have already taken.

Do they work as a single photographer or as part of a team? One of the many benefits of having two photographers with you on the day is that they are able to capture the excitement and atmosphere from every angle. So for example, during the service whilst one is discreetly covering the exchanging of rings and vows from the front, the other can photograph the guest’s reactions and get that all important ‘back of the dress’ shot.

And finally, it is important to have a good rapport with your photographer, so make sure that you are able to meet up and get to know them in the run up to your wedding day.

Each year I enjoy doing a workshop that challenges and inspires my photographic skills. On the MYVISION 2011 workshop I was sent to cover the Pie and Sausage Shop in Eastbourne. While I’m not a huge fan of meat, after being assured that only ethnically sourced, high quality cuts were used, I was a convert!

The owners are passionate about the quality of their meat, in the same way we are about our photography. And after trying lots of their sausages I can definitely say it’s worth paying a bit more for quality. ..

Here are a few favourite images from my two days at the Pie and Sausage Shop. The challenge was to produce different and unusual images. I loved photographing the guys there, it was a lot of fun. There was a real sense of community and it made me think about the importance of supporting local shops.

Rhiannon and Stephen’s Northampton country wedding on New Year’s Eve

The couple met on New Year’s Eve, got engaged on New Year’s Eve and so New Year’s Eve was the first choice for the wedding date. It’s also has the added advantage of being easy to remember!

The service was at their local church St Mary’s Church in Woodford Halse, with a marquee reception at their home. The wedding photography style is tailored for each couple. Rhiannon and Stephen wanted relaxed and with mostly informal photographs.

Rhiannon choose a simple dress that she may get altered to wear again and teamed it with Jimmy Choo silver sparkly shoes. In the morning Rhiannon confessed that she doesn’t usually get dressed up and is usually knee deep in mud cleaning her horse! Rhiannon and her bridesmaids wore wedding whellies (Weddington Boots) to the church, which made for some fun shots. They changed into their prettier shoes at the church.

After the service everyone lit a candle, which was a beautiful sight. Even in winter, we photograph without flash to preserve the atmosphere.

The marquee looked beautiful with fairy lights twig centre pieces. Rhiannon’s talented mother painted all the table names, they were places the couple had lived at. The favours were home-made sloe gin in miniature bottles, which were an inviting bright red colour.

Julie – the photos are amazing – thank you.

love these wedding whellies

a wall of candles at the church

the bridesmaids had lovely purple dresses

the couple leave in their 4×4

the sloe gin wedding favours

Nick and Debra choose the stunning Moor Park Mansion in Hertfordshire for their wedding. I absolutely love the architecture in this building, especially the staircase. I was quite excited to see the Christmas tree, which I knew would be quite a statement.

We’d photographed there before and so I was pleased when Nick and Debra’s friends recommended us and we could photograph their Christmas wedding there. The staff at Moor Park Mansion go out of their way to make the day special for the couple, the toast master really gets the crowds going, the food is excellent and they can even organise a firework display for some added evening entertainment.

In the morning I photographed the preparations at Debra’s parents house. She was quite relaxed and everyone was very friendly. Debra’s beautiful dress was a silver colour, the bridesmaids had dark blue dresses.

Martyn met Nick at the venue. I photographed the service from the front, capturing the nervousness and excitement, while Martyn captured the grandeur of the room from the back.

As it was cold and the snow had almost melted we did all the photographs indoors. Guests threw handmade snowflakes over the couple for the confetti!

We made use of the staircase and the balcony for the photographs of Nick and Debra, working without flash to capture the atmosphere.

The toastmaster got all the crowds to cheer the couple in, although they were a lively bunch and didn’t need too much encouragement! I love the photographs during the speeches, even the toastmaster has his head in his hands at one point during the bestmans speech. I can’t reveal what the bestman said but it takes a lot to shock us…

I photographed the first dance from the balcony, while Martyn captured all the emotion from the ground. As Nick picked Debra up and twirled her round, the train on her wedding dress looked amazing and made for some wonderful photographs.

As we finished, the DJ was playing some great tunes and we left on a real high.

The photos look great, some great action shots, especially during the speeches.

Debs looking excited

stunning interior at Moor Park Mansion

Debs arrives, you can see some snow still on the ground

Nick admiring the ceiling just before the service starts

the moment Nick first sees Debs

wide angle photograph of the room from the back

Nick and Debs look so happy

an unposed moment – a kiss after the confetti

wide angle showing the staircase

the balcony at Moor Park Mansion

the staircase again

another view of that staircase

champagne fizzing

I love capturing the guests photographing the cake cutting

father of the bride embarrassing his daughter

guests applaud the speeches

risky best mans speech

even the toast master was shocked!

first dance from the balcony

I love this one as Nick twirls Debs around

James and Georgia had a winter wedding at Notley Tythe Barn, Thame, Buckinghamshire.

I photographed the preparations at the brides mothers house, while Martyn followed James to the pub. Don’t worry while James had a customary pint to calm his nervous, Martyn sticks with non-alcoholic Coke!

Back at the house, there were lots of beautiful details to photograph. Georgia’s something blue was a garter with her new name embroidered on it, a present from James. The bouquets had white roses with seasonal berries and ivy. The colour theme was an unusual brown and ivory, the bridesmaids had classy long brown dresses. Georgia’s stunning dress was Art Couture.

Geogia did her own make-up in her sisters room. On the wall hung the words, live, laugh, love, which I thought were very apt. The mother of the bride helped with the finishing touches. There were a few mirrors in the bedroom, I couldn’t resist a few mirror shots of the bride seeing herself ready to be married.

Meanwhile back at Notley Tythe Barn, the barn looked magical with fairy lights everywhere, its ideal for a winter wedding. James it has to be said looked very nervous! However he soon relaxed when he saw his beautiful bride! Geogia was given away by her mother, as she gave Georgia a kiss at the top of the aisle, Martyn and I both captured it from different viewpoints.

I was expecting to photograph the service in very low light and I’d come prepared with Nikons best kit, where I can photograph in near darkness without flash! However there was plenty of soft, good quality light and perhaps more importantly lots emotion to photograph.

After the service, we did the family groups inside. While the snow hadn’t settled, it was certainly cold! The couple braved going outside for some photographs in the soft November light.

The speeches were both heartfelt and funny, allowing us capturing both the tears and the laughter.

We were treated to some very tasty sausages and mash, which gave us energy to photograph the first dance. I was able to use iso 6400 and photograph without flash, capturing the mood perfectly. You can see the look of joy in their faces.

We are truly delighted with the photos, many people have commented that they are the best wedding photo’s they have seen and I think this is a real credit to yourself and Martyn.

James and Georgia

something blue – James gave Georgia a garter with her new name on

Georgia doing her make-up, love the wording behind on the wall, ‘live, laugh, love’ very apt

bridesmaid in brown

Georgia’s mother having her hair done by her daughter

very excited mother of the bride

I love this one of Georgia looking in the mirror

a happy bride arriving

James looked very nervous!

James is happy to see Georgia

Georgia gives her Mum a kiss

Georgia gets emotional

best man finds the rings

a few photographs of the couple using the soft November light

Notley Tythe Barn at night

emotional speeches

James shamed by the best man

Georgia showing off her ring

With a brown colour theme, of course you need chocolate cake

an impromptu confetti moment

father daughter dance

Apologies but I didn’t get time to blog Sarah and Andy’s wedding, such a beautiful wedding it definitely needs to be shown!

Sarah and Andy had a stylish wedding at Warbrook House in Hampshire. Sarahs favourite colour is red and the styling was influenced by the 50’s. The bridesmaids wore red 50’s style dresses with a full skirt. They had bouquets of white lilies. Sarah had a birdcage veil and a bouquet of classic red roses. The favours were gorgeous red and while lollipops!

The light was amazing on the day, very soft and Sarah’s colour theme looked great with the autumnal colours. For the photographs of the couple, we took a buggy around the grounds and to the lake. The light was so soft I was able to do something I never do and photograph the couple facing into the sun, with some striking results.

We received the following email from Sarah:

Julie & Martyn,
Thank you so much for photographing our wedding. You captured the day incredibly well. We both felt very emotional looking at our photos.
Not only have you taken some amazing photos of us, you have also managed to get some fantastic photos of our family and friends.
Everyone has commented how wonderful they are.
We had such an amazing day, thank you for capturing those memories.

Sarah & Andy Davis

Warbrook House is a beautiful venue

Ross in the morning looking quite relaxed

I love this photograph of Sarah with her birdcage veil in the morning

Sarah kisses her Dad after he walked her up the aisle

there was lots of laugher during the service

little boys antics during the service

natural emotion during the signing of the register

the guests photographing the signing!

I love this moment caught by Martyn as the couple leave the room after they’ve just married

wedding guests wearing the red colour theme

the wedding favours were red lollipops

Portrait of Sarah and Andy with Warbrook House and the lake in the background

the wedding rings among red roses

gorgeous Autumn light

the stunning grounds at Warbrook House

Caroline and Ross had a stylish winter wedding. While I was photographing the morning preparations at Carolines and Ross’s home, I was quite taken by a photograph of Carolines Nan. The photograph was of her Nan in her debutant or ‘coming out’ outfit. Her Nan’s elegant style was reflected in Caroline’s choice of dress.

Throughout the wedding I’m always looking for special moments that add to the story. I waited for Caroline to come out of the bedroom so I could get a photograph of Caroline in her wedding dress standing next to her Nan’s photograph.

Martyn met Ross in the morning at the chapel. It has to be said, Clifton college chapel is beautiful. Ross plays at weddings, so Martyn captured his friends and band members practising, Caroline told me she isn’t used to seeing them look so smart!

Caroline was nervous in the morning, as I find a lot of brides are. I was told I was a calming influence. The vicar was also great and allowed me to photograph discreetly from the front. Martyn was able to photograph from the back and he got some stunning photographs from the balcony, while taking care not to interrupt the organist! I particularly enjoyed the service, the humour of the vicar and the band were amazing.

We did a few small family groups outside the chapel and then headed to Haswell House for the reception. The light was beautiful – we did some portraits of the couple outside and then into the warm for some more photographs on Haswell’s staircase.

The party started with a ceilidh, which always make great photographs, especially when you know the dances…

I’ve still some more winter weddings to blog but that’s all for now. Happy Christmas everyone!

Caroline next to a photograph of her nan

Wow what a veil!

Ross nervously awaits Caroline

We’re married!

Haswell House Banquetting Hall decorated for a wedding

During the meal Ross goes over his speech

brides brother gives a speech

guests clinking champagne glasses during the speeches

Ross put on fake ears and hair

The best man embarrassed the bride and groom

Shelli and Matt are a fun and creative couple. They got married at Heatherton Hall, Pinewood Film Studios in Buckinghamshire, Heatherton Hall is an unusual wedding venue. Not only does the venue have some great gardens for the wedding photographs (I love the rows of hedges used in the Benny Hill sketches) but the interior is stunning too.

Forget the empty room featured recently on the Apprentice, when dressed the ball room is stunning. Matt and Shelli made almost all of the table decorations. Matt has a paper cutting machine and cut their initials out of card used on all the candles and napkins! The centre pieces were church candles, simple but extremely effective.

I loved their ideas for table names – food inspired quirky names such as classy touch, chapatti man and rhubarb!

Shelli looked glamorous in her champagne coloured wedding dress from Maggie Sottero. The dress was quite a find. Shelli teamed her wedding dress with some purple shoes.

Pinewood Studios is a wonderful setting for wedding

ushers checking the time…

boy taking a sneaky photography during the service

Shelli sheds a tear

Yey we’re married!

I love to capture moments that the bride and groom might miss…

The couple photographs – Matt and Shelli aren’t a serious couple and I wanted this to reflect in their photographs

Matt embarrassing Shelli in the speeches