Last week I got to travel down to sunny Gloucestershire for Clare & Matthew’s wedding at Clearwell castle. I had never photographed at Clearwell before and I was in for a real treat, the venue was in immaculate condition and the staff were wonderful, all the ingredients for a spectacular wedding.

I met Clare as she arrived at the castle and even though she claimed to be calm and relaxed, I could tell the nerves and excitement were building already. All morning I moved from the Bridal preparations to the Grooms, it is great when both the Bride and Groom are getting ready at the same venue as it is easy to capture both parties as they prepare themselves and the venue for their wedding.

Clare looked stunning as she came down the stairs and entered the ceremony room filled with all her family and friends and of cause Matthew standing nervously at the front of the room. Once they were both married Clare and Matthew walked out of the room, serenaded by a harpist, and out on to the sun drenched front lawn to release their balloons. After a few group shots and some fantastic portraits they were able to spend the rest of the afternoon laughing and joking with their guests in the sunshine.

As I have said in other areas of my blog, I really do enjoy going to new venues. It is exciting to come up with new ideas in new locations and they really help me to hone and develop my style of wedding photography.

Brides shoes rest against a window at Clearwell castle Wedding ring reflections Wedding bouquet in grand surroundings at Clearwell castle A tearful flower girl smiles for the camera Groom finishes getting ready at Clearwell castle in Gloucestershire Brides final preparations at Clearwell castle in Gloucestershire Groom jokes with bestman before his wedding ceremony bride and grooms first kiss once married Bride, groom and family release their balloons outside Clearwell castle Bride and Groom silhouette in the sunshine in Gloucestershire Bride and groom walk towards Clearwell castle Bride and Groom portrait in the sunshine Groom looking cool in his portrait Cutting of the cake First dance as man and wife

Guests at the wedding can view the full gallery here
(Gallery is password protected, for access see Clare & Matthew)

I got to photograph Samantha and Grahams wedding over the weekend and what a pleasure it was. I had been the photographer at Sam’s sisters wedding last year (images) so we starting the day off knowing each other quite well already although this time, I started with Graham and this entourage before heading off to capture Sam’s preparations.

It always amuses me the way the Groom and Brides preparations are so different. The guys are all laughing and joking, sometimes to distract themselves from the commitment they are about to make but they are always dressed and ready to go in a maximum of 10 minutes (unless you include trying to tie a cravat, in which case it would be an extra 25 minutes!) Grahams preparations were no different, 10 minutes and they were all ready for portraits outside of their room at the Moat house in Acton Trussell near Stafford. Then on to the Brides where each and every decision is carefully thought out, each item has been picked specifically and along with hair and make up, we are quickly approaching 2-3 hours. The timings may have been a world away from the Grooms but the laughter and jokes were still in plentiful supply as the girls made their final adjustments before leaving for the church.

The Ceremony was held at Saint Peter Saint Paul’s Catholic church in Wolverhampton and reflected the love and warmth shared between the couple and their friends and family; unfortunately the weather wasn’t quite as warm so as soon as the ceremony was over Samantha and Graham jumped straight into their wedding car and headed to their reception venue near Stafford.

As soon as we had completed the few family group shots we had just enough time to make some great portraits of the couple then we were straight into the speeches and meal. Once the meal had finished my evening slideshow quickly became a crowd pleaser as the day and evening guests alike stood watching the wedding unfold as I had documented it. Peoples reaction to the slideshow is always fantastic, Im not sure if it is the speed I can get it ready, if its the size of the images (6ft) or if its just being able to watch the wedding again from a different perspective but we always hear very positive comments and it remains one of my most requested options.

The day seemed to come full circle as the evening was full of jokes and laughter peppered with a lot of dancing. Once again, it is always an honour to be recommended by a previous Bride, especially to a close member of her family but its more than just knowing a lot of people at the wedding. It’s conformation you’re not just doing a good job but that you are helping couples to remember their “one special” day for years and generations to come. (A bit cheesy I know, but its true).

Bride smiles before her wedding St Peter and St Pauls catholic church, Wolverhampton during the wedding Bride and Groom exchange rings during their ceremony in Wolverhampton Bride glances at the camera outside the Moat House in Acton Trussell Bride and Grooms first dance at the Moat house near Stafford Young boy tries to sing karaoke at the wedding reception Bride and Groom relax at the end of their wedding Bride and Groom outside the Moat House, Acton Trussell after their wedding.

Guests can view Samantha and Graham’s full gallery here
(Gallery is password protected, for access please contact the Bride or Groom)

I have just got back from Chillington Hall’s open day and I want to thank the many people that came along, I was rushed off my feet all day so if I didn’t manage to answer all of your questions then please feel free to call or email. I know there were a few people that wanted to talk more in depth about albums and the different things that I offer, I have a few pages here on my blog that cover the different products and services I offer and they can be found here.

If you would like to discuss things further please do get in contact so we can arrange a consultation in the comfort of your own home.

Last weekend saw me back at the wonderful Kelham hall near Newark, Nottingham, for kelly and Gary’s fabulous butterfly inspired wedding. I had met Gary and Kelly some months ago and what struck me about them was how friendly and relaxed they both were, both with me and with each other. It may sound strange to say that but wedding planning can be a very stressful time so I am quite used to frayed nerves on the lead up to the wedding and there were still no trace of nerves when Kelly got back from the salon. An excitement swept through the whole house as the girls got dressed and continued as we left for Kelham.

Once at Kelham hall I was greeted by a slightly more nervous groom as he hurried around the venue making sure everything was just right before Kelly arrived. As soon as Kelly arrived and started to walk into the ceremony room the sun burst through the clouds and filled the room with dazzling sunshine, I’m not sure how they arranged such great timing but it certainly added to the proceedings.

After the wedding breakfast and speeches all of the guests made their way to the magnificent “Dome” room where Kelly and Gary had their first dance to an Ella Fitzgerald number sang by their daughter. I have never met a couple so comfortable with each other and I know they will have a long and very happy marriage together.

Groom & his daughter relax before the wedding ceremony Pageboy & bridesmaid before the wedding at Kelham hall Wedding party outside Kelham hall Bride and Groom married first kiss Bride and Groom portrait at Kelham hall, Nottingham Bride and Groom laugh after their wedding at Kelham hall Bride and Groom portrait at Kelham hall, Newark, Nottinghamshire Father of the Bride raises a toast after his speech Bride and grooms first dance

Wedding guests can log into the gallery here
Gallery is password protected, for access, please see Kelly & Gary

I would just like to wish all of my readers and clients a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

It has been a fabulous year for me this year and I can’t wait for January so I can start it all again.

Last weekend saw my final wedding of 2011 and what a fantastic year it has been but more important than that was to go out on a high which is exactly what I did with the magical wedding of Sarah & Paul.

After starting the day with Paul at the Lyttelton Arms in Hagley, we took a brisk walk (in a chilly 3 degrees) up to St John’s Church while a lot of the guests travelled to the church via a coach. Paul was very excited all morning which slowly gave way to nerves as the ceremony time approached. Sarah arrived looking stunning in her white dress which really stood out next to her bridesmaids who were wearing a mid grey. As Sarah walked down the isle Paul looked back down towards her with one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen a groom give. As the wedding was in such close proximity to Christmas, Sarah decided to keep a Christmas theme running right through the wedding and it was a pleasant surprise to hear a number of Christmas carols sung during the ceremony.

After the service we stepped outside again to complete the few family photographs we had planned and while I was expecting the sun to have dropped I wasn’t quite expecting it to be so dark. Fortunately, because I try and use as little flash as possible throughout the day I have both a camera and a selection of lenses that are more than capable of capturing great images after the sun has set and so we completed the group photographs without issue (apart from me almost losing my voice!)

Once we arrived at the reception, we had just enough time to capture a few portraits before Sarah, Paul and all of their guests sat down for the wedding breakfast and speeches.

I had a fantastic time with Sarah and Paul and it is quite clear they mean the world to each other, what a great way to finish a wonderful year full of weddings.

Groom and his father walk to the church St Paul's church, Hagley prior to the wedding Groom looks back at Bride Bride and Groom in church Bride and Groom walk down the isle after their wedding Christmas tree as a backdrop to the Bride and Grooms portrait Bride and Groom at their wedding reception Bride and Grooms first dance with band in background

Guests of the wedding can log into the full gallery here
The gallery is password protected, for access please see Sarah & Paul

I wanted to share with you an updated version of the slideshow I created for Chillington Hall’s wedding open day.

I spent a few days at Saint Audries park near Taunton, Somerset for Elizabeth & Lee’s wedding last week and what a fantastic wedding it was too. I had been looking forward to it for a while as it was a bit out of the ordinary. Firstly I spent almost 3 days with the Bride, Groom and guests. Elizabeth wanted a really intimate wedding which felt more like a holiday with all of her friends (and me!) This gave me a lot of time to get to know everyone there which I really enjoyed. I was also shooting the entire wedding in black and white. I love black and white images and think they lend themselves very well to weddings as it is easier to see emotion and feelings when you strip away the colour but I had never attempted to cover an entire event in monochrome. It may seem a little strange having no colour images from your wedding but it fitted perfectly with the black and white theme for the wedding itself.

On the day of the wedding all the guys enjoyed a morning of Laser clay pigeon shooting, shame there was no break in the rain but it didn’t seem to dampen their spirits at all. Meanwhile the girls had cupcakes and Champagne, I certainly know where I would have rather been!

All the way through the preparations, Elizabeth was full of smiles and laughter and was soon ready for the wedding with the help of her bridesmaids. Lee waited nervously in the Orangery where the ceremony was due to take place, the light in here was fantastic as you will be able to see from the photographs below. The smiles and laughter continued all the way through the ceremony and for the rest of the day, right into the evening. After the first dance the dance floor was never empty and I was even treated to a few “dance off’s” (fortunatly I had been warned the guys were likely to get all competitive after a few drinks so I was ready, camera in hand!)

While a little out of the ordinary, I thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth & Lee’s wedding and after spending so long with them and their friends I cant imagine their wedding any other way. I with them the best of luck for the future but I’m pretty sure they won’t need any luck.

St Audires park wedding, Clay pigeon shoot Bridesmaid prior to the wedding Guest relaxes prior to the wedding at St Audries park Bride and Brides laugh prior to their wedding Bridesmaid getting ready at St Audries park, Taunton Bride making final alterations prior to the ceremony Groom makes his way to the orangery at St Audries park, somerset Bride and Bridesmaids watch guests Groom waits as Bride arrives Bride and groom kiss during the ceremony Bride and groom laugh as they sign the register Bride and Groom celebrate being Man and Wife Bride and Groom outside St Audries Park, Taunton, Somerset Bride and Groom portrait at St Audries Park, Taunton, Somerset Bride and Groom laugh after their wedding breakfast The dancefloor at St Audries Park after the wedding.

Guests can log into the full gallery here
The Gallery is protected, please see Elizabeth & Lee for the password.

As the recommended wedding photographer at Chillington Hall, I will be attending this sundays open day and to show you how wonderful your wedding could be, I have uploaded this slideshow for you.

All images used in this short film have been shot at Chillington

Doors are open from 11am until 4pm, hope to see you there!

It’s always great to be recommended, not only does it affirm quality of service but it also means you get to see old friends from previous weddings. Marie & Rob’s wedding last weekend was no exception. This is the fourth wedding I have completed for this group of friends and it was great to see so many familiar faces and to catch up on whats been happening since we last met.

I started the day at Marie’s parents house in Shenstone, just down the road from where I used to live in Lichfield. After the preparations we moved on to St John Church, Shenstone. A wonderful little church full of great architecture. Rob is a fireman in Wolverhampton so as we arrived we were greeted by a guard of honour, They looked really good outside of the church bathed in midday sun.

After the ceremony we managed to dodge a couple of showers, we completed the group photographs and then on to Lea Marston hotel in Sutton Coldfield. During the speeches Rob got quite emotional but managed to hold it together to get through his speech and to pass on to his best men.

The evening saw the dance floor packed with guests dancing and singing away to the DJ and singer who did a pretty good job of getting the guests to sing along to some of the tracks. I had just enough time to take a couple of evening portraits of Marie and Rob before it was time to pack up the projector and make the drive home.

As with all of my weddings this year, Marie and Rob are ideally suited and are very much in love, long may that continue!

Bride and bridesmaid make final alterations before the wedding Wedding ring casts a heart shaped shadow The Best Man checks his appearance before heading to the church St John Church, Shenstone with guard of honour Bride and groom kneel after their wedding at St John Church, Shenstone Bride and groom at the alter after their wedding portrait of young girl during the speeches at the Lea Marston Hotel, Sutton Coldfield Groom gets emotional during his wedding speech Bride and Grooms 1st dance Evening wedding portrait with Bride and Groom at the Lea Marston Hotel

Wedding guests can view the entire gallery here
(Gallery is password protected, For access see Marie & Rob)