Matt Pereira Photography

Out with the old ...

2010-01-27T15:21:00.002Z

... if you have arrived here, then you are at the Old House ... there is a lovely new blog HERE.

This blog will no longer be updated, so please head on over to the New House - everyone is welcome!

Roisin & Rob | Wedding | Merchant Taylor's Hall

2010-01-04T22:10:00.004Z

Well, Happy New Decade to everybody !

The first of this year's posts is the penultimate wedding of 2009. The delightfully fun-filled wedding of Roisin and Rob took place at the very grand Merchant Taylor's Hall in Central London. With a full Irish contingent, the day was always going to be brimming with laughter, and so off we go with my picks from the day.

Happy New Year my lovelies and see you soon!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T20:26:00.003Z

Just a quick post to wish everybody a wonderful Christmas and smashing New Year!

I don't normally post things of a personal nature, but that may well change soon, who knows??! On this Boxing Day 2009, however, I wanted to share something with you all that hopefully marks the end of an awfully painful saga for me. The purchase of a new car! My old car was in the garage for 4 annoying months before it was finally written off, and all because of an accident that happened over a year ago, caused by someone leaving a spare wheel in the middle of the road!

Anyhow, after much pain and way too many courtesy cars, I have finally settled on the lovely car below. This is a shot of Dad and I on Christmas Day after an afternoon drive in the glorious sun!

Merry Christmas once again and wishing you all a fruitful and happy New Year ...

Emma & Family | Baby Surrey Magazine | Family Shoot

2009-12-22T21:17:00.005Z

As we rush headlong towards Christmas, I have been busy trying to get some baby shoots completed for the next edition of Baby Surrey and the launch issue of Baby London Magazines.

This time round we meet the utterly adorable Jessica & Francesca, twin girls who were born with holes in their hearts and who had operations within one week of each other earlier this year. Both girls are doing just fine and their full story will be published in the February edition of Baby Surrey.

So, without further ado, here are my favourite shots from our chilly early morning session a couple of weeks ago.

Wishing you a very Merry first Christmas and look forward to seeing you all again in the New Year!

Natasha & Joel | Wedding | Foxhills Golf Club

2009-12-13T20:55:00.003Z

My second 'catch-up' post is for a wedding that got missed on the blog some months back (sorry guys!). The gorgeous Natasha and Joel were married at St John the Baptist Church in Windlesham and the celebrated their wedding at the lovely Foxhills Spa and Golf Club.

I had a great morning with the girlies, where the champagne and chocolates flowed in abundance. Tash & Joel have a beautiful little boy, who looked so cute in his little three-piece suit ... and so without further ado, here we go.

The shoes were just something else, and yes, she wore them all day:

See what I mean ?!?

One more wedding to go this year, but two more to blog - they'll follow at some point soon!

Kruti & Children | Baby London Magazine | Family Shoot

2009-12-13T20:28:00.002Z

Oh goodness, it's been over a month since the last blog post, during which time I have been to the USA and back to see a very good friend who recently became rather ill this year. More on that another time.

So, as the year closes out, and weddings start to ease off, there are still some family and baby shoots to be done! The first of these was for Kruti and her little ones, as part of the launch issue of Baby London Magazine in February 2010.

Kruti runs the That Cute Website, 'a unique designer baby boutique that specialises in providing great quality baby gifts at low prices.' Go check it out at http://www.thatcutewebsite.com/.

For now, some of my favourites from their session, one chilly morning a few weeks back.
Mum and Baby:

This little monkey is modelling one of mum's jackets from the website.

And finally, all three of our models from the morning session:

Jane & Family | Family Portrait

2009-11-08T22:58:00.002Z

I had the pleasure of photographing Jane, Rory and three little monkeys quite recently - we started at home and then onto Wimbledon Common where we hunted for Wombles - none to be found, unfortunately.

Here are my faves from our session:

Roisin & Rob | Pre-Wedding Shoot

2009-11-08T22:42:00.004Z

I met up with Roisin and Rob a few days ago to discuss their upcoming wedding, which will take place at the end of November. It was laughs all the way with the bubbly and energetic Roisin and I cannot wait to shoot the wedding.

Here are some fun shots from our chilly session:

See you soon guys - not long to go now!!

Charlotte & Daniel | Wedding | Great Barn, Lenham

2009-11-04T22:59:00.002Z

Charlotte and Daniel had a smashing wedding recently at Wormshill, where the lovely Charlotte grew up, and then held their reception at the Great Barn in Lenham, Kent.

We had great plans for some shots around Leeds Castle, but were disappointed to find the place mobbed with people for a jousting contest - not to mention being chased off the grounds by security - how rude!!

Despite that, the super weather, wonderful friends and family and a lovely couple made for an amazing day.

Here are my faves from the day:

Bridget & Nick | Wedding | Stoke Park

2009-10-25T22:10:00.003Z

The beautiful couple Bridget and Nick were married recently at the stunning Stoke Park Club.

Whilst the day started beautifully bright, it did turn a little blustery and cold later on, but we managed through the group shots and everybody did really well to keep in good spirits.

Many thanks to my lovely assistant Isabelle, who kept me watered and clutter-free .. but most of all, thanks to the lovely couple, who booked me almost two years ago, for treating us like friends. It was a wonderful day.

Oh, and a shout out to the best man, Ross, for keeping things "interesting" in the morning !

On to the images ... Isabelle will testify to my near death experience trying to get this shot of the venue. Note to self, learn the difference between The Green and the Tee-Off point on a golf course!!!

Beautiful shoes:

Help from Mum:

The beautiful Bridesmaids:

The beautiful bride:

The beautiful couple:

The Beautiful Beth and Dad:

This was taken at gone 11pm - thank you to the lovely, lovely Kate and Ross for modeling for us, whilst we tested the lighting, to allow Bridget to nip out for just a few minutes.

Thanks again guys, for a superb day ... looking forward to seeing you this week!
xx

Studio Closed!

2009-10-10T07:23:00.002+01:00

The studio will be closed for a few weeks whilst we take a well earned and well deserved break in Southern Italy !

The phones and email will be manned though, as Liz will be in to keep things ticking along.

Please do email us with your enquiries to enquiries@mattpereira.co.uk, or call us on 01252 416 431 to leave a message, and someone will be back to you within 48 hours.

See you when we get back!

Baby Surrey, Winter '09, Shoot 1

2009-10-08T22:03:00.002+01:00

So, my final post before heading out on holiday is of a cracking shoot I did for the Welcome To The World feature for the Winter '09 edition of Baby Surrey Magazine.

Johanna, Sam, Evelina and I had a smashing morning - and I am sure that mum and dad spent more time laughing 'at' me and my peekaboos rather than 'with' me .... but hey, anything to get a small child to laugh - i'm not proud!!

Here are a few crackers from the session - I can't wait to see them in the magazine soon!

Jo & Rob | Wedding | Royal Holloway

2009-10-08T21:37:00.003+01:00

The lovely Jo and Rob were married recently in Egham and celebrated their wedding at Royal Holloway University. We had done their pre-wed shoot at Royal Holloway too, although we were slightly luckier with the weather that day - despite this, everyone was on great form and Jo looked just lovely!!

Here are some faves from the day :

See you when I get back from holiday guys!

The National Wedding Show, Earls Court

2009-10-06T12:54:00.004+01:00

Just a quick post to say a huge thank you to everybody who came to visit us this weekend at the National Wedding Show. It was a very busy show, with both Saturday and Sunday fully sold out. Who says that there's a recession on ??

An even bigger thanks goes out to all of you who booked us for your wedding at the show, and a little hello to those who have since called and booked too.

Dates for 2010 are starting to get taken up now, so if you are considering calling us to discuss your plans, please do so soon to avoid disappointment!

I also want to say thanks to a few friends... My best and beautiful friend Nicky, from Nicky Adams Photography, for helping me setup in the chaos on Thursday. I love you babe.

Thanks to Laeony for your help on Friday, and being there when I needed to go to the loo! Sorry that the food was so bad!

Massive thanks too, to the gorgeous Kate for doing what you do so well, and for looking sensational in your stunning dress - oh, and for losing that poundage in the last few weeks so you could get back into the dress again too! You made the stand.

Finally, to my recently appointed assistant, the most delightful Isabelle - you were just smashing for those two days and I simply could not have broken down the stand without you. Huge kisses to you.

So, to all those of you who visited us at the show ... call us now, before it's too late!

Holly and Family | Family Shoot

2009-09-23T11:57:00.002+01:00

Recently I was treated to a fun morning with Holly and family, including a cooked breakfast, expertly made by the youngsters !

Here are a quick few of my faves from the session:

Can you tell who was the Joker of the pack ?!?! Nice hair mate!
See you tonight ...!

Matt & Laura | Wedding | Wasing Park Barn

2009-09-19T22:29:00.002+01:00

Well, once again time passes, and in doing so waits for nobody. Hours become days, days become weeks and before you know it, here we are, ages on from the last blog post.

A lot has been going on in the last month or so, including the all important preparations for the National Wedding Show where we will be exhibiting on stand D8 - come and see us!

But, enough of the future ... Laura and Matt were married last month, on my birthday ! The church ceremony was in Hawley Church and the reception at Wasing Park Barn in Reading.

... and without further ado, my faves from the day.

Yep, we had an ice-cream van! Can you see who whipped the best Mr Whippy?!?

Some fun with the old "I am 16 you are 17 ..." gazebo!

Guys, you were great - and thanks for my birthday cake!!

Cancer Research | Race for Life

2009-09-10T07:57:00.002+01:00

At the end of this month, I will be taking part in a 10K race to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. Thankfully, nobody in my immediate family has ever been affected by cancer, but every few weeks I hear of many friends and friends of friends who contract some form of cancer.
I think everybody knows the effects, and the effects on friends and family.

I have started running again after many, many years and the race will be taking place in just three weeks, at Hampton Court Palace. It's not far to run, but the training is rather tiring, and hard to fit in alongside my hectic daily schedule ... but worth it.

All I am asking is for a small donation - as much as you can manage. Photographers, it would be great if you donated just the cost of your smallest reprint - that alone would make a huge difference.

My sponsorship page is here : http://www.run10ksponsorme.org/mattpereira and anything, literally anything, would be much appreciated.

Many, many thanks in advance.

Welcome to the World, Baby Libby

2009-08-19T13:59:00.003+01:00

A few months ago I was introduced to Libby whilst she was still in mummy's tummy - we had a wonderful pregnancy shoot, and so this is actually the second time I have shot Libby. Not the first time I have shot Kate and Ross, though, as I was lucky enough to cover their wedding in the Lake District almost two years ago.

Libby is only three weeks old here and beautifully formed in every way.

Here are my absolute faves from the session:

If she looks this beautiful at such a young age, I cannot wait for my regular visits to capture her growing into a beautiful young lady ...

Cian & Jennifer | The Wedding | Chewton Glen

2009-08-04T15:53:00.003+01:00

Cian and Jennifer were married at the amazing Chewton Glen in the New Forest, on a boiling hot summer's day !

They told me that it was going to be a wonderful day, but they certainly didn't prepare me for the emotional overload during their hand-written wedding vows which left not a dry eye in the house!

So, here are the best ones from the day.

The flowers were beautiful:

As was the bride, waiting with dad:

A kiss before signing:

Window light and wonderful wallpaper:

The guys were happy for me to experiment with some new lighting for a bit of a more "fashiony" look:

Enlisting some help from a funky bridesmaid:

Who gets her own shot as a thank you:

I have this singing effort on video too - it looks great doesn't it ? Yes, let's just leave it there ... you really don't want to hear it!

The boys were far more reserved though!

And the first dance was great..

and the Rat Pack band were smashing

and finally, the evening sky was cool!

Nicole & Rob | Wedding

2009-08-03T20:24:00.002+01:00

I recently had the delightful pleasure of shooting Nicole and Rob's wedding, with the ceremony and reception all taking place within 20 minutes of my home - smashing!

As well as a great wedding day, I also go to try some Ceroc Dancing with them, which was just an amazing experience too. A dancing lesson for all the guests was set up after dinner and pretty much everybody joined in!

Here are my favourites from the day:

I have to say, Thanks for the private Ceroc lesson guys!

Baby Surrey | Shoot 1 | Hettie

2009-07-22T22:07:00.002+01:00

Well, my Surrey Children's Photography shoots for the first edition of Baby Surrey Magazine are now complete, after a whirlwind of sessions.

The first shoot was little Hettie, who was a bundle of laughs, dribble and giggles. Here's is the best of the session:

Charlie & Paul | Wedding | Pembroke Lodge

2009-07-10T21:48:00.002+01:00

Well, it seems like ages ago since my last post, but it wasn't all that long. The sheer number of shoots I have done recently make it seem like a long time ago, and i'll be doing my best to blog as many of them as I can.

So, Charlie and Paul were recently married at Pembroke Lodge, in Richmond Park, on a very hot and sunny day. The Pimms was flowing freely, as was the love and laughter and so without further ado, here are my favourites from the day:
Josh

The lovely lady herself

The happy couple

The new family

Catching the lavender

The Bubblers

... and the bubblees

Having some fun with the girls

A few kisses to end the day

Cian & Jennifer | Pre Wed Shoot | The London Eye

2009-06-25T09:27:00.004+01:00

I recently had the pleasure of shooting two of my best dressed pre-wed shoot models. Cian and Jennifer will be married down in the New Forest in a few weeks, but we met up at the London Eye for their PWS.

I'm on another Black & White phase, hence just one single colour image in this batch!

Here are the favourites from the day:

Baby Surrey Magazine has a New Photographer!

2009-06-15T15:00:00.006+01:00

I am totally thrilled to announce that I have been invited to start working with Baby Surrey Magazine and to contribute to their "Welcome To The World" feature on a regular basis!

The magazine is for Surrey parents with children aged 0-6 years. Its informative content covers Health, Education, Childcare, Fashion, Activities and great competitions.

This amazing opportunity came about at Laura & Chris' wedding last month where I met Jess & Adrian, who own the magazine. We got chatting over a glass of bubbly and it seems that fate played a big part as the timing for everyone worked out really well.

This is one hell of a quality magazine - I am so excited about this amazing opportunity and I am really looking forward to working with the whole team, who are based in Southampton.

Get on over to the website and check them out - and if you know of any Surrey based parents who are due to have a baby, send them over there too. I shall look forward to posting images from our featured families over the coming months, so stay tuned!

Laura & Chris' Wedding

2009-05-23T21:23:00.004+01:00

Laura and Chris were recently married at the beautiful Lainston House Hotel in Winchester. They have broken the record for the longest time between booking and shooting, having booked me over 18 months ago!

Despite a little morning stress, the day went smooth as you like, with much fun and laughter throughout. Lovely bridesmaids, lovely friends & family and a lovely couple who were willing to go with the flow and allow me to get creative !

I have to give a huge shout out to Peter Rowland of PR Cars Ltd, a private car hire company. I could not have achieved some of my great creative shots on the day without his expert flash-holding!!

So, without further ado, the shots ...

The Church:

Escorting a very special lady ...

Inside the ceremony:

Arriving at Lainston House

Chris and his harem...

Yummy strawberries!

The ladies...

Chris & Laura doing moody, rather well ...

The sisters ...

Love it ...

Looking smashing ...

... and now for something arty ...

... and my favourite from the year so far, with a touch of off-camera flash ... (assisted by Peter!)

Congratulations to you both on a wonderful day & my thoughts are with you for Nanna ...

Joanne and Family

2009-05-14T21:01:00.004+01:00

I recently had the delightful pleasure of doing a shoot for Joanne and her lovely family. For once, I decided to try and shoot entirely at their home, despite the size of the family, and despite the fact that my favourite Pembroke Lodge was just up the road.

Everything shown here was therefore done in and around the house, definitively proving that you don't need a studio and you don't need to be out in the park.

This was a smashing shoot and we were going for ages - their energy and cooperation was relentless and we all had great fun.

And so, to the photographs ... a few of these are some of my absolute all-time faves ... enjoy!

Can you believe that these two are twins ??

We ended the session with some trampoline fun! Everybody made it on the trampoline ... but i have saved mum & dad the embarrassment and not posted those shots !

What a gorgeous family, eh ?

In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle!

2009-05-04T11:53:00.005+01:00

Well, well, well ... it's funny how things turn out ...

27 years ago, I remember standing in front of the TV with my little tape recorder and recording various songs from Top Of The Pops .. things like "What's the Matter You, Hey!" and the Gumbay Dance Band with "Seven Tears are Flowing to the River ..." and all that jazz ... hey, come on, it WAS 27 years ago!

Well, one band had a hit in 1982 which was called "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". To save you struggling for the name, it was Tight Fit! I am not too proud to admit that i LOVED that song when it came out - Africa & Lions were a real attraction to me as a young kid.

Imagine my complete and utter "gobsmackedness" when, through the power of the Internet, one of the original Tight Fit members found my website during her search for a photographer. It seems that they are have a little get together again and doing a number of gigs around the country over the next few months. Denise told me that they needed a photographer who would give them something that was a cross between lifestyle & commercial and could I help!

Needless to say, I jumped at the chance and we arranged the shoot for last Monday - unfortunately, it happened to be the worst day of weather for about a week and absolutely tipped it down all day long - it was relentless. So, our options were limited and we ended up having to do the whole shoot in an underground car park, of all places.

So, without further ado, here is what we came up with. I was stood in the pouring rain, with an umbrella over me, whilst the girls and boys did their funky stuff in the cover of the car park.

You have to admit, almost 30 years on, they all look fantastic!!!

Denise, Steve & Julie - the original line-up:

Sylvio will be standing in for Steve for a few of the gigs:

Using the "props" in the the car park:

.. and finally, trying to use the "grunge" to best effect:

All in all, it was a tough shoot, in terms of location and weather, but i think we managed nicely! We were all happy with the end result and that's what counts!

Richard & Heather's Wedding

2009-04-28T15:37:00.004+01:00

Well, this is a first - to have a blog post of the wedding right after the blog post of the pre-wedding shoot!

So, Richard & Heather were recently married at the lovely Frimley Hall Hotel in Camberley. We managed to dodge some pretty horrid rain showers and head outside right after the ceremony for an hour or so, which was a good bonus.

As always, my favourites from the day .. starting with a montage of details!

The venue is so wide with little space to shoot from far away, so a fish-eye lens it is:

The boys:

The girls:

and the happy couple (silhouettes aglore!)

Incidentally, this was (obviously) the first dance, but the halo effect was achieved using my new Pocket Wizard remote Flash Units (I know, I know .. "blah, blah, blah" to some people - but the point I am making is that it's ok to try new things at weddings, and when you plan it well enough, this is the cool effect you can get!)

Congratulations Heather & Richard!

Richard & Heather, a Chicken and a Peacock!

2009-04-10T22:15:00.002+01:00

Richard and Heather are getting married tomorrow, having their Easter wedding at Frimley Hall hotel in Camberley, Surrey. For something a little different, I took them to a local farm for their pre-wedding shoot, where we had the opportunity to feed the chickens and the ducks!

Once special part of the day was my achievement of a long-term photographic ambition ... see the final image !

My favourite images from the shoot:

It may look fun ...
... but these chickens have a sharp beak!!

So, my final shot - i have ALWAYS wanted to photograph a peacock with its feathers up and displaying, and I finally managed. This bird was walking around like this for almost 30 minutes solid!

Good luck with the wedding tomorrow guys - really looking forward to it!

Laura & Chris' Pre-Wedding Shoot

2009-04-03T21:52:00.002+01:00

Every now and then it's good to try something a little interesting, fun and different. Coming up with the idea is one thing - but having a couple who will trust you enough to go with the flow is another.

Laura and Chris are getting married soon in Winchester and will be holding their reception at Lainston House Hotel. We met up there recently for the pre-wedding shoot and tried out something a little different.

Here are my faves from the session, with the best shot at the end..

So, our final fun shot is a composite of four that I have put together in Photoshop. Laura & Chris were well and truly up for a little fun stuff, so good on them for lying down on wet grass to create my vision!

Meet Fiona & Family!

2009-03-25T20:42:00.002Z

I was recently in need of a new set of business stationery, having changed address in the last few months. I decided to try the local PRINTING.COM franchise in Guildford and was very pleasantly surprised indeed.

Given that my brand colour is apparently very difficult to print, especially across different paper stocks, the care and attention that was given to my order was simply outstanding. The resulting colours on the business cards, letterheads, compliment slips and stickers were absolutely spot on, thanks to Caroline, the Studio Manager.

Fiona Humberstone is the owner of the Printing.Com franchise in Guildford, and is a Marketing Guru Genius Lady! She recently introduced Jasper James into the world and we worked a corporate headshot shoot and family shoot into a single session.

It was a thoroughly delightful afternoon, and I was treated to homemade chocolate cookies as well as fairy cakes, which were decorated by the fair-fairy-hands of Jasper's elder sister, Ellie.

This is the adorable little lady in question:

and the cute & very happy little brother:

Ellie and Dad:

Pink and Green, as requested:

A couple of Fiona's headshots:

Jennifer Aniston-esque:

The ladies of the house:

One inquisitive JJ:

The family in its entirety:

We had fairy cakes:

and whilst Ellie ate the icing, Jasper ate, um, his toes:

After the fairy cakes, it was time for some flying-fairy-fun!

Thank you, Ellie, for my Fairy Cake!

Kirsty & Peter's Wedding

2009-03-22T22:21:00.004Z

Kirsty and Peter were recently married at Esseborne Manor in Andover.

Everybody was in great spirits and the small intimate setting made for a wonderful day. Here are some of my favourites.

The venue:

The Ring-Bearing-Frog-Carrier, with said Ring-Bearing-Frog:

Da Boys:

Rings and Flowers:

The lovely Kirsty:

..with a very proud Dad:

The happy couple:

Off-camera-flash play:

The cash:

The Gambling:

Congratulations to Kirsty and Peter on a smashing wedding day!

National Wedding Show - a Great Success!

2009-03-12T10:28:00.003Z

Even though it was only a few weeks ago, it seems like ages. Late February, we exhibited at the National Wedding Show at London's Olympia Exhibition Hall. An exhausting three day event with thousands upon thousands of visitors.

We would like to extend our thanks to all of you who found our stand amongst the hundreds of exhibitors and even more thanks to those of you who booked during the show. We have had many enquiries and bookings since, and the year is filling up nicely!

I also need to give a huge Thank You to two very special friends, without whose help I could not have managed.

My good friend, and fellow photographer, Gill Taylor travelled all the way down from her base in Stafford to help bring some business in.

As well as this, the lovely Kate, my bride from December, also helped out for the weekend - firstly by simply looking stunning (again), in her wedding dress, and also chatting to potential couples about her experience of Matt Pereira Photography.

Between the three of us, we had a fantastic few days.

Here are a few photos from the weekend.
A quick grab shot of a gorgeous, sunny London skyline:
Me, with Kate and Gill at the show:
Kate finds a random beau:
On Saturday evening we found an amazing new Italian restaurant called "Il Postino" on Kensington High Street. Authentic home-cooked food, from real Italian owners whose hospitality was simply outstanding. The food was just out of this world ...

Thank you again to everybody who made this weekend a success .. Kate, Gill and of course, the visitors!

Tracy & Lee - The First Wedding of 2009

2009-03-04T21:48:00.003Z

Well, I just do not know where the time goes! It's been an enormous four weeks since the last post of Kate & David's wedding, and so much has happened in that time.

In the next week or so I will be posting images from the National Wedding Show, as well as the Designer Civil Partnership Show.

For now, however, we turn our attention to Tracy & Lee's wedding - my first of 2009. The day started lovely and sunny, & despite the blanket of snow on the ground we looked set for great weather all day.

The setting for the day was The Grove hotel in Hertfordshire:
Tracy, looking wonderful, before the long walk down to the ceremony:
The flowers:
The first kiss:
The first drink:
Going for a walk:
And then we had some fun with a few different shots:

These lovely heart shaped bushes were Tracy's reason for booking The Grove!

More fun:

A fun filled start to the year for me with two good sports, who were up for shooting outside despite the fact that it started raining and was freezing cold!!

Kate and David, the Final Wedding of 2008!

2009-02-01T15:42:00.003Z

So, after a drought of Blog posts this January, I find myself posting no less than THREE weddings this weekend !

The final wedding to go up from 2008 is for Kate and David, who were married at St Mark's Church in Wimbledon, followed by a reception at Pembroke Lodge.

The day started wonderfully sunny, but then turned cold and cloudy as the afternoon went on - as always, spirits remained high during the wedding service as the stained glass windows flooded the church with vibrant splashes of colour.

As this is the last wedding of 2008, I am going to post a few more of my favourites than usual, so you may need to bear with it if you have a slow connection:

The flowers:

The preparation:

This shoe shot is one of my favourite detail shots of the day, and I have to confess that it was not mine. Thank you to Nicky Adams, my wonderful assistant for the day who helped in so many ways xx

Another one of Nicky's great shots ...

.. and again - she was just fantastic with the boys.

Final prep ..

The most adorable Moo, with Auntie Kate ...

The Arrival ...

A church, full of candles, colours and Christmas Cheer ...

Moo, in her world ...

The shot that Kate and I planned for several months ... it should have been another "Se7en" (see Aug 08), but we were only able to make 6. Hannah, you were missed by, and in the thoughts of us all ...

A brilliantly choreographed first dance ...

... and I could not help the moody lighting for my final shot!

A truly wondrous affair and a great way to finish off the year's posts!

No rest for the wicked though, as my first wedding for 2009 kicks off next weekend!!

Cat & Tom, The Wedding !

2009-01-31T17:18:00.001Z

The second of my posts this weekend is dedicated to Cat and Tom, who were married late last year in Hindhead, Surrey.

It was another very cold day, but we were all in great spirits. Cat and her four lovely bridesmaids made me very welcome and we had smashing fun during the preparations.

Here are my favourites from the day:

Gill & Will, The Wedding!

2009-01-31T17:03:00.002Z

Where oh where does the time go ?

Here we are already at the end of January and it seems like yonks ago that I posted last - in fact, it WAS yonks ago!

It's been a very busy start to the year, and before my wedding season kicks off again, there are three final weddings to post from the end of last year.

The first of these is Gill and Will, who were married at Wasing Park in Aldermaston on what seemed like one of the coldest days last year! It was bitingly cold and I was half expecting snow - luckily we were clear of an form of precipitation until very late in the evening.

Here are my faves from the day:

Tracy & Lee's PWS

2009-01-02T23:19:00.002Z

Towards the end of 2008, I met up with Tracy and Lee, on a bitingly cold afternoon, for their pre-wedding consultation and shoot at The Grove, a fantastic chic hotel in Hertfordshire. They will be tying the knot there in just about 4 weeks from now, so after the festive rush, i guess it's all hands on deck now!

Despite being very nervous, Tracy and Lee managed to ease into the shoot nicely and we got some great shots - here are some of my favourites. Oh, also, given that it was a dull and miserable day, I chose to post everything in black in white this time - there was not much colour to talk of anyway!

We started with an experiment with some moody lighting:

See you Sunday guys!

Ahmed and Family

2008-12-21T23:44:00.004Z

Well, it's been a few weeks since my last post and there's been good reason for the delay. After much ado I have recently moved house and relocated to Guildford. So, once moved I was surrounded by boxes galore and just this weekend shot my last two weddings of the year. It's been a very busy few weeks indeed!

So, a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Ahmed and his family for a shoot on a sunny afternoon at my favourite spot in Richmond Park.

The children were in great form and were complete naturals.

We were also lucky enough to have Ahmed's teacher, Miss Cook, with us for the shoot!

Even mum wanted to join in the fun:

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

The "Team TomCat" Pre-Wedding Shoot

2008-12-06T21:55:00.005Z

Tom & Cat (or Team TomCat, as I like to call them) are getting married in just two weeks! We had to leave their pre-wedding shoot until the last minute because Tom had been growing a really scary moustache for Movember.

It was an amazing day today, in terms of light, and I got to test out my new camera in preparation for my final weddings this year. I know Tom won't mind me saying that he was pretty nervous before we started, but this is exactly the reason why I do these pre-wedding shoots ... to help overcome those nerves and show you guys just how good you can look in front of the camera, with the right photographer!

So, without further ado, here are some wonderful images from today's shoot:

In the end they were both complete superstars and we got some amazing shots, as you can see.

Only two weeks to go guys - looking forward to it!

Nick & Maryse's French Affair

2008-12-01T22:28:00.006Z

Well, continuing the French theme ... Nick and Maryse were married in Capvern les Bains in the South of France recently. I was most pleased to have been chosen to fly out with a big selection of friends and family to cover the weekend.

Much fun was had all weekend and many new friendships were made. A selection of my favourites from the weekend follow.

We had the most amazing sunny weather all weekend, and apart from me driving the hire car into a random Frenchman's irrigation ditch, the whole weekend went without a hitch!

This was the view of the church (small spire, smack bang in the middle) on the night I arrived. Just amazing:

The day before the actual wedding saw the official registration, so we took the chance for some shots. Using reflections for effect:

The newly "registered" couple:

On the day itself, the shoes and flowers:

... and of course, the most beautiful bride:

Dad, looking more like a bridesmaid (Sorry Bob!)

In a car park of all places!

And what better place to hang out with some great new friends than on the top of a mountain, the following day!

I'm hoping for some more destination weddings next year so if you know anyone who needs a great wedding photographer with the experience, you know where to send them!

Un shoot avec les petits!

2008-11-22T21:27:00.005Z

Ok, ok, my French is probably all over the place - but recently I had the plaisir to photograph two little monkeys and their mum & dad, once again at my favourite place Pembroke Lodge, in Richmond Park. So, as there was a touch of French heritage in the mix, this will explain my attempts at a little fancy franco frolicking...

So, to the images - we had great fun at the park and, as always, the following are some of my photographies préféré (i so hope Google got all that right!):

Carley & Stuart, much huggable fun ...

2008-11-12T13:06:00.003Z

On the final weekend of the British Superbike competition, the roar of motorbike engines provided a rumbling backdrop for Carley & Stuart's wedding at Brands Hatch Place in Kent.

Whilst the noise of was exhilarating (for me, at least) it did not put me off the job in hand - shooting an incredibly happy and fun-filled day.

Here are some of my faves.

It's the details that count:

Final prep for a gorgeous lady:

The babes:

A word from the wise:

Kissin'

The Happy Couple:

It was laughs all the way:

Save the last dance for me:

Many thanks to Ted from IMMI for your help and much love to Carly & Stuart - see you soon!!!

Gemma & Stuart in the Sun!

2008-11-04T16:34:00.007Z

Gemma & Stuart were married recently on what was one of our hottest days of the year. I was helped again by my good friend Sara and we had a smashing day indeed.

Some of my favourites from the day. The amazing venue:

The delightfully beautiful bride:

There's always someone who thinks they can do better than the pros!:

Final prep:

A proud mum:

A secret moment:

The lovely ladies:

Another of those simple moments:

Lucky Luke, lounging with the Lovely Ladies:

The happy couple:

The Groom and his harem:

Just gorgeous:

Les Fleurs:

My absolute favourite from the day:

Thanks for trusting me on that last shot guys, and allowing me to pull you out of dinner for those 10 minutes! You rock!!

Catherine and David, Military Style

2008-10-25T22:21:00.002+01:00

Following my retro theme from last week, here are some images form Catherine and David's recent wedding at Minley Manor. The searing heat and amazing venue set the scene for my first military wedding, and i was helped again by my good friend and fellow-ess photographer, Sarah Vivienne.

You can see just how awesome the venue is, especially is such great weather:

The morning was another first for me, as I got to join in with some clay pigeon shooting! 4 clays out of 6 shots the first time i ever fired a shotgun - i was a happy bunny (with a sore shoulder!):

The guard were on good form:

and the girls were delightful:

Piping in the arrival:

The Guard doing what the Guard do:

A rare appearance - me running to get ahead! (Thanks Sarah!)

The happy couple:

He so coool:

Some fun in the candlelight:

Finally, something different for the Ceremonial Sword - the style inspired by the awesome Jerry Ghionis:

All in all, a hot, sunny, fantastic day!

Emma & Chris, with a twist ...

2008-10-17T21:34:00.005+01:00

I am going to do something slightly different with the post for Emma and Chris' wedding, and go a little "retro" with the post-processing - hope you like it. Comments welcome!

So, Emma and Chris were married at Bury Court Barn on a day that started with rain, but gave us some nice sunny spells right around the time of the "outsidey-bits", which was fantastic!

This was actually the bridesmaid's bouquet - not that i didn't LOVE the official bouquet, you understand, i just preferred the "roundness" of this one for the blog:

Emma, making final preps:

Nice shoes:

There was music at the ceremony:

A brilliantly executed sexy kiss:

Lovely girls:

The lucky man, being very lucky:

Only married two minutes, and already they're already looking elsewhere:

The boys:

...and this is my absolute favourite from the day:

Well, there we go - I hope you liked the retro feel. It's a first for me, and a nice little change I think. Please leave some comments and let me know what you think!

Finally, just a quick pic of my assistant for the day, Becky, who is always a great help!

Emma & Chris, see you soon guys ...

Paul & Nicola's Wedding

2008-10-12T09:41:00.002+01:00

Paul and Nicola were recently married in Capel on a super sunny Surrey day, and we celebrated the reception at Gildings Barn in Newdigate. I knew Paul from a previous life and so it was super to have been chosen to cover his wedding with Nicola and to meet all their family and friends - as well as a few familiar faces.

My favourites form the day include, the church:

The lovely Nicola, all veiled up and ready to go:

...and with Dad:

The final walk as a single lady:

Let the celebrations begin:

A Classic:

Laughing on command, so bless!

The Happy Couple:

It was a fantastic day guys, and i'm looking forward to seeing you very soon!

Laurie & Chris' Wedding

2008-10-09T09:42:00.002+01:00

Laurie and Chris were recently married at Cedar House Hotel in Cobham.

We were really lucky with the weather, but not so lucky with the long grass ! We had planned a great set of shots in the nearby field but the local farmer had cut the grass and ploughed the earth - how selfish!!

However, all that said, it didn't detract from a great day, and so here are my favourites.

The venue from across the river:

Getting by with a little help from some friends:

The lovely ladies:

Chris demonstrates his "giraffe coming into land" impression:

The boys:

A bit of arty stuff:

My "recreating the cake" shot:

Another great day with some lovely new friends!

The "most huggable" Carley & Stuart, PWS

2008-10-05T21:29:00.004+01:00

I met the lovely Carley at the National Wedding Show earlier in the year. She came to visit my stand with her gorgeous sister and delightful mum - it was somewhat of an emotional first meeting, but the basis for a wonderful client-photographer relationship!

Carley and Stuart will be getting married next weekend at Brands Hatch Place, and we recently took a trip there for the pre-wedding shoot. Here are some of my favourites from the day:

I'm soooo looking forward to seeing you both on Friday, along with all of your friends and family ...

Nikki & James' Wedding

2008-10-01T22:16:00.002+01:00

My second south-western wedding of the summer was in Dartmouth, on a very, very rainy and blustery day. But whilst the weather was miserable, spirits remained high all day as Nikki & James tied the knot at St Petrox Church:

The lovely Nikki adding the final touches:

The church was lovey inside, with candles all over :

The happy couple leave the ceremony:

A small post-ceremony snack - when in Cornwall...

... and on to the lovely Buckland Tout Saints Hotel (albeit moody on the day):

Two happy fathers:

Always keep in with the hairdressers - they feed you chocolate!!!

It may have been raining, but not in our hearts ... and those rumors of the photographer getting over emotional - all lies!!
See you next week guys!

Kate & David PWS

2008-09-28T21:18:00.003+01:00

I recently took another trip to Pembroke Lodge for Kate & David's pre-wedding shoot. Whilst I usually don't like to do the PWS at the wedding venue, Richmond Park is so vast and appealing that our decision to shoot there on a hot sunny Saturday afternoon was just perfect!

The wedding will be a completely different kettle of fish, as it will be just before Christmas and will have a very festive feel to it - can't wait ...

So, on to the images.

I love it when my subjects are having fun:

I was tasked with something "not in your face and arty" for the wedding invitation, and this is what I came up with (they must have liked it because we printed almost 100 of these!)

Can you tell i am liking the silhouettes ?!

Now, they told me they didn't like moody - but they do it so well!

Some clients just cannot keep up with the pace!

Loving the back light ...

This is my totally top favourite - awesome light and a hint of retro ..

... and i believe this was their favourite ...

This was a great one for the back of the invite, small and discreet ...

So that's it for now - really looking forward to the festive wedding in December.
See you at the party !

Clare & Dave's Wedding

2008-09-16T22:02:00.002+01:00

Well, this one is going to be quite an arty post ... Clare and Dave were married recently at Polhawn Fort down in Cornwall. I traveled down the day before with my friend and second shooter KarenB. The weather on arrival was pretty sunny, and although on the wedding day itself we had a mix of sun and cloud, on the whole it worked well - especially as you'll see from some of the moody sky pictures - which are fast becoming a favourite of mine.

So, here goes.

First, the lovely coastline, on arrival:

Something we spotted walking through the local town (told you it was going to be arty!)

Right after the ceremony - bubbles in place of confetti!

Seven gorgeous bridesmaids, and a lovely bride:

The Se7en - Part II (remember part I, back at Eastlands Estate?)

Clare & Dave, on the clifftops

Just Clare:

You gotta love the sky!

Mr C. gets some help with the family tradition:

and finally, some celebratory fun for the happy couple:

It was fun, it was happy .. it was great! Congratulations and see you both soon!

PJ Remix

2008-09-04T08:53:00.002+01:00

Today I want to post briefly about a piece of software that I use to design all of your albums. I know that there are a number of photographer friends who read these posts too, and we have had conversations recently about which software we all use for album designing - as you can imagine, the choices are varied.

I have tried several, and after a couple of years using Photojunction I can say it's the software of choice for me.

They have recently been through a complete redesign, hence the "remix" bit and what a great success it has been. Many photographers had the option to continue using the older "Photojunction Retro" throughout the development of Remix, but being a bit of a gadget boy i needed to get the latest and greatest software as soon as I could!

Of course, there were some teething issues, as there always is with new software, but the support throughout this period has been exemplary. Bug fixes every day or so, near immediate response to problems and enquiries (quite a feat when they are some 12 hours away from me in the land of timezones) and the end result is a fantastic and so very usable application.

I have used PJ Remix to design a few albums to date and the usability is so much better than "retro". My productivity has rocketed, saving me time and effort to do nice things - like rest and relax!!

A couple of favourite points :
- The ability to split out the components from the Tools window
- Cropping, resizing & moving images in the Image tab also updates the image in the album design window, giving you real-time feed back - awesome!
- The ability to design with or without templates - allowing full creativity.
- Being able to create custom album designs and dimensions - pure flexibility!
- The sheer speed of output now is mind-blowing ...

Gosh, there's is just so much to say about it, i simply don't have the time here. Any photographers wishing to discuss it in more detail, feel free to give me a call and i'll talk you through it!

The following is a link to their Blog and then their main Website too. What are you waiting for ? Go check them out!

Katy and The Boys!

2008-09-01T21:26:00.004+01:00

Well, it's been some weeks since I last posted and that's mainly due to the amazing amount of work that all your weddings have generated - my goodness, it's never ending!

Anyway, i wanted to share a few shots from a recent family shoot I did .. once again at Pembroke Lodge. Katy and her three charming, and rather enthusiastic, boys were all in good spirits from the off ... again, it didn't take long before they were performing for the camera, as only three cheeky little monkeys could.

Notice, yet again, all the black and white ! It's just so cool.

So, the family:

The Boys:

You'd think that tiring them out might calm them down a bit wouldn't you ? No chance!

But they did set this shot up virtually alone! The little models ..

They look so angelic don't they ?

It's all a front - this was just a small moment of calm in the storm!

Not that I am complaining - it was a fun filled and delightful shoot, and i'm looking forward to seeing you all again soon!

Stuart & Shawn, The Ceremony!

2008-08-18T16:04:00.003+01:00

The weekend of Stuart and Shawn's celebrations was memorable for so many reasons. Shooting my first civil ceremony and my first time shooting at the beautiful Eastlands Estate were just two of those reasons. I was warmly greeted not only by the friendly staff at Eastlands, but also by Stuart and Shawn as well as their amazing friends and family.

I was assisted again by Becky, whose help was invaluable - Thanks Becky!

So, on to some of the photographs from the day. The weather was just amazing - the sky was unbelievably blue and cloudy .. those perfect clouds too. I tried to make the most of the scenery as best I could:

Here are the happy couple:

Happy congratulations - we like happy!

This is my arty "Stuart & Shawn vs. The World"

.. and of course, "The Se7en" - moody-tastic! My favourite shot from the day.

The delightful Holly - Eastlands Estate's gorgeous Wedding Coordinator - enjoying a Boys Sandwich :

Onwards to a fantastic future ...

Looking forward to seeing you soon for your viewing guys...

Meet Frances & Family!

2008-08-06T00:12:00.004+01:00

Recently, I had the great pleasure of shooting Frances and her lovely family at Pembroke Lodge (fast becoming one of my favourite places for lifestyle shoots).

The children were just great and got into the groove in under two minutes (Ok, Mum and Dad were pretty good too!) - we had an absolute blast of an evening and, bar a small driving hiccup (say no more), it was a fantastic and fun shoot. What's more, we finished up with a late night and Pizza - no school next day!

The following is a short selection from the shoot (continuing, once again, my penchant for Black & White) :

One fine cool family, don't you agree ?!?

Looking forward to seeing you all again soon - more pizza!!!?

Thank You Gill!

2008-08-05T08:00:00.002+01:00

As it was so late last night when I finally posted on my "new" Blog, I failed to give my utmost thanks to my little Gilly Bean over at Gill Taylor Photography. She saved me a load of time making the changes and helped tremendously with the resizing and alignment. It would have taken far, far longer without her, so thank you honey!

xxxx

Irina & Andrew's Wedding

2008-08-04T23:22:00.003+01:00

For the more observant of you, the slightly new Blog design should not go unnoticed! A mini-revamp means larger images - much better don't you think ?!

So, the first post with this new look is Irina and Andrew's recent wedding. They were married at St. Peter's Italian Church in London and the ceremony took place at Lincoln's Inn.

I was assisted by my good friend David Pearce, who helped throughout the day. It was a changeable day, weather wise, but stayed dry, thank goodness. Here are my favourites from the day:

All the girls with a rather nervous Dad!

This looks quite random, but I am loving the real Photo Journalistic feel of this one:

A quick kiss from Dad...

...and we're ready to go:

Much rice and confetti:

The beautiful ceiling under Lincoln's Inn

The lovley ladies:

The Happy Couple:

Boys and Girls:

...and once again, the reason why i love my job so much!

You'll notice that the Black and Whites are becoming more and more prominent in my posts - i'm just loving it at the moment!

How about you ? Comments welcomed!

Nikki & James, PWS

2008-08-01T07:21:00.004+01:00

Well, before zipping away for this weekend's South West wedding at Polhawn Fort, I wanted to post some images of next weekend's South West wedding couple, Nikki and James.

We met up in Winchester recently, on a very cloudy and sunny, then cloudy, then sunny day and tried to make use of the Cathedral too. I was also testing a camera for an Advertorial in Photo Pro magazine, which should be out next month.

So, on to Nikki and James. They will be getting married next weekend down in Dartmouth, so we need to keep fingers crossed for two lots of good weather down that way. I headed down to Winchester with my assistant for the day, Becky (whose sister's wedding I am shooting next year). Becky got to shoot a few frames too, and did rather well indeed!

Here are my favourites from the day:

This next one was taken by Becky - Nikki & James chose it for their Photo Guest Book - nice once Becks!

Well, looking forward to seeing you both in just about one week's time. Now I need to get back to the packing for my trip down to the Fort this afternoon.

Wishing you all a great weekend!

It's a Potato, young Friar!

2008-07-29T08:00:00.002+01:00

Today i'd like to take you on a small diversion, away from plain old photography and into the world of my soon-to-be-no-more back garden.

A few months ago I decided to have a go at growing potatoes, having been inspired by an episode of Jamie Oliver on TV. I trundled down to B&Q and picked up a £4.98 Potato Grow Bag.

Following Jamie's instructions, I stood the bag on its end, sliced the top off and planted a couple of old potatoes. Then I made a couple of incisions in the front of the bag and inserted a couple more ... and that was it!

Keeping it watered regularly, by hose or by rain, and several battles with snails and slugs .... and a couple of months later here are the fruits (or should that be 'vegetables' ?) of my labours :

Those big ones are about 7" long .. rather impressive, don't you agree?

Unfortunately, i'll be moving house soon and so no more garden for the foreseeable future. But i am looking forward to trying these home grown babies over the next few days!

Clare and Dave PWS

2008-07-27T19:02:00.003+01:00

In less than seven days, I will be shooting Clare & Dave's wedding at Polhawn Fort in Cornwall.

Before the wedding though, we need to have a pre-wedding shoot, and we met up in London recently, on a very summery afternoon for that very purpose. They were both immediately relaxed in front of the camera, which is going to make my job that much easier next weekend!

Here are the favourites:

This final one is a top 3 favourite from the entire year!

Fingers crossed for good weather!

Paul & Nicola, PWS

2008-07-25T20:09:00.002+01:00

A few weeks back I met up with Paul and Nicola for their pre-wedding shoot in Surrey. They will be getting married in Capel, Surrey and the reception will be at the very authentic Gildings Barn in Newdigate.

We too a trip to the church to have a good look around, and found that it was rather suited to a pre-wed shoot too .. so here are my favourites from the session:

Harriet & Alex - The Wedding

2008-07-18T07:31:00.006+01:00

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Harriet and Alex at the Petersham Hotel in Richmond. It was a fantastic day, with many friendly family and friends - something that always makes a good day for me.

I was helped by the lovely Binky Nixon, a good friend and wonderful photographer from Bedford - we had a blast, and here are some of the day's best shots (you may notice my Black and White phase ...)
The Confetti:

The vows:

The delightfully stunning Mrs Ingham:

Gotta smell good!

...and look good...

The happy couple:

Heading for the boat - i love the urban-ness of this one:

and what would a party be without a wicked dance to kick it off?

Proof that everyone loves a baldie ...

...as these delightful ladies will agree!

Yes, that is me in the middle ... i LOVE my job !

Thank you all for a fantastic day, and Harriet, I don't care that you turned Bridezilla on me with 10 minutes to go - you are forgiven!

Gemma & Stuart, PWS

2008-07-16T10:45:00.003+01:00

Well ... i have been meaning to blog this one for a while now, but have been very distracted with an impending house move, smack bang in the middle of the season - not very good timing!

I know Gemma and Stuart through Gemma's mum, Debbie, who runs the very classy Travel By Design travel company - if you have not got your honeymoon sorted yet, Debbie is the one to speak to!

Gemma and Stuart will be getting married at the stunning Great Fosters, in Egham, later in the year. We met up there for a coffee and a chat, and decided to stay around for some pre-wedding photos.

Here are my faves. Firstly Stuart looking charming:

Followed by Gemma looking stunning:

Nuzzling:

Serious:

and finally, Gemma with her Boyz:

They say never work with children or animals ... but Stuart and the Dogs were absolutely fine, really they were!

See you soon guys!

Shawn & Stuart, PWS

2008-07-05T16:41:00.005+01:00

I met Shawn and Stuart at the Gay Wedding Show in Brighton last year. It was a great show, and runs several times a year, in Brighton, Manchester and Cardiff. I will be exhibiting again later this year, in Brighton ...

Shawn and Stuart will be having their Civil Ceremony at the very suave Eastlands Estate, near Billingshurst, in West Sussex. So suave, in fact, that Jamelia was married there recently!

However, who wants to shoot Jamelia, when you have Shawn and Stuart! Here are some of my favourites from our session:

They both pull of a mean look too:

but their natural look is the best:

They didn't believe that a rusty container would make them look so smart :

but trust in your photographer, and all will be well!

Only a few weeks until the ceremony!

Emma and Chris, PWS

2008-07-03T13:38:00.003+01:00

Emma and Chris will be getting married at Bury Court Barn, Surrey later in the year. I went to meet them recently for our consultation and pre-wedding shoot. As some of you know, i normally do not do the pre-wedding shoot at the same venue, but it was so gorgeous we could not resist!

Once again, they got straight into the swing of things and didn't mind a whopping big lens being pointed at them:

Here's Emma looking all film-star-esque:

and Chris, making like, oh I don't know, Al Pacino or someone ...

Then a quick one once they were completely at ease:

and then we nipped off to the barn for a cheeky hay shot:

Looking forward to the wedding later in the year, as The Barn is a splendid venue (and will be even better when they're not burning compost, i imagine!)
See you soon guys.

Laurie and Chris, PWS

2008-06-24T09:21:00.004+01:00

I recently had lunch with Laurie and Chris who will be getting married in August this year. We dined in the same place where their ceremony will be held - the very nice Cedar House Hotel in Cobham.

After a very tasty meal, we wandered around the location, and then across to the river and nearby fields for their pre-wedding shoot. They were naturals, and needed little direction at all! Good on you, guys ...

Here are some shots from the shoot:

Across the road from Cedar House Hotel ...
Chris looking somewhat cool ...
... and no matter how hard you try, you just HAVE to blow the photographer a kiss every now and then!
... and don't they pull off the "moody" look well !?
Looking forward to August guys! Have a great holiday next week ...

The Wedding of Jayne & James

2008-06-13T17:27:00.002+01:00

Well, finally, here are some images from Jayne and James' wedding from a few weeks ago. Much has happened since then, including several shoots which I am hoping to post at some point!

Many of you know that I was due to fly out to the USA to see some very good friends of mine, Tasha and Kristi, in Minneapolis - unfortunately I put my back out when I was in Florence and was declared unfit to travel :( Alas, I had to forego the trip ...

However, after many trips to a wonderful chiropractor, Louise, at Team Health in Windsor, I am well on the road to recovery. In fact, it was Louise who helped me through Jayne and James' wedding with a lot of work beforehand, and a special support belt on the day.

But, enough of my aches and pains, on to the wedding...

It was a gloriously sunny day, and I headed down to Bosham ('bozzum' or 'bosh-um' i never did work out) with my good friend, and 2nd shooter for the day, Nicky. The mood when we arrived was nothing short of spectacular ... everybody was sooo laid back and relaxed, you would have thought that it was the day AFTER the wedding! What a wonderful way to start the day.
After a cheeky cream tea, Nicky and I headed out to do a quick recce of the surrounding area - now, check this out for a view from your front garden:

There was a causeway in the middle of all that which you can take to cross over when the tide is out, and when the water comes in it's all just as picturesque:

Even though we had a nice sunny day, the wind was challenging to say the least - hair and skirts everywhere ... we had to dive for cover at every opportunity, but still managed some great images. Here are Jayne and James looking lovely as ever:

Given that we were down by the coast, there were plenty of boats and sailing paraphernalia around so I tried to be a bit arty:

Here's Jayne with mum and dad:

... and finally, what would a wedding be without a great best man - and James had TWO. Their speech was an absolute classic! Here they are with their gorgeous girlfriends:

Another enjoyable wedding, despite the challenge of the wicked windy weather!

Back on Track!

2008-05-27T09:54:00.007+01:00

Gosh, it has been some while since the last post and for quite a good reason too.

A few weeks back I was out of the country again, this time in Florence. I was fortunate enough to have attended a workshop run by an amazing photographer Jerry Ghionis. Jerry has won countless awards for Weddings, Portraits and Album Designs and was voted as one of the world's top ten photographers by American Photo magazine in 2007.

The flight over had some great views as we passed the Alps :

We stayed in Villa Il Poggiale, located in the Chianti region of Tuscany. This is the gorgeous view we had from the front of the Villa:

Jerry's workshop was all about wedding photography and we studied various subjects to improve our overall "efficiency" in many areas, covering such things as lighting, posing, marketing, business etc Many of the topics covered took me right out of my comfort zone, especially posing, as that's not what I do as a rule. However, with perseverance, I realised that everything has its place at the right time and I have taken away some exceptionally valuable ideas.

All in all it was a fantastic workshop, with great company and great food in a great location. The following shots are a couple that I took during the week, and I am obliged to point out that these are professional models and that makes the job sooo much easier. Having been shown some 'poses' by Jerry throughout the week, the aim was to try and replicate them, whilst not looking too contrived and keeping it real.

Melissa and Renee looking lovingly lovely:

My artistic take on a pose setup by Jerry:

Our gorgeous model, Sylvia, posed by me in the centre of Florence:

The lovely Melissa again:

With all this new found knowledge and alternative approaches to posing and lighting, I cannot wait to get cracking with it! I shot a wedding this weekend just gone and have already employed some of what I picked up at the workshop. Look out later in the week for some of Jayne and James' photos.

A QUALIFIED Master Photographer I am!

2008-05-09T14:26:00.003+01:00

Well, good news all around. On Wednesday of this week, I officially qualified as a member of the Master Photographers Association.
MPA is the professional organisation for Master Photographers in which all qualified members adhere to a strict Code of Conduct and have undergone qualification to at least Licentiate standard.

Established over 50 years ago, the MPA is unique in that it only allows full-time professional photographers to remain in membership. Each must have undergone a rigorous assessment of their work - and only then do they appear in the MPA's Online Directory and can add the MPA logos to business cards and stationery.

According to the MPA website, all members :

* Strive continually to uphold the professional standard of their work and to improve the standard of practice in the profession as a whole.

* Conduct themselves so as to uphold the reputation of the Association and with it the spirit and dignity of their profession.

* Deal fairly, honestly and helpfully with their clients, employer, employees, suppliers and fellow members and when required to give professional opinion shall do so conscientiously and without malice.

* A member shall exercise all reasonable skill, care and diligence in the discharge of their duties and, in so far as any of their duties are discretionary, shall act fairly and in good faith.

* A member shall at all times and in all respects conduct their professional and business operations within the law.

Well, this sounds about right, and all of these points are things that I have been doing for some time now, as a matter of course.

So, if you have booked me for your wedding or lifestyle shoot this year, this qualification should come as good news to you. If you have not yet booked me, or are thinking about doing so, please get in touch soon.

Weddings are almost at a close this year - I will only be accepting a few more bookings, so call now for a no obligation consultation.

Harriet & Alex's pre-wedding shoot

2008-05-05T08:48:00.002+01:00

Yesterday I found myself at Pembroke Lodge again, in Richmond park, for another pre-wedding shoot. The deer were out in force and the squirrels were scampering around and boldly presenting themselves for food!

Harriet and Alex will be married on the 21st June 2008 at the gorgeous Petersham Hotel. We took a quick trip to the Petersham after the shoot and it's amazing! Lot's of wonderful opportunities there ... I am really looking forward to shooting there.

Now, a recurring theme amongst my couples is the nervousness and worry about having photos taken. Most people are nervous the first time, you are not alone. Harriet was especially not looking forward to the shoot yesterday, but within 20 minutes or so, she got into the groove and did brilliantly - we worked some lovely shots.

This is why the pre-wedding shoot is so important, even if you start to wonder whether it can be skipped ... one recent bride to be saw her shots and told me, "my confidence has grown after seeing those shots! Can't wait for the day.... "

Testament to a successful pre-wedding shoot, don't you think ?

So, enough rambling, here are my favourites from yesterday's relaxed and most enjoyable shoot:

Irina and Andrew's pre-wedding shoot

2008-04-30T09:38:00.004+01:00

On Monday I took the train into London to meet Irina and Andrew for their pre-wedding shoot. It was a very changeable day, weatherwise, and we spent much of it dodging the rain. After a visit to the beautiful St. Peter's Italian Church, where they will be married, we took a walk to Lincoln's Inn, where the reception will be held - both stunning locations and will make for some great photographs.

After the rain stopped we took a quick trip into Regent's Park, where Irina fed the squirrels (we also saw a rat but I didn't photograph it!)

Here are some of my favourites from the day:

J3 Pre Wedding Shoot

2008-04-26T18:42:00.005+01:00

On a lovely sunny and windy spring morning, I met up with Jayne, James and Jack (a.k.a. J3), for their pre-wedding shoot in Richmond Park. Jayne and James will be married in just four weeks down on the South Coast, and it looks like it's going to be a wonderful affair. Fingers crossed for a clear day!

Here are my favourite shots from today:

Monkey Magic

2008-04-15T09:15:00.005+01:00

One of the things I was looking forward to when we went to The Datai, was a meeting with the famous monkeys! Unfortunately, we were on the "wrong" side of the hotel and so whilst most of our friends were receiving daily visits, it took until Day 5 for us to see any monkey action.

We had seen them in the trees and on other balconies, but never on our own. However, one lunchtime we spied one close by. He looked rather cute from afar :
and even played a touch of hide and seek:

However, when he got closer we realised that, just our luck, he was scabby and not very cute after all - possibly an outcast who had had a recent fight, which might suggest why he was on his own:
Now, we had heard about them stealing food if you left your doors open, but thought that we would be ok if we were in the room. Probably our fault for walking around eating when he arrived because suddenly he spied the fruit bowl:
and before we knew it, he helped himself:
salivating at the thought of more banana:

When it seemed that he was starting to make plans for another raid, I tried to shoo him away, but I think he took that as a challenge and started to mock charge me with his teeth bared:
Eventually we got rid of him, and he skipped away to find some new friends:
I guess the lesson learned was to hide the food when he appeared - as with all animals in "public places", once they know food is available they will keep coming back. The situation is only exacerbated by us making it easy for them.

Still, on the whole, they are really cute and this encounter was another tick in the box for me!
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The Frog Blog a.k.a "bom, Bom, BOM ... aah-ee-aa!"

2008-04-10T18:18:00.006+01:00

Those who know me well will know that I have a real keen interest in animals and nature . That's really where my serious photography began. Our trip to Malaysia, therefore, treated us to so much more than just wedding photography.

To set the scene, the entrance to the Datai is rather impressive indeed - it's hard to get a good understanding from this small image, but to give you a good idea, the horses are pretty much life sized:
Just beyond those three slim pillars at the end of the path is a lily pond, something like 20 foot square. By day, it's a beautiful green and pink pond, with the occasional dragonfly buzzing by and a few small frogs (see the post for day 1). The beautiful flowers would open and close a various stages of the day:
During the night, however, the place would come alive with frogs! They were everywhere ... up the walls, down the stairs ... and the noise is amazing! Now, don't get me wrong - it's not like they run (hop?) around in packs terrorising the guests - but we were, to all intents and purposes, in a rainforest, and so you have to expect wierd and wonderful things when it comes to the animal life.

Given that I have such a fascination with the wildlife, and many of these amphibians seemed tame enough, and I always had my camera to hand, I figured it would be a great opportunity to get some shots that I would not normally have the chance to shoot.

Strangely enough, many of these little rubbery fellows seemed to have their own characters too ...

The "Standing to Attention" Frog:

The "reminds me of Bagpuss" Frog:

The "free ride home" Frog:

The regular "Rebbit" Frog:

The "talk to the hand" Frog:

The "eyeing up your dinner" Frog:

The "thinks he's Spiderman" Frog:

... and my favourite of all, just because of the gorgeous green-ness:

A truly amazing variety of sizes, colours and characters ... to be able to get so close was just marvellous. A bottle of champagne to anyone who can tell me all the latin names for the different species here !

Tijen & Neal's Wedding - Day 6 - Post Wedding Shoot

2008-04-09T08:09:00.004+01:00

With the registration and ceremony now complete and the party over, there is time for everyone to unwind and relax - including me! After the beach party last night, many of us ended up at the bar for a chilled out drink.

This morning it was late breakfasts all round and then straight down to the beach for a snooze and ice cold drinks.

Now that we have some free time and all the official stuff is over, it's great to be able to take some time out for a nice chilled shoot. It doesn't take much to get dressed up again, and the hair and make up are not as important today - with far less to worry about in terms of keeping the dress clean and pristine, we can all relax about location, and get some of the shots that really count.

This afternoon, as the light turned golden, Tijen and Neal brought their wedding attire down to the beach and, with the help of Andrea, Vincent and Regan, donned it all again in the shade of the rainforest canopy. A quick whip-off of the bikini top...

... and we were ready to go.

Some of our friends were still on the beach and jumped in for a quick shot:

... and back to the pool, for the "finale" ...

The question is: did you guess correctly ?

Yes - she jumped!

A quick cuddle to warm back up again:
... followed by a kiss in front of the hotel entrance, just for the record:

... and a thoughtful 5 minutes at the bar before heading up for a shower, in time for dinner.

Another wonderful shoot under our belts.

Tijen & Neal's Wedding - Day 5 - Ceremony

2008-04-07T05:23:00.006+01:00

Ok, ok, I know ! It's a hard life out here you know! So sorry that i didn't post again yesterday, but I was exhausted and just couldn't bring myself to sit at the laptop for long enough to do this.

The wedding was simply AMAZING! Tijen, as you will see, looked absolutely stunning ... and Neal was a right old hunk. There was rushing around, there was panic, there were tears and there was laughter .. and that was just the photographers! It was a perfect day in absolutely every way ... Even the post-ceremony gusts of wind and torrential rain didn't ruin the mood - nothing could have spoilt that day ...

I would just like to add that all of the photographs you have seen from this week have not been properly processed for print, and are pretty much straight out of camera - so everything may not always be perfect ... time considerations this week have meant that I could not do everything I wanted to do.

... and so, to the images ...

Tijen was in a wonderfully playful mood, despite the pressure to get ready on time:

Theresa was a superstar and worked to a very tight deadline:

Allison was at hand for the tie-up:

The setting was beautiful:

But the girls were even nicer:

... and still playful:

As the string trio played, the wonderfully beautiful Tijen made her way down the petal-aisle ... and at this point there was hardly a dry eye on the beach:

All of a sudden we started to lose the light, and the clouds moved in - we could see the rain coming, so it was a mad rush to get the photos done:

... and, Oh My Gosh, just before the rain hit, we had 3 minutes of pure glory:

... and then, simultaneously, we lost the light, and the rains hit. Gusts of wind blew the petals off the tables and blew the candles out and the rain started pouring in between the three adjoining open-walled marquees - it was like walking through a waterfall every time you went from one to another. Some of the more resourceful were fine:
... but despite the weather, we really didn't care, and just got on with it:
We ate exceptionally well, the cake was cut and the speeches made:
The rain finally stopped, almost as if on cue, and the bonfire was lit for the first dance:

... and then it was PARTY, PARTY, PARTY round the fire - WOOHOO!

... even the staff joined in, which was wonderful!
Sometimes my job is just TOO GOOD!
Electric kisses all around from Freddy:
... and then you always get that one guest who thinks that they can do a better job than the official photographer :o)
...and as the night drew to a close, the exhaustion became just too much for the ever-so-proud fathers:
So, there you have it ... an amazing day for an amazing couple.

As I write this, sadly, many of us have started the very painful process of packing. There will be no more posts for a day or so as we start the physically arduous and emotionally difficult journey home - away from what can only be described as paradise ...

Once home, I will post the remainder of our images which will include the "Frog Blog" as well as Tijen and Neal's Post-Wedding shoot ... and to whet your appetites, can you guess what happened next ?????

Tijen & Neal's Wedding - Day 4

2008-04-05T09:30:00.005+01:00

Apologies for not posting yesterday - it was hectic, to say the least. I'll try to get two posts done today to make up for it!

We spent most of day 4 lazing on the beach, before I took Tijen and Neal off for their post-registration-pre-wedding shoot. My first shot of the day was a huge scary flying baby eater:

Elbert was in a great mood today, much the same as every day, actually:

There was supserstar on the beach today:

... and even the rich and famous can show their emotions.

Freddy frolicked ...

... and the view remained stunning:

I spotted this little fellow on the sand, just before I took the happy couple of for their shoot:

.. and then the shoot went something like this:

After the amazing shoot, we all showered and changed and met up at the Pavillion for dinner - this restaurant is suspended on huge stilts up high in the rainforest canopy ...

Just before we went in, the photographers made a rare appearance on the other side of the lens:
Elbert was almost kidnapped ..

But Neal tackled the abductors to the ground and rescued our little mascot, so he could have a go ... and what a good job he does too:

.. and so, the day drew to a close with thoughts turning to the most important day so far ... the wedding ceremony on the beach. Come back soon for a peek at the fun and festivities ...

Finally, my arty shot of the day:

Tijen & Neal's Wedding - Day 3

2008-04-04T08:42:00.004+01:00

Today's blog is going to be very short on words, as I have less than 30 minutes to get the images posted and back down to the beach for Tijen and Neal's post-registration-pre-wedding-shoot! I know ... it's a hard life ... however, less words means more pictures, so here we go.

On what was to be an excruciatingly hot day, spirits were high at breakfast. Tijen was the only notable absence, as she was at the Amderman hotel having her hair done - and very lovely it was too! For someone who has spent months planning the perfect few days, she was amazingly calm this morning.

It was all going well until ... "Hello, yes, can you send someone to the room and retrieve the rings, and can they please drive at 100mph to meet us at the registry?"

The answer, apparently, was "Yes!!"

And there you have it, a wonderful, wonderful day despite a ring hiccup (we didn't need the rings afterall either!!!)

Tomorrow, the pre-wedding shoot and some fun on the beach!

Tijen & Neal's Wedding - Day 2

2008-04-03T11:30:00.007+01:00

After a good night’s sleep, we got to experience our first wonderful Datai breakfast this morning. Sat at one of the many open air tables, and listening to the calls of the rainforest, we sampled the delights of fresh fruits, yoghurts and pastries, as well as a nice selection of fruit juices and coffee. The cooked breakfast was also too good to miss, and many of us now felt charged and ready to meet a new day.

A few of us, driven by Tijen's secret mission to find perfume, went on a cable car ride to the top of the highest point of the island. Half way up, Tijen made a new friend:

Whilst the view was spectacular....

... not everybody enjoyed the ride - Les was certainly not impressed:

Once we made it back down to Terra Ferma, the girls darted into the duty free shop whilst I met a few more of the locals:

The afternoon was spent snoozing and lazing idly down on the beach again, with much talk of the upcoming wedding registration tomorrow. Neal, ever eager to pose for the lens, decided to practice his "not looking at the camera" pose:

But soon, given 5 minutes to himself, his thoughts turned to tomorrow's ceremony ... deep in thought :

The evening meal was a hoot, with Matthew as the centre of attention - just how he likes it. Here he is supported by the lovely Teresa and Alison, who incidentally, were NOT the first to bed this evening:

The beaches here are stunning - everywhere we drive we see more water and beautiful scenery. Just before dinner, I took some time out to try and capture the mood of the evening sun. Tonight was certainly not as good as it gets, and fingers crossed that we get the best on Saturday night ... but here's tonight's sunset:

Finally, my arty picture of the day:

Tomorrow, we'll be shooting the day of the official wedding registration. Find out if anyone cries, and who remembers (or forgets??) the rings ...

Tijen & Neal's Wedding - Day 1

2008-04-02T09:39:00.004+01:00

After an exhausting 12 hour flight, followed very closely by a second one hour flight, we have arrived safe and sound.

Once the aircraft doors opened on the Langkawi Airport tarmac, we were hit with a wave of intense heat and humidity - the short walk to the terminal was an indication of what was to come, and the terminal air conditioning was rather welcome. We were met by several drivers from The Datai, who had luggage labels prepared for us. Each bag was tagged and whisked away to be loaded onto the waiting vehicles. We all jumped in too, and 25 minutes later we arrived at the hotel to a warm welcome from Tijen and Neal.

Without a doubt The Datai has to be one of the most amazing hotels I have ever seen. The staff are well presented, very polite and exceptionally attentive - every guest is made to feel like royalty, which serves to ease you nicely into a comfortable and relaxing stay.

After 20 minutes relaxing in the bar, with ice cold drinks and cold face towels to cool us down, we made our way to our rooms - which are simply exquisite:

This is the view from our bedroom window:

We all had a shower at that point and then several of the party shot straight down to the beach, whilst the rest of us hit the sack for a few hours. After some well earned rest, Regan and I went to meet a few of the locals:

We took a stroll down to the beach and then along a jungle path where two enormous wild boar ran out in front of us and darted off into the bush - i was far too stunned to even think about taking a photograph of those two, choosing instead to just stand there, mouth agape, in total wonderment!

After another shower we all met up in the bar for our first evening meal together - the sudden thunderstorm meant that we were unable to eat under the stars, although the covered area where we sat was just perfect in any case.

At one point, Tijen was concerned she had spinach in her teeth, but Albert did his best to reassure her with a positive gurgle:

One by one, the party gave in to the exhaustion and the group petered out - Alison and Teresa, the obvious lightweights in the party :o) headed up first, whilst Tijen continued to practise for future motherhood:

So, at the end of the first day full of sun, heat and wonderful new friends we all finally went our own separate ways and got a much needed full night's sleep.

More tomorrow when some of us take a cable car up to 710m above sea level ... and some of us wish we hadn't ...

Langkawi, here we come ...

2008-03-28T10:02:00.005Z

Well, the last few weeks have just flown by, and all of a sudden here we are packing for our destination wedding in Langkawi! As the wind picks up in the UK and the the rain starts to fall sideways, my thoughts turn to luggage. (OK, I lied - my thoughts turn to sun, sand and beautiful beaches, but luggage does come first!)

For some, the headache now may be, "Which clothes to pack?" I am not sure Regan has the problem, given that I have noticed a pile of beachy-looking-clothes in the spare room, steadily increasing in height over the last week or so.

No, for me the clothes will be the last thing I think about - Sunday, probably, as I start to fill my suitcase. The biggest issue I have is trying to work out just how on earth to transport all the photography gear. When we went on a Photographic Safari to Africa a couple of years back, the camera gear alone weighed in at 20Kg. Given that the internal flights allowed us a combined weight (hand luggage & hold luggage) of just 15Kg, it was a miracle we made it there and back without any complications.

As I write this, I am awaiting delivery of a Think Tank Airport International 2.0 carry-on camera bag, which should do the trick. After much research and a long chat with Helen at Snapper Stuff, she agreed to loan me the bag for a real life field test, in return for some "bag in action" shots throughout the trip. I am sure the gear will all fit, it's more a problem of how heavy the bag will be once full. With the wild variation in luggage allowances (read "restrictions") from airport to airport and airline to airline, planning this trip has been a challenge. Whilst Heathrow Airport allows 2 items of hand luggage through security, Malaysia Airlines restricts you to one piece only, and that must not weigh more than 5Kg ! The bag alone weighs more than that ... thankfully, we're travelling in a party of 22 people - "Hi, pleased to meeet you, we're photographing the wedding ... er, can you carry this for me please ?"
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Well, isn't it a small world ? I recently discovered that Debbie, a good friend of mine who runs a wonderful luxury travel / honeymoon company Travel By Design, actually knows Jamie, the General Manager of the Datai. It seems that Jamie is one of the most friendly hotel managers around, so I am sure he'll be able to point out the best spots for some promotional shots of the hotel and surrounding locations, which Debbie hopes to use to promote the venue back here in the UK.
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This will probably be the last post until we get to Langkawi on Tuesday morning, so please keep your fingers crossed that our party of 22 get there safe and sound, and with all our baggage too! Thankfully we're flying Malaysian Airlines from Terminal 3 and not BA from Terminal 5! Can you imagine ... no, actually, let's not even go there ...

Shot of the day
I'd like to try and make sure that every post has a photograph, so whilst the rain hammers the window panes and makes you feel like staying indoors all day long, take a step back and see the art :

It's the little things that matter.

2008-03-18T10:58:00.006Z

Every now and then, during the quiet periods, I like to make sure I keep my hand (and eyes) in the game. I take all the opportunities I can to assist other photographers at their weddings, either as second gun or just helping out with lighting and attention to details.

Yesterday I helped my good friend David with a wedding at Gosfield Hall in Essex. There wasn't much call for me to actually shoot, as my main remit was lighting and keeping the kids entertained (read 'distracted') whilst David did his stuff.

I do think that sometimes, however, it's the kids who can make or break a wedding - oh, sure, the Wedding wouldn't be happening in the first place without the lucky couple's involvement, but it's often the smaller details that can get forgotten.

Yesterday, we were fortunate (in my opinion) to have quite a few children attending the wedding - for the most part they did what many kids do when they get overexcited, and spent much of the day running around screaming and playing.

The weather was pretty cold and grim, with unpredictable and intermittent rain. However, even during these times, the magic is still possible. I managed to collar a couple of the children and calmed them down enough for a very quick timeout ... and this is what they gave me:

They may have been mad and loud for most of the day, but you wouldn't want to miss having them around. Everybody knows it's the little things that matter ...
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Selamat Datang!

2008-03-13T16:54:00.006Z

There comes a time in your life when lovely things happen, which make all the hard work and perseverance worthwhile.

Exhibiting at the National Wedding Show was hard work - very hard work. The preparation alone is exhausting, as is the setup and breakdown of your stand. At the end of each day all you want to do is collapse into a hot jacuzzi and then sleep until the next day!

Despite this, however, the exhilaration of meeting prospective couples and sharing ideas and thoughts about upcoming wedding plans can't be beaten ... well, actually it can - by being there on the day itself and being chosen to document and share the wonderful occasion.

In the case of Tijen and Neal, who we met at the show, it's going to be less 'on the day itself' and more 'for the week itself'. Tijen and Neal have chosen to celebrate their wedding on the amazing island of Langkawi, Malaysia and we are thrilled to have been asked to document their week away. We will be staying with a small intimate group of 20 friends and family at The Datai, "Situated on the northwestern tip of the Langkawi Island, The Datai is nestled inside an ancient tropical rainforest, with a secluded white sandy beach facing the calm Andaman Sea."

A few days ago I received a small package in the post, and had no idea what it was. Even after opening the outer wrapping, I was still intrigued:

On opening the box however, a wonderful surprise awaited me!

Still somewhat bemused though, I opened the "Message in a Bottle" to reveal all ..

What a brilliant touch - our Official Wedding Invitation!

Complete with a sprinkle of golden hearts ...

We'll be blogging whilst we're out there, to keep friends and family updated with our amazing week, so make sure you check back each day to see what we're all up to.

We are very excited, as you can imagine, and our clothes shopping and packing plans have already started.

We leave in less than three weeks (31st March), which doesn't give us much time to get beach fit, but I think we can live with that, don't you ?

National Wedding Show - Thank You!

2008-03-07T22:35:00.015Z

Well, for our first post, i’d like to thank everybody who came to visit us at the National Wedding Show, Olympia at the end of February. What a great show we had. Even more thanks to all of you who booked us for your forthcoming weddings. We do still have some dates left for 2008, so please call for a chat if you are still thinking about it.

We wish you all the very best with your wedding plans, and hope to hear from you soon.

Before I sign off from the first post, i'd also like to thank our gorgeous bride Kate, for helping us out at the show on Saturday and Charlie from Signature Days for your help on Friday. We could not have done it without you!

Kate Looking gorgeous ...

... and the other half of Team W.