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Celebrating World Photography Day

Today- Friday 19th August 2022 – is World Photography Day, an annual, worldwide celebration of the art, craft, science and history of photography.

Obviously as a wedding photographer this date is right up my street, and I couldn’t miss the opportunity to share some of my very favourite photographs with you.

It was so hard to narrow it down to just one favourite (so hard that I actually didn’t- I only managed to narrow it down to three!) The problem is that when you’re a wedding photographer you witness so many amazing moments on the most special day of people’s lives. There’s so much emotion and happy memories attached to so many of the images I’ve shot that It’s really difficult to choose favourites!

However, there are some that do stand out in my mind, perhaps because of the unique circumstances in which I managed to capture the moment, or because I just love the composition of the shot.

A bit about me as a wedding photographer

To explain why I finally decided on the two images I chose for #WorldPhotographyDay, it helps to understand a little bit about my style as a wedding photographer.

I specialise in natural, relaxed wedding photography, and my style could be referred to as ‘documentary style’ or ‘reportage’ wedding photography- basically, ‘reporting’ on your wedding day through images. My background is as a press photographer, which gave me years of experience in photographing events as they happened, and being ready in the moment to capture unique, emotive, and one-off images. I like to bring these skills and experiences to my wedding photography.

Throughout my career as a wedding photographer, something I’ve learned is that unexpected, impromptu moments can sometimes result in the most humorous, unique, and stand-out wedding photographs. Being a documentary style photographer is all about being there in the right place at the right time and capturing the moment. And this explains why I love these first two images so much…

My first two images for World Photography Day 2022…

I captured this image when I was the wedding photographer for Kim and Peter who were married at St Hildeburghs parish church in Hoylake, Cheshire.

This photo is of a flower girl telling the bridesmaids to be quiet as the ceremony was about to start. I love this photo because not only is it adorable(!), but it’s just so natural and was a split-second moment of the day that I was lucky enough to capture.

I gained a silver award from the Guild of Photographers for this image, and it was in the final for the Image of the Year award too. It also holds pride of place in a large frame in my little cabin at home and everyone always comments on how natural it is.

My second chosen image shows exactly what can happen when you’re there in the right moment with your camera!

This is the moment that I snapped the moment that a ring-bearing owl swooped down on a terrified best man after it flew down the altar towards the groom. This was a totally one-off image that could never be recreated again even if I tried a million times! It was a hilarious shot which even made international news! It’s these moments that you just can’t buy and being a documentary style wedding photographer means I get to be there to capture them first hand.

My third image for World Photography Day 2022…

Whilst my background is in documentary-style wedding photography, of course I am always more than happy to create posed photos too. I love to spend time with couples to create unique posed photographs that they’ll look back on and love for years to come. In fact, I recently won Creative Wedding Photographer of the Year The Welsh Wedding Awards 2022 thanks to some of the unique posed shots I’ve created for brides and grooms.

This all explains why I love this third image so much…

This shot is all thanks to my new favourite purchase: I bought a drone during lockdown last year as something to learn whilst I was stuck at home. It’s honestly the best thing ever- I love using it and it’s brought a whole new dimension to my wedding photography.

I used the drone to capture this standout image from Katie and Dan’s wedding at Iscoyd Park. This lovely couple got married in May this year, so I was fully up to speed on using the drone by then and couldn’t wait to capture some images with it at Iscoyd Park.

Drones don’t work at every wedding- it really depends on the venue. Iscoyd Park is a beautiful venue on the North Wales and Chester border and I knew there were some great spaces for images like this one. Plus- even better- Katie had the most incredible dress which really shows in this shot, and it’s what makes it so eye-catching.

I love that both of these images show the different sides of the wedding photography that I love to create and I’m really pleased to be sharing them this #WorldPhotographyDay.

August 19, 2022

Blog, Real Weddings

A dream outdoor wedding at Soughton Hall, North Wales

Soughton Hall in North Wales is one of my favourite venues to shoot at, so I was thrilled when Lucinda and Tom asked me to photograph their wedding at this beautiful venue.

I’m a wedding photographer in Chester and North Wales, and Soughton Hall is actually just down the road for me, based in Flintshire. It’s one of the venues I shoot at most frequently, and it’s not hard to see why it’s such a favourite for couples who are getting married. Set on the border of Cheshire and North Wales, Soughton Hall is a stunning Georgian country house approached down a sweeping driveway and surrounded by landscaped gardens.

As with so many weddings recently, the path to Lucinda and Tom’s wedding date wasn’t always a smooth one. This lovely couple originally booked me for their wedding in June 2020 and due to COVID restrictions it didn’t go ahead, and they moved it to the following year. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do their new date – argh! But low and behold the date got moved again and yes, bingo I could do it this time! And I’m so glad I could, as it was the perfect day full of love, laughter, and even a beautiful outdoor ceremony…

Lucinda and Tom’s Soughton Hall Wedding

I joined Lucinda and her bridal party on the morning of the wedding to capture some bridal prep shots. As a wedding photographer, I love being involved in bridal prep: it’s such a fun and exciting part of the day.

Soughton Hall has beautiful rooms to get ready in, and I enjoyed photographing Lucinda’s gorgeous dress from Cherish the Bride with the backdrop of the bridal suite.

Lucinda and her bridal party were pampered by Samantha Gannon, Freelance Hairstylist and Bridal hair Specialist, and their make up was by Sophie Griffiths. All the girls looked beautiful and we took some fantastic photographs of them all enjoying getting ready and having a great time together before the big event.

One of my favourite parts of being a wedding photographer is witnessing people’s reactions when they see the bride for the first time in her dress. Lucinda’s bridesmaids were completely overwhelmed with how beautiful she looked and it made for some lovely wedding photography.

I then headed outside to find Tom and his groomsmen, two of whom were adorable page boys- Lucinda and Tom’s sons Bobby and Franky.

A dream ceremony at Soughton Hall

Soughton Hall is the ideal venue to have an outdoor ceremony, with the breathtaking backdrop of the Hall and surrounded by the North Wales countryside. However, we all know that the weather doesn’t always play ball and sometimes plans can change, but luckily for Lucinda and Tom the sun shone and they got their dream outdoor ceremony.

It was such a happy, emotional ceremony and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house (especially from the groom!)

Following the ceremony the guests enjoyed mingling in the grounds and I took the opportunity to capture some lovely wedding photography of everyone enjoying themselves, especially Lucinda’s nan who is 92 years and absolutely incredible: she absolutely loved her granddaughter’s wedding day!

Outdoor wedding photography at Soughton Hall

One of my favourite things about Soughton Hall is the grounds and gardens: I’ve captured some stunning photographs there and it never disappoints. So I was pleased to get the opportunity to slip away with the bride and groom for some shots before the wedding breakfast.

As a wedding photographer, some of my very favourite photos from Soughton Hall have been taken in the venue’s picturesque Secret Garden. Overlooking the southern façade of the Hall, and shaded by eucalyptus trees, this atmospheric garden really is perfect for some magical wedding photography, whatever the season. Lucinda and Tom’s images are beautiful and such a moving reminder of their special day.

Lucinda and Tom’s Wedding Reception

We then moved inside for the wedding breakfast. Couples getting married at Soughton Hall tend to choose the marquee for their wedding reception: it’s a lovely, elegant space that lends itself to any type of venue dressing. The Marquee overlooks the wooded gardens and is accessed directly from the house through a glass walkway.

After dinner I was able to pop outside again with Lucinda and Tom to capture some beautiful wedding photography in the late-afternoon sun. We took advantage of Soughton Hall’s elegant exterior to create the perfect backdrop.

Then it was party time, with entertainment from The Beat Pilots.

It was a fabulous day and it was wonderful to see so many happy faces. Thank you Lucinda and Tom for inviting me to be your wedding photographer at Soughton Hall, North Wales: after 3 date changes we got there in the end!

August 13, 2022

Blog

How to capture the perfect bridal prep shots

As a wedding photographer, one of my favourite parts of any wedding day is bridal prep. There is nothing like the excitement of getting ready for a wedding ceremony, and it’s always a really special part of the day that I feel privileged to be involved in.

It’s also a great opportunity to capture some fantastic wedding photography: from fun group shots of friends getting ready together, to emotional moments with the bride’s parents, there are so many details that make for memorable images.

I’ve put together some of my top tips for when it comes to capturing the perfect bridal prep photography to make sure your wedding photos portray all the excitement, love, and beautiful details of this truly special part of your big day…

1. Don’t forget the little details

So much planning goes into every single bit of your wedding day, and this includes all the little details for the bridal party. As a bride, you put so much time and effort into choosing the perfect colour for bridesmaids dresses, the type of flowers in the bouquets, and of course into choosing your dress, shoes, and jewellery.

On your wedding day, all these details come together to create one beautiful image, but the little finer touches can often get missed in the busyness and excitement of the day. Bridal prep photography is an excellent opportunity to capture all these little details that you might forget about in time if you don’t have photos to look back on.

Your wedding photographer should be able to capture some artistic, creative shots of all the special little details that really reflect your personal taste: those gorgeous shoes you spent hours searching for, that piece of antique jewellery that reminds you of a family member, the bouquet that perfectly matches the bridesmaid dresses. These photos will make for lasting memories of everything you put so much effort into choosing and will bring back the memories of the first time you got to wear them all.

2. Capture some lovely group shots

As a bride, this part of your day is about you and your closest family and friends. Brides often spend this time with their mum, sisters and best friends, and I’ve captured so many beautiful photos during bridal prep that really express female love and friendship.

Bridal party getting ready and doing their dresses up
Bridal prep is a great time for your wedding photographer to take some photos of you being yourself with your dearest friends: images that show the close bond and the fun you have together. Enjoy getting your hair and make up done (perhaps while enjoying a glass of fizz!) while your photographer captures some lovely, relaxed group shots of you all enjoying each other’s company during this special part of your day. These photos will be a lasting reminder of the time you spent with those closest to you and will be wonderful to look back on in years to come.

3. Use your surroundings

Wherever you are getting ready, your photographer should be able to use your surroundings to create some stunning, imaginative wedding photography.

Often, bridal prep is a fantastic opportunity to show off your venue too: imagine your dress hanging in the window of the bridal suite with views of stunning gardens in the background, or maybe even your dress shot outside in the grounds of your venue.

Chateau Rhianfa Wedding Photographer

I’ve also captured some lovely images using the mirrors in the bridal suite as a ‘prop’, and of brides standing near the window overlooking the dramatic backdrop of their venue outside. I love bridal prep shots with a bit of a difference: it’s always so much fun getting creative with the couples I work with.

4. Be prepared to capture all the emotion!

Bridal prep is usually a really emotional part of the day: everyone is excited, exhilarated, and probably a little nervous! But as well as all that, bridal prep can be a really poignant time for the bride and her parents.

Even if you’ve been living with your partner-to-be before the wedding, and it’s actually years since you lived under your parent’s roof, getting married still feels like the ‘end of an era’ for many families, and especially parents! Add to this the fact that your parents are going to see you looking your most beautiful in your wedding dress, and you can put money on there being some very emotional moments!

As a wedding photographer, one of my favourite parts of any wedding day is capturing a father’s reaction when he sees his daughter for the first time in her wedding dress. This moment always lends itself to some really moving wedding photography.

5. Choose a wedding photographer who you feel comfortable with

This is a really important tip for couples when it comes to their wedding in general: you should always aim to choose a wedding photographer who you feel comfortable with as they will capture the most natural images of you which really portray your true personality.

It’s especially true for the bridal prep stage of the day. Your wedding photographer should be someone who you feel comfortable inviting into your home or bridal suite while you’re getting ready. Your photographer should be friendly and warm, but unobtrusive: working to capture all those special moments without you really knowing that they’re there for a lot of the time.

When couples get in touch about me being their wedding photographer, I arrange for us to have some meetings in the run up to the wedding so we can get to know each other and ensure that I know exactly what the couple wants from their wedding photography. I like to think that I’m a relaxed and friendly person and I always try to make couples and their guests feel at ease on the big day.

Wedding photographer North Wales
I’m a wedding photographer based in Chester and North Wales. If you’d like to get in touch about your forthcoming wedding I would be delighted to chat about your plans.

July 25, 2022