Wedding photography

Winter wedding photography in Dorset

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Wonderful winter wedding in Dorset

It was such an honour to be the wedding photographer for Olivia and Jev’s wonderful winter wedding in Dorset. Having photographed her sister Laura’s wedding a couple of years ago, it was lovely to see the family again.  Whilst Laura and Harry had to contend with incessant rain, Olivia and Jev had the covid pandemic! From 150 guests at Tisbury church and a reception at Messums, Wiltshire, to 15 family members in the Shaftesbury Town Hall, and a small family dinner at home. But I have come to the conclusion that small covid weddings are every bit as spectacular as the larger weddings.  They are intimate, personal and charged with emotion.  Perfect ingredients for a memorable occasion.

The day started with the usual bridal preparations, before we set off to the registry office.  Despite the cold and covid, some of their closest friends gathered as a surprise to Olivia to greet them on their exit.   All adhering to the social distancing requirements of course!  Indeed surprised she was.  And not a dry eye was in sight.  After this, we headed back home and raced through the family group photos, leaving time for this quick more informal portrait on the steps outside.  A few drinks and canapes were followed by a delicious sit down dinner, prepared by Victoria Blashford-Snell.    All in all, it couldn’t have been a more perfect day for a more wonderful couple.

If you’re interested in booking me as your wedding photographer, please do email me with your date, location of the ceremony & reception, timings, and approximate number of guests so I can send you a bespoke quote.   You can also see more examples of my work on my website.  Whilst based in Dorset, I travel throughout the UK.

Stunning Wedding Photography,

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Stunning Wedding Photography

It’s not hard to provide stunning wedding photography when you are blessed with a beautiful bride.   Even easier when she is dressed in one of the most incredible wedding dresses I’ve ever seen.   Bearing in mind I’ve been a leading wedding photographer in the UK for nearly 20 years, I’ve seen quite a few!   The dress was made by the insanely talented Fiona Clare Couture.

Whilst I take a mixture of colour and black & white photos of the whole day, I generally prefer black and white for the ‘classic’ portraits such as this.  I find colour too distracting.  You end up studying the colours of the flowers, or wallpaper etc.  Black and white wedding portrait photography is timeless, classic and captures the mood of the day so much more effectively.   Where possible, I also love to work with natural light which I find much softer.  It also enables me to work really fast, which is one of the key skills for a wedding photographer.

I took this portrait just before leaving for Sherborne Abbey.  We only had a few minutes to spare.  But long enough to lay out her lace coat in a perfect circle.  I love how the tiara mirrors this circle.

Please do visit my wedding gallery to see more examples of my wedding photography.  And please email me if you are interested in finding out more about the packages I offer as a wedding photographer.  Please include your date, location of the ceremony & reception, timings, and approximate number of guests so I can send you a bespoke quote.  Alternatively, you can call me on 07815 750 141 to discuss your day in more details.

 

 

 

Wedding photography in Hertfordshire

Posted on in Wedding photography

Wedding photography in Hertfordshire

Wedding photography can be really stressful but it is also immensely rewarding.  It is a huge honour to be involved in such an important and intimate day.  As a consequence, I think I get as nervous and excited as the bride.   But nerves are a good thing for photographers.  They make us alert and quick so we don’t miss a thing.

One of my favourite moments of the day, is just before the bride leaves for the church.  This quiet before the storm is the perfect time to take a beautiful portrait of the bride.    I took this portrait of Rose, in a Stuart Parvin wedding dress, holding a Tattie Rose bouquet, in a north facing drawing room.   I find north facing light softer and leaves lovely dark backdrops.   The result is a timeless stunning portrait of a bride, bursting with anticipation and excitement of the day ahead.   The epitome of beauty.

Whilst I photograph the whole day in colour, I invariably convert all my favourite portraits of the bride and groom into black and white.    I feel this captures the romance and mood of the day so much more effectively.

Please do visit my wedding gallery to see more examples of my wedding photography.  If you are interested in me photographing your wedding, please do email me with your date, location of the ceremony & reception, timings, and approximate number of guests so I can send you a bespoke quote.  Or, if easier, you can call me on 07815 750 141 to discuss your day in more details.   I’m based in Dorset but travel throughout the country, photographing weddings regularly in Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, London, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and further afield too.

stunning wedding photographs hertfordshire

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Stunning wedding photographs in Hertfordshire

Whilst I’m a Dorset based portrait and wedding photographer, I still get to travel all round the UK to capture stunning wedding photographs.    This images is from a family with four daughters near Peterborough in Hertfordshire.    Sadly I didn’t know them when the eldest was married, but I went on to photograph the next three daughters.  Each of whom were as stunning and lovely as each other.   It’s a true privilege to photograph to photograph such an intimate and important day in someone’s life.  And even more special to return to the same wonderful family three times.  I look forward to photographing all their delightful children in due course!

This image is of their 3rd daughter’s wedding.  It is is one of my favourite angles to capture at a wedding.  I love the way light streams through the flowers on the arch providing a paradisiacal garden to frame the bride and groom.  Whilst this photo worked well in colour too, I prefer black and white portraits of the bride and groom.  They capture the mood, intimacy and romance of the day so much better than colour.  I hope you like this as much as I do.

Please do visit my wedding gallery to see more examples of my wedding photography.   If you are interested in me photographing your wedding day, please email me with your date, location of the ceremony & reception, timings, and approximate number of guests so I can send you a bespoke quote.  Or, if easier, you can call me on 07815 750 141 to discuss your day in more details.

Wedding speeches

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Speeches at a Dorset Wedding

I took this photo during one the speeches at a Dorset wedding.  It’s one of my favourite parts of the wedding day.  They are charged with so much emotion.  From pride, nostalgia, excitement and love, to sadness for those that could not be there, & the the inevitable highly entertaining stories which has everyone in stitches.    They make for wonderful photos that capture the spirit of the day. They are also the perfect time to take lovely portraits of family and guests, too busy listening to the speeches to notice the camera.   This bestman’s speech was one of the funniest I’ve ever heard.  And I have heard a lot!   The reactions of the bride & groom and the father of the bride say it all.

It was the wedding closest to home, near Sherborne in Dorset, I have ever photographed.   If our little rowing boat had less holes in it, still had an oar, and the river more water, I could have rowed up stream to their house in 5 minutes.   Instead it was a 2 minute drive and I arrived at both destinations dry!   The wedding service took place in Sherborne Abbey. with a reception in a lovely country house with stunning gardens.    You might find one or two other photographs from their wedding in my wedding gallery.

If you’re getting married and would like to consider booking me for as your wedding photographer, please do email me with your date, location of the ceremony & reception, timings, and approximate number of guests so I can send you a bespoke quote.   Alternatively, do call me on 07815 750 141 to discuss your day in more details.   Whilst based in Dorset, I travel throughout the South, photographing weddings regularly in Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, London, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and further afield too.

Emilie & Ian

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Wedding photography during Covid-19

I’ve been a wedding photographer for over 20 years now, photographing weddings all over the country, from small country gatherings to large more formal affairs.   And I have to admit that I was a touch nervous about wedding photography during Covid-19.  But I was blown away by the intimacy, love and emotion in these weddings.    The sense of achievement in defying the odds and tying the knot during this pandemic presents itself in a contagious euphoria that engulfs every one present.  Including me!   The images are uniquely powerful and historical.  I feel honoured to have been part of such historical events.

This portrait of Emilie & Ian on their wedding was their 4th attempt – the first in the States, the 2nd a large country wedding in June, the 3rd a wedding for just 30 in October and then when mid September the guest restrictions were reduced to 15, they managed to re-arrange the wedding AGAIN, a mere week later, so they could keep their 30 guests.    The strength and resilience they have found in their love, surmounting each of these many frustrations and disappointments together, stands them in good stead for a long and happy marriage.   I think this image captures the essence of all the built up emotion – achievement, elation and LOVE.   They did it!

Please do visit my wedding gallery to see more examples of my wedding photography.   If you are interested in booking me as your wedding photographer, please email me with your date, location of the ceremony & reception, timings, and approximate number of guests so I can send you a bespoke quote.  Or, if easier, you can call me on 07815 750 141 to discuss your day in more details.  I’m based in Dorset but travel throughout the country, photographing weddings regularly in Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, London, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and further afield too.

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OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER FOR PIPPA MIDDLETON’S WEDDING

I’m just surfacing from a crazy couple of months of photography, with back to back weddings, school marketing & prospectus photoshoots, family portraits, Country Life editorial and frontispiece shoots, sculpture and new product shots and so forth.    The highlight however was being commissioned to photograph another incredible Middleton wedding.

As the official photographer for Pippa Middleton &  James Matthews’ wedding,  I captured the bridal preparations, church service, formal groups, reception, speeches, departure and of course the fantastic party in the evening.   It was a tremendous day and huge honour.    I am one lucky Dorset photographer!

I would like to thank Dan Pangbourne, a fantastic photographer and great friend, for his help in setting up the lighting for the formal group photographs.  These were a great success and I’m thrilled with the final images.

Working alongside with me for the rest of the day were photographer Matt Porteous, and film makers James O’Garra and Patrick Gather – all of whom were a joy to work with.