Well once again I have yet another great photographer to introduce you to,

I wanted to know a little more about Mark so asked him to tell us about how we works and his style. Also to impart his advice to couples looking for a photographer.

What is your style of photography?

My Style of photography is very much natural and informal, photographing those amazing moments that can sometimes go unnoticed. I’m usually at the wedding day all day so it means I can capture all those important moments throughout the day – rather than a period of time when there some photos taken. I am unobtrusive but I always get the photos that we need and that the bride and groom asked for.

My goal is to create a set of photographs that are awesome and that you can’t wait to show your friends and family. Your wedding day will be unique with so many amazing memories which, through your photos, you will be able to relive time and time again.

What interests you about wedding photography and why do you enjoy it so much?

A wedding day is such an amazing day. I love photographing weddings and consider it a great privilege to be part of such a special occasion. Everyone is full of emotion and excitement, particularly the bride and groom! To photograph such an occasion is fantastic. I get to capture all the emotion, fun, excitement in a creative and natural way. Amazing! There is not better job.

I want the bride and groom to look at their pictures and relive those special moments over and over again and I love their reaction, it’s an amazing feeling that you have produced a fantastic set of pictures which both of you are proud of and the bride and groom love!

Where do you take your inspiration from for the images you create?

Ever since I did photography on my work experience at 16 I was completely hooked! Over the years I have developed my own style but have been influenced from a wide range of photographers from Lord Lichfield to Crash Taylor, a very modern and contemporary photographer! I am constantly reading magazines and learning from other photographers and upload images to competitions to get professional feedback on how I can improve.

I don’t want to just copy what other photographers do I wanted to create my own natural and informal style, getting all those relaxed images in which the bride and groom area always smiling. I love seeing the reactions of the bride and groom when they look at the wedding pictures for the first time.

What advice can you give couples looking for a photographer. What to ask? What to look for and what kind of albums or packages would you recommend.

Wedding Photography is not just about a selection of photographs in a nice album. It’s about the quality of the photography and the style of photography that is really important. Also how the photographer is on the day – is he/she bossy? rude? set in their ways? do they dress smartly? – I have seen wedding photographers wearing all sorts from jeans to rain coats and smoking whilst taking the pictures.

Is the photographer open to your ideas? If someone tries to sell you wedding photography for £300 you are not getting fantastic photography, you are just getting some pictures. The bride and groom are always smart and likewise are the guests. I always wear a suit because who wants a scruffy person at their wedding!

Go for albums that you like the look of and make sure that you are happy with it. If you want a traditional album then great, if you want a storybook type then that’s great too. Don’t be sold anything that you are not entirely happy with – remember it is your wedding!

Some of Marks favourite shots, details are great to capture and this cake is simple but beautiful. Check out the background too.

What in your view is important when designing an album? That you do it or the couple do it?

The importance of the album is that it’s a true record of your wedding day presented well. Such a special day with all the preparation and expense, you want it to be perfect. Each modern storybook album is designed specially for you – there will not be another wedding album the same as yours. Once each album is designed it goes online as a virtual album for the bride and groom to look through to approve before the album gets made. We have just introduced a new storybook album which is fantastic. It’s very smart and looks amazing. But it is entirely down to you, choose whatever album suits you.

Wow! what a great interview, I really feel that Mark cares about his clients and the memories he creates for them. Another fine member of our Wedding Genie Dream Team. It is my mission to bring you some of not just the most talented people in the industry but also the nicest. The suppliers you choose on your wedding day should be a joy to work with. You should enjoy the whole experience of working with them. I cannot stress that enough especially for photographers. They are going to get the best out of you and your guests if you are relaxed and having fun.

Until next time, happy planning.

Today I am absolutely delighted to be able to bring you the very first Wedding Genie Dream Team expert. Not only is Stuart Wood one of the best wedding photographers you can find, he is a thoroughly nice person too. If you are going to spend all day at the end of a lens then you certainly need to feel comfortable. Stuart’s style is very unobtrusive and calming. He manages to take images that take your breath away without standing for hours in line ups when you should be enjoying your wedding day with your guests. I asked Stuart to tell us a little bit about himself. Enjoy!

About Me

I have been a professional photographer for 20 years specializing in people and portraits for magazine TV advertising and corporate work. Being a ‘people’ person means that I can usually connect with people very quickly – which is important if you only have a couple of minutes to take the pictures.This has led to many and varied commissions over the years that has seen me working in such diverse locations as on tops of mountains in the highlands of Scotland to Buckingham Palace and pretty much everywhere in between. It also means that I have met and worked with more celebrities that I could ever remember and photographed them at work, home and play.

Wonder if Stuart go to taste Nigella’s cooking!

This has left me with a much sought after and diverse set of skills that is perfectly suited to modern contemporary wedding photography. Those skills being the ability to work very quickly with the subject, working under pressure, having to use whatever location effectively as backdrops, ‘connecting’ with the subject so that they always look engaged and never false or bored and creative lighting that I have in particularly become so well know for that I am now sponsored by Elinchrom Lights and The Flash Centre (the brand leader) and regularly speak for them at trade shows.

My clients include Eurostar, BBC, Grazia and the Radio Times for whom I have photographed various covers.

What Made You Want To Join The World of Weddings

A few years ago I decided to move back into wedding photography for a few of reasons.

1.    I noticed the poor standards of a lot of wedding photography that people were paying a lot of money for and recognised a gap in the market where I could offer a higher standard

2.    I also noticed the wonderful photography that was being produced by the top wedding photographers and recognised that here was a challenge that I would relish

3.    While I did photograph a lot of celebrities, I also enjoyed photographing lots of ‘real’ people in a creative way for magazines that again lent itself perfectly for wedding photography

I have also recognised the benefits of keeping a foot in both camps by continuing to work hard in both commercial and wedding photography. Working for some of my ‘high end’ clients means that I will hopefully stay at the ‘sharp end’ of the industry where I can never afford to become too formulaic with my approach or my photography and this means that I can bring such advantages to my wedding work. I enjoy the variety immensely and never stop learning and trying different ideas.

I would hate to get to a stage where I merely ticked off a list of wedding photographs on a list like I am doing my shopping! I think that that is why a lot of wedding photography looks soulless and un-engaging

Over the past few years I have paid a lot of money to go on courses with some of the best wedding photographers in the world. I spent 3 x days with the Australian master Yervant last year and recently approached him after a seminar to show him my wedding work since I attended his course. I told him to be as critical as he liked, but he said nothing as he looked through the photographs. At the end I asked him again for his constructive criticism but he simply put his hand on my shoulder and said…”no need, it’s there now!”

It has taken me a couple of years to hone the style properly but now firmly believe the style is now there and relish the thought of where I want to take my wedding photography.

I believe that I can offer something different from the normal wedding photography and am already getting requests from established photographers who want to assist me so that I can teach them my lighting tricks. I am also now being approached to speak about my photography all over the country and overseas and recently won 8x awards at the National Photographic Awards, so I must be doing something right!

I have enjoyed every single wedding that I have done and while my approach to all of them is pretty much the same, I also quickly adapt to the needs of each individual wedding as required which again is something that I have learned from my commercial work.

What Advice Would You Give to Couples Looking for a Wedding Photographer?

When I am asked what advice I would give couples looking for their photographer is firstly do no scrimp on your wedding photographs as this is the one expense that you can keep forever, as most of the others are just for one day. Make sure that you like the style of the photographers work and that you enjoy the photographers company.

This is a very important point, you will get a feel from the first visit whether the photographer makes you feel at ease. I hope you like these images, Stuart is certainly  going to be visiting the blog every couple of months to show us his latest weddings and to give great advice on all the latest in wedding photography. Look out over the next few weeks for more Wedding Genie Dream Team lovelies.

Until next time, happy planning.

Hi, today I thought I would share with you one of our weddings from back in May. Wedding Genie

Ardington House has beautiful grounds and a lovely lake, the couple crosses over a delightful little bridge to get to the Island Temple where your civil ceremony is held if the weather permits. Clare and Alastair are very sporty out door people and more than anything they wanted to be married outdoors. They were going to leave the decision to me and the hotel staff as to whether the ceremony took place indoors or out. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the sun came out and all the guests were able to meander over the gorgeous grounds to the ceremony area.

As I accompanied Clare and her bridesmaids over to the island a string quartet played in the background, it was idyllic. and so peaceful. Everyone was involved even the family dog, who was super well behaved and loved the whole celebration.

Following the civil ceremony everyone walked over to the local church and a blessing took place, with readings from Clare’s friends and family. Later the guests were served Pimms and Cider with Cassis( very popular now), which they sipped on the lawn in the sunshine. Chris and Louise from Simplicity Photography shot the entire day and were just brilliant. They blended into the background as group shots were not to be taken, well just one of the whole throng of guests. Check out Clare’s gorgeous bodice on her dress, tiara and shoes.

Alastair’s heritage is Scottish so the cape that Clare wore was made specially to reflect that, along with the favours which were scottish tablets. The menus’s, table plan and place cards were all made by Clare and matched the scheme beautifully.  In the evening the guests strolled across the lawns to the Marquee for the night time celebrations. The marquee was dressed with green sashes and table runners matching the colour scheme. Vases of lilies were placed on the tables and candles in votives arranged around them to make the whole evening sparkle.

Claire made the place names herself and everyone took them home as extra favours.

A disco was not really in keeping with this style of wedding so a Ceilidh band played all night and the guests filled the dance floor. Lovely food delights such as a chocolate fountain, a hog roast and for desert, cup cakes were served to the guests.

Clare and Alastair took dance lessons and to everyones surprise took the dance floor to commence the evenings entertainment.

Clare had all her flowers hand made to keep as souvenirs. They were stunning and accessorised the unusual wedding dress to a tee.

I will leave you with a gorgeous picture of the grounds of this venue. The staff were lovely and I have to say a huge thank you to Gareth, Linda and their staff for looking after us the whole day long. The food was delicious and nothing was too much trouble.

All that’s left is to wish Clare and Alastair a happy and blessed marriage with huge amounts of joy, laughter and happiness. If you want any help on your special day I would love to speak to you.

Until next time, happy planning.

This week I am delighted to introduce you to another photographer in our Dream Team. I know its a small knit group but we are really careful who we work with. The suppliers we recommend have to meet our high standards. I met up with Sarah a few weeks ago and fell in love with her images and beautiful albums. Sarah has a lovely way of viewing weddings and her philosophy is dedicated to customer care and service.

I asked her how she started in the wedding industry and to explain her approach.

I’m Sarah Illingworth, photographer at Mirror Imaging Photography. I started Mirror Imaging about two years ago with a strong aspiration to help people, particularly women, to feel beautiful. I hear dozens of women say over and over how badly they photograph or that they aren’t naturally beautiful or confident enough in front of the camera, and a wish to turn this perception around, combined with a real love of taking photos continually spurs me on. I take a personal approach to every wedding, and aim for natural, bright, timelessly beautiful images, with a few really special fine art photographs to wow the bride and groom! The most gratifying part of my job is when a couple return from honeymoon and get to see their photos for the first time… there’s often happy tears, including mine!

It’s very important to choose a wedding photographer whose photos and style you love, but it’s almost just as important to choose one whose personality complements your own. I always invite couples to meet me before they book my services so they feel confident that they like me as much as my work. Looking for a photographer with empathy, as well as artistic talent, is key to you enjoying your special day.

When I meet a couple they get to see my weddings from start to finish because I believe that every photo counts. A professional photographer should be able to show you samples of their previous weddings in full – not just a few select images from various weddings. With the birth of digital and the ability to take hundreds of images, even a keen amateur could get lucky with one great wedding shot – so make sure you get to see that one great shot in the context of all their wedding images taken on the same day.

Your wedding album remains when all else is thrown or packed away, so it should stand the test of time, without odd design features, excessive fuss or pages cramped with images. It should reflect your personality with its cover and finishes, tell your story in pictures and help you relive the emotion of the day. I exclusively use Queensberry albums because in my view they are the very best and provide service and craftsmanship that is second to none. Their albums are a small investment but a worthy one, and whenever I show a couple their album I do feel proud knowing that I’ve helped create a piece of family history. When your album is handmade with this level of quality and care, it becomes a precious family heirloom of happy memories for you to treasure always.

Sarah and I would love to help you photograph and plan your wedding day. All Sarah’s customers will receive a free hour of wedding planning from me to do with as you like. Kick start your wedding plans, I look forward to hearing from you. Call or email me to see what I can help you with.

Until next time, happy planning.

We both got on so well and our philosophy of customer service is so similar we thought we would make a great wedding team! I have to say I have a real thing about making sure you choose a good photographer and what better way to test drive one than to use them first.

I am really excited to be working with Mary and Greg, their approach is quite different from many photographers and if these images are anything to go by your wedding album will be to die for. Ashford Daly Photography are passionate photographers, operating from both the Cheshire and Berkshire regions, covering assignments right across the UK and abroad. Their wedding photography is cool and retro, whilst injecting fun, creativity and quirkiness – their style is relaxed, providing a modern reportage and photojournalistic approach, with a fine art twist which they are known for – see some of their amazing images in the online wedding gallery.

Here are a few words from the team themselves:

Their ethos: Photography from the Heart | Photography born from our OBSESSION

We firmly believe everybody deserves amazing photos and artwork. We’re on a mission to make photography cool and retro again, whilst injecting our passion, creativity and quirkiness into images and photographic shoots with you. We do love our job and the clients whom we have the privilege to work and connect with.

Ashford Daly Photography are not your typical wedding photographers. We understand you want to enjoy the wedding you have designed with meticulous detail, and that you also want to spend quality time with your family, friends and guests, and not have to take hours away from your party. Most importantly, we appreciate and value that you want fabulous wedding images, capturing the spirit, sentiment, romance and glamour of your wedding, with little fuss but with plenty of fun, excitement and anticipation about the artful images which will be created.

Our style is creative, relaxed, a modern reportage and photojournalistic approach, with a beautiful fine art twist. Whilst still being stylish and elegant, the images captured are seen to be vibrant, alive, emotional, conveying passion, feeling and soul; they will make you happy, you will love them immediately – hence we’ve had no complaints and lots of really great feedback – indeed our clients often stay in touch, and we become the family photographer for many year’s after the wedding.

We like to have plenty of fun and laughter along the way with our brides and grooms, providing stunning images, presented in superb quality products and amazing storybook or matted albums, which will make you feel all warm and fuzzy, and smile like a Cheshire Cat.

Ashford Daly Photography operate from both Nantwich, Cheshire, North West England, and Wokingham, Berkshire in the South of the UK, providing great accessibility to cover weddings and assignments right across the whole of the UK, and abroad.Short listed for the prestigious Professional Photographer of the Year Awards 08/09, and top eight for the Professional Photographer Press & Documentary Awards Category sponsored by Nikon. We’re also members The Societies, The Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers, British Professional Photographers Associates, The Chamber of Commerce and BNI Europe. Our Blog, Facebook and Twitter pages are widely read and followed by clients and industry suppliers alike.

Our images have appeared in, and been featured by many National and Regional Magazines and businesses across the UK, including You and Your Wedding, Cosmopolitan Bride, Professional Photographer, Photo 360 and DSLR User to name a few, and have been used in National marketing campaigns for other respected companies.

All the amazing wedding albums we supply to our clients are personally designed by us, Mary and Greg, the photographers who are there at your wedding, ensuring the story is told correctly as it unfolds. The albums are sourced from the best – Graphi Studio Italy, and Queensberry Albums New Zealand, two of the World’s foremost album manufacturer’s, which we’ve researched and sourced for our discerning client portfolio. The look and feel of both albums, whilst totally different, is superb, gorgeous to the touch, designed with love and care, helping you to relive many magical memories over the years – they ooze quality, they really are pure album candy.

We’re about capturing and creating memories and magical moments you will treasure for a lifetime and for many generations yet to come. Investing in beautiful wedding imagery will give you happiness and enjoyment for many years down the line. On one of the most important days of your life, we urge you to entrust the responsibility of photographing your wedding to a team who will consider it a privilege, are experienced to capture the emotion, and know what weddings are really about. We will and we always do. That’s a promise.

Our wedding photography coverage and packages all include a complimentary pre-wedding shoot, extensive coverage on the day by two experienced and knowledgeable photographers, and a beautiful quality album of images, amongst other features.If you would like a tailored bespoke package or a quote for destination and international wedding coverage, please contact Ashford Daly Photography with all your details, using the contact form on the website or by e-mailing here. Please include the date and wedding venue location of your wedding and reception, along with a few details about your wedding vision.

Check out their Facebook, Twitter and Blog pages too. They are definitely worth following and getting in contact with for your wedding photography coverage.Mary and Greg look forward to getting to know you both and in capturing your wedding day in the most beautiful way.

If you want to have a chat about how Mary, Greg and I can help you please get in touch. We would love to help your wedding day go exactly as you planned and capture the most fabulous images for you to treasure for years to come.

Until next time, happy planning.

I don’t normally blatantly sell Wedding Planner & Coordination services on my blog but I came across this article on a fabulous american photographers website, Melissa Jill. I was so inspired by it I had to run in its own right. I would definitely check out her site, especially her list of to do’s in her life & work. Its really motivational if you want a little bit of inspiration for your own to do list. I happen to love to do lists, but then I spend my life working from them.

So many times I hear brides say I wish in hindsight we had used a wedding planner to help us on our special day. We missed so much of it making sure everything went as planned and worrying about the little details. Perhaps wedding planners are still classed as a luxury but I can assure you that definitely this is not the case. See what you think of these reasons to hire a wedding planner. Its better if Melissa explains in her own words. I hope you enjoy Melissa’s advice.

“Over the nearly seven years I’ve been in the wedding photography business, I’ve picked up on a few things. One of which is the difference between a bride who hires a wedding planner and one who doesn’t. The difference is huge. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the best wedding planners in the business and I believe so much in the work they do that I always encourage my couples in my initial meetings with them (before they’ve even hired ME) to hire one. I find myself going on and on about the merits of hiring a planner and then come to my senses and realize that I should probably get back to talking with them about their photography.

I decided one way to get the point across, without letting my sales pitch for hiring a planner take over the meeting, is to include a “top 10 list” of reasons to hire a planner in a new client kit (still in production).”

Top 10 Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner

10. Sounding Board- Wedding planners are a huge creative resource. They listen to your vision and dreams for your wedding and bring their creativity to the process to help your vision come alive.

9. Big Picture – When you pick a venue they often give you a “wedding coordinator” from the venue to help coordinate the day. This person is NOT the same as an independent planner. He or she is the venue’s catering manager and their job is to make sure that everything having to do with the facilities runs smoothly. While they are helpful, they do not cover the scope of what an independent planner does.

8. Budgeting — Wedding planners have been in the industry for some time. They know what things should cost and the difference in value. They can help you navigate the often confusing waters of wedding industry price tags and balance your budget around YOUR priorities.

7. Enjoyable Process – I’ve observed so many brides through the process of planning their wedding and when they do it without a professional planner, oftentimes by the time the wedding comes around, the process has been so stressful that they just can’t wait for it to be over. Planning your wedding is supposed to be an enjoyable process. A good wedding planner helps you enjoy the journey.

6. Mediator — A good planner serves as a buffer in tricky relational situations. It’s a known fact that it’s impossible to make everyone happy when planning a wedding. A planner is a safe neutral person to point to for direction. It’s easier to tell your future mother-in-law, “My planner thinks we need to….” instead of “I think we should….”

5. Timeline — Your wedding day will involve numerous vendors who need to work together to insure that the day goes smoothly. A planner understands how each vendor relies on the others and serves as the team captain who coordinates the complexities of the timeline with all its moving parts.

4. Knowledge Base — This is likely your first time planning a wedding. Planners have been in the industry for years and are experts in protocol, etiquette and everything it takes to pull off an event of such magnitude. They are a HUGE and readily accessible resource for education.

3. Background — In addition to possessing a wealth of knowledge, planners have been in the industry long enough to know who the players are — which vendors can be trusted and who has the best business practices. A referral from someone who has roots in the industry is GOLD when you’re having to place such a high level of trust in those you previously had no knowledge of.

2. Save $ – I have had the planners I’ve worked with tell me that they can actually help their clients save enough money on their wedding to cover the cost of hiring them! How unbelievable is that!?

And the #1 reason to hire a wedding planner is…

1. Stress — The difference in the stress level of a bride who has a professional planner and one who doesn’t is palpable. When it comes to the day of your wedding, the most important thing is that you are able to relax and enjoy it. You are the bride. You don’t want to end up being the point person for issues and questions that will inevitably arise. Hiring a planner frees you and everyone you love to live in the moment on your wedding day.

I hope you find this useful and it gives you food for thought. Why not give me a call to see what I can help you with.

Until next time, happy planning.

We chatted about how he became a photographer and I asked him how his style and technique is different from that of many of his contemporaries, and what advice he could give newly engaged couples looking for a photographer. I think its much better if you read what he has to say for himself in his own words.

Hi Folks, this is Steve Gerrard. I’m a wedding photographer based in the Midands but I travel all over the UK and beyond to shoot weddings and I love my job. We’re not your typical wedding photographers. We hate cheesy, forced pictures. We love couples who want to have fun and are after something different with their wedding photography. We’re on a mission to make wedding photography cool again!

Our style is a mixture of styles. We’ll capture those candid shots of your mates laughing, your parents getting emotional and, of course, the first kiss. We also want to show off that dress and the cool suit and create the best pictures of yourselves you’ve ever seen!

Everyone has different tastes and wedding photographers vary massively in stye and approach and also what you get for your money, so we recommend taking time to browse lot of sites until you find something that excites you and suits your own style. Meeting the photographer is a huge benefit too. After all, this person will be with you on your wedding day. You want to get on with them and enjoy having them around.

You should also check how long your photographer will be there on the day. We think its important to cover the day in full so don’t limit our time at all. We’re often still there at midnight!

You may even find your venue won’t allow any photography during the service. This happens all too often and is a real shame in our opinion. Don’t find this out on the day. Check beforehand.

We want our couples to have the best of everything which is why we only use Queensberry wedding albums as well as using the finest printers and craftsmen for all our products. It means we’re not the cheapest photographers in town but our clients tend to see their photography as something extremely important and appreciate our attention to detail and quality. After all, once the main event is over, the flowers are dead and the cake is eaten, your photographs are all that remains. Imagine showing your album to your children in ten years time….

There are plenty of great photographers out there. There are also some terrible ones! Find the photographer which suits you best.

As a Wedding Planner I have to say that photographs are one of the most important things for me when brides ask for advice on what to spend their budget on. Once the day is over your photographs last a life time and you can relive your memories over and over again as you turn each wonderful page of your album. I would really recommend the best photographer that you can afford to capture your day. I hope you love these pictures as much as me. It makes me want to go and get married all over again.

Until next time, happy planning.

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure to meet the lovely Claire Evans

I asked Claire to tell us about herself and her Company.

I believed that I was destined to be a photographer right from an early age. For as far back as I can remember I always wanted to be the one taking photographs rather than the one posing for them. I studied photography at college and university and became a wedding photographer by sheer chance. I had thought that my career path would take me more along the fashion photography route but being asked to photograph a friend’s wedding changed all that! Being a Wedding Photographer is quite a challenging job but I wouldn’t want it any other way – I love it! I have a studio in Swinfen near Lichfield at the present but from early next year I will be moving to my gorgeous studio in the beautiful Staffordshire village of Abbots Bromley.

What is your Style?

I love to keep my photography quite natural and aim to capture the day and its events as they happen! Most couples will want me to take a few more formal group shots but I do try to advise to keep these to a minimum so as to leave time to capture all those very special moments. The couples who choose me to be their wedding photographer do so as it is always my intention to capture the emotion and tell the story of what will probably be one of the biggest days in their lives.

I never fail to be excited by a wedding! I love everything about wedding days – the dress, the flowers, the venues, the ceremonies and of course the people! Every wedding is different and every couple is different so it is essential that I really get to know my couples over a period between their booking and and their actual wedding day. I love to hear all the plans and after quite a few years of being a wedding photographer I have picked up a wealth of tips and advice that I can offer if needed.

What advice would you give to couples looking for a Wedding Photographer?

When looking for your wedding photographer the main factor must be that you love their work, that goes without saying. You will never be able to capture the events of your big day again so it is essential that you have a photographer whose work you will treasure. It is important to also remember that whoever you choose will be someone who will be spending an awful lot of time with you, so it should be someone you get along with. Most couples will only have a certain budget to work with and photographers fees can vary greatly, but on the whole it is probably best to remember that you generally get what you pay for.

How might it help working with a Wedding Planner?

The last thing you will want on your wedding day is to be worrying about the details! Planning a wedding is a big thing and although it is very exciting, it can also be quite overwhelming. Just knowing what you have to do and in which order can be a daunting task itself. When speaking to most of my brides they often tell me that they never realised just how hard it would be sourcing suppliers and venues etc. To have a Wedding Planner who takes over the responsibility is an absolute dream. From a photographer’s point of view to have a Professional Wedding Planner overseeing the running of the day is just great. If there is anything at all that I need to know or to arrange, I have someone there who can get the job done without me having to bother any of the bridal party.

What is your favourite wedding?

I often get asked that. It is so difficult to say as every wedding  is special for different reasons. One of my favourites has to be Karen and Daniel’s wedding that I photographed last year in London. Daniel is a Captain in the army and his barracks are actually at The Tower of London. They got special permission to be married in the Chapel Royal of Saint Peter ad Vincula within the grounds of the Tower – it was stunning. The reception was held at the fabulous Trinity House where we were treated to a dramatically lit, absolutely mesmerising display of regimental drumming. It is certainly one of the weddings I shall never forget and makes my job as a Wedding Photographer so special.

Thank you very much to Claire for sharing her advice and thoughts on Wedding Photography. Its been a busy couple of weeks and we have many more suppliers to share with you over the next few months so keep reading.

If you want to be organised for the new year then give us a call or email to check our availability for Our Genie for An Evening session, or have complete peace of mind with our On the Day Coordination service. If you book before the end of January 2010 we are helping our couples out with a 20% discount. Alternatively if you have a question you want answered just give us a call, we are always happy to help.

Until next time, happy planning.

I cannot  stress just how important it is to choose a really great photographer. When the wedding is over there is nothing better than curling up with your new husband, and “the album” and browsing through the beautiful memories and moments of your day.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure to work with Jessica Beveridge from Redrabbit Photography. From the moment we met I knew we were going to have a great day. Jess has a very calm, relaxing and confident approach. She knew exactly what to do to capture the essence of the day without making the guests feel they were being rounded up or bossed about. Her organisation was excellent and it was a joy to work with her. We kept to the timelines of the day, the food was served on time and it also meant that the Bride and Groom, Mark and Zoe, were not away from their friends and family for hours, but able to mingle and enjoy the sunshine before the wedding breakfast.

Jess had taken the time to get to know Mark & Zoe so on the day the couple felt totally relaxed, and confident that Jess knew exactly what they wanted from their photographs. I had also been able to give Jess an outline of the day, she knew who and where everyone was. Its very important to capture the details of the day. If the photographer knows when the wedding party will be ready, the flowers are set up and the tables are laid etc they can ensure they incorporate this into their own schedule and capture all the elements that make a fantastic wedding album.

Here are some of Jess’s favourite images of the day, followed by her top tips.

How Cute

Eagerly anticipating, nearly ready

Dreamy

The Perfect Ending and Beginning xxx

We asked Jess if she would give us her top tips and advice on choosing a Wedding Photographer:-

Tips for Hiring a Wedding Photographer

When deciding on a photographer for your wedding day it is vital to make sure they are going to be right for you. The wedding photographs form a critical part of your wedding, they record the atmosphere and emotion of your special day. They are the only reminder you have apart from your memories of what happened as to who was involved and how the day unfolded. Not only must they produce some fantastic results with good quality images, prints and albums, but they must also fit into your day and gel with you and your guests.

Five helpful tips on what you should consider when making this important decision.

Personality

It is really important to connect with your photographer, they will be spending a lot of time with you on the day. You must feel that they will fit in with the day and your guests without being overbearing.  At the same time the photographer should have the ability to take charge when necessary, and be able to be ready in anticipation to capture your special moments. You must be able to get along with the photographer so the rapour and chemistry between you is key to you feeling relaxed in front of the camera.

Photographic Style

You must view the photographer’s portfolio to get an example of the type of style they use. There are many styles and types of photography that are currently adopted within the wedding photography field, including reportage, traditional and artistic, you must choose a style that suits you. It is always good to view a complete wedding rather than just selected images as often photographers select the best images to show in their portfolios. Seeing whole wedding will show you what you can expect to be achieved on your day.

Price Range and Packages

Budget is obviously important so you must check the charges and exactly what is on offer and what you  expect to receive for your money. There can be a massive difference between different photographers’s prices and packages so look around and view lots of portfolios and price lists to make sure you understand exactly what is on offer. It is also wise to check what additional costs are involved. This can be CD’s, DVD’s, reprints, framed prints, canvases, albums, parent albums and any travel costs. I would recommend trying to purchase the CD or DVD as this is always useful if you want to print your own images or give images as gifts to guests.

Meetings

Arrange with your chosen photographer to have a meeting at the venue before the wedding day. This is especially important if they have not used that particular venue before. This will mean that they will be familiar with the layout and how everything will run on the day. You can also let them know your favourite areas so this can be incorporated into the photographs. Everything like timings and any group photographs you require can also be discussed.

References and Contract

A personal reference is always the best way of finding out a little bit more about your photographer, the way they work and the results they have achieved. The other important item is the contract. Find out when you pay the deposit and the final amount. Also get a description of the package you have ordered and the final costings. The other thing to check is the photographers cancellation policy and/or what happens if they are ill on the day.

This is great advice and I really hope it has helped you think about what you need to do and ask when making this very important decision. In the meantime if you want to organise a Genie for An Evening or see if we are free for On the Day Coordination just call or contact us. If you have a question you really want an answer to we would love to hear from you.

Until next time, happy planning.