This was the first time we’d been asked to photograph at Clevedon Hall, which is an amazing place just off the sea front with amazing gardens and a stately home in an imposing position with a view overlooking them. Aly and Carl live just south of Bristol in stunning countryside and found this venue nearby.
We met Aly and Carl some time before the wedding and arranged where we needed to be on the big day - Em went to be with Aly during the wedding preparations, held in one of the grand rooms in the Hall, while I went to meet Carl in a local pub just on the sea front by the venue. As you can see from the following set of photos, we all had a great day and we stayed until everyone was worn out, capturing the whole day for the lovely couple.
Cornwall Wedding Photography - At Beautiful Carbis Bay!
Looking out of the window at the winter rain, this wedding seems like an age ago, but looking at this set from the lovely Dan and Chantel’s wedding in beautiful sunny Cornwall brings back all the feelings of the sun on our backs and sand (and seawater!) under our shoes!
Their whole wedding was held at Carbis Bay Hotel which is a stunning venue right on the beautiful beach of Carbis Bay near St Ives.
Located on the picturesque south coast of England, Carbis Bay Hotel is a gorgeous destination for travellers seeking a luxurious getaway. Situated just a short walk from the breathtaking Carbis Bay Beach, this hotel offers amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean and St Ives Bay.
The hotel itself is a historic building that has been beautifully renovated to offer guests the ultimate in comfort and style.
Chantel was getting ready in one of their lodges which overlooks the sea and yet is totally private. Each has its own private garden, which was a bonus for getting some pictures of the bridal party before we headed to the ceremony, which was being held in a secluded part of the hotel which also overlooks the sea (as does just about every part of the hotel!)
We were so lucky as the previous day had been extremely wet and overcast but on the day of their wedding the clouds vanished and the weather was beautiful.
After the ceremony we headed onto the beach for some hilarious photos as the wedding party really weren’t paying enough attention to the incoming tide! Everyone was laughing their heads off and it made for a great set of photos.
I have to say that both the venue and the couple were amazing and we felt extremely privileged to have been able to photograph their day!
Weston Super Mare Pier Wedding!
When Carley and Chris first got in touch and told us that they were getting married on the Weston Super Mare Pier, we were so excited! This was a total first for us and we honestly couldn’t wait! Carley is a total sweetheart and we were very much welcomed into their fold like family.
There were so many highlights from the day from the boys collecting the many doughnuts from Greggs and carting them all along the pier to Carley absolutely rocking it down the aisle with the biggest, brightest smile. The wedding was so much fun from start to finish, it completely captured everything that Carley and Chris are about and the Pier was the perfect place for them to be married. After their ceremony, all the guests (and us!) had the opportunity to go on all the rides and one of Woz’s favourites, the 2p slot machines!
As you can see from the photos, it was amazing! It was such a privilege to have witnessed and photographed Carley and Chris’s wedding day!
The Advantages of Having Two Photographers
There are some situations where having two photographers means it’s simply possible to tell more of the story of your day. During the ceremony, one of us will generally be somewhere discrete at the front, while the other will be with the bride at the back. We don’t get in anyone’s way, but we’re able to capture things from more angles and tell the story from multiple perspectives. During prep, this lets us cover both the bride and the groom getting ready. Here’s a couple of example sequences!
Berwick Lodge wedding with Rachael and Josh
As soon as I received the initial email from Rachael and Josh asking us to be their wedding photographers I knew straightaway they were going to be amazing to work with. Over the months of exchanging messages and discussing ‘What’s worth watching on Netflix these days’ and ‘The problems with sitting in front rows of comedy shows’ as well as wedding planning, we built up a lovely friendship and their wedding day arrived on the most gorgeous sunny August day!
And WOW what a day it was, surrounded by many of their lovely friends and family, Rachael and Josh tied the knot at the beautiful venue Berwick Lodge.
We are so chuffed to have been asked to capture their truly amazing day and we loved being a part of it. Woz and I have been accepted into the ‘Rachael and Josh fold’ and we couldn’t be happier! I think you’ll all agree they looked absolutely gorgeous…
Here are a SMALL selection of their pics! Em & Woz x
Bath Wedding Photography - Beckford’s Tower and Museum
When Tamsin and Nick contacted me and said they were getting married at Beckford Tower and museum near Bath, I’ll be honest I’m not a stranger to Bath but I had to google this one! Beckford’s Tower was built between 1826 and 1827, and was once home to writer, collector and owner of enslaved people - William Beckford. This stunning unique listed building is set in amazing grounds with it’s own atmospheric cemetery with it’s absolutely beautiful views across the City of Bath and surrounding countryside! This was the perfect venue for our lovely couple Tamsin and Nick. It was such a joy to witness them exchanging vows surrounded by their little ones, family and friends.
Woz and I met up with Tamsin & Nick prior to their wedding day and also went for a scout about at their chosen venue before their big day. We were blown away by its uniqueness - Woz and I had the opportunity to climb to the top of the tower but Woz isn’t a great lover of heights so I went up and left him behind (don’t ask him about climbing into cable cars…)!! It was very much worth the effort though as the room at the top is picturesque and the views have to be seen to be believed. After the ceremony the gorgeous newly weds climbed the (long) spiral staircase to take some lovely pics! The weather was so idyllic that we just had to have a stroll in the atmospheric grounds amongst the wildflowers and erm…gravestones! Love a bit of quirkiness!
Wishing these two lovelies the happiest of futures with their little family. It was a really beautiful happy occasion and I feel so lucky to have been there to capture their special wedding day.
Intimate Somerset Wedding
I had the HUGE privilege of photographing Callum & Nina’s beautiful intimate wedding earlier last month.
Oh boy did the sun beat down on as we all made our way to Weston Super Mare registry office! I love the expressions on Nina & Callum as they are just about to walk into the ceremony room to take their vows in front of their nearest and dearest - excitement mixed with nerves. The details of their day - with a sweet mix of Scottish and Finnish touches were just perfect. Nina’s beautiful wedding dress was bought from Macy’s in New York back in 1989 and was originally worn by her Finnish mum for her wedding day and their wedding cake was cut using a pretty sizeable sword. A wonderful tradition that has been used by Callum’s side of the family for generations. Love it!
It’s no secret that I love my job as a photographer but what makes it so special is the people that I meet on the way.
Poole Guildhall - Dorset Wedding Photographer
Well…Woz and I have truly found our sea legs! When our happy couple June and Phil told us that they had booked the reception part of their wedding day before anything else, we wondered what they had in store and having experienced the wonderful cruise around Poole Harbour, we now totally understand why.
The sun shone for their intimate wedding ceremony, which was held in Poole’s Guildhall, a lovely light and airy room with fabulous glass chandeliers. Outside of the building a pair of winding iron staircases run to the room provided some great photo opportunities especially for group shots.
Following the ceremony, we moved on to The Bakers Arms in Lytchett Minster for the wedding breakfast, an attractive pub which served some delicious food and with some verdant willow trees in the garden forming a great backdrop for some pictures of our gorgeous newlyweds.
Once everyone was full and had had a few drinks, we were all off to the harbour to board the Solent Scene! The boat sailed us along the stunning Dorset Jurassic coast past Brownsea Island, Swanage and the famous ‘Old Harry Rocks’. June and Phil stood on deck and pointed out local landmarks of their home turf which we really enjoyed.
With totally calm seas, the bluest of skies and absolutely beautiful light it proved to be a perfect evening.
Pennard House - Somerset Wedding Photographer
I had the absolute pleasure of photographing the beautiful intimate wedding of Fiona and Steve at Pennard House last month. Their ceremony took place in the gardens of this stunning Grade II Listed Manor House in the heart of Somerset with the sun gloriously shining. The house itself is nestled by beautiful woodlands, apple orchards and 130 acres of meadows. Fiona and Steve made a joint effort in making their own wedding cake which I must say looked absolutely gorgeous…the gold matched Charlie’s (the wedding coordinator at Pennard House) amazing boots! Myself and the newly weds took a short wonderful walk and chat in the beautiful grounds whilst the guests enjoyed some champers and canapés…it was a sweet and relaxed occasion with lots of laughs and love for these two.
Batch Country House - Somerset Wedding Photographer
We had the complete joy of photographing and meeting, Emily and Jake at the Batch Country House prior to their beautiful wedding last month. Couldn’t of asked for bluer skies if we tried! The newly weds looked incredible, with Emily in her stunning 14andsixpence bridal dress and Jake in his immaculate ‘military ones’. Molly the Pup (or not so puppy like anymore!) made a swift appearance during the ceremony and made her presence certainly well known to the guests especially during the exchanging of vows. Molly most definitely had her part to play in the days celebrations. Photographing these two were so much fun and we loved capturing their quirky sides as well as their more serious sides. Their wedding day was eventful with not only finding time to feed the horses, pose on a gate and have a wedding cupcake smash, there was also time to rescue some cute moorhen chicks from the pond! All in a days work!
Bath Guildhall - Bath Wedding Photographer
Bath is such a beautiful city and it was lovely to be invited to take the photographs for Daisy and Steven’s wedding day right in the centre of the historic city in the Guildhall - a fabulous 17th Century building in the very centre of Bath.
Steven nervously waited for guests outside, while Daisy got ready in a side room, having entered unseen through a side door in the market!
The venue provides a character filled room, which I think was probably a court-room, for ceremonies, which is filled with light, gorgeous wooden furniture and paintings. This is where having two photographers really starts to shine - with Em following the bride and Woz at the front to the side, we’re able to capture the entrance from all angles, showing the nerves outside the door and that first look shared by the couple.
After the confetti, we had an interlude in Parade Gardens with champers and canapés - an opportunity to mingle and snap some candid pictures of the fun! A couple of quick formals, then back to the Guildhall for the food and dancing! Another amazing period room, with a high ceiling and opulent chandeliers!
As you can see - a great time was had by all and the venue is really lovely and worth a look if you’re planning to get married in the area.
The Batch Country House Pre-Wedding Shoot
Meeting up with our wedding couples for a ‘pre wedding shoot’ is not only a fab way to get to know each other before the big day but also we always have a bit of a laugh! We met up with Emily, Jake and their adorable puppy Molly at their chosen wedding venue The Batch Country House near Weston Super Mare. We had a lovely time exploring the gardens (Molly certainly explored it at least ten times over!) and discussing ideas for their wedding photographs. They were a totally awesome couple and we cannot wait to photograph their wedding this year. Molly will obviously play her part on the day…maybe with less energy than she did at the pre wedding shoot…but who knows! But what I do know is that it’s certainly going to be a lot of fun!
Stunning wedding at Mount Pleasant Ecological Park
It’s not every day we get invited to photograph a wedding where we also have to pack a tent, sleeping bags and a toothbrush! But oh did we embrace the opportunity! We headed down to sunny Cornwall on a Friday night, set up the pop up tent (all 15 seconds of it!) and set out to explore the beautiful landscape of the Mount Pleasant Eco Park. The eco park is situated at the top of a steep valley with stunning views all the way out to sea and across to a disused tin mine. A perfect place for a wedding!
Sarah & Josh got in contact with us way prior to the COVID mayhem so their wedding was well overdue. After a number of changes to dates and venues, finally their special day came and oh boy, what a day/night it was too.
These two looked absolutely gorgeous, Sarah with her beautiful champagne bridal dress and Josh with his stunning gold velvet jacket, these two were the rock n roll wedding couple of 2021! The sun shone down as guests flocked from all over to join in with their celebrations well late into the night…and the party was still in full swing when we headed off back to our tent in the early hours. Such lightweights!
We truly felt like we were part of their troop. Thank you so much to Sarah & Josh, their family and friends who really made us feel welcome. We had so much fun and loved every minute of it. Can we do it again please?
Beautiful Church Wedding with Reception at The Pig
I was so fortunate to photograph Emma & Tim’s gorgeous wedding last month. These two lovelies met on a train eight years ago after watching England play at Twickenham, exchanged numbers and with some persuading Emma finally gave in to Tim’s persistent messaging! Since they’ve got together they have travelled all over the world together (jealous much!), and a few years ago Tim went down on one knee at the top of Table Mountain in South Africa popping the question to Emma…sooo romantic…and sooo exhausting! Thankfully Tim managed to keep hold of the ring despite dropping it five times on the way up! With having to cancel four wedding dates, due to…yes you guessed it…Covid and numerous lockdowns, they finally got to say ‘I do’ at Chew Stoke church in front of twenty of their nearest and dearest. Their adorable spaniel, Marley, also made a joyous appearance to enjoy the celebrations with them. I think he got a bit overly excited but we won’t go into that! The happy couple whizzed off in a stunning red Morgan to The Pig near Bath where the celebrations continued with a bit of croquet and welly wanging. Thankfully nobody was hurt in the process! The whole day was full of love and laughter, and I’m chuffed to pieces for them both! xx
Photographing a wedding with a large format camera
If you’ve seen our previous posts on large format photography, you’ll know that it’s quite a challenge to capture even a few photos on film during the hectic chaos of a wedding day!
Aaron and Aggie were keen to give it a try, so during a quiet time (few and far between during any wedding) we managed to set up the camera and get them to pose. The ground was soaking and we didn’t want to get Aggie’s beautiful dress muddy, but we needed the light for the camera so our only option was to pose them in the doorway to the house.
Aggie’s dad was fascinated with the camera
This limited our options a bit, but this was really a trial run and Aaron and Aggie had agreed knowing that there was a good chance we’d not get great results with the film camera. They loved the example large format pictures we’d shown them.
We took several shots and then all moved to the side of the house to take some group shots - hard enough with digital, but all the more so with an unwieldy large format camera. Especially when you factor in that the image you see on the screen is not only reversed side to side, but is also upside down!
We did confirm our suspicions though - people are fascinated with the camera and gathered around comfortably, so that’s a massive bonus!
We fired off the sheets we had prepared in film holders and then put them in the bag to process later, not really knowing that we had.
It’s always with a mixture of excitement and fear when you process important film images, and although we’d promised nothing, we felt quite a responsibility loading these into the development tank.
Success!
We actually got a few good shots, and Aggie and Aaron were very pleased with the results. If we have time and willing participants, we will definitely be repeating this experience.
Lockdown Wedding! Aggie and Aaron
It’s been a very hard year for everyone, and people who have been planning weddings have been hit particularly hard by the new regulations along with the constant changes being introduced at short notice.
So we were very pleased to hear from Aggie and Arron, who were planning to have an intimate lockdown wedding and loved our photojournalistic style of photography. When we learned that their wedding was taking place at the quirky and magnificent 13th Century manor Maunsel House, we were even more excited. The venue is set in a 2000 acre estate in Somerset and its unique features reflect the tastes and interests of its owner, Sir Benjamin Slade Bt.
The day was very emotional one as Aaron and Aggie have been together for over 20 years and had had to put the day off several times due to the ongoing pandemic. Eventually they decided to invite a much smaller congregation and use Zoom to include other relatives both near and far. The small number of guests were privileged to get to see Aggie looking absolutely radiant and beaming from ear to ear.
While the venue has bags of character, one thing that some rooms lack is light! In the more intimate spaces, where suits of armour and weapons hang on the walls along with a well worn stuffed bear, the lighting is almost non-existant! Thankfully our Fuji cameras were up to the job and we were able to capture emotions and events where it would have been impossible a few years ago.
