The Wedding Show at Tatton Park 2011

Just a quick mention that I shall be exhibiting again this coming weekend, 29th and 30th January, at the Wedding Show at Tatton Park.

The Wedding Show at Tatton Park is something of an institution in the wedding world here in the North West.  It's always held on last weekend in January, inside a giant marquee in the grounds of Tatton Park, just outside Knutsford.  Actually, most of you reading this will probably know that, and many of you will be visiting.

This is the fourth year that I'll be exhibiting at the show.  Again, I'm on stand 416, showing off some of the weddings that I photographed last year.  I'm very excited to announce that, in addition to the beautiful Jorgensen wedding albums and Graphistudio wedding books that I've been using for several years, I shall also have some brand new albums by a brand new company.  Folio Albums are a new British company that have brought out a stunning range of fine art albums for photographers, and I'm very proud and excited to be using them.  I unveiled my two Folio albums last weekend at the wedding fair I was attending at Peckforton Castle where the response to them was amazing!

I'm very excited about this coming weekend, and hope to see many of you there.

From Hong Kong to Cheshire

Nean emailed me in November enquiring about a lifestyle shoot for him and his fiance Chrissy.  He lives in Hong Kong and found my details on a wedding website, Wedding Vine.  They would be in the UK for Christmas and New Year, and would I be available to photograph them?  Of course, the answer was yes!   

Nean and I exchanged emails for a few weeks making arrangements, confirming the shoot would take place at my studio in the grounds of Arley Hall and, weather permitting, around the Hall itself four days after Christmas.  I'm extremely lucky to have my studio located within a couple of minutes of a beautiful building like that, and just a short walk from the award winning Arley gardens.  Both make great backdrops for photoshoots.  

Hong Kong tradition is that the bride and groom have a pre-wedding shoot dressed in their wedding clothes.  Chrissy arrived fully made up and with her hair done, accompanied by a huge wedding dress.  Nean had a morning suit to match.  

Nean was born in England so knew what the weather could be like, but it was the first time Chrissy had visited the UK.  The weather on the 29th was mild (+7) compared to the previous week (-11), but it was still too cold for someone used to the warmer temperatures of Hong Kong.  Especially when she was wearing a wedding dress with bare shoulders!  So we began the shoot in my studio, with a combination of classical and more modern shots.  

Of course, the temptation to be photographed in your wedding clothes in front of an English stately home proved too much and so we went outside for a short time.  Chrissy was great, putting up with the cold to get some wonderful shots.

I'm really pleased she braved the cold to help create some fantastic images.  

Nean and Chrissy are marrying in November in Hong Kong.  My best wishes go out to them along with a reminder that I'm still available on their wedding day!

Kate and Gino's big day 29th April 2011

Very sorry Kate and William, but you were beaten to this one by several months.

I first met Kate and Gino early last spring when we met to discuss their wedding and they asked me to be their wedding photographer.  At the time the date, 29th April 2011, was just another day in the calendar.

They were marrying at a beautiful church in Grasmere in the Lake District and having their reception at the Linthwaite House Hotel.  I know Grasmere well, but hadn't shot at the hotel, so was looking forward to the excitement of working at a new venue.  All very fantastic.  Kate and I even share the same surname (well, until next April), so this was going to be a wedding that was always going to stand out for me. 

Then the Royals made their announcement and suddenly the importance of the date changed.  And a few days ago Kate and Gino appeared on tv to talk about it.  Here's the link to the piece on Granada Reports that featured them: http://www.itv.com/granada/royal-wedding-date98389/

Congratulations to all four of you, but especially to Kate and Gino.  We'll be meeting next month to discuss plans and to have a pre-wedding shoot.  And I'm counting the days until we meet in the Lakes. 

Happy anniversary Holly and James

Exactly a year ago I had the privilege and pleasure to photograph the wedding at Arley Hall between Holly Gunn and James Bretel.  I look out of the window today at a beautiful, if cold, day - gorgeous November sunshine and still some colour on the trees from the leaves.  How different it was a year ago!  The rain hardly let up all day, it was grey and miserable outdoors.  However, the wedding was one of the most pleasurable I shot last year.  No way were the bride and groom going to let the weather spoil the greatest day of their lives.  Fun, excitement and enjoyment were visible everywhere.  In fact, I submitted one of my favourite images from the day into an international competition, where it won a bronze prize (see the last post for details). 

The wedding photographs are still available to view online in the client area of my website, but you'll need to ask Holly or James for the password if you don't know it.

Very happy anniversary Holly and James.

International Aperture Awards 2010

I don't normally enter competitions.  I honestly don't know why, but it's something I rarely do.  But earlier this year I did put an entry into the International Aperture Awards.  This is a competition that attracts entries from over 90 countries around the world, and thousands of entries from professional photographers.  There are various categories, covering all kinds of photography, including weddings.

Earlier this week I received news that I'd received a Bronze Award for my entry.  So I'm chuffed to say the least.  It's rewarding to know that not only do my clients like the work I do for them (and Holly and James, at whose wedding the image was captured, are completely lovely people and have been so complimentary that it makes me blush), but that my photographic peers rate what I do as well.

Not often that I blow my own trumpet, but today I feel it's a bit justified.

Here's the shot I entered.




Once again, thank you Holly and James for such a wonderfully fun day (despite the rain). 

Plenty more of my work is available to view on my website

Wedding fair at Capesthorne Hall and Pavilion Sunday 31st October

If you've read some of my earlier posts during the summer you'll know I'm one of the preferred suppliers for Capesthorne Pavilion.  I've always loved shooting weddings at the Hall and Pavilion - one of the best venues in Cheshire, in my opinion.

Just a quick mention that there's a wedding fair being held there this Sunday between 11am and 3pm.  I shall be exhibiting in the Pavilion itself.  Please do come along to say hello and talk weddings.

Carly and Ben's wedding at Rowton Castle

I first met Carly and Ben at a wedding fair at Peckforton Castle in 2009.  That summer they asked me to be their wedding photographer for their marriage at Rowton Castle the following year. 

Well, I have to give them 10 out of 10 for good taste.  Rowton Castle was a new venue to me, but from their description, not just of the look of the place, but of the friendliness and professionalism they were met with whenever they'd visited, I was looking forward to seeing the place for myself,  never mind the excitement of working there.

I arranged a visit a few months before the wedding date, as I always do.  I always visit a new venue or church before a wedding if at all possible.  There's simply too much going on on the wedding day itself to waste time looking for shots.  I like to arrive at a wedding with ideas in my head.  That way I can shoot more for a couple and adapt to the unexpected (such as rain - which is perhaps not always unexpected in Britain) much more quickly.  My visit confirmed all that Carly and Ben had told me.  The place was stunning; the staff were friendly and helpful; an air of professionalism shone.  I left knowing it was going to be a great day.

And so it proved to be. 

I arrived early to capture some shots of Carly and her bridesmaids, Kara and Stacy, getting ready in the bridal suite.  Kara, who runs her own hair and make-up business, was very busy getting everyone looking their best. 

A bridal portrait of Carly

Ben is a military man, and was dressed in full uniform.  Fantastic!

Here he is with his Best Man and brother, Sam

Being a military wedding there was, of course, a ceremonial Guard of Honour.  This was after the civil ceremony, as the couple came outside to the lawn to meet their guests.

Ben's dad, Frank, even supplied the meat for the wedding breakfast.  Well, he is a first class butcher, running Taylors of Sale. 

Kara and Stacy, the lovely bridesmaids.

And with the Guard of Honour

 It was a very hot day - the guys in their black wool uniforms suffered in the heat - but that meant a beautiful evening too.  Just look at the light on the castle - a perfect backdrop for this portrait of the happy couple.

The tree in front of the castle is both ancient and spectacular.  The last shot of the night had to feature it.

The full wedding can be viewed in the client of my website.