It was a cold and frosty morning when I met Philippa and Anthony at The Mill House Hotel. But, what a frost! It was one of those frosts that lasted for a whole morning so were able to grab some frames of the two of them among frosty grass and trees. To top it all, we had some wonderful sunshine.
Then Philippa took off her ring and we photographed it among the tiny icicles!
We had great fun at The Mill House Hotel on what could have otherwise have been a drab January day.
When I meet couples for the first time, most are a little apprehensive about how they should “act” in front of the camera. In fact, I have only had one couple who oozed confidence when we talked about being photographed on their wedding day. My advice is simple; enjoy your day and we will capture the moments.
We had a lovely time with Sarah and Richard. Even a little rain before the ceremony didn’t dampen the day. Like most couples, they didn’t want to spend ages being “posed” for photographs. A walk around the grounds of the Clock Barn was just perfect to get the natural images they wanted.
Being a working school during term time, Bradfield College only allow for a limited number of functions to be held there. What an amazing place to celebrate a wedding! Plenty of space for the wedding breakfast and the party afterwards. It was easy to escape to a quieter room for those who wanted to talk. They even hired our “Photobooth” and brought in their own inflatable instruments.
Such fun!
“It’s a small church” they said.
“Not a problem as I’m used to working in confined spaces.”
“It’s quite dark”.
Again, wedding photographers are used to this and have the kind of lenses that work well in churches where light is limited.
“No, there’s no electricity, so only candle light and we’re getting married in late October”.
Luckily, I have one of the latest Canon cameras (A 5D MkII if you’re a camera buff). When I first bought it I spent a while at a summer wedding photographing friends and family enjoying a hot summers evening chatting by candle light. So that was no problem!
On the day itself we were blessed with a sunny day and the candle lit church made for such a romantic setting for Claire and Christian’s wedding. I don’t think Claire will mind me saying that she was the most excited bride I met in 2011. She couldn’t wait to walk into the small church in the grounds of Orchardleigh House and get married. A lovely day, wonderful weather and a lively congregation who relished in celebrating Claire and Christian’s wedding day.
I remember my first meeting with Rachel and Michael when they were first looking for a wedding photographer. “We don’t really like having our photo taken. In fact we haven’t got a single photo of us together”. There was a pause as they waited for a reaction. I get this a lot when I meet couples. The surprising thing is that I have only had one couple who were super confident about having their photo taken. My solution is simple. Just enjoy the day and your pictures will be fine.
They soon relaxed when we met for a second time at The Cantley House Hotel for their pre-wedding shoot. There is no mystery around what happens on a shoot. We just chat and I shoot some images, it’s all very informal. In fact, on the day itself, they were so relaxed; their natural sense of fun took over. We had a real laugh capturing special moments of Rachel & Michael, and their friends, enjoying a wonderful wedding day.
