Dale and Charlotte, engagement portraits
Added Sunday 27th April 2008
Dale and Charlotte met 8 years ago when their friends conspired (without their knowledge) to set them up. One night, after a party, Dale gallantly offered to walk Charlotte to the train station which he claimed was 'on his way home'. According to Charlotte, she had a number of such offers that evening. But to her friends' delight, she accepted Dale's.
In just 3 weeks from now Dale and Charlotte are to be married at St. Mary's, Wappenham. Afterwards, the party moves on (by vintage bus) to Sywell Aerodrome. We met there to talk weddings and watch the light aircraft landing.
Dale and Charlotte have created very much their own personalised wedding, with Charlotte's Mum in charge of the cake, and Dale's bees in charge of honey for the table favours!
Dale's love of microlights is only slightly older than his love of Charlotte, and we couldn't visit Sywell without checking in on his pride and joy. He proudly tells the story of how he bought the championship winning aircraft in Spain and flew it here over 3 days. He's threatening to take it up on the 17th, but I don't think Charlotte will let him if she can't go too! I don't think her dress will quite fit in her flight suit!
Dale in action... (image borrowed from their website)
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Shooting my sister!
Added Saturday 26th April 2008
Later this year I'll be photographing the wedding of Leo and Jen. Jen has been a friend of the family, but especially of my sister for years. When Nix heard I was shooting Jen's wedding, she decided to learn enough photography to help me at the wedding!
 
This morning, we went to the churchyard at St. Alphege in Solihull for some more lessons! Here are my pics of my brilliant little sister in action!!
Very funny. She's already adopting the professional's pose. Checking her shots...
And here are some of her photos! It was different being on the other side of the lens for a change. Note however the need to still hold a camera for security!
finally a self portrait...
(I'm going to get punched for including that one!)
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Wedding Belle
Added Monday 21st April 2008
As I stepped into Wedding Belle in Solihull, I felt like I was stepping through a curtain into some secret place usually forbidden to us men. I'm not being overdramatic when I say that her choice of wedding dress is for a girl, one of the most emotional decisions of her life, following of course, another significant emotional decision!
The dress forms a pivotal point in the planning of a wedding. What did Helen Hunt say in the movie 'What Women Want'?
"You know it's all about the dress, right? Once you got the dress handled, it's all downhill from there."
 
But the dress also provides a pivotal point at the beginning of the wedding day. More than once I've heard - as the dress goes over the head - the immortal words: "OH MY GOD! I'm a bride!!" It's an absolute privilege to document that particular moment when I'm asked to.
Finding your dress could be a bit like falling in love. Sometimes it's love at first sight, and sometimes you want to look around a bit. It always helps to get your best friend's opinion, but in the end, you'll ignore everything she says anyway. And I'll tell you something else. You can't fall in love on the internet. You have to go somewhere, like a fine restaurant.
 
And that's where Wedding Belle comes in. Yvonne and Charlotte have created a gorgeous, peaceful environment for you to fall in love in! They have everything you need, and will make the whole process easy and fun. They have a great eye for details. It hadn't even occured to me until now, that to try on a wedding dress (with help), you'd need an enormous changing room! These, and enormous mirrors are provided. In fact, half the challenge of shooting their shop was not including myself in any of the mirrors! These photographs are for Wedding Belle's forthcoming advertising materials, and I really hope they're a great success for their business.
I asked Jessica - our gorgeous model for the day - if she had a favourite dress picked out already. Stupid question really. Of course she does.
 
Now if you think I've changed since meeting Gok Wan at the national wedding show, then don't get me wrong. I like my beer in pints as much as the next man. But I've been around brides long enough to know that there's magic in that white fabric, ribbon, lace and tulle. As a self-styled emotion-snapper, I can tell you, I respect it's power.
So gents, if she needs a little extra cash for the dress of her dreams, try to find it somewhere! Remember it's love we're talking about here. She's worth it. And it's not just about how she looks. You want her to feel like the bride. Tell her that, and I expect you'll get credit, somewhere down the line.
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Paul and Sharron, at the Falcon
Added Saturday 19th April 2008
 
We sat and chatted about wedding details this morning while the hotel guests trundled past us into the dining room for their breakfast, collecting orange juice and cereals on their way. But that's Paul and Sharron - on the ball!
The Falcon Hotel in Castle Ashby is just about perfect. I love it because it's intimate - small enough to be all yours for the day, beautiful - with lovely gardens and surroundings, and the food and staff are top notch!
I've shot many weddings at the Falcon, and thoroughly enjoyed working with the staff there. It was a pleasure to meet the new manager, Ricky today, and I look forward to working with him in the near future.
Everything looks all set for a great wedding, one of two major events occuring on the 4th of July this year. Next year of course, the 4th is a Saturday. So I might be charging a premium to work on that day! Actually, a slice of cake would do - I'll bring my own candle.
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Neil and Kelly, engagement portraits
Added Friday 18th April 2008
Neil and Kelly are to be married at Whittlebury Hall in May. They had only just gone to visit the venue for the last time, so rather than drag them all the way down to Towcester, I suggested we meet in Abington park for a coffee and some photos.
 
To their credit, they braved the nippy wind and took some great pictures in the bandstand and around the park. We had mostly squirrels for spectators today, but in a few weeks they'll be cheered on by 91 of their friends and family. (plus me)
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Nick and Mariza, engagement shoot
Added Thursday 17th April 2008
We sat and chatted over drinks in the lounge at Whittlebury Hall. Nick and Mariza were engaged in July 2005, and will be married exactly three years later, to the day! They've spent plenty of time preparing their dream wedding (they booked me a year and a half ago), and were happy to tell me all about their plans. Mariza of course, has been planning the wedding ever since she first laid eyes on Nick 10 years ago in school!
 
As we headed outside for some pictures, she playfully teased Nick about the colour of her dress. During the shoot I asked - as I often do - how they felt about public displays of affection. Clearly, this couple don't care who knows that they're in love. It's literally inspiring to see (and shoot) this lovely couple's affection for each other.
One of the things that grabbed me most about Nick and Mariza is they really don't have a clue just how good looking they are! They're lot's of fun to talk to, and I'm so pleased to have met them. I look forward to getting to know them better as we work together.
 
Nick explained that a great many of their friends who they have known for many years will be coming to the wedding. I've no doubt that all will be delighted for Mariza and Nick to finally have their big day. Their wedding promises to be a beautiful, and yet downright fun day. They truly deserve to have their cake, and the other cake, and eat it!
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Tim and Claire
Added Saturday 12th April 2008
I didn't have to ask the new Mr & Mrs W if they had enjoyed their wedding day. It was clear to everyone that they loved every bit of it!
When I checked the met-office website on Thursday my heart sank when I saw a black cloud with TWO raindrops hovering over Northampton for Saturday! When I checked again this morning, there was just a yellow sun, peeking out from behind white clouds. It tried to rain as we started the group photographs, but quickly stopped, and we all felt very lucky!
Claire has a lovely smile, and she looked so beautiful in her dress made (along with the bridesmaid's dresses) by her talented Mum.
 
It's sometimes strange to get to know couples so well, so fast. I haven't had as many chances to see Tim and Claire before the day as I'd have liked - entirely my loss, I assure you. But it didn't seem to matter. They're a wonderful couple, who it's quite simply impossible not to love! I enjoyed the way they greeted their guests so warmly, and wanted so much to share their happy day with their loved ones.
Tim's speech was moving. He paused to catch his breath and his adoring wife held his hand and looked up at him while he told us all that he couldn't fully describe how lucky he felt today.
As I enjoyed some delicious roast chicken in the lounge of the beautiful Sedgebrook Hall (Claire thinks of everything!) I took my first pass through the images we'd captured so far in the day. All the while listening to Jack Johnson who was up somewhere in the ceiling singing 'better together'. I looked at the photographs and decided that this fact was in Tim and Claire's case, pretty self-evident.
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Different strokes to plan a wedding!
Added Monday 7th April 2008
Planning a wedding could be a bit like painting a picture. Once you've got an idea in your mind of what you want it to look like, you start out with broad brushstrokes that define the shape of the day like the date and the venues, and then the strokes get gradually finer and finer, filling in the detail. The early stage can be stressful, as you try to pull at least two or three elements together at once.
Your choice of photographer stands out a little from this process. Rather than being a part of the day (at least intentionally - I really believe a photographer can enhance your day, not just be invisible!) the photographer captures the whole day, including all the other details you've chosen. Basically you need to look early to make sure you get the one you want. I've been tremendously flattered on occasion to hear that couples have set their dates based on when I - as well as the venue - was available.
This is the early stage my good friend Sarah was at last week. Choosing venues is difficult and many boxes have to be ticked. We went to check out the Hunsbury Hill Centre (one of my favourites) on Thursday and to see her church. I think she and her family have now pretty much settled on a venue! Thankfully, in a photographer, she has one less thing to look for! Sarah is a wonderful friend, and in Andy she's met a wonderful partner. I don't have many photos of them together yet but we'll soon sort that out!
 
Being involved with a friend's wedding is so much fun. Last year I was priveliged to photograph Sarah's sister Emma and her husband Rob's wedding. I had only met Emma a handful of times before, but now I can honestly say, she's one of the best friends I've ever had. Years ago, some of the first weddings I ever photographed were for friends, and I particularly remember giving one bride a framed montage, and seeing a few happy tears fall...
...that by the way, was when I knew.
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Snow
Added Sunday 6th April 2008
Do you remember a time when a heavy snowfall wasn't a nuisance to traffic, but an amazing adventure? A time when the phrase "too cold to snow" was a sort of cruel joke of nature? One of my treasured family videos - and favourite memories of my mum - shows my family out in our street, with her pulling my sister and I along in the sledge and making snowmen. I can never quite get my head round the fact that they were as old then as I am now!
I decided to take my camera along to church today, and was reminded afterwards how much kids love snow, when they all ran outside to "play some more". I still love snow. I love the way it totally changes the look of our world. I like how difficult it is to photograph. But mostly I enjoy the sheer impertinent bulk of it. I like the way it covers a drain and refuses to go down. It's cold, slippery, and there's LOTS of it! Except for shovelling it around, there's very little we can do but wait for it to melt and give us back our gardens.
 
It's also funny how the slightest snowfall affects our life in Britain! Travelling through Austria by train (I like skiing holidays, since I work every weekend in summer!), I watched the JCBs drive onto the tracks to shovel feet of snow away so the trains could move around the station.
I hope you enjoyed the snow, and that anyone who got married today truly wanted a 'white wedding'!
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