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Paul and Lizzie's blessing ceremony

Added Friday 23rd April 2010

It seems like a lifetime ago that I sat in their kitchen in Burton Latimer and heard stories about the weetabix factory, the wind farm, and met this fun couple called Paul and Liz.

At their engagement shoot they told me all about their unique wedding plans and their big day(s) in October were everything I hoped they'd be.

(My word what small pictures I used to blog back then)

Paul and Liz have become good friends since those days, and over one of the many fine meals and glasses of wine we enjoyed later (Liz is a professional chef, and Paul is a lucky fella) Liz explained to me that she always dreamed of getting married in the church where she grew up in Finedon.

They were kind enough to invite me along as a guest and insisted I didn't have to take any photos, but there was no way I was going to let this chance pass by! I promised to enjoy myself (which I did) and take photos anyway!

The incredible levitating bridesmaid...

...and the (still) happy couple!!

So. very. cute.

As before, Paul and Liz walked into the church together. I loved that these two happy partners face their lives as one and walk hand in hand. They're a wonderful couple, and I'd know - I've never gotten to know another 'customer' as well as Lizzie and Paul.

Paul's such a funny guy, and always seems to keep Lizzie laughing. Here he is feigning a modest royal wave as we all applaud the happy couple.

When Liz was a girl, she and her Mum would walk down to the church on Saturdays to see the brides and grooms coming out, and the confetti being thrown. I'm sure this moment was everything she hoped for.

Wicked-original flowers by the way, as before ;-)

This is a recreation of a famous family wedding photo. I just LOVE doing these, whenever a couple ask me for a photo "just like the one in Mum and Dad's album" I'm delighted to do it, and if possible get Mum and Dad over to watch the auspicious moment and make sure I got it just right! (by the way Hi Noel and Rosemary!)

Afterwards we went for a knees up at Isham cricket club. Do you know any other bride who's made her own wedding food? I don't think I do.

Liz is famous for her eye-catching dresses. Sometimes I think she and Paul only had so many weddings so she could show them off. The party was great fun, and I love Lizzie so much I even managed a quick dance, which I'm sure she'll never forget, and not in a good way!

Paul and Liz, I can't thank you enough for making me a part of your weddings and a part of your lives. Can't wait to meet up and 'unveil' the results of our latest project. Now Liz, get back to work and stop stalking people on facebook! ;-)

My evening in the garden with Rosemary

Added Tuesday 20th April 2010

I've got lots of things to blog about - fourteen of them in the hopper to be precise. But this one got skipped ahead of the queue.

Most of the time I'm showing pictures from shoots with customers, but I also feel the occasional need to tell you something about my life. Part of the reason I started blogging was to give people an idea of what I'm like as a person before they hire me to document the most important day of their lives, and see if I'm the kind of guy who might just be in step with them as people and friends. And as often as I can, I want to make some interesting point or tell a story with a moral to it. Something to do with love, beauty, photography, light, something meaningful.

Today is not one of those days.

I come from a line of gardeners. Some of my fondest memories of childhood take place in my grandma's beautiful back garden stuffed with every conceivable shrub and bloom, with the 'grown ups' drinking pimm's or G&T (yep, we were G&T people) on the patio. My sister runs a respite centre for distressed orchids and has stunning success, and my Mum and her sister, my aunt Pam, both found time in their hectic lives to create beautiful gardens.

Sadly I did not inherit these genes! I remember "helping" my Dad to build an elaborate patio (aged 5) and even asking Mum for a gardening lesson once or twice (SUCH a suck-up, right?!) I think we got as far as slug-pellets and pansies.

Anyway, as I have obviously told you a hundred times already I moved house last year, and now that all that exotic air-travel I had planned for this week got cancelled, I have just got interested in the garden. Here it is:

It may not be much, but it's all mine. :-) As you can see, I have only got about halfway through clearing the weeds! And yes, that is a hardened, impenetrable security gate at the end there.

And today, my lovely grandma took pity on me and gave me a plant! The first one for my new garden. Hopefully when it's considerably bigger, I'll be able to eat some of it with my roast potatoes. Here's the freshly wed patch ready...

...and my plant (yes, I own a trowel)...

And finally...TADA - I am a gardener.

Stewart and Gemma's Wedding

Added Tuesday 6th April 2010

Some photos from one of my last weddings of 2009, Stewart and Gemma. The wedding took place at the Dunchurch Hotel, a wonderful location with architecture, interiors, light, gardens, you name it!

Stewart arrived in style in his beloved Mini. Despite seeing it pushed down the road, I was delighted to see it still in their driveway when I went to see them recently!

Meet the neighbours - Brides of Solihull

Added Friday 2nd April 2010

I've got an entry in iCal for September 2nd 2009 that reads: "11:00 House viewing 16 Collister Close".

And now I live there! It really doesn't feel that long ago. When I first checked out the Stratford Road area of Shirley I immediately noticed all the wedding-related businesses nearby, with Brides and Grooms of Shirley being one of the most famous. The Shirley and Solihull shops are probably familiar to most brides in the Solihull area.

So a month ago I took a ten minute stroll to see Martin and his team and 'meet the neighbours'. We soon started throwing ideas around and decided to organise a little shoot to provide some images for their promotional use (I'm not sure if I can reveal what they're doing with them!) and for the portfolios of model, make up artist and photographer.

These kind of "time for prints" shoots are great fun, as everyone is working together for each other's benefit, and I'm always keen to make friends in the business. So if you bake cakes, drive cars, make hats or play discs or just about anything else for a wedding I'm always happy to talk and see if we can help each other out.

There's a lot to choose from here! And the range of designers is different at each of the two shops, so there's even more to see.

Meet my friend Georgina Toney. George is a talented makeup artist and all-around lovely girl who provides a great service for brides, proms, and at-home makeup and beauty treatments. (George also happens to be a gorgeous bride herself who's getting married not long from now...) Seriously, give her a call and just ask about wedding makeup, you'll love her.

And Jodie, who apparently dropped everything to come and model for us.

You mustn't take anyone for granted when no one's getting paid for a shoot, so when I asked if she'd be interested I had no idea if she'd be too busy. But I think what she actually said was along the lines of "pictures of me in wedding dresses? Woo Woo!"

Can't remember what they were laughing about, but I think it might have been when someone asked if Jodie and I were an item. Yeah thanks, that's what's so funny! ;-)

Next we rushed into Solihull to the town centre shop to try on some gorgeous Ian Stuart creations.

Our shoot was a lot of fun, and we've got an interesting idea for a joint promotion to come, so I'm looking forward to working with the team from 'Brides' again in future!