Dan and Zoe

Added Saturday 31st May 2008



Well, here's to two of the lovliest and happiest people I ever photographed. Dan and Zoe were so much fun to work with, and organised such a fun wedding day that I just wanted to stay right on until the surprise fireworks in the evening!



Here's handsome Dan, and Zoe pulling up in her vintage 'gangster car', complete with tommy gun...







Here are the happy couple, just doing their thing. It's easy for two people to get swept up in the socialising at an event as big as a wedding. But Dan and Zoe shared countless little romantic moments together throughout the day, that they probably don't think I even noticed.



Here's Zoe, being Zoe...



The Tally Ho in Arncott provided a delicious dinner for about 90 guests, after which they enjoyed speeches. Dean, Dan's best man did particularly well. I've heard em all, and Dean was very entertaining!



Bouncing with her bridesmaids. My sincere thanks to Michelle, Sally, Holly, Holly and Emily for looking after Zoe, and for just looking gorgeous all day. You were awesome bridesmaids! From exhuberant to poised, Zoe has many great looks! She made my job look easy today.



Sparks sent flying at both the Bride and Groom's first dance, and the surprise fireworks that followed afterwards.



Dan and Zoe, thankyou for making me a part of your wonderful wedding. So wonderful in fact, that for the first time ever, I took 1,080 photographs! I narrowed these down to a brilliant selection for you to look through. I hope you love the images, and I can't wait to catch up when you return from Mauritius!

Eamon and Jennie, and Rain

Added Thursday 29th May 2008

Last Sunday, Eamon, Jennie, their gorgeous little daughter and I met at the Northampton Golf Course in Harlestone for some pictures and to chat about their exciting wedding taking place next Saturday.



Smothered with kisses!



The Club has a fantastic room with panoramic views sweeping out across the beautiful grounds. I can't wait to shoot some amazing pictures with Jennie and Eamon soon. I'm glad we got the rain out of the way here, so the wedding will be lovely and sunny!



The wedding is being coordinated by the oh-so-talented Alice Sibley, so I'm confident every detail will be just perfect. Eamon and Jennie have great taste, and I know they've put together a classy and fun wedding. I can tell it's going to a real celebration!

Finally, this little one is giving you my first answer to the popular question: "what happens if it rains?" The answer - we have fun!

Rain!

Every cloud has a silver lining

Added Tuesday 27th May 2008

It's one of those sayings that just drives me nuts. Isn't it usually the last thing you want to hear whenever someone says it?! But last night it was refreshingly literal:



Did anyone else notice the beautiful sunset yesterday evening?

We've had some wet shoots over the past few days. Eamon & Jennie's engagement pictures will be online soon, and as you'll see - they illustrate the point perfectly! It's one of the questions I'm often asked when I meet with couples: "what happens if it rains?". Answers are coming...stay tuned!

Mark and Natalie, engagement shoot

Added Friday 23rd May 2008



They met nearly 7 years ago. Natalie was working behind the bar at a club in Rugby one night when she was informed that her fellow barstaff had cancelled on her. She was no doubt looking forward to a dull night. That was, until her replacement barman turned up!





Sitting in the lounge at Whittlebury park this evening, she admitted with a saucy look shot Mark's way that her first thought on seeing him was: "Cor!" Mark goes slightly redder as he simultaneously receives the compliment, and tells me that his first thought on seeing Natalie was not entirely publishable. I can only assume it was good, then!



And now, their big day is just three weeks away. Mark and Natalie have been looking forward to it eagerly, and I think they really deserve it. The past years have had their challenges, but they've also had a lot of fun. And somehow, I can believe that. Because this is one fun couple!



Behind the wheel of a luxury Whittlebury Park buggy. Driving golf-buggies is something they teach you in wedding photographer school. Actually, there is no school. But when I start one, this will be on the syllabus. Is that actually a sat-nav above the windscreen?! Anyway, I'm more excited about Natalie's more sedate choice of transport for the wedding.



Facing, er east...



Mark and Natalie pick their rings up tomorrow in Birmingham's Jewelry quarter. We'll race each other up the M6, as I'm looking forward to visiting the lovely ladies at Wedding Belle again. And then that's it! All ready, all paid for! Except of course for the flowers. (hint: for big brownie points, ask Natalie who her talented florist was.)



Adding to the list of things Richard loves, in no particular order: Summer evenings, sunset-glowy hair, the D200 (greatest camera ever made!), affectionate couples, and Douwe Egberts.

Dale and Charlotte

Added Thursday 22nd May 2008

Dale and Charlotte celebrated their marvellous wedding at Wappenham Church and the Sywell Aviator on Saturday. They had organised such a special day, perfectly to their liking, that I just couldn't stop shooting things! I broke my record for number of shots at a wedding, and took so many great photographs that it was really hard to choose the images for the featured gallery. Even harder to choose just a handful for this blog post! So here are seventeen! Please head on over to their gallery page for more...



I loved this picture of Charlotte doing up a shoe. Her expression in it summed up her manner throughout the day: cool, confident... and happy. And she had every reason to be all those things. She looked amazing, and in Dale, was marrying a wonderful man.





Sometimes I can't resist a little old school treatment of an image. Especially for such an enduring timeless one as this:



Different ways to celebrate: The traditional and symbolic, or the energetic "bridesmaid high-five!"





Dale and Charlotte arranged for this awesome red double-decker bus to take their guests from Sywell to Wappenham for the ceremony, and back to Sywell for the reception. Perfect excuse for some novel shots, of course!









It took a bit of walking to get Charlotte 'airside' in her dress without hopping over fences (though it turned out there was a slightly closer gate - my apologies Charlotte!). This also provided one of the more surreal moments of my career, escorting a stranded bride across an airfield. In the picture below, Dale is simply parking the microlight, not trying to take off.



Dale and Charlotte, thankyou for choosing me to document your wedding. It truly was a privilege. I'd have been satisfied just to attend. But instead I got a 'front row seat', as it were! So return the frozen bees to the hive, and I'll see you soon!

Neil and Kelly's Wedding

Added Saturday 10th May 2008

Neil and Kelly were married on Saturday at the beautiful Whittlebury Park Orangery. Before the ceremony started I took lots of fun pictures with the girls.





And with the guys.



Neil's big moment...



I have to say, the couple were expertly assisted by Neil's best man Alex, usher Adam, and Kelly's bridesmaids, Hayley, Angela and Sarah.



The Pavillion at Whittlebury, where the reception was held, is a marquee inside a building. Plenty of space for lots of guests and dancing later!





Sarah (on the left) tried to convince me that she doesn't usually dress up like this - the hair and make-up was not her usual style. But she doesn't fool me. I know she's a glamour-puss really. (Can I get away with using words like that?) In any case, it certainly suits her.



I don't know if you noticed, but for the past few days, the sun's been doing something particularly brilliant around 7pm. Most of Saturday was slightly overcast, but I was delighted to get just enough sun for these gorgeous backlit outdoor pictures in the 'golden hour'. Kelly, you looked so much more than just "alright"! But you were right, the shots are gorgeous, and it's entirely your fault!



Neil and Kelly, thankyou so much for asking me to photograph your lovely wedding! Have a wonderful time on honeymoon!