Ben & Nicola's Wedding at Parley Manor, Christchurch

My Wedding Photography started at Parley Manor with the Groomsmen.  They all seemed to be on top form, and there was a great level of excitement!  The guests all appeared at the same time and descended on the Groomsmen who were waiting to greet them at the front of Parley Manor.  This gave me some great opportunities for some natural photographs.



The Bride arrived with her Dad and Bridesmaids, whilst her Mum and Brother stood regally at the front door. Meanwhile, the boys were clock watching in the ceremony Marquee!

The Civil Wedding Ceremony commenced, and with readings from Nicola’s Mum and Ben’s Grandad to add a nice personal touch, the couple were soon Mr & Mrs!

It was a ceremony of joyous tears and laughter which I think is a great combination for those Wedding memories. 

There was a mix up with the first kiss and the newlyweds never got their chance!! So after the signing of the register, Ben & Nicola had their opportunity.

Just 10 minutes following the marriage ceremony, two guests flew in through the gates after mixing Brighton up with Bournemouth, so following a good 5 minutes of mickey-taking (and rightly so!!) they were forgiven.

The weather always looked like it might rain, but throughout the group photographs the skies held for us, although a few ‘just-in-case’ umbrellas were to be seen. Loving the poses pulled by one of the Ushers here – just had to capture this!

Ben & Nicola were after a more relaxed approach to their photography, which suited both my Documentary Style of photography, and also their Wedding atmosphere – this meant that I was able to get a few sneaky shots of the Bride & Groom over the course of the day that they didn’t know about, for example whilst everyone was milling around waiting for dinner ... that Ben & his Best Man took time out to say hello to!

As ever, the Parley Manor team had done an amazing job inside the Wedding Marquee, and Ben & Nicola’s theme & colour scheme looked fab. Ben’s Usher had organised all the stationery and the table seating plan, which were all first class.

After the Wedding Breakfast, Ben & Nicola spent some time alone outside, whilst inside the marquee the groomsmen hit the cocktail bar in preparation of the party night ahead.

Congratulations Ben & Nicola – thank you for asking me to photograph your wedding! I wish you both bucketfuls of happiness for your future together!

David & Leanne's Wedding at Boscombe's Salvation Army and Parley Manor, Christchurch

Well, this was one Wedding where every possible detail had been thought about!  It was a truly fun-packed day with quite a few surprises for David & Leanne’s  guests!

My photography started at Leanne’s parent’s house where the Bridesmaids, flower-girl and paige-boy were all getting ready. It took a few minutes for everyone to get used to my being there, but I was soon forgotten and I got on with capturing the preparations.

 

I then caught up with the Groomsmen at Boscombe’s Salvation Army, where a Brass Band greeted the guests as they were seated. It was quite deceptive as it seemed like such a slow trickle of people were arriving, but before long the place was packed!

David had written a few movie-themed instrumentals which were being played by the brass band prior to Leanne’s arrival.  I decided my best position for the Bride’s entrance was right at the front, so I was blasted with the full orchestral entrance – it was truly a special moment.  By the time Leanne got to the front David had a tear in his eye (and I nearly did too!! It was so exciting!)

I was able to photograph freely throughout the wedding ceremony and I was able to sneak upstairs to the balcony, as well as down towards the front.  Leanne’s Bridesmaid sang an Adele solo, which was just superb.  I think there was more musical flair in that room than on Britain’s got Talent!

After the service, David & Leanne had arranged for tea and biscuits for everyone before we headed off to Parley Manor.

When the Bride & Groom arrived at Parley Manor, all their guests were waiting.  We had about an hour before their Wedding Breakfast so I decided that we should crack on with the photographs as the weather looked a little dubious!

David’s Groomsmen certainly got into character with some interesting model poses … 

The Wedding Marquee looked stunning with the purple colour scheme.

There was a sweep stake for the Grooms speech – I think a lot of people had banked on it being a verbal marathon, but he wrapped it up in under 20 minutes, which, based on comments from their wedding guests, was pretty good going!

Afterwards David and Leanne went for a walk around Parley Manor’s grounds whilst the guests were entertained with a magician and caricaturist.

And to top it all off, after the first dance we were all treated to a great Fireworks display – wow what a day!!

Congratulations David & Leanne – I had a really great day and thoroughly enjoyed photographing your Wedding. I wish you all the best for your future together!

Paul & Kirsten's Wedding at Parley Manor, Christchurch

Paul & Kirsten got married at Parley Manor, Christchurch during April 2012. I have the pleasure of being a Parley Manor Partner, and it is such a great wedding venue from a photographer’s perspective.

The weather was typical of spring 2012; a few spots of rain welcomed the first guests but then as the skies cleared everyone got out their cars and headed off to greet Paul – it was as if a couple of buses had dropped people off all at once!

Paul’s Best Man wore a stunning dress … a bit different but more than acceptable as it was his daughter!



Kirsten then appeared – some 35 minutes early! I photographed her and her eldest son Monty whilst they waited on the private drive. Once everyone had gotten past the bride’s lady doormen (!) and were comfortable inside the ceremony marquee, Kirsten ‘formally’ arrived for a few photos with her three boys.

The youngest boys were the ring-bearers for the ceremony and when the registrars had finished talking with Kirsten, off we went.  Gwen lent a bridal brolly just in case but the weather held nicely.

Once inside, the ceremony went really well, although I think Paul was a little nervous (and just well-chuffed!) as he muddled a few of his vows up.  I loved his line of “Sorry Miss, I should have listened more at school” – very funny!

Once the Wedding Ceremony had finished, the heavens opened so Parley Manor & Merlins Catering kept everyone inside for ‘Pimms o’clock’.

I was unsure when the weather would turn, so I took some of the requested photographs in the marquee. Paul & Kirsten’s guests were primed that as soon as it stopped raining we were all to head outside for the group shot.  Thanks to all of you, because when it stopped (after 20 minutes) everyone flew out of the marquee at full speed!  Now to make things nice and tricky, Kirsten wanted the group shot in the shape of a heart!  I worked as quickly as possible, and once I had captured that, I could relax a little as the remaining group shots were so much smaller.

It did rain again for 10 minutes, and I spotted a rainbow over Parley Manor itself.

We then headed off to the Wedding Breakfast Marquee and again I saw something up above us – yes Blue Sky – yeah!

Now as the guests were greeted, the darkening clouds loomed again – but I think this makes for a lovely moody photograph.

The finale of the meal was the speeches – don’t you just love kids!

Afterwards there was a spare hour before the evening reception started, so we ventured out into a perfect spring evening; such a contrast to a few hours earlier.  As a photographer it’s great to have a relaxed couple like Paul & Kirsten as the day flowed really nicely and Kirsten was completely happy to wander around Parley Manor grounds in her dress.

The first dance was interesting … a few romantic moves with the occasional burst from Paul!

The guests then partied hard to the next few songs, which made for some interesting shots!

In summary, a mixed weather day with a couple and their guests who were so very relaxed; a photographer's formula for a great day! Congratulations Paul & Kirsten!

Warren & Jessica's Wedding at St Andrew's Church & The Hotel Miramar, Bournemouth

Warren & Jessica got married at St Andrew’s Church, Richmond Hill, in Bournemouth.  I went to Jessica’s Mum’s house for preparation photographs, and to say it was the morning of her daughter’s wedding, the place was immaculate! 

It was a calm morning of getting ready and I was able to get a lovely couple of photographs of Jessica’s little niece having her hair done, although the attempt to include a couple of ‘hair flowers’ was aborted quite quickly!  That said, she behaved perfectly (especially considering she’s only 2!) … my two Millard boys could do with taking note!



 

Afterwards I went across to Richmond Hill to St Andrew’s Church for the ceremony – the weather was just perfect!  Again I used my 16mm lens to get the shot of the Groomsmen, church and the amazingly blue sky.  The guests arrived at a slow and steady pace and soon enough everyone was inside awaiting the Bride’s arrival. I ran quickly up to the balcony to capture Jessica walking down the aisle with her Dad, although I only just made it!  It’s a three-door challenge!!

The ceremony was lovely, and after the signing of the register, I quickly looked outside to see if the weather was still amenable for some outdoor photographs!  It was forecast to rain in the afternoon, but you never know in the Bournemouth Bubble! We were fine, and so headed outside right away. I love this shot – I had my second camera already for the exit shot – I wanted the exposure spot on so I could show off the backlighting.  As a wedding photographer you never know for sure exactly what you’ll be able to capture where the weather is a factor, but in this case, the sun was just perfect for this most natural shot. Love it!

Outside the wind was swirling and I managed to get a photograph of Jessica’s veil flying around.  The next shot I caught (although not shown here) is Jessica chewing on her veil as it flew into her mouth!

Off we went to the Hotel Miramar – always a great venue for wedding photographs on the lawn.  I know we have had average weather this spring but the temperature this day was lovely, which meant everyone was outside milling around.

One of Warrens Ushers inadvertently posed as the Groom as he walked down the red carpet with Jessica – very funny!

I used the sun loungers for a different shot of the bridal party – it nearly went wrong for the bridesmaids with the wind from the sea … I’ll leave it there!

The wedding room at the Miramar looked fab, really bright and crisp, perfect for a Spring Wedding.  Once Warren & Jessica, and their guests were seated for their Wedding Breakfast, I left them to enjoy the rest of their day.

  

Thanks guys for a lovely day! And I wish you both all the best for your lives together as Mr & Mrs!

Nathan & Lottie's Wedding at Chewton Glen in The New Forest

Nathan & Lottie got married at Chewton Glen, in the New Forest.  I started their Wedding Day with preparation photographs in one of Chewton Glen’s Suites … wow! It was such a lovely spacious room, which was perfect as there were so many people there; with the make-up and hair girls there, I think at one point there were 14 of us! 

Nathan arrived (with not much time before the ceremony!) and their guests greeted him at the main door – this gave me a great opportunity to get some natural shots before getting Nathan with the Best Men.  The Bride and Groom hired Jay Rachet as their Toast Master & DJ for the Wedding and he was soon at work ensuring that guests took their seats. He also made sure that Nathan was in the ceremony room! 

It’s a photographers dream working at Chewton Glen, as it is just so beautiful; around every corner, both inside and out, there is a fantastic opportunity for some stunning photographs.  The bridal party made their way downstairs, and through to the Ceremony Suite, where Lottie walked down the aisle to a string quartet.  Both Nathan and Lottie were just beaming throughout their Wedding Ceremony.

The Ceremony went perfectly – there were 2 readings, one being read from an i-Pad!  And I managed to catch Nathan gently wiping a little tear from Lottie’s cheek. The Ceremony room, from a photographer’s perspective, is lit perfectly by the natural daylight, as it is a glass annex just off the main building - it enables me to get a great ‘everyone’ photograph whilst the Bride & Groom get married.

Afterwards, and as the weather was still kind, I took their requested photographs around the grounds of the hotel.  The little page boy was a little overwhelmed with all the attention and demands of the day so I thought it best to lighten the mood with some ‘action’ shots, hence the mid-air swinging.  The kids quite happily wandered around by themselves, which meant I could get some great natural shots of them just enjoying themselves, including this lovely one of the flower girl.

Lottie’s friend (and hairdresser) removed Lottie’s veil before the newly-wed couple and their guests were seated for their Wedding Breakfast, which was followed by the speeches and a variety of entertainment including a Magician, a Saxophonist, and a Horse & Cart (for the Bride and Groom only!). During the Horse & Cart ride, however, the heavens opened accompanied by a thunder & lightning performance, so when they got back the final requested shots were taken inside the ceremony room as the light was still so perfect.

Nathan & Lottie, thank you for asking me to be your Wedding Photographer, and I wish you many congratulations and lots of happy times together!

Sam & Alison's Wedding at The Orchid Hotel, Bournemouth

Sam & Alison got married at The Orchid Hotel, Bournemouth in early April. I started the day at their house with some preparation photographs, where, on my arrival, Alison was getting her hair done - bit of a 'Something About Mary' moment ;o) - whilst her bridesmaids and parents were busying in the background. There was a spot of trouble initially with the tying of her Wedding Dress but once the bridesmaids worked out the sequence, all was good.



Once at the Orchid Hotel, I gathered the groomsmen together for a few photographs –there was a Superhero theme which I think stemmed from the Stag Do, hence the Superman Cufflinks ... very dudey!

When the bridesmaids arrived it was a hive of activity with lots of the guests taking pictures – this was great as it allowed me to take a few natural shots of them since their attention was elsewhere. Alison wasn’t far behind the Bridesmaids (arriving just a bit too early!) so we sent her driving around Bournemouth for a few minutes until all the Wedding Party was inside.

Inside the Orchid Ceremony Room, I was able to get a great wide-angle shot of Sam, Alison and all their guests (using my new lens 16-35mm for any budding photographers!). Amusingly, during the ceremony both Bride & Groom struggled with the word 'solemnly' - it started with Sam getting it wrong a few times and it must have been contagious as Alison caught the bug and had to have a few attempts herself!

Don’t worry guys you won’t need to say that word again!

After the Ceremony, the weather was perfect and I knew they wanted to go to Boscombe Beach & Pier, so I suggested we make a move. After a group shot of everyone, we jumped into a lovely Jaguar & off we went. The beach was pretty busy but I sent the couple off for a walk to have a few minutes by themselves whilst I ran along desperately looking for the right angles to capture them on what looked like an empty beach – it is so hard to run on sand!

Speeches! For everyone who was there – Wow! And the Video – double Wow!! Sam, a Welsh Man, had a lot of guests travel to Bournemouth, and one family member was Rod Woodward (www.rodwoodward.co.uk), a comic who had me in absolute stitches – now I was meant to be looking around looking for photo opportunities, but I was totally engaged in his pre-speech introduction! A little too good and definitely a hard act to follow! If you see Rod’s name on a bill board – go see him!

Alison popped round the other day to collect the CD of photographs …. I hope you both liked them!! I had a great day photographing you guys, and I wish you all the best for your future together!!

Mark & Anne-Louise's Wedding at Stanley House, Blackburn

Mark & Anne-Louise were married in February at St. Wilfred's Catholic Church in Preston, and held their reception afterwards at Stanley House in Blackburn, Lancashire.

I was invited to photograph this wedding as I had previously covered the Bride's brother's wedding in 2007, and then I also photographed the Groom's sister's wedding a couple of years later in 2010.

It was good to meet up with both families again, and there were also 3 new arivals!

The day started with preparation photographs where I spent an hour with Anne-Louise.

When I arrived at St. Wilfreds Church in Preston City centre, I caught the Groom arriving in a flashy red E-Type Jaguar!  I photographed Mark, his Best Man and his Groomsmen outside, whilst the guests were arriving at church.

The church itself is like a tardis - if you live in, or ever visit Preston, you really need to check it out!
Before walking down the aisel, I captured the Bride & her Father taking a synchronised deep breath! Mark looked well chuffed when he saw Anne-Louise walking towards him! The wedding ceremony was really nice, and they chose to sign the register in view of their guests.

As we arrived at Stanley House, which sits atop a hill, we ascended into a winter fog! This didn't stop us getting outside however, and capturing their requested group shots, along with some great atmospheric images of just the two of them, whilst the wise guests stayed warm inside the reception area!

The evening was packed with fun as they had hired a great singer/entertainer who had all the guests singing their way through the wedding breakfast.  This was followed up with fireworks, the first dance and then an exceptional London based pianist who created a great party atmosphere.  The Bride and Groom also received a personal call from the Overtones http://www.theovertones.tv/ who were currently on tour..... Wow!

I did manage to steal them for 5 minutes for a cool shot in the dark with the E-Type Jaguar.

Chris & Natalie's Wedding at East Close Hotel, in The New Forest Hampshire, near Christchurch

Chris & Natalie got married in February and held their Winter Wedding at the East Close Hotel on the edge of The New Forest, Hampshire.

I photographed Natalie's sister's wedding in 2010, and so I was delighted when their Mum contacted me to be involved again. It's a real honour when I am booked through recommendation, especially within a family, and so it was great to see so many familiar faces!

The day started with preparation shots at the hotel, where Tracy from Brides Hair was busy with Natalie and her Bridesmaids.

I then used the grounds of the hotel to catch up with Chris and his Groomsmen; Chris was after a definite natural feel to the photographs, and so I kept everything really relaxed.

The civil ceremony in the Gallery Room was lovely - really intimate with 40 guests of close family and friends. Afterwards, and because it was a little chilly, everyone mingled in the private cocktail bar which gave me an opportunity to move around and catch those more natural and informal shots.

Chris and Natalie had specified a few group photographs they wanted, and so I set up some of these inside the hotel, before venturing out into the gardens to brave the cold for a while to capture the newlyweds on their own.

After the Wedding Breakfast and speeches, guests were able to leave a recorded video message for the new Mr & Mrs on a video booth called 'Capture Kiosk', which looked great fun.

After photographing the First Dance, I left the Wedding party to continue in full swing.

I had a great day with you all, and I would like to thank you for inviting me to photograph your Wedding. Congratulations Chris & Natalie, and all the best for the future.

Shane & Mandy's Wedding at Lyndhurst Park Hotel in The New Forest

Congratulations to Mandy & Shane who had their Spring Wedding in March 2012 at The Lyndhurst Park Hotel in The New Forest.

This was a particularly special wedding for me, since Mandy is family, and so inadvertently, the pressure was on (in a good way of course)!!

I initially met up with Shane, his 2 Best Men and Ushers, and wandered over to Boltons Bench Hill for some pre-ceremony shots.

Mandy didn't want any preparation shots, so I met up with her just before the Wedding for some photographs with the Bridesmaids, before heading downstairs to the Mark Ash suite, which was buzzing with almost 130 guests! The ceremony was lovely, with some heartfelt readings from family and friends.

After some group photographs around the grounds of the hotel, and some of the more relaxed and natural documentary style shots, I headed up to the top of Boltons Bench with the new Mr & Mrs Keenan and their bridal party. We got caught very briefly in a light shower of rain, but as is often the case, this made for a couple of great unexpected and natural shots!

After the Wedding Breakfast and some great speeches, Mandy & Shane collared me for some photographs outside as they had spotted an amazing sunset, so we sneaked off to catch the last few minutes of it and were able to get some real romantic images. We also took this opportunity to walk up Lyndhurst High Street for some shots that they had specifically requested to capture the New Forest Village feel.

After capturing the first dance, I clocked off & hit the dance floor myself!!

Thanks Mandy & Shane for asking me to photograph your wedding - I had a great day both as your photographer, and also as your guest! Congratulations to you both, and I wish you all the happiness for your future together.