Chris & Abbie's Wedding at The Chine Hotel, Boscombe - May 2011

Chris & Abbie got married in May 2011 at The Chine Hotel in Boscombe. This is a great venue as it allowed us to walk down through Boscombe Gardens to the pier for some photographs after the Wedding Ceremony.

I took preparation shots of Abbie & the Bridesmaids, who got ready at The Chine, and also met up with Chris & the Boys for a few shots before the Civil Marriage Ceremony. Afterwards, we headed down to Boscombe Pier and got a few different shots of the newly married couple.

I stayed to capture the speeches (during which there were both tears & much laughter!) and then through to the First Dance.

A great day, and a big congratulations to Chris & Abbie!!

Wessex Cancer Trust 2011 "Business Come Dancing" Charity Event at the Hotel Piccadilly

The Wessex Cancer Trust, together with the Hotel Piccadilly in Bournemouth, hosted the "Business Come Dancing" charity event on 30th June 2011. Seven local business men and women took to the ballroom floor to compete with their professional dance partners for the 2011 trophy. Companies that participated included Savills, Coles Miller Solicitors, AFCB Bournemouth, Princecroft Willis, HSBC, VS Club, and Inkwell.

The contestants danced for a packed audience and a panel of judges – Peter Scott of the Dorset Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Susanne Hancock, dancer and qualified adjudicator, Lizzie McManus from The Coast & Breeze radio station, and special guest actor Stefan Booth who plays Greg in Eastenders.

The event was a huge success for the Wessex Cancer Trust, raising over £6000 for local cancer patients and their families.

This is the second year that I was asked to support the event by taking photographs of the competitors whilst dancing, and also afterwards during the awards. The photographs are to be used by the Charity in their literature and press releases.

Congratulations to the 2011 winners, Pippa Leech from Savills and her dance partner Daniel Murrell from Debut Dancing, Christchurch, shown below pulling some fantastic moves!

For further information on the Wessex Cancer Trust, and details on the 2012 Business Come Dancing Event, please contact Karen on karen@wessexcancer.org, or check out their website at www.wessexcancer.org

The event has been covered in several press & company articles, including the following: -
The Business - independent magazine for Dorset, West Hants and Salisbury
Coles Miller Solicitors

Wedding Blogs Coming Soon!!

Apologies to all the Newly Weds whose Weddings I have recently covered and have not yet posted on my blog - it has been a crazy month!! I will do my best to get on top of this in the next couple of weeks! Hope everyone is well! Andrew.

First Holy Communion at Our Lady Queen of Peace RC Church

Congratulations to all the children who received their First Holy Communion earlier this month at Our Lady Queen of Peace RC Church in Southbourne.

I attended to take photographs of the children and their families before the service, and also as they were receiving Communion for the first time.

We had a spell of good weather for the day, so all was good on that front, and the service was lovely.

Images are online for viewing & ordering through my website www.millardphotography.co.uk

Sir John Colfox Prom at Haselbury Mill, Crewkerne

This is the third year I have been invited to photograph the Year 11 Prom for Sir John Colfox School, who are located in Bridport Dorset.

This year, the event was held at Haselbury Mill, Crewkerne, near Yeoville. What a great choice; the venue has been purpose built for events such as Weddings, and is also very popular for school proms due to its large Tithe Barn, and lovely surrounding grounds.

The coaches arrived at 7pm, and the party started on the lawns in front of the Barn, with fruit punch being served. Everyone looked amazing; the girls looked lovely and the boys looked really dapper too. I photographed the guests (and some of the teachers!) in the reception area, and then everyone was seated by 8pm, for their meal. About an hour later, the DJ kicked in and the party really started, with everyone on the dance floor - it looked like everyone was having a great night when we left at about 10.30pm!

You were a great bunch to photograph, and I wish you all the very best for your futures!

I have posted a small selection of photographs below, but you can check out the full gallery online, by clicking this link or by following the "View Your Photographs" button on my homepage. Also, it would be great if you could 'like' me on my Facebook Page, or even better leave a comment or write a quick review. Thanks.

Mark & Donna's Wedding at Rhinefield House

Congratulations Mark & Donna! What a great day for their Spring Wedding at Rhinefield House Hotel; the April weather continued to be just fab, enabling everyone to get out and really enjoy the grounds of this venue in the New Forest, Hampshire.

The day started with preparation shots of Donna & her bridesmaids at the venue, and I stayed right through to capture the Newly Weds First Dance.

Donna and her Dad arrived in a traditional horse-drawn cart, and the ceremony was then held in Rhinefield's Grand Hall Civil Ceremony suite. And what a ceremony; it was really emotional, with plenty of joy all round!

Mark & Donna wanted a real mix of traditional and reportage style photography, and so I was able to to achieve this by making use the extensive grounds; the House, the lawns and the large reflecting pool. Mark & Donna went off for a quick walk together through the gardens, and it was then that I was able to capture, from a distance, some real private moments.

After the Wedding Breakfast, I captured the speeches before the Evening Reception commenced, where Mark & Donna had arranged for a Casino for guests to play their hand at. And of course a DJ to party the night away to!