Describe your style in 5 adjectives.
Vintage,
Fun,
Relaxed,
Natural &
Contemporary
What about your business are you most proud of?
Since starting the business I'm most proud of the relationships we've built up with many of the couples that we've photographed - many of whom I would now call friends. We always feel very lucky when couples choose us to be a part of one the most personal and special days of their lives. We spend time getting to know the bride and groom before the wedding to ensure they are relaxed on the day, and we get to see things that not even their family and closest friends do.
Many of the relationships we develop don't end after the wedding day... we are often then asked to capture the weddings of their family and friends too. We genuinely get to know people and that means they are comfortable around us and let us get the best shots! We often become a 'photographer for life' and we get asked to photograph other events such as family parties, christenings or even newborn portraits.
This makes us proud as we get to see the enjoyment people get from our work - not just on the day itself, but over time as they look back too.
What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?
The first thing we would say is that not all wedding photographers are the same… have a look around and talk to people to find out what styles you like and what you expect from your wedding photography. A wedding is a personal experience shared with friends and family, and the photos that record all of the moments and little details are just as personal. We get to know every couple who let us be a part of their wedding and building a relationship is an important part of getting great photographs. If you get on with your photographer and trust them it allows for a far more relaxed and enjoyable wedding day… and a happy couple makes for better photographs.
Describe your typical process with a couple.
We meet up initially to discuss your wedding photography and for you to view albums and galleries of previous weddings we have photographed.
You would then have an engagement shoot, this is a great chance to spend some time with you in a more casual environment, and get you used to being in front of the camera lens. We then meet four weeks before the wedding day to go through the final schedule for the BIG day and in order to find out exactly what you want from us, there isn’t time to be wasted on the wedding day itself, so preparation time is well spent to ensure that we capture all the photographs you want.
What is the No. 1 photo that you think every couple should take?
Every couple genuinely wants something different, so we make suggestions rather than tell people what photos they must have. But the main recommendation we would always make is for couple to take 5 minutes for themselves away from everyone straight after the ceremony. This is when it really sinks in that they are married and they can share a personal moment or two. I don't pose them, or get too close, but get one or two natural photos from a distance. That's one of the moments of the day most couples really cherish and without a photo to capture it would often get lost and forgotten amongst everything else going on during the day.
What do you recommend for a rainy day wedding?
Rain isn't something to be scared of. Anyone involved with weddings regularly knows that the weather is the one thing you can't control, and can have a different impact depending upon the venue. Often rain gives couples the opportunity to get something a bit different or quirky, and we always ensure we have a number of beautiful umbrellas and flash lighting to get something creative.
But the main advice I would give to a couple is to trust your photographer and be flexible. Being entirely honest it might mean that not every shot planned and wanted will be possible, but we make sure we get photos to tell the story of the day, but also the 'wow' shots that couples want to share with friends and family. Often it might mean whisking the couple away for 5 - 10 minutes at different times through the day to catch the odd break in rain, but the couple should just enjoy themselves and leave it to us to worry about how the weather will affect the photos.