What is your most memorable wedding?
I could never choose! Every wedding is so special and every time I am asked to capture a couple's special day I am so humbled. However, I do find that the truer a couple is to themselves in how they plan their big day, the more fabulous it is. You can just feel a sense of who the couple are in every element of their day and because of that you are totally immersed in their world and you can't help but get carried away in celebrating for them.
Describe your style in 5 adjectives.
Elegant, organic, characterful, beautiful and fun!
What about your business are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the connections I make with my clients and their friends and families. I am so acutely aware of the special role they give me in their most precious of days and I honour that privilege by ensuring I connect with them and their day on a really authentic level. It constantly comes up in reviews and I believe it emulates through their images because I know and adore my clients. We meet with handshakes and we leave with hugs and kisses!
What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Don't question yourself, just pick things/suppliers/colours/themes/foods/drinks/decorations you LOVE. If you fill your special day with things that speak to you and your partner and communicate who you are to your guests, everyone will love it because they love you!
What is your favourite personal touch you have seen at a wedding?
Homemade strawberry gin. The strawberries were grown in the groom's mother's garden and the gin was made by the bride's mother. Such a symbol of families uniting and mutual love and lifelong support for the happy couple... through the medium of GIN! What's better than that?!
Describe your typical process with a couple.
Every couple is different so every process is different. The only pure strand of continuity I insist on for all my couples is to meet me as much as possible beforehand. In an ideal world I like to meet before they book because choosing a photographer they LIKE is so important, if you connect with your photographer it will shine through in your pictures. Then I also like to meet for a pre-wedding consultation and engagement shoot before the big day. So we can plan, I can get more of an essence of who this couple are and they can get comfortable enough infant of the camera that they don't even see it on the big day.
What is the No. 1 photo that you think every couple should take?
I don't think couples should try to envisage specific shots. Mainly because every couple's favourite shots are the one's they weren't planning. Just enjoy the hell out of your day and trust the professional you hire. The best pictures are the ones where you didn't even see me.
What is the most original photo you’ve been asked to take at a wedding?
I was asked to walk to the beach by one couple, not that original in theory until the day came... When it was Storm Brian! 70mph winds, warnings to steer clear of coastal areas, torrential rain and when I ask this couple if they want to go ahead they shrug and say "yeah sure!" And they stroll down the seafront as casual as can be! Legends!
What do you recommend for a rainy day wedding?
I LOVE an umbrella shot! But mainly I recommend not panicking. I've literally never had a day where we couldn't just find a dry pocket of time to sneak off for a few portraits. Just celebrate the hell out of your day and I will take care of it. It's all part of the story of your special day.
Describe how you got into photography.
I've always been creative, I completed a dance degree and had a special focus in film and choreography so I've always been fascinated with aesthetic composition. I worked for arts organisations after graduation and worked particularly close with some photographers. I tried my hand as teaching before having children, both of which inspired in me to want to be the master of my own destiny. So self-employment it was! A few courses, cameras and about a zillion photographs later Farlie Photography was born as a Facebook page I was mildly embarrassed about to keep me occupied through maternity leave. Without realising it slowly evolved in to something rather official and something I am extremely proud to call mine. Although the fairly silly name remains.