Based in Thatcham, Berkshire, Neale James is a highly experienced wedding photographer who specializes in telling the true story of your special day. With over 20 years behind the camera and more than 1,000 weddings documented, Neale brings both expertise and a personal touch to every couple’s celebration.
His style is documentary and reportage, focusing on real, unposed moments as they naturally unfold. Neale works quietly and unobtrusively, capturing the genuine emotions and details that make your wedding unique—creating a beautiful, editorial-style narrative of your day.
What makes Neale truly stand out is his background in radio broadcasting, which gives him a special insight into how sound and imagery work together. He is a pioneer of the Wedding Photofilm—a creative blend of stunning still photos paired with the heartfelt sounds of your wedding, like speeches, laughter, and applause.
This innovative approach offers couples an immersive way to relive the emotions and atmosphere of their wedding day, beyond just pictures.
Neale believes every wedding is a unique story shaped by the people and their relationships. His role is to be a visual storyteller—capturing the moments you see and those you might miss. While his focus is on candid photography, he’s happy to take a few moments for intimate family portraits, always keeping the experience relaxed and natural.
Serving couples primarily across Berkshire, throughout the UK, and at destination weddings abroad, Neale James offers a heartfelt, authentic photography experience for couples who want their wedding day told with honesty and artistry.
It would be almost impossible to choose a favourite of course, but there are many memories. My travels to weddings abroad and all the cultural adventures. Most of my fondest memories come from short fleeting moments, like a father who read his daughter a poem during the wedding ceremony, that he'd written on the day she was born. Not a dry eye in the house.
Documentary, unobtrusive, considered, observational, emotional.
That I'm trusted; trusted to photograph what is undoubtedly one of the most precious and important days in a couple's and family's history. There's a real legacy in being a wedding photographer and that's what make me proud.
Keep calm and get married! I see many people try to cram too much into a day. Keep it simple even if you're planning a lavish event. It's the simplicity of a day that makes a wedding really sing.
So many. I saw a nice touch recently where the couple had fashioned a Lego figure for each of their guests. I didn't know there were so many bespoke pieces for Lego figures!
Many couples will elect to communicate with my via Skype or phone and I guess that's because they all lead such full on work lives. But I'm equally happy to meet with couples to primarily discuss their day and hopes. We'll talk photography and style and as the wedding approaches I like to learn a little more about who'll be going, if there's a story behind anyone or anything at the wedding. My style is observational so holding lots of long and complex wedding meetings isn't really necessary. Following the wedding, photographs are prepared and presented in a private online gallery from where we can plan albums and frames if required.
It's always a big natural moment, but not necessarily from the same part of a wedding. For some couples, the first glimpse in a church is priceless. For others it can be an exchanged glance during the service, or the emotion presented by the speeches.
I like natural moments, so perhaps this isn't so relevant to me. I'm often asked to capture particular people for all sorts of reasons. I guess each of those would be original in their own right.
Just remember that PEOPLE make a wedding, not the rain. We don't live in California. It rains in this country, rather a lot sometimes, so you just have to embrace it; it was part of your day.
It was a gentle transition really from radio broadcasting to photography. There was no sudden thing or signature moment, it was gentle and organic development really.