Patshull Park Wedding Photography -Julie and Sam

This time of year is great – plenty of lovely weddings to keep me busy, and you also get the mid-summer weather roulette.  August this year has been a fairly soggy one, and it is the one thing you cannot plan.  Julie and Sam got married at Patshull Park Hotel (just near Wolverhampton, West Midlands) a couple of weeks ago, and despite the best efforts of a really dramatic thunder storm they managed to stay dry most of the day.

The middle part of the day, before and after the church had brightened up and we had some lovely weather, but the afternoon was a bit on and off, with bright sun interspersed with heavy rain.  For me the weather is not a downside – there is always somewhere a creative photographer can find a spot for photos – and the advantage of days like this is interesting light.  You also get fun moments, such as the the one where the bridesmaids were down by the lake just as a sudden downpour blew in across the lake – I have never seen rain go from nothing to drenching in such a short space of time…

Julie and Sam are very clearly in love – Sam had put some really touching facebook updates leading to the wedding, and the day itself was emotional and uplifting.  Thanks to you both for letting me share it with you. I hope you enjoy the photos…

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Julie & Sam Pre Wedding Photography – a West Midlands shoot

My pre wedding photographs blogs continue with some shots from my recent shoot with Julie and Sam.  They live in a village near Wolverhampton, so we went over to the lovely gardens at Himley Hall to get some photographs of the two of them together.  They are getting married later this year at Patshull Park Hotel, but I was particularly keen to meet up with them for pre-wedding shoot because I knew Julie was not keen on having her photo taken.  The great thing about being at a place like Himley Hall gardens is that it is spacious and relaxing, so we could just wander around, having a chat, stopping for some photographs, and wandering some more – nice and chilled (despite the hot day).

I’m really glad we had a chance to get these photos, and for me to get to know Julie and Sam better before their big day.

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Isabel & Michael Pre Wedding Photography

I have had a great batch of pre wedding photography recently, and yesterday sent Isabel and Michael a link to their gallery of images from their shoot a couple of weeks ago.  We spent an hour or so on a beautiful afternoon, wandering around their village in Staffordshire, chatting about their wedding and taking photographs.  I always enjoy taking photographs (probably would be in the wrong job if I didn’t), and I love being part of weddings, and particularly hearing about couple’s plans for the day.  Isabel and Michael are getting married at the stunning Stoke Park Club, Buckinghamshire (where some of Bridget Jones Diary was filmed, I am reliably informed…), and it is shaping up to be a fantastic day.

I also met their incredibly cute dog, and I couldn’t resist getting a few shots of him too…

The other part of my job that I love is showing clients their photographs, and getting feedback from them.  Not long after I sent the link to their gallery, I had an email back from Isabel to say how pleased they were with them, which is always lovely to hear.  I hope the dog was pleased with his shots too…

So here are some of the pre wedding photographs from their shoot….

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Compton Verney Wedding Venue

I am proud to have recently become the recommended photographer for Compton Verney, one of the finest wedding venues in the Midlands, and I was there a couple of weeks ago for a wedding fayre.  We really enjoy wedding fayres – not only is it a chance to meet loads of new brides and grooms, but it is also great to meet other great suppliers.

Weddings at Compton Verney are coordinated by Sharon, who really makes sure that everyone that visits is made to feel incredibly welcome, and the fayre was just a sample of what the wedding venue can offer – a stunning venue, with the most incredible marquee, a nice glass of bubbly for everyone from Amadeus Catering as they arrived, and a friendly ambiance.

At this wedding fayre, we caught up with the very lovely Amanda from Bonne Fete, who creates the most amazing and really unique table settings (and is, as I mentioned, very lovely), but also met some great new suppliers, including Mallory Court and the Nero String Quartet (now my favourite quartet for weddings – some fab arrangements).

Also at the fayre were the Sassy Wedding Company (love that name), who were showing off some of their beautiful dresses.  With the model, Abbey Saunders, a great venue and good weather I couldn’t resist having a wander around to get some shots around Compton Verney.  Abbie’s outfit was finished off with a spectacular headpiece by Sharper Millinery, who had some stunning hats and headpieces at the fayre.  Abbie was great – very natural, and showed off the dresses perfectly (and very ably assisted by Charlotte – thanks Charlotte!).

So – here are some photographs from the day, showing off the dresses, millinery, and venue from an excellent wedding fayre:

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Christine & James Pre Wedding Photography – Birmingham

I have had some great shoots recently – the weather has been great, and it has been lovely to meet up with wedding couples in different places.  Christine and James are getting married in Edgbaston later on this year, and we decided to go up to the Lickey Hills to talk through their wedding day plans and to get some pre-wedding photographs.  I love the Lickeys so it was nice to be able to get into the hills for a couple of hours (although I always seem to end up down the paths that lead nowhere…), and Christine and James are really easy-going so we wandered around stopping at various points to get some photographs of the two of them together.

We ended up at the cafe and spent a bit of time looking at the details of the day, which for me is an essential part of the pre-wedding shoot – the more I know about a wedding the better; if I know what is important to the bride and groom then I can make sure that my photos on the day reflect that.  And the more fun it all is too.

So here are some of the photographs from Christine and James’s pre-wedding shoot:

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Anya & Dario – Pre Wedding Photographs in Birmingham

I spent a couple of hours around the city centre with Anya and Dario a couple of weeks ago.  Their wedding is in August, so we met up to take some photographs of the two of them (so they get used to being in front of the camera), but also to chat about some of the details for their big day.

The weddings I love the most are the ones where you really get a sense of who the bride and groom are.  Sometimes this is through the speeches or readings in the ceremony, but often it is just the little things such as the little flourishes of decorations, or quirky table plans.  Anya and Dario are definitely bringing their personalities to their wedding.  They are getting married in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.  Actually in the forest.  There is a small clearing where they are having the ceremony, and have commissioned a stained glass window to hang from the trees, followed by a reception in Anya’s parent’s garden – it all sounds absolutely magical.

It was great to catch up with you both, and I am really looking forward to the day itself.  Here are some sneak previews of the pre-wedding shoot.

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Kat & Shane – Somerford Hall Pre-Wedding Shoot

Later in the summer Kat and Shane are getting married at the lovely Somerford Hall, Staffordshire, and last weekend I met up with them for their Pre-Wedding Shoot in their village.  The great thing about weddings is not just spending the wedding day itself with a bride and groom, and all their guests, but for me it is great to get to know the couple properly, for them to get to know me well, and for them to feel comfortable in front of the camera – which is the whole point of a pre-wedding shoot.  This gives me such an interesting snapshot into couple’s lives (really no pun intended.  Honestly…), and Kat and Shane’s engagement shoot was a perfect example of this.

When I met them first they had a dog and a cat, and it was clear that they were really important to them.  Just before I met up with them recently, however,  they had just taken on another dog, and they were keen to make sure both hounds were involved in the photographs as they were not at the wedding itself.

Kat, Shane and I had a wander around the village spending a while chatting and taking photos and talking through their wedding day plans, but afterwards we went into their garden with the dogs.  We wanted to get a shot of them all together, but I love taking photos of dogs running at speed (getting geeky for a second, my camera takes photos at a phenomenal speed if you want it to), so we got a couple of bouncy balls and had a laugh making the dogs chase around after them while I tried to keep up with them.

Oh and I had to get a quick photo of the cat too – didn’t want the poor thing to feel left out…

It was lovely to spend some time with them all (particularly Kat and Shane obviously – not just the dogs), and really looking forward to sharing their wedding day with them later in the year.

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Stephen & Kerstin Pre-Wedding Shoot @ Avoncroft Museum

Our friends, Stephen and Kerstin are getting married later this year at Avoncroft Museum, and wanted an image to send out on the invitations.  As they are really into their 1940’s dance, we arranged a pre-wedding shoot at the museum itself because it is a quirky venue and meant we had plenty of interesting places to shoot.

We spent some time wandering around the different buildings at Avoncroft,  getting some great shots of the two of them with a 1940’s feel – a bit more formal and a bit less modern, but also wanted to get some images of them dancing.  They showed me some of their moves outside, but also moved into the big hall to get some more creatively lit stylised shots of them doing some lifts.  They are good dancers – they obviously work hard at it and I’m impressed with their technique.  They were also good at changing the lifts to make sure they looked good on camera.

Thanks to both of you for being up for it.  Some of the photos from the shoot….

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Alrewas Hayes -A new West Midlands Wedding Venue

I love networking – it took me  a while to get the hang of it, but now I enjoy the way that you get to meet a real variety of interesting people, and make connections you might have otherwise missed.  A while ago I was talking to James from South Farm in Cambridge, and he mentioned Bonnie and Toby at Alrewas Hayes, and that I should meet them.  South Farm is a venue that I have been to a few times for non-wedding events, and it is a very successful and well run wedding venue, and James had been talking to Bonnie and Toby as they developed their own wedding venue.

Alrewas Hayes is tucked away in a peaceful spot not far from the A38 to the north of Birmingham and Lichfield, and they have a really lovely venue.   I was genuinely impressed with how well they had renovated it, and would highly recommend anyone looking for an interesting wedding venue in the west midlands to go and have a look and meet Bonnie and Toby.  It is one of those flexible venues that can give you a small and intimate wedding, or a quite simply a huge party.

I am really looking forward to working with them in the future on weddings and big events, and if you are looking for somewhere different for a wedding, give them a ring and see Alrewas Hayes.

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Julie and Shail – Pre-wedding shoot @ Coombe Abbey

Time has run away from me, and I have realised that I have not blogged for a while – it is not that I don’t love you,  it is just that I have been busy….

Anyway, last weekend I headed over to Coombe Abbey, near Coventry, to meet up with Julie and Shail who are getting married there later this year, to talk through their day, and to spend some time on a pre-wedding shoot.  PWS’s are so important in my mind – most people don’t naturally feel comfortable in front of a camera, and spending some time together allows me to find out what the bride and groom are like when faced with a camera (and it is never as scary as people think), but also for them to have some fun and get some great shots of the two of them before the big day.

Julie and Shail are planning a two part wedding – the civil ceremony at Coombe Abbey, and then moving on elsewhere for their Indian ceremony, so it is going to be a fantastic day with plenty of opportunities for some fantastic shots.

Here is a preview of some of the images from the pre-wedding shoot…

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