A little Property Photography

So yes, as my website shows, I not only do wedding photography but also photography of properties. This could mean that it’s commercial or domestic. Either way, I still absolutely love it as I hear a lot of stories and it’s of people going onto their next adventure in life. Whether it’s moving because Covid made the person reassess life or they wish to downgrade or even upgrade as a business and wish to market themselves a bit more. For me, it’s very exciting and it still has the key elements of wedding photography where generally people are on a new journey!

So, if you would like me to take photos of your property either for Air B’n’B or a property for rent or sale. Maybe even a hotel or restaurant that needs photography for their marketing purposes. Then please contact me here to go through to my contact page.

Let’s Celebrate your Wedding

So, it’s the start of the year. You are either newly engaged, having had the all important question being asked over Christmas, you are recently engaged, or you are in the thick of your wedding planning preparations. However, as an engaged couple you are already on an incredible journey together, having made such an incredible decision to spend your lives together. This decision you have made, in my opinion is already worth celebrating.

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I have been married for 25 years this year and yet I still remember the planning, anticipation, excitement and nerves for the big day. However, I would definitely ask you to always keep in the back of your mind that you are marrying your best friend and that this is a celebration of your love for each other. So let me take your photos of your joy, excitement and love for each other. My photography style is candid, natural, fun and playful. As your day unfolds (very quickly), I will be your extra pair of your eyes and show you the stories that occurred and I encountered between yourselves, friends, family and other guests. Your love for each other is a celebration and that is why I wanted to begin my first blog of the year as a celebration.

So, when the music plays during your reception, lets raise a toast and remember all the plans that you put in place as an engaged couple and that all important question that led you to your beautiful wedding day! If you would like me to be your wedding photographer then just fill in the form below and I will most certainly get back in contact with you.

What if something goes wrong on my Wedding Day?

‘What if something goes wrong on my wedding day?’ is a couples biggest fear. Believe me, I know and I still remember the nerves and the jitters of the build up to the big day. It is a rational fear to have, as so much time, effort and money has gone into the planning of your big day.

In fact, something happened on my own wedding day! The wedding car didn’t show up as the driver got stuck in traffic. I had my own wedding portraits taken on a beautiful July day before the car was due to arrive and someone shouted “Isn’t it time to leave by now?” We all looked at the time and said we’d give it a bit more time but we knew we couldn’t leave it too late as there was another wedding booked at the church after us. So, we gave it another 15 minutes and then just piled into cars to get to the church. Somehow, it didn’t matter, what was most important at that time was to marry the man I love and to be with my friends and family and for us all to be happy.

Another wedding I attended as a wedding photographer was at the reception venue. The chef called in sick, another chef was injured in the kitchen that morning and had to go to hospital and so, the owner of the venue did all of the cooking on his own. The owner of the venue apologised to the groom for the food being out late who then offered to help cook the food for the afternoon reception!! The owner refused and got the food out just 20 minutes late and it really did look fantastic. The wedding guests didn’t know and the couple just carried on having a great time with friends and family at the reception. It really was a great day and I know as I really do love a good wedding and believe me, I’ve been to many weddings now. I also would like to point out that the wedding industry as a whole are incredible at making your day special and will go above and beyond (like the venue’s owner) to ensure your day goes without a hitch.

So, as with anything, you can plan everything to perfection but the main point I am trying to make is that a wedding day is about love, happiness, family and friends. It’s a celebration of 2 family’s joining through a couples love for each other. Some things can go wrong, however, these will become stories that you will always remember. Each couple are unique and I am there to photograph the stories of your day as well as your guests stories. It is my pleasure to capture the atmosphere of your day which will be full of love, fun and laughter and I will be there supporting you. When you look back your photos they will show the happiness, tears and love from your big day. Get in contact with me :)

Emma & Matt

About a month ago, I had the great honour of being the wedding photographer for Emma & Matt at Poole Guildhall, in Dorset. Honestly, what a great day it was and the wedding day itself was rammed to the rafters with love, emotion and laughter. I’ve been slightly desperate to be able to show the edited wedding photos and to put them out there on social media but I wanted this gorgeous couple and family to be the first to see and enjoy them.

Well they have received their photos via an online gallery along with a free video and I received a lovely email from Matt saying that they had looked at their photos and that there’s lots of fantastic captured moments. It really meant the world to me to receive such wonderful feedback and that is the reason why I am a wedding photographer :)

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids are an integral part of your wedding. They are there to support the bride, to lend a hand or a tissue, to laugh and cry with the Bride and Groom. Generally, brides tend to be very close friends or members of the brides or grooms family.

I love photographing brides, they’ve always been there to help and yes that includes the photography. I’ve found that they are there to shepherd the guests about and help the bride to look her best. However, not only that but they are also supporting the Groom, either a little smile or a joke if he’s feeling nervous about speeches. They are also there to help party the night away at the evening wedding reception.

There have been so many moments that I’ve wanted to share but I’ve been busy with photographing weddings and getting them to the couple (which is my priority) and then attending wedding fairs. However, the moments I have captured generally involve funny or sweet little moments. These wedding photos have been taken in Gloucester, Dorset and Luton, however, if you like these photos and you would like me to take photos of your big day wherever you are then just contact me and I’ll be more than happy to get back to you. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I did taking them. If you’d like to check out more of my photos of weddings I’ve been photographing at then check out my Instagram page or Facebook page

Wedding reception venues near me!

So, how do you pick you perfect wedding venue? Should it be a venue which can incorporate your wedding ceremony? Will you be travelling separately to your wedding venue from a church? How far should you be travelling from where the bridal party is getting ready to the venue?

It’s difficult isn’t it? Making a decision like this? Obviously, cost usually has a large factor in which venue you should choose. However, there are so many different decisions to make. Bizarrely, I remember thinking from my own wedding preparations that I wanted a venue where the lighting was good.

Many venues now have really worked out a couples requirements. They will generally tailor make a package to suit your requirement for the day. They will factor in food, drink, any extra details you may wish to have such as flowers on the table. A lot of venues also have their own preferred suppliers for lighting, wedding cakes, toastmasters, photo booths and florists as they work so well together.

Wedding Reception at a beautiful venue

When I got married well over 20 years ago, I don’t remember seeing converted barns and venues that could incorporate a wedding ceremony. Just recently, I photographed a wedding that was at a golf and country club in Hampshire which was extremely well run and the bride and groom went whizzing off on a golf cart past golfers!!

As a photographer based in the New Forest, we have hotels that specialise in wedding receptions such as Rhinefield House and Burley Manor. However, there is a small wedding venue not so far from me called The Old Vicarage that is based just out of the New Forest and into Christchurch and they have some stunningly beautiful gardens.

However, my only advice that I can give is to go for what makes you feel comfortable as a couple. Wedding suppliers will work around your requirements and the venue will accommodate everything you would like to have for your special day. As for the lighting - well any good photographer …. ahem - me, will work around that to ensure that you have photos that you love and will want to look back on. If you would like me to take your wedding photos in ANY light then just get in contact with me and press the button below!

Wedding Guests

Well, having been to a wedding just recently as a guest, I had forgotten the build up and excitement to the up and coming day. It was nice actually being on the other side of the camera and being able to relax and have a drink. However, being a wedding photographer means that you get to see the guests having a nice time but we are there to work and so I don’t in my professional capacity have the emotional buildup that friends and relatives do.

It was strange trawling through the shops in Southampton trying to find the right wedding guest outfit. Obviously, not wearing white to a wedding as that would detract from the bride and yes there have been newspaper articles about guests wearing white to weddings! Myself and my daughter looked around and didn’t dare even to look at black - could you wear a black outfit to a wedding?

Wedding Guests taking it all in with drinks in hand as a member of staff rushes by

Finding an outfit, I think was personally one of the most difficult parts of being a guest. Packing up and travelling in a car with my family was relatively easy and our lodge was incredibly comfortable.

However, for me the feeling of a wedding was still there. A feeling of celebration, love, happiness and celebration and that is the feeling I thrive on as I’m taking photographs as a wedding photographer. Seeing the smiles and laughter, emotion and tears of happiness cemented that feeling of why I am taking photos of weddings. It was lovely to see the dancing at night and being able to sit down and appreciate the sentiment in the speeches after a lovely lunch whereas normally I am normally in full flow with my camera at that point.

The bride Lynda talking to the best man just before the speeches

I actually didn’t realise how tiring it was being a guest at a wedding! However, it was a lovely drive back home with my family having recounted all the stories that we had heard and having seen family that we hadn’t seen in years! If you would like me to take your photos at your wedding and walk around with a big goofy smile on my face then you know what to do and that is to get in contact with me on this Link

Wedding Style

So, having just got back from a wedding - I was thinking about styles of weddings and what would suit you?

You see, I went out not so long ago and I got chatting to a lady who was dreaming of her own wedding, however, she wanted to wear her Doc Martins. She wasn’t sure about it, I said to her that each bride is different and in how she wants to convey herself and what is unique about her and her partner. Some brides like to wear a big white wedding dress, other brides like to wear satin wedding dress’s and I’ve seen others that wear 1950’s style wedding dress’s. I suppose this also shows up with the style of wedding that couples choose as there can be a laid back style of wedding in a converted barn or even a rustic barn, another wedding I’ve been to was in the middle of a field with a large marquee in the middle of it and a barbecue was sat outside with a hog roast, castles and a church with a venue inside.

The wedding day for this couple was entirely within the church itself. Click Here if you would like me to take your wedding photos

However, the same is for photography and there are so many different photographers out there who have their own unique eye. Some photographers like candid wedding photography, other photographers opt for journalistic wedding photography and others go for black and white wedding photography. There is no right or wrong, only as to how you would like your day recording as essentially that is what photography is all about, it’s about telling your story in pictures.

So my style is essentially recording the day as it unfolds and understanding you as a couple, having met you before and understanding what YOU want and that is the most important detail for me. My style is very natural and I like to show life in the photos I produce, so, whether it is someone laughing or a child eating the wedding cake, an emotional moment that may show the parents of the bride having seen the bride for the first time that is my preference, However, I am there for you and you may want a more formal approach which I am more than happy to record with my camera and if you would like me to turn all the photographs into black and white? That’s not a problem for me!

The evening reception was in the basement of a castle!

For me, styles show you as a couple and it is what makes you unique and shows what makes you happy. When all is said and done a wedding is purely about two sets of family and friends getting together to celebrate a couple in love and you will always see a smile on my face for you as I stand there with my camera.

So, irrespective of styles and you would like something different then get in contact with me and I’ll be more than happy to work with you both.

Wedding Costs

Why are weddings so expensive? Can they be cheap? How can wedding costs be driven down? Is it down to the choices that you make to be able to drive costs down? Would driving down costs impede your big day or would spending more money on your wedding dress or the venue make a big difference?

Well according to website Hitched, an average cost of a wedding in 2021 has now risen to a whopping £17300 from £9100 in 2020. Due to the pandemic and a surge in demand for wedding venues and suppliers such as florists and yes photographers! It seems that all prices have increased due to the Pandemic from the last 2 years.

However, with rising costs some couples may feel that they may not be able to afford a big luxurious wedding. Which is fine, a lot of us feel that we shouldn’t push beyond our financial boundaries and being honest that is the right thing to do.

So, what can you do? Well, I was chatting the other day to a mother and her daughter had got married recently. She was telling me that she did all of the floral arrangements for her wedding. Alternatively, you could book a smaller, more intimate, all inclusive wedding at a beautiful venue like Clearwell Castle. There are other options including pubs that now offer wedding venue options and I will be photographing a couple next year that have made this decision.

Happy couple with Clearwell Castle in the background

Do wedding dresses need to be expensive? Understandably, you would like the best dress that will make you feel beautiful for the day. However, wedding dress prices maybe incredibly expensive there are bridal shops such as the stunning Cherished Bridal Wear which sells ex-sample wedding dresses and pre-worn wedding dresses. They look gorgeous and can be altered to your specifications.

Could you find a dress you love on a budget?

I’ve also found Facebook pages for brides and groom that are trying to drive down costs and many suppliers follow these pages and sometimes there can be some really good options. Facebook pages such as Wedding Bargains UK and especially Wedding On A Budget which has some really good information.

How can I miss out on wedding photography? Well I can’t! Many photographers offer different packages which are there to suit your budget. Maybe you require a photographer there for only a particular part of the day, for 6 hours well we would tailor your package to suit you. So if you are interested in my photography packages and I would capture everything to your hearts desire then click on my Contact Page

Curry

Yes, you read the title correctly! Why curry? Well, because both myself and my husband love not only a good roast dinner but we adore curry. Why is this in a photography blog? It makes no sense?

Well, it does to me. You see I’ll let you in on a little secret. When we were undergoing our wedding preparations about 25/26 years ago we always had these questions in the back of our minds of ‘What would we like for our wedding?’ ‘What wedding style would we go for?’ but ultimately, the biggest question in our minds was ‘What would make us happy?’

Different styles at a top table

You see, just recently I was speaking with a couple and asking them about what do they have prepared so far? I generally like to get an idea of what is happening on the big day. Wedding preparations can take over, there are worries over the wedding costs and can I afford this? Would I need to compromise on anything? Will I upset someone if I make a certain decision? Sometimes, issues can arise between family and friends. Yes, we’ve all been there and as I sat at their kitchen table remembering my own wedding preparations, my only words of advice were ‘this is your wedding and your day, make the decisions that will make you happy’.

So back to the curry, myself and my husband were at the hotel venue deciding what we would like for the wedding breakfast and had decided on the roast dinner and the vegetarian option. We were then asked the question of what would we like for our evening buffet and for some strange reason we both said curry and Indian food! We were advised not everyone likes Indian food and to have a standard buffet, so we compromised and did half buffet and half Indian buffet! We got what we wanted and our guests could then make their own choices and everyone was happy!

I wish now that our own wedding photographer had taken photos of our evening buffet and of our guests either in love with the food or pulling faces over it! It makes me sad that our own wedding photographer (great as he was) was quire a formal photographer and didn’t capture those moments. Being honest, it was one of the biggest talking points of the day! For me, moments like those are important, how the buffet was laid out and the little titles of Onion Bhaji’s and Samosa’s!! My philosophy is to capture those moments especially for my couples who have gone to so much effort to making their day so special and unique to them! As my husband so eloquently states, “this will be the most expensive day and party of my life and I intend to enjoy it!”

Champagne waiting for wedding guests

So if you would like me to take photos of your Wedding Cake, Hog Roast, Curry, Barbecue or a big Roast Dinner or you would like me to take photos of the table displays, nameplaces or even any little details that have gone into making up your day, just give me a nudge and contact me Here

Why do we need Wedding Photography and why do they have Wedding Packages?

So from my own experience of being married over 20 years, I can say a wedding photographer is most definitely needed. Your wedding day will probably be the fastest day of your life (mine most certainly was!) and so much is happening. Consider your wedding photographer as your extra pair of eyes to capture your wedding details such as your wedding dress and shoes, flowers, table settings and placements. Your wedding photographer is there capturing every moment right through the day. Moments of emotion, elation, funny to the downright hilarious moments that will have everyone dying of laughter. They are simply there to record your day in the most beautiful way and produce the photographs that you will look back on, just like I do with my family even now.

Your wedding photographer is there to ensure that they capture every second of the day but not just that if your wedding photographer has got to know you then they will understand what makes you laugh or feel emotional. A lot of wedding photographers actually do class their customers and families as their friends as they do get to know them so well. Your wedding photographer will also know how your day is planned and will have an idea of your preparations so if something adhoc happens he/she will then be able to jump in and get those photographs fast.

Once the wedding is over they go back home absolutely exhausted. Probably the day after he/she will spend hours upon hours in fact I’m not kidding when I say days editing those wedding photos in front of their computer screens. As your wedding photographer should have got to know you personally then they will want to show the moments that will make you smile, to show you how everyone else sees you and will bring out the beauty and love that is within you. They will then leave the editing for a few days and go back to it for any final editing and to make sure it all looks good for you. Your wedding photographer will then provide you with an online photography gallery of high resolution photos (if you should wish to enlarge them then its a possibility) and maybe even a slide show. There maybe USB’s to send or a further wedding album to produce at a later date which your wedding photographer will arrange for you.

So how do we arrive at the wedding photography prices that we do? Why do we have wedding packages? I hope that I have demonstrated as above that it’s not just about the day. On top of the wedding day and getting to know you, we have travelled, we have trained for years as photographers, we pay for the right computers, computer editing suites, expensive camera equipment, lenses, lighting equipment, systems to transfer large files, insurances, accountants and yes the dreaded word tax! I’m pretty certain there is so much more that I haven’t thought about but this is just an overall breakdown as to why wedding photographers charge the costs they do.

So why the need for different wedding packages. Well some photographers don’t have packages and just say they wish to be paid for the entirety of the day. However, a lot of wedding photographers see that some people can’t afford the higher prices which is fine, so to record a part of the day is easily a better solution and we are then able to visually record what you feel is important about your day.

So, I hope that I have helped you to understand why it’s a good idea to have a photographer and the costs they incur. If you like my blogs and my style of photography and you would like further information about any of my packages or just to chat then click HERE and I will most definitely get back to you.

Based in Hampshire, happy to travel!

It’s been a long time since I last did a blog. In fact a very long time ago! Having a camera in my hands is actually far more preferable than websites. As you know I am a Hampshire based photographer, however, I am happy to travel anywhere in the UK. This particular wedding I did not so long ago at Clearwell Castle and what a stunning place to even be let alone photograph the wedding!

The rooms in which the Bride had her bridal preparations and the Groom had his preparations in were incredibly large, with high ceilings and four poster beds. I truly believe this helped with maintaining how calm the preparations seemed to be. What was fantastic to see were the bridesmaids chatting away, children playing whilst the bride was having her make-up completed amongst what looked like organised chaos.

I like to think that I captured this unique moment in the photograph accompanying the blog was just a little moment in amongst all the formal moments. That for me is about capturing the day and showing people’s love and friendship for each other. I like to think that photographing a wedding is capturing everybody’s love and happiness. This is made easier for me by how smoothly the day ran and that was down to the staff and management at Clearwell Castle that day.

A Castle Wedding is simply stunning and provides an incredible backdrop either inside and outside and I will hopefully be going back to this beautiful location in the future.

If you would like to know more about my availability or about my style of wedding photography then please get in contact with me. I would absolutely love to be able to talk to you further.

Welcome to my new website!!

Crikey, well I’ve only gone and made up a new website and it’s filled to the brim with photos. Which of course, it’s going to be isn’t it?

So, my first blog won’t be long, just more a tah dah moment! It’s just to say ‘it’s done, all completed and I’m happy!’ Well for the moment I am, however, a photography website needs new content and I love taking photos so it’s a win-win and the beauty of this is that I know how to operate this website on my own. It has been surprisingly easy to set up and complete but there will still be more to do and over time, I’m sure this website will evolve into it’s own beast! So, what photo can I put on this blog? Well, I’m guessing it really should be a photo that shows how professional I am but I won’t. This is my website, my first blog and my rules!! So it’s a photo of my daughter who has given me permission to put this up and it is one of my favorites because photography is also about the heart and how it affects people’s emotions.

So I hope you enjoy my website and if you have any comments or just a quick ‘hi’, please do get in contact. I would love to hear from you :)