BEN & AMY'S MAIDENS BARN WEDDING

Ben and Amy got married at the beautiful Maidens Barn in Essex and had a outdoor ceremony in the courtyard garden. There is something so special about Amy and Ben. Their closeness and love for each other is infectious and makes you smile from ear-to-ear. It’s a good thing I could use my camera to hide my tears of joy during the ceremony! I have pulled together some of my favourite shots from their day, although I found it pretty hard to narrow it down!

Ben and Amy’s Awesome Supplier List

Venue - Maidens Barn
Florist - Luke & Lottie
Makeup artist - Novo
Cake baker - Crouch St Bakes
Caterer - Maidens Barn
Bridal gown - Oleg Cassini
Bridesmaid’s dresses - ASOS and TFNC
Groom’s suit - Anthony Formal Wear
Live band - Piano DJ
Harpist - Caroline Hall

SARAH + STEVEN'S CRONDON PARK WEDDING

My last winter wedding just a few days before last Christmas was Sarah and Steven’s Crondon Park Wedding in Essex. Sarah and Steven incorporated plenty of rich wintry colours and nods to Christmas into their wedding day. The Baronial Barn was seasonally dressed with plenty of golden fairy lights and a huge beautifully dressed Christmas tree, plus the couples love for North London football team Tottenham Hotspurs was incorporated into the day too. Enough talking, check it out for yourselves.

Sarah & Steven’s Awesome Suppliers

Venue - Crondon Park
Florist - Stock Florist
Makeup Artist - Le Charlemagne
Hairdresser - Katie Petrie
Cake Baker - Linda Tattoo
Bridal Gown - Grace and Lace
Bridesmaids Dresses - David’s Bridal
Groom’s Suit - Next
Live Band - The Somebodys
Magician - Tony Steward
Guitarist - Glen Parish
Caterer - Crondon Park

MIKE & STEPH'S ESSEX BARN WEDDING

I am taking you back to the summer for Mike and Steph’s wedding at The Broadfields Essex Barn in Upminster. Prosecco, miniature ponies, a bright red MG, confetti, sunset, smokebombs and sparklers….that just about sums up their day!

Mike and Steph got married at Church of St Laurence in Upminster, which has a pretty cool history dating back to the 14th century.

After the ceremony, we had time for confetti and some portraits whilst the guests jumped on the double decker bus to the reception venue. Mike and Steph drove themselves in a kick ass red MG, after being coerced into photographs with some miniature ponies who just happened to be outside of the church.

Essex Barn Wedding Reception
After the short journey through Upminster on the double decker bus, the guests were dropped at the Broadfield Essex Barn nestled in the woodlands of Thames Chase to kick off the afternoon reception. Dinner, speeches and a whole lot of prosecco ran into the early evening.

After dinner we headed back outside of the barn for a little walk and some relaxed photos. The guests hit the photobooth in the beautiful cute form of Winnie the Vintage Caravan. Just before sunset, cutting of the cake took place outdoors and then we all hit the dancefloor. We ended the evening with colourful smoke bombs, sparklers and a pretty cool sunset.

Mike & Steph’s Awesome Suppliers
Ceremony venue - Church of Saint Laurence Upminster
Reception venue - The Essex Barn
Florist - Victoria's Floral Designs
Makeup - Vibha Mistry
Hairdresser - Hair and Make Up by Carrie
Bridal gown - Justin Alexander at Bella Sposa
Bridesmaids’ dresses - Dorothy Perkins
Groom’s suit - Moss Bros
Caterer - Leave it to Us
Bus - Ensign Company
Photobooth - Winnie the Vintage Caravan
Videographer - Rapid Image
Band - Dirty Water

MEL + PHIL'S CLISSOLD HOUSE WEDDING

I had a full December of winter weddings. All were completely different and amazing. First up, I was back in Stoke Newington for Mel and Phil’s London wedding at Clissold House. #melwedsphil These guys need to be my neighbours. There, I have said it. Not even sorry. They had me at “there will be lots of cheese”.

In the evening we headed over to the West Reservoir Centre for speeches, vodka, thai food, cheese and epic dancing. Hats off to those guests who tore up that dancefloor. You know who you are. Absolute legends. A mention has to go to Mark Daly Events who was Mel and Phil’s wedding planner. I am in complete awe of his skills and he is so lovely, a joy to work. Here are some of my favourite photos of the day. Enjoy!

CARLY & JIM'S SANTORINI WEDDING

Earlier this year, I photographed two destination weddings in Santorini with Teresa Cunningham during the same week. That is excellent scheduling by our couples! First up was Carly and Jim who opted for an intimate wedding with friends and family at Dana Villas. We worked alongside Manchester based videographer In Love Wedding Films who complimented our relaxed candid style of photography. So it was a wonderful team all round!

Below, I have shared some of my favourite photographs from Carly and Jim’s destination Santorini Wedding, although as usual it wasn’t easy to narrow down. I love each photograph for different reasons. My contribution was heavily documentary with the help of my trusted Fuji XT2.

Teresa and I have shot weddings across the UK and Europe for nearly six years now. The terms primary shooter and second shooter doesn’t really accurately define how we work. It suggests that one is more important than the other. And that isn’t right at all. It’s more like two halves of a whole. For those of you that have met and seen me in action working alongside Teresa and Jay, you will understand what I mean. And the same goes for Helen and Rhianna who work with me too at Essex weddings. We absolutely get a kick out of catching those in-between moments, the laughter, the tears, the jokes (some more appropriate than others), the feelgood moments, the breathtaking moments and the jaw dropping moments. This is when the value of having two of us shooting your wedding is off the scale. I can say in all honesty that we are proud to do it.

Have a look for yourself. See what my view of Carly and Jim’s wedding as a “second” shooter looks like. Check out that rich Santorini sunset that we were treated to. What a corker!

Don’t stop there, for more Destination Santorini Wedding inspiration, check out Hannah and Elliott’s Wedding.

KARL & KAYLEIGH'S GOSFIELD HALL WEDDING

Throw back to August for Karl and Kayleigh’s Gosfield Hall wedding. It was pure elegance and combined with the grand feel of Gosfield Hall, it was a day to remember. Karl and Kayleigh chose to have their first dance outdoors deliberately timed for sunset overlooking the scenic countryside views. So as you can imagine we got some cracking photos for them. I first met Karl & Kayleigh at a wedding in Morocco, so amongst their guests were plenty of familiar faces, as well as another bride and groom that I had photographed before! But enough of me talking, check it out for yourself. Get right to the end to see Karl & Kayleigh’s awesome supplier list.

Karl & Kayleigh’s Awesome Suppliers
Venue - Gosfield Hall
Car - Park Ward Carriage Company
Band - Soul Beat (Articulate Music)
Videographer - David Hughes
Bride’s hairdresser - Carly Williams
Bridemaids’ hairdresser - Catherine McCarthy
Makeup artist - Lightbox makeup
Wedding planner - Faye Headley
Groom’s suit - Oliver Brown London
Bridal gown - Suzanne Neville
Bridesmaids dresses - Ghost London
Florist - Atelier Emmanuel
Cake - Ann’s Designer Cakes
Light up letters - Celebrations Events

If you want a little more inspiration, check out Natasha and Stephen’s Gosfield Hall Essex wedding too!

AMY & JOHN'S STOKE NEWINGTON TOWN HALL WEDDING

Amy and John’s wedding at Stoke Newington Town Hall was an affair to remember. There is something awesome about London in the summer. The day started at the Rose and Crown pub were Amy and John got ready. Then we headed across the road to Stoke Newington Town Hall, full of art deco character, for their ceremony.

After the ceremony we skipped over to Clissold Park for their family photos and a short stroll before settling down in the quirky The Old Church for dinner and dancing. Enjoy some highlights from their day.

LISA & DAVID'S HOUCHINS WEDDING

Top notch speeches, a saxophonist, a hot air balloon and a whole lot of dancing! I was back at Houchins Wedding Venue in July for the summer wedding of Lisa and David. We were treated to some pretty glorious weather all day including a beautiful golden hour and sunset after dinner. I have shared a few highlights from their day, but in all honesty, I found it extremely hard to keep it short. So here goes, check it out.

David & Lisa's Awesome Suppliers
Florist - Elisha Floral Design
Cake baker - Pink Face
Caterer - Limeberry Catering
Videographer - Philip Smith Visuals
Bridal gown - Wed2B
Bridesmaids dresses - ASOS
Groom's suit - Marks & Spencers
Musicians - Saxophonist Rob Mach
DJ - Nick Geiss

KAT & JAY'S OLD BROOK BARN WEDDING

Here we are. Kat and Jay’s Old Brook Barn Wedding. It was a corker! Five months on and I am still talking about it! The children were amazing. The music was on point. The venue nailed it. Kat and Jay were obviously very cool! Oh my word, we just loved it. I could go on, but probably should stop talking so you can actually look at the photos!

As forecasted, it rained for most of the day. Like I always say, it’s not about the weather. It’s about the people. We will have a great time no matter what is going on in the skies. And we truly did. The team at Old Brook Barn are superb, putting their wet weather plan into action nice and early. They dressed the barn for a beautiful indoor ceremony and drinks reception.

The Function Band were in residence for the whole day. By that, I mean, this incredible dynamic showband, started playing prior to the ceremony, through the drinks reception, played setups during dinner and hit the dance floor hard in the evening. They know how to raise the roof. You can see for yourself in the images. They are an absolute joy to work alongside. Before dinner had even been served, they had everyone dancing on their chairs!

What a day! Every single minute was filled with awesome memories. I can’t thank Kat and Jay enough for having myself and Tianna along to capture the day the best way we know how.

Kat & Jay’s Awesome Supplier List
Venue - Old Brook Barn
Showband and DJ - The Function Band
Florist - Isla Alice Flowers
Bridal gown - Maggie Sottero
Catering - Limeberry Catering

HANNAH & ELLIOTT'S SANTORINI WEDDING

I am really excited to share highlights from Hannah and Elliott’s Santorini Wedding earlier this year. Photographing a destination wedding on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini has been on wish list for quite some time. This amazing opportunity arose, where I was able to photograph not one by two weddings with Teresa Cunningham out in Santorini. I covered the perspective of the groom, whilst Teresa covered the bride.

For those of you that have been watching closely this year, you may have spotted that I have been transitioning from using Canon gear to Fuji at weddings. This destination wedding was an ideal opportunity to road test my Fuji gear in a different climate. Fuji cameras and lenses are significantly smaller and lighter than any other equipment I have used. I was able to genuinely travel much lighter, and also take my ninja shooting skills up to warrior level.

I have always loved travelling, even as a child. I am that person ahead of you in the passport queue who politely asks for a stamp in her passport. I still get a kick from flicking through my passport and totting up the country stamps. It’s a life long ambition to run out of pages before a passport expires.

I have been lucky enough to have photograph destination weddings in Morocco and Portugal. I will be heading out to Ireland next year for another. Cheers to more adventures and more cool stamps in our passports!

CHERYL & DANIEL'S BLAKE HALL WEDDING

Venue - Blake Hall
Florist - The Blue Dandelion
Makeup artist - Oya Bullock
Bridal gown - Stella York
Bridesmaids' gowns - Dessy
Groom's suit - Moss Bros
DJ - Piano DJ

DAISY & RUSSELL'S GAYNES PARK WEDDING

This was my first Spring wedding of 2018. Daisy and Russell's Gaynes Park Wedding was superb. Perfectly timed, just as the winter was coming to an end and Spring was in sight! No rain or snow. Gaynes Park is a lovely barn venue in Essex and was an ideal setting for Daisy and Russell who both got ready at the venue and held their ceremony and reception there too. Here's are some highlights from their day!

NATASHA & PETER'S QUENDON HALL WEDDING

"Just wanted to say thank you so much again. You made us feel so relaxed and the photography felt like fun - it was as though you were just another member of our friends and family."

A fun filled Caribbean Indian fusion wedding. That was the theme of Natasha and Peter's Parklands Quendon Hall Wedding. After a brief chat on Instagram, I knew I was in for a treat. We had glorious sunshine, a beautiful rose gold colour theme and plenty of banter to keep the day upbeat and light hearted. Full of fun, shared love, and laughter, it was a pretty awesome day! Check out Natasha & Peter's awesome supplier list at the end of the blog post!

Natasha & Peter's Awesome Suppliers
Ceremony flowers - Ismay Williams
Reception flowers - Essex Flower Walls
Makeup artist - Makeupology
Hairdresser - Sarah Wade
Caker baker - Bakealicious Jan
Videographer - Third Reel Films
Bridal gown - Wed2B
Bridesmaids dresses - ASOS
Groom's suit - River Island
Musicians - Adam Amor & Stacey McCarthy
DJ - DJ Anju

TOM & LOUISE'S OLD BROOK BARN WEDDING

I have been meaning to share this wedding for months now. It's Tom and Louise's Old Brook Barn Wedding. Hidden gem, perfectly describes this venue. Nestled away in the Essex countryside, it is one of my favourite barn venues. We had sunshine, rain, belly laughs and bittersweet tears. Loved every minute.

MOOR HALL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

The sun was out and everyone was smiling for Moor Hall's Wedding Open Day last weekend. This was an extra special occasion as it was the venue's very first open day attended by Moor Hall's recommended suppliers, including myself. A very talented, skillful and cheery bunch, working alongside the Moor Hall team, we came together to give all the visitors a friendly welcome.

I don't usually take any cameras along to wedding fayres or open days, but in the spur of the moment as I was skipping out the door I decided to grab a camera that was all charged and ready to go.  Well, I am really glad that I did. The venue looked absolutely stunning and the new outdoor ceremony area is incredible. An eye catching addition to this already beautifully landscaped Essex wedding venue. I am very proud to be a recommended wedding photographer at Moor Hall and thank Jodie and the team for welcoming me on board.

That's enough chatter from me, look at the photos below yourself showcasing Moor Hall Wedding Venue and the wonderful work of all the recommended suppliers involved.

Awesome Suppliers
Venue - Moor Hall Essex
Venue decor - Wedding Styling & Hire by Love Lavish
Catering - Relish
Letter lights, flower wall and table plans - Little Big Things
Florist - Daisy May's Flowers
Wedding stationery designer - Design Hub
Cake - Occasions Cake Studio
Hair stylist - Hair by Sarah Wade
DJ & entertainment services - Funkbox Productions
Pianist - Zoe Alexandria

GROUP SHOTS DON'T HAVE TO BE BORING

Sometimes group shots are formal. Sometimes they are not. The choice is completely yours. If you want group shots of your family and friends for the mantelpiece, then we can make it happen.

The most important thing is to make sure you have built time into your wedding day so that we have sufficient time to do your group shots. If you are not sure how much time to leave, please ask me before you pin down exact timings with your venue. I will happily give you a bit of guidance.

So if you are thinking about whether or not to include group shots in your wedding day, here is a bit of inspiration.

EMMA & MICK'S SWYNFORD MANOR WEDDING

Emma and Mick's Swynford Manor Wedding was a very memorable day for me. I had been looking forward to photographing my first wedding at this recently renovated Cambridgeshire venue. It has a wonderful luxurious decor and feel to it. We were treated to some beautiful spring weather, sunset and sparklers after dark! Superb day!

Capturing your guests truly enjoying themselves on the dancefloor is something I love to do. Don't miss my forty perfect dance moments captured at weddings during my travels in the UK and Overseas!

Emma and Mick's Awesome Supplier List
Makeup artist - Dani Rose
Hairdresser - Angel Cox
Florist - Tollys Flowers
Bridal Gown - Essence of Australia
Bridesmaids dresses - Sorella Vita
Groom's Suit - Moss Bros
Wedding car - Bentley Spur (Wallis & Sons – Cambridge Wedding Cars)
Ceremony Venue - All Saints Church Cottenham
Reception Venue - Swynford Manor
Caterer - Swynford Manor
Band - Get Carter
Venue decorator - Covers By Gill
Videographer - White Dress Films

CHARLOTTE & RICK'S MOOR HALL WEDDING

In the autumn, I returned to Aveley in Essex for another Moor Hall Wedding. This time it was the turn of Charlotte and Rick to get married. It was a beautiful day for so many reasons. Their three children were superb all day long, making me smile and laugh out loud. Not for the first time, there were familiar faces in the crowd. Guests from previous weddings as well as couples who have come to me for family portrait shoots too. It is becoming quite a regular occurrence. I owe many thanks to everyone for their continued support, kind words and for recommending me to your colleagues, friends and family.

For more Moor Hall Wedding inspiration, check out Victoria and Charlie's Spring wedding.

Charlotte and Rick's Awesome Supplier List
Florist - Flowers by Tracy
Hairdresser - Vanilla Rooms Hornchurch
Bridal Gown - Lottie Lew
Bridesmaids Gowns - Bromley Brides & Debenhams
Groom's Suit - Jack Bunneys
Wedding cars - PL Taxis
Caterer - Relish
Cake baker - Boutique Cake Studio
DJ - Love2Groove
Videographer - Spotlight Weddings

JAMES & RACHEL'S ISLINGTON TOWN HALL WEDDING

I always look forward to an Islington Town Hall wedding.  The ornate town hall set amongst the urban streets contributes to a very modern, cool atmosphere. Rachel and James had a relaxed intimate wedding at Islington Town Hall in November. Following, we headed to The Chapel Bar with their friends and family for their chilled out after party. Of course, being in London, we travelled on a traditional double decker red bus. Congratulations again to Rachel and James. 

From the city to the beach, for something a little summery check out this engagement shoot on Mersea Island Beach.

James and Rachel's Awesome Supplier List
Makeup artist - Lisa Weal
Hairdresser - Sami Page
Bridal Gown - Monsoon
Bridesmaid's dress - Monsoon
Groom's Suit - Anthony Formal Wear - Billericay
Ceremony Venue - Islington Town Hall London
Reception Venue - The Chapel Bar
Caterer - The Chapel Bar
Cake baker - The Chapel Bar

40 Perfect Dance Floor Moments

A friend asked me recently how many weddings have I photographed. It dawned on me that I didn't actually know the answer but it wouldn't hurt to work it out. So I looked back and was surprised when the total came to 140! I have witnessed 140 couples get married across the UK and beyond. That is pretty cool!

With that in mind, it feels like a great time to pick out some of my favourite moments, starting with the dance floor.  For any couples who can't decide whether or not to have a photographer stay for the first dance and beyond, right here are 40 reasons why you should. Forty moments captured on camera from first dances with Elvis to brides getting their feet wet, to beer pints being spilt or guests doing the caterpillar! I love them all!

These are memories that everyone should have captured of their wedding day. Be sure to tell your family and friends to not be shy. Dance like no one is watching!

Get in touch to tell me about your wedding plans and to book your date in my diary.