candid & gorgeous

NATURAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

What CAN WE EXPECT FROM OUR wedding photos?

All the emotion, connection and spontaneity of your day, alongside natural, flattering portraits you will absolutely love.

My approach to wedding photography is about photographing what is actually happening – the people you love, the things you didn’t plan, the laughter, the tears, the chaos and all the little moments that make your wedding uniquely yours.

With more than 300 weddings under my belt as a Cotswolds wedding photographer, I’ve fine tuned how I approach shooting a wedding day. Around 95% of your wedding is captured completely naturally and unobtrusively – no awkward staging, no constant stopping, just you having the best time with your favourite people. The remaining 5% is for family group photos and relaxed, beautiful portraits where a ‘little direction’ makes all the difference.

The result is a collection of photographs that feels like YOUR wedding day – genuine, relaxed and full of life – while still giving you those beautiful photographs of yourselves that you will want to frame!

What Does Natural Wedding Photography Mean?

When I say I photograph weddings ‘naturally’, I don’t mean that I simply stand in the corner with a camera and wait for something to happen.

Natural wedding photography takes experience. It means watching what is happening around me, anticipating moments before they happen and knowing where I need to be without constantly getting in the way.

That might be your dad trying not to cry as you walk down the aisle, laughter that turns to tears during the speeches or the two of you gently squeezing each other’s hand during an emotional moment.

Those are the photographs I love.

A Documentary Approach To Your Wedding Day

95% of the day is spent capturing your wedding ‘documentary style’. Documentary wedding photography focuses on capturing candid and spontaneous moments throughout the wedding day. This style emphasizes storytelling, narrating the events as they unfold naturally, without intervention or posing.

The moments you could never plan…

Some of my favourite wedding photographs are the ones nobody knew I was taking.

A quick glance between two people. Your mum watching you from across the room. Friends who haven’t seen each other for years throwing their arms around each other. Your grandparents dancing. Someone crying during the speeches.

These moments often last for just a few seconds. My job is to notice them, anticipate them and photograph them without interrupting them.

The people, reactions and little details

Your wedding is very much about the people who have come to celebrate with you. I’ll photograph the kids running around the dance floor, the moment the jenga tower collapses, the hug you didn’t notice and the crazy dance moves!

When you look back at your photographs years from now, I want them to take you straight back to the people who were there and how the day actually felt.

Being present without taking over…

I’ll work alongside your venue and other suppliers, unobtrusively moving around the day and photographing what is happening without constantly gathering people together or asking everyone to stop what they’re doing.

You’ll know I’m there, but you’ll forget about the camera.

Relaxed wedding portraits that still look beautiful

Natural wedding photography doesn’t mean you won’t have ‘gorgeous flattering frame- worthy’ photographs of the two of you.

There is a misconception that natural wedding photography means the photographer never gives you any direction. That’s not how I work.

There are times when stepping in makes a photograph better. And I know you will value that. If the light is beautiful, I’ll tell you. If moving a few feet will give you a much better background, I’ll suggest it. If you aren’t sure what to do during your portraits, I won’t leave you standing there wondering what you’re supposed to do with your hands. I have a wonderful way of shooting that encourages couples to interact naturally with each other, but still produces natural and flattering portraits.

I keep couple portraits relaxed and natural, usually taking around 20 minutes during the day, with the option to spend a little longer together at golden hour if the light is looking beautiful. The aim is never to take you away from your guests for a long time, but to give you a chance to enjoy a few moments together, and still give you flattering beautiful portraits.

I’ll guide you into good light and give you enough direction to make sure you look comfortable and feel relaxed, while still allowing the photographs to feel like you.

99% of couples I work with tell me how nervous they are of having their portrait taken, how they feel awkward in front of the camera…and yet, look at the beautiful results below….

Why Experience Matters With Natural Wedding Photography

Natural wedding photography can look effortless.

The finished photograph might look as though the photographer simply happened to be standing in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. Usually, that’s not quite how it works.

I’ve photographed more than 300 weddings, and that experience means I’ve learned to anticipate what is likely to happen before it does.

During the speeches, I position my camera to capture the unspoken reactions that truly drive the narrative. When your friends rush in to celebrate and embrace you after the ceremony, I know they will naturally lean to their left—so I’m already standing exactly where I need to be to catch their faces over your shoulder.

I anticipate the quiet weight of your parents watching the rings slide into place. And when you finally reach the top of the aisle, before the ceremony even fully begins, I am waiting to freeze that beautiful, fleeting glance when you lock eyes for the first time.

Is Natural Wedding Photography Right for You?

Natural wedding photography might be right for you if you want photographs that feel genuine rather than heavily posed.

Perhaps you don’t particularly enjoy being photographed.

Perhaps you don’t want to spend hours away from your guests.

Perhaps you want to remember the people who were there just as much as you want beautiful photographs of yourselves.

If that sounds like you, my approach is probably a good fit.

PLEASE GET IN TOUCH, I’D LOVE TO CHAT TO YOU

HAPPY WORDS FROM HAPPY COUPLES

Over the last decade, I have photographed more than 300 weddings across the Cotswolds and am very proud to say I have over 150 Five Star Reviews. Some of those are featured below:) My signature style is combining a documentary approach with relaxed, flattering portraits and enough direction to make sure you never feel awkward in front of the camera.

Samuel and Lucy surprise engagement shoot 23

COULDN’T BE HAPPIER

“We had an engagement shoot and honestly couldn’t be happier with the photos.
From the start, everything felt really relaxed and easy, which was great as we’re not the most confident people in front of a camera. The photos came out better than we could have imagined and captured the moment perfectly.”

SUPER LOVELY

“Tanli was exactly the photographer we were looking for – knowledgeable, professional and super lovely from the beginning. She provides guidance and direction without being overbearing and our pictures have turned out romantic, candid and stunning. Thank you so much!”

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE

“Tanli was absolutely incredible for our wedding day, from the moment she came into my dressing room she was calm and wonderful! She kept us on track in the morning, and was such a lovely presence throughout the day! The documentary style is exactly what we wanted, with some beautiful portraits too that we will treasure forever. “

PUT US AT EASE IN SECONDS

“I couldn’t put into words fully how incredible Tanli was from the start. She captured the day, our family and us so perfectly and truly has given us photos which we will treasure. On the day, she was such a calming presence and for two people not used to being in the spotlight, Tanli put us at ease in seconds.”

Kimberley and Barclay Kingscote Barn Wedding 530

KIND AND SUPPORTIVE

“Tanli was absolutely incredible from the moment she entered my dressing room. The perfect balance of taking some control and getting what needs to be done achieved – whilst also being so kind, supportive, and reassuring.”

Dianne and Scott Wild Thyme and Honey Wedding 500

SO PASSIONATE

“Loved receiving our wedding photos as it meant we got to re-live the most special day. We are so happy with them and they really showcase what the day meant to us – a small and intimate, family only wedding with a lot of love and this is really clear in the photos.

From 1st contact to the last contact with Tanli, she was a pleasure to work with. She was so lovely and so passionate about what she does.”

Liv and Oliver Kingscote Barn wedding 758

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE

“Tanli shot my sisters wedding so we knew we were in safe hands but we’ve just received our photos back and they have exceeded all our expectations again! It was so magical to look through them, re-live our special day and see all the joy that surrounded us. Absolutely incredible and the colours are so vibrant, the photos really capture so much love.
Tanli, we can’t thank you enough! We will treasure these for the rest of our lives, thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Becky and Craig Kingscote Barn Wedding 750 1

ABSOLUTE SUPERSTAR

“Tanli was an absolute super star, a brilliant photographer and such a lovely person!
She captured a great range of photos that show every part of the day, the big moments and all the little details.
Her professionalism and positive attitude shone through. Despite feeling uncomfortable in front of the camera, Tanli helped to keep us feeling relaxed, and we feel she went above and beyond to get some absolutely gorgeous shots. “

STUNNING

“We had the pleasure of Tanli’s company on our wedding day back in August. She made us feel at ease throughout. Having discussed with her how we wanted our day to feel prior, she was able to blend in with our guests, get shots we could never have dreamed of and also ensured that we took some well needed time for the two of us, all while snapping some incredible pictures, making us laugh and generally being a wonderful addition to our day. The gallery of photos is absolutely stunning and we are so grateful.”

QUESTIONS

It means capturing your day as it naturally unfolds, without forced posing or artificial direction. My goal is to photograph real emotions, genuine laughs, and honest moments so your wedding gallery feels entirely like YOU! From laughter and happy tears to hugs, speeches and the dance floor, I document your day as it unfolds, creating a collection of photographs that tell the full story of your wedding.

Yes, I offer a wonderful mix of both candid documentary photography plus beautiful portraits. While around 95% of your day is photographed naturally, I always set aside a short amount of time for relaxed couple portraits.

Yes. The terms documentary wedding photography and natural wedding photography are often used interchangeably. Both describe a natural, storytelling approach where real moments take priority over posed photographs. The difference is that some documentary wedding photographers will not do group photos or any intervention at all, which is not what I do.

Only when it’s helpful and needed. I’ll organise family group photographs efficiently and give a little guidance during your couple portraits, but the rest of the day is photographed naturally, without interrupting moments or asking people to repeat them.

Yes. While my main style is candid, family formals are an important record of your day. We’ll build a quick, organized list before the wedding so we can breeze through them in under 20 minutes and get you back to the party.

Usually around 20 minutes, often split into two shorter sessions if the light is particularly beautiful later in the day. This means you spend more time with your guests while still receiving gorgeous portraits. I have more FAQ’s on my FAQ page.

Never. I prefer to blend into the background . Aside from organizing the group photos quickly, I observe rather than direct, letting you enjoy your day completely uninterrupted.

I capture it all. The flowers, the venue, the dress, and the tables are all part of the story you’ve spent months planning. I photograph them artfully and naturally as part of the overall narrative of your day.

WHERE TO NEXT?

MORE OF MY WORK?