a few OF
MY FAVOURITE PEOPLE
VIDEOGRAPHERS
I very much enjoy working alongside videographers as I find we often inspire each other creatively.
DJ’S
I’m always looking forward to the Dance Floor when my favourite DJ’s are in the house!
MAKE UP ARTISTS
I work with many wonderful MUA’s but the below have always stood out for me.
CONTENT CREATORS
Content Creators offer a very unique perspective of your day and their turnaround times are very quick! With content creation still being a relatively new space, experience levels vary widely, and many do this part-time. If you’re considering one, I’d strongly recommend booking someone who works full-time in this role and has solid, proven experience. I loved working alongside the two companies below.
SINGING WAITERS
Singing Waiters are the ‘gift you never thought you needed’…they are just I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E! At first, they appear to be normal waiters, pouring drinks and serving food. But, in reality, they’re highly talented singers and entertainers. When the moment is right, they attract the attention of the room and burst into song – taking the guests by surprise with a set of party anthems! I have absolutely LOVED every single wedding that has Singing Waiters.
FLORISTS
I’m always blown away by their magical blooms!
CATERERS
Let’s be honest. We are all here for the food!
CELEBRANTS
There can be only one…the lovely Laura!
BANDS
Guaranteed to get the party started! Both these bands get ‘down and dirty’ on the dance floor and include your guests in the fun! I absolutely love the photographs I get when a band is on the actual dance floor.
A BIT OF
HONEST ADVICE
What ‘helps’ and what can ‘hinder’ your day
HELPS
TALK TO YOUR VICAR
Some vicars place strict limitations on where photographers may stand during the ceremony. This can sometimes come as an unwelcome surprise on the day, so it’s important to clarify this in advance.
Please speak with your vicar beforehand about where I’m permitted to stand. I’m always discreet and respectful, but I do need appropriate positioning in order to properly document your ceremony.
HINDERS
HAVING SPEECHES BETWEEN COURSES
Speeches spread out between courses will inevitably make your day run late. In my 10 years of shooting weddings, this is almost guaranteed. Catering staff must wait for guests to finish eating, clear tables and reset for toasts before speeches can start. Have your speeches at the beginning or the end. When speeches happen first, any nervous speakers can get them out of the way and then properly relax and enjoy their food — and their drinks — without it hanging over them.
HELPS
BOOK SINGING WAITERS
Singing waiters bring an incredibly unique dynamic to your wedding and when your guests are standing on the tables having the time of their lives you will be so thrilled you booked them!
HINDERS
A DANGLING HAND
Your first kiss is one of the defining moments of the day. Make it feel connected. Bring your hands into the photo – hold a waist, cup a cheek, pull each other close – anything that shows connection, rather than letting your arms hang by your sides.
HELPS
CONFETTI
Confetti is one of the most joyful moments of the day, and it makes for incredible photographs. If your venue allows it, absolutely have it and make sure there’s plenty to go around.
When it happens, walk through hand in hand and take it slowly. There’s no need to look at the camera. Look at your guests, laugh, stop for a kiss, and just soak it all in. Smile your biggest smiles! That’s where the magic is!
HINDERS
PHONES DURING THE CEREMONY
Consider an unplugged wedding, one in which your guests don’t take photos during the ceremony and stay fully present in the moment.
From a photography perspective, it makes a noticeable difference and instead of a row of screens, you see real expressions, real reactions and faces completely engaged in what’s happening in front of them.
HELPS
DITCH THE PINTEREST BOARD
Pinterest can be a brilliant source of inspiration. It helps you gather ideas, explore styles, and work out what you’re drawn to.
Where it can become unhelpful is when a wedding turns into a checklist of images to recreate. Lighting, weather, venues, seasons and even the couple themselves are all different. A photograph pinned online was created in very specific conditions and those conditions can’t always be replicated.
If the focus shifts to copying something exactly, it can create unnecessary pressure. And when reality doesn’t match the board it can lead to disappointment on a day that’s meant to feel natural and joyful.
TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR WEDDING DAY
No two wedding days run the same, and timings are always tailored to the couple and the season. That said, after more than ten years and hundreds of weddings, the timeline below reflects a typical flow for a Summer wedding.
With a Winter wedding, you may be sitting down earlier and if there is a golden hour, it will be considerably earlier than a Summer wedding.
A TYPICAL WEDDING TIME LINE FOR A SUMMER WEDDING
This is a classic Cotswold barn wedding, with bridal preparations, the ceremony and the reception all taking place at the same venue – no travelling between locations, everything happening in one place.
TIME |
EVENT |
TIPS TO HELP WITH TIMINGS |
|---|---|---|
|
11 AM |
Photographer starts |
Generally 2.5 hrs – 3hrs before the ceremony. |
|
11 AM – 1 PM |
Photographer shoots Bridal prep, venue being decorated, Groom prep (if Groom nearby). |
|
|
1 PM |
Bride ready and in her dress |
I like to be at the ceremony location 30 mins before start but I also need to shoot bride getting into her dress so, please keep in mind with timings. |
|
1:15 PM |
Bride’s reveal to Dad/ Bridesmaids/ Mum etc.. |
Allow 15 / 20 minutes. |
|
1:30 PM |
Groom meets with Registrar |
Not applicable for church weddings. |
|
1:45 PM |
Bride meets with Registrar |
Not applicable for church weddings. |
|
1:30 PM |
Photographer at ceremony location |
30 minutes before start of ceremony. |
|
2 PM |
Ceremony begins |
|
|
2:30 PM |
Ceremony ends |
Church weddings are normally longer than 30 mins. |
|
2:30 – 2:45 PM |
Couple leave ceremony and Confetti line up |
Allow 15 mins to leave the ceremony and have the confetti line set up and confetti photographed. |
|
2:45 PM – 3 PM |
Mingling |
Very important to allow time to ‘breathe’ and mingle and enjoy a drink and canapes. |
|
3 PM – 3:30 PM |
Family group photos |
Allow 30 minutes / Try to keep to 10 groups |
|
3:30 PM – 3:40 PM |
Photographer photographs the reception room |
Allow 10 minutes |
|
3:40 PM – 4:15 PM |
Couple portrait photos |
Allow 30 minutes |
|
4:15 PM |
Guests called to sit down |
Normally 15 minutes before the couple is announced in. |
|
4:30 PM |
Couple announced into room (I have set a 2 hr reception but some weddings only have 1.5 hrs) |
|
|
4:45 PM |
Wedding breakfast |
This may be before or after speeches. |
|
6:30 PM |
Speeches |
These may be before or after the breakfast. Ideally, do not have speeches between courses as in my experience, this will always make your day run late. |
|
7:30 PM |
Cutting of the cake |
No set time, can be slot anywhere in your day. |
|
8 PM |
First Dance |
|
|
9PM |
Photographer leaves |
Normally 30 – 45 minutes after the First Dance. |
|
TBC |
Golden hour photos |
Should there be a ‘golden hour’ opportunity , I will absolutely carve some time out for some golden hour photos. (look at a few gorgeous examples HERE). |
DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know that 95% of the day is spent capturing your wedding ‘reportage style’? Reportage wedding photography, also known as documentary or photojournalistic wedding photography, focuses on capturing candid and spontaneous moments throughout the wedding day. This style emphasizes storytelling, aiming to narrate the events as they unfold naturally, without intervention or posing. These natural, candid and emotive images make up the bulk of your wedding gallery and I think most modern contemporary wedding photographers shoot in this manner.