{Wedding Wednesday} Vintage Tandem Bicycles & Hog Roasts In The Countryside; Kath & James

Oh yes, our dear lovely readers – It’s WEDDING WEDNESDAY!

So, what have we got in store for this week? Well, plenty of inspiration and some rather amazing photographs both of the wedding AND the engagement shoot (I know, we do spoil you!) courtesy of Stefanie of Photography By Stefanie.  I’m sure that you will agree that the photography, is as always, wonderful. How adorable is the flower girl? Of course, we are loving the retro car!

Anyways, enough of me rambling on.  I now hand you over to the photographer behind these gorgeous photographs; Stefanie.

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I actually met Kath on a friend’s hen do before she was even engaged and she was so lovely, we all had a fab weekend away in Brighton.  I knew that she had a partner called James but we didn’t really have a chance to get to know each other properly, so I was very touched when she got in contact with me nearly a year later to ask if I would do their wedding photography.

Prior to meeting James, his mother rang me and asked if I would do a portrait shoot for her of Kath and Gemma  (both partners of her 2 sons) and they were all so lovely and welcoming that I knew immediately how great they would be to work with. Following that, I went on to do a pre-wedding couple shoot with Kath and James.  We incorporated their wonderful vintage tandem bicycle, which worked really well and I have genuinely never met such a cute couple!

The best part of the day was, well, anything with Kath in it as she looks stunning – she is such a beautiful woman!  Having a wedding reception at a golf course is a little unusual, but it provided the background of a lovely rolling vista of uninterrupted countryside.  The weather was great and I loved going out onto the course with them to get some fun group and couple shots.

It was a very relaxing day with no pressure or stress; James & Kath had clearly thought through their celebrations from the big bits down to the little details. They used their tandem bicycle from the pre-wedding shoot with a basket on the front as a postbox for their guests to leave cards in which I thought was a brilliant idea! It was a real party atmosphere with a hog roast buffet and kids play area outside. Everyone partied the night away by all accounts!

I spoke with Kath and James at length about the kind of shots they’d like. They weren’t after too many group shots, just a few traditional ones. Mainly, they wanted the shots to tell the story of their day from a natural perspective. I offer quite stylised photography, shooting from unique angles and capturing the essence of a day. Kath exuded vintage elegance and so I tried to reflect this through my photography and from what I hear, they’re thrilled with the results!

Stef’s Top Tips When Hiring A Photographer…

I would suggest having a brainstorm with your partner before meeting with your supplier. This will help you to have a rough plan or idea in your head about the type of service you’re after. So many couple come to me without having thought about what they’d like out of the photography. This is completely fine of course as weddings to tend to develop organically as the day progresses, but if you’ve chatted about it first, it helps you both to understand what you’re looking for from your photographer and will help ensure you get the right results.

I‘m currently writing a 10 part blog giving advice regarding each big stage of organising a wedding so for more advice and tips, do keep an eye on my blog page: http://photographybystefanie.wordpress.com

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I couldn’t resist leaving this photograph until the end – I love it! So carefree and oh, so in love…

Remember, Stefanie does travel and would be more than delighted to be your photographer! Please do get in touch with her to find out more.  We highly recommend.

Until Next Time xxx

{Monday Muse} Choosing Your Photographer & Videographer By Mark Ammon

Happy Monday!

We hope you had a glorious weekend, whether it be wedding planning, venue hunting, dress shopping or even just relaxing. For Monday Muse this week, we are delighted to share with you a guest post from a very talented photographer, Mark Ammon.  As huge fans of Mark, we were keen for him to give you professional advice on choosing your ideal wedding photographer and videographer. We feel this particular element of your wedding is so important that it is best heard from a pro. We now hand you over to Mark… Enjoy!

Choosing a Wedding Photographer and Videographer

The choices you face after you’ve decided to get married can be over whelming. What venue should we choose? What colour scheme would suit the day? What’s our budget? All these and more will be running through your head before you’ve even thought about the myriad of wedding suppliers all promising to make your wedding day the most perfect event possible. Eventually you will start to think about the photographer and videographer for your big day. I hope that this blog post will give you some pointers about finding the most suitable photographer and videographer to help capture your day how you want it captured!

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You need to like us!

When you meet up with a wedding photographer or Videographer one of the most important questions you need to ask yourself is “can I spend a whole day with this person?!” Your photographer and videographer will be with you for what will be one of the most emotional days of your life and it is so important that you like them and trust them. Your photos will not look very stunning if you can’t stand the person taking them! When we’re approached by a potential client with an enquiry about photographing or videoing their wedding we always try and arrange an informal meeting where we can answer questions, show our work and start to get to know the couple. This chat will help you to break the ice and to gauge whether your personalities are suited or not. Also make sure that you see a number of potential photographers/videographers to get a good idea of what choices you have. 

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Ask to see plenty of examples!

When you meet up with potential photographers and videographers make sure you ask to see plenty of previous wedding examples. This will help you find out if your photographer has a one size fits all mentality or takes each wedding on an individual basis. When we go out to meet our clients we always take a large selection of varied wedding albums/dvd’s so couples can gauge whether your style is suited to the day they have in mind. 

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Ask plenty of questions!

A good wedding supplier will never tire of you asking questions, if they do then may be best to stay clear! You need to keep in mind at all times that this is your day and you should be able to get what you want! If you want something clarified then ask away!

A sense of style…

Photography and videography are very creative art forms and like any art the artist will always have a distinct style to their work. At Mark Ammon Photography we specialise in relaxed, fun and quirky photography as that suits our style. We like to be different! We know that’s not to everyone’s tastes and that’s absolutely fine, there are plenty of photographers out there with a style to match your big day!

It’s all about the money…

Price has become increasingly important recently especially as people are trying to tighten their belts at the current time. A quick search on the internet will show you that there is a massive range of prices that companies charge for photography and videography. Most couples who come to us list price as one of the most important factors in choosing their photographer and videographer. Fortunately, the wedding industry caters for everyone and whatever your budget you will be able to find a photographer for you… BUT be aware you usually get what you pay for! We always talk about budget at the very beginning of any contact with a couple and our emphasis is always on the quality of what we offer regardless of budget. Talk to as many companies as you can but we would always recommend not choosing a photographer or videographer just on budget alone! Also some companies may well be flexible with prices, if you don’t ask you won’t get! 

Don’t leave it too late!

We have seen quite an increase of brides booking our services quite far in advance. People seem to be getting very organised! We are currently taking bookings up to two years in advance so our advice is don’t leave it too late to search for your photographer or videographer! If you find a few photographers that interest you then arrange a meeting as soon as possible to avoid any disappointment. 

There is a photographer and Videographer out there for you!

To sum up….Wedding photographers and videographers come in many shapes and sizes and to make sure you find the one that fits you and your wedding, make sure you get to know a little about them before signing on the dotted line. On the whole we are a very friendly bunch and any good wedding photographer or videographer will be more than happy to spend time with you explaining what they do. Make sure that you see plenty of examples, ask plenty of questions and find out if you actually like the people shooting your big day! 

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I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post and have found it useful reading.

If you would like to arrange an informal meeting with us to discuss your wedding day then please contact us via our website: http://www.markammonphotography.co.uk, our email: markammonphotography@hotmail.co.uk  or phone: 07523 953579

Until next time xx

{Feature Friday} Amy Lewin Photography

It’s FRIIIIIDAY!! We’ve made it through the week and the weekend approaches! I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend planned, full of wedding loveliness!

Today, we are celebrating one of our wonderful suppliers on A Vintage Wedding Guide – the fabulous Amy Lewin Photography!

Amy has just launched her brand, spanking new website, full of beautiful imagery of her lifestyle and wedding photography. I, for one, am loving the chevrons and think the website looks fantastic! And, that’s not all! To celebrate the launch, Amy is running a wonderful lifestyle shoot offer! A perfect opportunity to get a couple shoot, a new baby session or just a chance to get the family together and have some beautiful shots captured! Head over to Amy’s Facebook page HERE to see more!

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To showcase just how beautiful Amy’s photography is, she has kindly shared a wonderful, relaxed town hall wedding of one of her recent couples – Hong & Fiona. I ADORE this wedding. The bride is stunning, I love the way the flowers in her hair match the detail on her dress AND SHE’S WEARING CONVERSE!!

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If you’re looking for a fun, creative wedding photographer, Amy is the lady for you! Head over to her fabulous new website NOW to see what else she can offer!

www.amylewinphotography.com

Have a great weekend, everyone!