NATALIE & SHARDARNE'S HOUCHINS WEDDING

During their wedding, these guys made me cry, not once by twice! That takes some doing and is a reflection of the beauty and power of their marriage. I had been looking forward to working at Houchins Wedding Venue. They opened as a wedding venue only two years ago. Natalie got ready in Houchins farmhouse, a stunning Grade 2 listed building full of character and space for some guests to stay overnight.  I started the day with Natalie, whilst Jay started the day in Braintree capturing the final stages of Shardarne getting ready with his bestman and ushers. After an emotional ceremony at St Peter ad Vincula Church in Coggeshall, we headed back to Houchins for the wedding reception. I love how Natalie and Shardarne made their day truly their own. It was lovely working with some familiar and new faces too including Sally from Halo Blossom florists, Wedding Planner Sian from Busy Brides and Limeberry Catering to name just a few. I have to say a special mention must go to Get Gospel Choir, finalist for BBC Gospel Choir of the Year, who were absolutely superb during the church service. So that's enough from me, here are the highlights from Natalie and Shardarne's Houchins Wedding!

NATASHA & STEPHEN'S GOSFIELD HALL WEDDING

As Essex country house wedding venues go, Gosfield Hall is quite spectacular. It was once a Royal residence and much of it's unique history has been retained throughout the grounds. Natasha and Stephen's Gosfield Hall wedding was a day to remember although their cute daughters stole the show as it was very much their day too! Here's a preview of their beautiful day. Congratulations again to Natasha and Stephen!

KARL & KAYLEIGH GOSFIELD HALL ENGAGEMENT

Karl and Kayleigh were guests at a wedding in Morocco that I photographed last autumn. Fast forward 8 months and I met up with them at Gosfield Hall for their very own engagement shoot. Kayleigh's friends kindly bought their pre-wedding shoot as a surprise gift to celebrate her engagement. We met up in the evening and made the most of the beautiful light as sunset approached. Here's a little preview of their shoot.

LUCY & AARON'S GAYNES PARK WEDDING

The 2017 wedding season is well underway. To kick off we have Lucy and Aaron's Gaynes Park wedding. 

Lucy and Aaron got married at All Saints Church in Epping. After the ceremony everyone made the short drive to Gaynes Park. We were treated to beautiful sunshine all day. Top marks to the father of the bride, Aaron and the bestman for brilliant speeches! Excellent comic timing as well as heart felt sentiment throughout.

Gaynes Park is one of those venues that has it all. A beautiful bridal cottage, a honeymoon suite, overnight accommodation for guests, stunning barns and gardens as well as capacity for both indoor and outdoor ceremonies. It is a joy to photograph weddings here. 

Florist - The Willows Flowers
Venue - Gaynes Park
Venue decorator - Mediterranean Venue Stylists
Makeup artist - La Charlemagne MUA
Hairdresser - Laura Anne
Groom's suit - Jack Bunneys
Bridal gown - Paverly Bridal
Bridesmaids dresses - The Bridesmaid Boutique
Band - Cellar Door
Singer - George Pelham
Wedding Car - Premier Carriage Wedding Transport
Caterer - Galloping Gourmet
Cake baker - The Cake Doll
Videographer- Premier Wedding Videos

LOU & PAUL'S CRONDON PARK WEDDING

Today on the blog is the Crondon Park Wedding of Lou and Paul. Another one of my favourite Essex barn venues. I first met Paul at a local business networking meeting a few years ago. It was one of those moments when you click instantly. A top guy with a sense of humour not all too dissimilar to my own. So I was chuffed when Paul's fiancé got in touch to chat about photographing their wedding. Honestly, I was over the moon. There is something very special about getting to photograph the wedding day of such an awesome couple, also knowing that I could ensure they would be well looked after throughout the day. I started the day at Greenwoods Hotel where Lou got ready in the company of friends and family. Whilst my trusty second shooter, Jay, met up with Paul and the groom's party at the cottage at Crondon Park. We had a great time in great company all day. Lots of giggles, smiles and few emotional tears too. Check out the highlights from their day.

GREENWICH ENGAGEMENT SHOOT

I spent a lovely morning with Natalie and Shardarne for their Greenwich engagement shoot. It's been a while since I have ventured over to Greenwich but it's always a joy to wander around this part of London. Especially as the historical Cutty Sark and Naval College make beautiful backdrops. Here are a few of my favourite shots from their London engagement shoot.

DEBBI & DANNY-LEE'S OLD BROOK BARN WEDDING

Today's feature is Debbi and Danny-Lee's Old Brook Barn Wedding from last summer. I had the help of my trusted photography angels, Jay Anderson and Helen Taylor, for this wedding as baby Broad decided that I should head off to hospital for her arrival! In the meanwhile, Debbi and Danny-Lee had a fantastic day as they had a gorgeous outdoor wedding at one of my favourite boutique barn venues, Old Brook Barn in Navestock Essex. One of the highlights had to be the bouncy castle! After all it is not very often we get to see the bride and groom on a bouncy castle competing with the kids!

RACHAEL & OWEN'S PONSBOURNE PARK WEDDING

Rachael and Owen held their wedding at the Ponsbourne Park Hotel in Hertfordshire. It was a brilliant day. We had tears, smiles and a lot of laughter. Thank you to all of Rachael and Owen's family and friends for making myself and Jay feel so welcome throughout the day. 

And of course, thank you to Jay Anderson for being my camera wingman (twice in one weekend). Congratulations to newlyweds Rachael and Owen! Enjoy your next adventure as Mr and Mrs!

Suppliers
Venue - Ponsbourne Park Hotel Hertsfordshire
Florist - Pippa Bryce
Hair and makeup artist - Sarah at Jacsar Beauty
Cake - Mother of the Bride
Bridal gown - Bridal Outlet
Bridesmaids' gowns - David's Bridal
Groom's suit - Moss Bros
Wedding singer - Joe Boshell

MICHELLE & JOHN'S FRIERN MANOR WEDDING

Michelle and John's wedding at Friern Manor was a beautiful intimate affair. They were surrounded by their close friends and family in one of Essex's stunning countryside wedding venues. It was quite a sentimental occasion for me, as Michelle and I went to both primary and secondary school together. And as life would have it, we lost touch after leaving school. Good old Facebook brought us back into the same social media circle! I was honoured that Michelle asked if I was available to cover her wedding. What an honour it is watching a childhood friend get married to the love of her life. I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to capture their day, from the nerves, the laughter and the tears. Thank you to Jay Anderson for being my camera wingman. Congratulations Michelle and John! Cheers to the new Mr & Mrs!

Suppliers
Venue - Friern Manor Country Hotel
Venue decorator - Finishing Touches
Makeup artist - Laura Jane Neroni
Hairdresser - Hayley Atrill
Cake - Scarlett Heart Weddings
Florist - The Orchid Rooms
DJ and Singer - Arran Harding
Bridal gown - Bridal Shop
Bridesmaid gown - Matchmaker Bride Brentwood

BOROUGH MARKET ENGAGEMENT SHOOT

Last month, I met up with Rachael and Owen for their pre-wedding shoot at Borough Market. It was a quiet Sunday, giving us the freedom to roam the streets whilst chatting. Here is a preview of their London engagement shoot.

MARY & TOM'S LAYER MARNEY WEDDING

Tom and Mary's wedding at Layer Marney Tower kicked off my 2016 wedding season in style. Wedding photography at Layer Marney is an absolute joy. It's a beautiful castle set in stunning gardens, overlooked by scenic views.

Tom and Mary booked me last year following a recommendation and it was a pleasure being part of their day. Their wedding ceremony was held at Mary's childhood church St Joseph's in Upminster. Following the ceremony, we drove to Colchester for the reception.  Thank you to Jay Anderson for being my wingman and assisting me throughout the day. Congratulations Tom and Mary once again, it was a truly memorable and stunning day. Here are some highlights from their day.

Suppliers
Venue - Layer Marney Tower Colchester Essex
Florist- Pinks of Upminster
Makeup - Olivia Sandy
Bridal and bridesmaids gowns - Confetti and Lace
Groom's tailoring - Jack Bunneys
Singer - Luke Burr
Videography - Rideout Films

REID ROOMS WEDDING ON NEW YEARS EVE

This was my second visit to The Reid Rooms to photograph a wedding. As an Essex based wedding photographer I get to visit venues all over the county. The Reid Rooms is high on the list as another favourite. There is a large beautiful cottage on site for the bride and groom to get ready without bumping into each other. In addition the cottage contains a handful of rooms for guests to stay overnight. Dan and Allison got married on New Years Eve and we were blessed with a few beautiful sunny spells. Being New Years Eve, there was still a little festive spirit in the air and Christmas decorations around the venue too! Congratulations once again Allison and Dan!

2015 ESSEX WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER - A YEAR IN PHOTOGRAPHS

Here we have it! A round up of all my 2015 weddings!

It was an incredible year. I met some amazing people. Visited many stunning venues. Photographed my first wedding abroad. Worked with some of the best wedding suppliers in the industry. Been supported by assistants who always go above and beyond because they understand how important our job is. And teamed up with the talented Teresa C Photography to cover more weddings across the country than we ever thought was possible.

Thank you to all the lovely couples who had me along for their wedding journey. Another gracious thank you to all the people who voted for me in The 2016 Wedding Industry Awards. I was extremely chuffed to make it as a regional finalist.

Picking one favourite photograph from every wedding was rather tricky. Without fail, I always have a long list of favourites from every wedding. So I have decided, this year, to choose one photo from every wedding that made me smile, laugh, cry or made me thankful that I am a wedding photographer. From the big moments to the little gestures, the belly laughter or the tears. I get to see them all. I work hard to capture emotion during weddings, so it makes sense the photographs that I am most drawn to are emotive. Especially ones that show laughter, I love laughter. So here they are, my favourite wedding moments of 2015.

Sarah & Darrol - Prince Regent London

Allison & Dan - The Reid Rooms Essex

Liam & Carrie - Essex Golf Club Earls Colne

Rebecca & Richard - Crondon Park Essex

kate & liam - tHE MONASTERY MANCHESTER

STE & VICKY - BELMONT HALL CUMBRIA

Natalie & Mark - Crondon Park Essex

CHRIS & SARAH - ASHFIELD HOUSE WIGAN

Helen & Rob - Islington Town Hall London

Chris & Laura - Ellingham Hall Northumberland

mark & amy - cragwood country house cumbria

keith & andrea - langtons essex

LAUREN & ADAM - ROOKERY HALL CHESHIRE

eva & richard - langtons essex

Sasha & Peter - Blake Hall Essex

Lisa & Sean - South Essex Golf Club

jody & mark - Titantic Rum Warehouse Liverpool

Laura & Nick - langtons essex

RACHEL & MATT - NETHERWOOD HOTEL CUMBRIA

Gary & SIOBHAN - THORNTON MANOR CHESHIRE

MADELINE & GEORGE - MARKS HALL ESSEX

dionne & ade - woolston manor essex

SARAH & JOHN - LANGTONS ESSEX

mike & claire - houghwood golf club wigan

LESHA & JORDAN - LONDON

tom & jo - askham hall cumbria

PAOLO & ROSS - PORTUGAL

nancy & andrew - langtons essex

helen & nick - fennes essex

Claire & mark - LION QUAYS HOTEL WALES

KIRSTY & JASON - ORSETT HALL ESSEX

martin & julia - the racquet club hotel liverpool

NORMAN & VANESSA - LANGTONS ESSEX

leanne & mark - chester zoo

faye & glenn - the lawn essex

LISA & LEE - BARTLE HALL preston

RICHARD & MICHELLE - MAIDENS BARN ESSEX

CRONDON PARK ESSEX WEDDING

Today's blog feature is a fifties inspired wedding at Crondon Park, one of my favourite Essex barn wedding venues. Earlier this year, I met up with Richard and Rebecca in London's quirky Borough Market for their pre-wedding shoot after they won my Spring wedding photography competition.

From our first meeting, I knew I was in for a treat! From the tiny details to the groom's suit and bride's dress, this couple had a stunning vision of how to make their wedding day stylish and personal! Richard's suit was made by Hackett and Rebecca's exquisite fifties style tea-length wedding dress was made by Fairy Gothmother.

Richard and Rebecca got married at St Edwards the Confessor Church in Romford and after a beautiful ceremony, they headed to Crondon Park for their reception.  It was a beautiful day and thankfully it remained bright and dry, enabling us to capture shots outdoors as the sun came down.  I loved all the reception venue details, especially the mini cricket bats used for table names which tied in with Richard's love for cricket. The stunning bouquets and florals were made by Lily & May. Congratulations once again to a smashing couple. 

BLAKE HALL WEDDING

Earlier this year, Sasha and Pete got in touch about their Blake Hall wedding. It's another of my favourite Essex barn wedding venues. The grounds are beautiful. The barn has a warm atmosphere with plenty of quirky details. There is even a small amount of accommodation on site for guests to stay overnight. One of the most precious joys about Blake Hall is the attentive staff team. In particular, special praise must go to Austin who was there to oversee the day and truly understands the importance of making every day special for each and every couple. 

Sasha and Pete both got ready at Blake Hall. This made logistics a little easier when it came to photographing the bridal and final groom preparations. Their ceremony was held at St Germain Bobbingworth church, a short walk away from Blake Hall. Sasha and Pete made an extraordinary effort to fill their day with personal touches, especially notable in Blake Hall Barn which looked stunning. I particularly like loved the teapots used as table centre pieces. Giving personalised tea cups to all the guests as favours was an original and thoughtful gesture (which also doubled up nicely for the champagne toasts during their reception). Congratulations Sasha and Pete! And thank you to Jay Anderson for assisting me throughout the day.

CHELMSFORD ENGAGEMENT SHOOT

Today's blog feature is a Chelmsford engagement shoot. Rachel and Louis won their wedding photography after entering a Spring competition run by An Essex Wedding Magazine. I will be photographing their wedding at Prested Hall next year. We met up this weekend at Hylands Park in Essex. We took the opportunity to combine a catch up with an engagement shoot. The rain held off long enough for us to have a wander and take in the autumnal scenery at Hylands Park. It is a beautiful place at this time of year. I am looking forward to being part of their wedding day next year. I have no doubt that we will have a great time. Here is a preview of their shoot.

MARKS HALL ESTATE WEDDING

Today's feature is a wedding at Marks Hall in Coggeshall. Another one of Essex's hidden gems, it is a beautiful wedding venue surrounded by acres of manicured gardens and rich woodland. I can see why Madeline and George chose it. It was a brilliant day. There was a pool table, wild peacocks, confetti and a Morris Minor ice cream van. Congratulations once again to Madeline and George. Enjoy some of the highlights from their day.

WEDDING ALBUMS - BEAUTIFUL, CREATIVE AND MODERN ALBUMS

I love to see couples ordering wedding albums from me, as it still remains my favourite way of showcasing photographs.  I enjoy designing albums that are unique to every couple. I work with two professional album makers who only work with professional photographers. You won't find their albums on any high street.   This blog post is about one of the album choices that I offer - digital albums.

Digital album

My most popular album is a digital album, also sometimes known as a layflat or storybook album. These albums are made in the UK. All albums have a leather or leatherette cover, the pages are thick and lay flat enabling images to be printed across the spine from one edge of the page to the other so no image is obscured.

12x12 Green leather cover with names and date debossed

Professionally printed album with thick pages

Album pages lay flat enabling images to be printed unbroken across the spine

Album design

All albums are packaged in a presentation box and delivered direct to your home.  There are a few choices for you to make at the start of the process:

• First choose your album size, either square 12x12 or landscape 12x16.
• Choose the colour of your cover.
• Decide on the style of cover you would like. Choose from 4 different options - Plain with your names embossed, photo cover, a metallic cover or acrylic glass front cover.
• Choose matt, gloss or metallic printed paper
• Choose between 60-100 images from your gallery for your album design. 

From here I will be able to design your album layout and send you a draft to approve, before sending the design to print. Orders generally take 4-5 to arrive from the date of ordering.

Duplicate 6x6 parent albums can be ordered at the same time as your main album. which make perfect gifts for family members.

12x12 Black leather cover album with photo and METALLIC cover

10x14 Navy Leather album with names debossed on the cover

Album pages lay flat enabling images to be printed unbroken across the spine

MAIDENS BARN WEDDING

Today's feature is a wedding at Maidens Barn in Essex. I first met Michelle and Richard last autumn at a wedding where Michelle was a bridesmaid. I was thrilled when Michelle and Richard asked me to photograph their own wedding. Maidens Barn is a venue nestled in the Essex countryside in High Easter near Chelmsford. The venue is exclusive to its couple on their wedding day. It's a beautiful venue and the staff team are fantastic to work with. Whilst Michelle got ready with her bridesmaids in Chelmsford, Richard got ready at the Saracens Head Hotel in Great Dunmow. It was a pleasure to once again work with professional makeup artist Olivia Sandy who I highly recommend to all my brides. Thanks again to Louise James who came to assist me during the day.