Whimsical Floral Anglo French Wedding in Berkshire

Whimsical Floral Wedding in Berkshire

An amazing floral inside outside Berkshire wedding day that I’ve been so excited to blog for a few months now. I was really pleased to hear that one of the wedding industries leading wedding ideas blog, the awesome Whimsical Wonderland Weddings chose Clementines and Nicolas big day to appear on their blog! With the bride and groom being French as well as the majority of the guests it was a wedding day that was a beautiful mix of Anglo French styles and cultures.

We had our amazing photographer Kevin Fern who covered the wedding in pictures, we loved his photography style straight away. We wanted to go for a spontaneous, colourful and premium feel and we knew Kevin was the perfect photographer to achieve our goal

Emotional first look for the bride and groom

Clementine and Nicolas explore the grounds of The Old House, Wolverton, Tadley

The day started with groom prep at The George & Dragon Hotel in Tadley to shoot Nicolas and the guys getting ready before moving on to The Old House in Wolverton, Berkshire where Clementine and close family stayed the night before and was also the location for the marquee wedding reception. The Old House was a fantastic wedding venue and one that I hadn’t shot at before. For some reason many couples think that they should hire a photographer who has shot lots of weddings at their chosen venue but that’s most definitely not the case. Someone who is a creative is inspired by new locations and that’s how you get the most creative wedding photography. The Old House was the perfect venue for Clementine and Nicolas and their big day with a vast expanse of amazing grounds to hold the marquee and evening party shenanigans, which there were many!

bride and groom during speeches at the old house

Clementine and her husband Nicolas during speeches

Showing off those jazzy blue shoes at The Old House, Tadley

I have never photographed a wedding dress quite like the amazing bespoke floral dress designed by Lisa Lyons Bridal! Wow! And then there were the blue shoes, awesome! Who says everything has to be white! It’s your day, make it spectacular and just how you have always dreamed it should be! I’m sure if there were any budding brides at the wedding they would have had dress envy! When Nicolas saw his bride to be outside the Old House during the first look his jaw dropped! I love first looks as it is an opportunity to capture genuine heartfelt emotion between just the couple while they share their moment together. The wedding ceremony itself was held at St Catherines church in Wolverton so everything was within a ten minute drive. This is always great news for a photographer and videographer as when we have to factor in driving between venues, traffic, parking, etc the closer things are to each other the better. Speeches were split with the bride and grooms parents saying some heartfelt words outside on the lawn while there was still some light and a few more later in the evening from the couples close knit friends. Speeches always make for great pictures and it’s a part of the day I look forward to as I know I’m always going to capture some spontaneous emotional moments. As the bride and groom hit the dance floor for their first dance they were swiftly accompanied by their guests to shake rattle and roll the night away! Did I just use an old Elvis Presley song in my blog post, I did! I’m really not that old :-)

From start to finish it was a brilliant wedding to photograph!

Please scroll down to view a large selection of my favourite images from the day!

My wedding photography end of year highlight slideshow

A whirlwind 2022 wedding photography season has finally come to an end. Before I look ahead to what’s to come this year I wanted to write a blog post including a picture slideshow to look back at some of the highlights from 2022 and the wedding memories created during an incredibly busy and fun filled rollercoaster year for me!

At the beginning of the year before the wedding season really got going I made a bold move and purchased a new camera! After many months of research I decided to make the leap from DSLR to the mirrorless world. For a photographer changing kit It’s a big move and especially for me being Mr Indecisive. One of the most important aspects in shooting great pictures is feeling comfortable with the equipment that you’re using. I’ve been a Nikon shooter for over 15 years so I decided to stick with Nikon and moved across to Nikons Z series mirrorless system, purchasing the Z6ii. It’s a brilliant camera with great ergonomics and a vast improvement over the D750 on many levels! For wedding photography it worked a treat for me. As my style is documentary I need fast accurate autofocus and thankfully the Nikon Z6ii delivered. Thank you DSLR but the present and future is now firmly mirrorless!

bride and groom portrait with flowers in Wiltshire

Relaxed portrait of Becca and Ed near their wedding reception marquee in Bradford on Avon. Wiltshire

Over the course of 2022 I have met amazing couples and been welcomed with open arms by brides and their families every time I arrived on their doorstep first thing in the morning for bridal prep. I can appreciate it’s not an every day occurrence that a man shows up with a camera wanting to take your picture while you’re having your makeup done sat in your PJs :-) so I appreciate every one of you that made me feel welcome, offered me a cup of tea, had fun and went with the flow!

bridal prep at Plas Dinam wedding venue

Bride to be Rhian can’t get enough of the luxury bath at Plas Dinam wedding venue during bridal prep!

On a wedding day I’m around my couples and their guests from early morning until late at night with my sole purpose to capture natural, spontaneous moments that best represent what’s happening. In my opinion It’s important I can be present during events that may seem innocuous but that really help tell the story of the day and can often produce some great pictures! An example being staying with the bride or couple as they travel between venues. The image below of Abigail and Henry was taken on a 40 minute vintage car journey from a pub in London to Cliveden House in Maidenhead, Berkshire where the formal wedding reception was to be held. I love the relaxed nature of the couple, chilling out wearing their shades! To learn more about the way I work please click here.

Abigail and Henry relax in the back of a vintage car on their way from London to their wedding reception at Cliveden House, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

I’ve travelled far and wide all over the UK spending many hours on motorways and eating way too much fast food. The long hours are always worth it to be a part of a couples special day. It’s an honour to have the responsibility of capturing moments that will last a lifetime. I’ve shot at so many incredible wedding venues during the past year. From my starting point in Worcestershire I have photographed at castles, tipis, stately homes, pubs, registry offices, hotels, marquees and even forests. The diversity and challenges that each location and venue presents is what really inspires me every year and pushes my creativity to become better. I remember documenting a more formal wedding in Berkshire with top hat and tails and the next day I was at Broadfield Court, Herefordshire photographing a couple getting hitched sat on a sofa in an amazing forest! Love it!!

Sywlia and Antonios relax on a sofa in the forest at Broadfield Court, Herefordshire during their wedding ceremony.

The world would be such a boring place if everyone was the same with the same outlook as to what a wedding should look like. It’s your day, a day where you choose what’s important to you so have it just the way you want it! Each wedding is completely unique and different to the last and I get to meet such a huge array of people, personalities and cultures! :-)

Jade and Graham chose to get hitched with an outdoor wedding ceremony at Calmad Barns, Shropshire

We couldn’t have picked a better photographer
— Jade & Graham

I am skilled in what I do but the people I photograph really bring my pictures to life. I’m so grateful to all of my 2022 couples for binging the fun, laughter and craziness!

Super excited Louise and Steven arriving at their wedding reception held at Carradine Barns, Shrawley

Oh yes before I forget, I would also encourage anyone to print their pictures. When you have amazing photographs of such special memories it would be a shame to leave them in digital form sat on your laptop or external hard drive. In my opinion I think they should be printed into an album or framed and put up in pride of place on a wall! For more info on the albums I provide please drop me a message. Thank you for being awesome and all the best for the future!

Newlyweds Jasmin and Anthony loving the golden hour at Gauntly Court, Gloucester.

If you have enjoyed watching my slideshow and love my natural, relaxed approach to shooting a wedding then it would be brilliant to work with you in the future! Please get in touch it would be great to hear from you!

Wedding guests have fun during the evening reception at Homme House, Ledbury

River Thames Boat Ride Wedding in Richmond

OMG!!! WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE PHOTOS!!! They are soo beautiful thank you so so much!!! You did an amazing job, thanks a lot. We can't stop looking at them!!

Photographing weddings has given me so many amazing experiences over the years. Last summer was no exception! I was lucky enough to document Andrea and Matthew getting hitched in Richmond. The schedule for the day was to have the ceremony at York House, Twickenham before jumping on a river boat to take the happy couple, their guests ( and happy photographer ) to The Bingham Hotel in Richmond for the evening reception and party the night away!

After the original wedding date was postponed we all had our fingers crossed that the day would be warm and sunny..thankfully our prayers were answered! The sun was out as the day began at the magestic York House. The registrar was one of the most entertaining, laid back characters I’ve come across on a wedding day! Cracking jokes and doing his best to put everyone at ease which he definitely did! From York House we took a little bit of time for some photographs before catching a taxi to take us to the riverboat! It truly was a magical experience to capture so many happy faces filled with pure joy as the riverboat cruised majestically down the River Thames. It was a photographers dream as I was left to document this unique occasion and capture all the natural fun and laughter that was to be had.

Rochelle and Farook Stylish Wedding at Hedsor House, Taplow

The photos look amazing, we’re so happy with them. Cant wait to show all our friends and family.

Bridal prep was a hive of activity! Children excitedly running around, bridesmaids chatting and makeup artists doing their thing! When I walk into a bridal suite the energy of the room always hits me. I love it when I look around and there’s a million things happening. My brain is instantly in gear and I can’t wait to start shooting. As any photographer will tell you good light is key in capturing and creating amazing images. Thankfully the awesome wedding venue, Hedsor House in Taplow has huge and I mean huge windows in the bridal suite, perfect for my documentary natural light style of wedding photography.

I shot the day primarily with my faithful Nikon D750, Nikon 24-70mm 2.8f lens and Sigma 35mm 1.4f. I would encourage all budding photographers to start by using a prime lens. It really focuses your eye and makes you work around a subject. It also saves on gym membership, I wish I knew how many steps I take shooting a full day wedding..thousands I bet!

Farook was getting ready in another room with his best mates so the morning involved switching between rooms depending on what was happening.

Rochelle looked stunning in her dress and bought her father to tears. I was so happy to be in the right place at the right time to capture that moment. It’s these spontaneous moments full of emotion and love between a father and daughter that inspire and motivate me. If you asked them to pose straight after it just wouldn’t be the same. It’s why I love shooting the way that I do. Keeping things real and honest so whenever a couple looks back on their pictures it brings back the same real emotions and memories.

Vicki & Tom Winter Pre Wedding Shoot in Wallingford

With wedding season just around the corner the next few months are all about pre wedding and engagement shoots!  A few weeks ago I hooked up with Vicki & Tom in Wallingford for their pre wedding shoot. It was a grey, cold winters day but that didn't stop us from having a good time and snapping some fun pics! They were a great couple to work with and happy to go with the flow! I can't wait to shoot their wedding day in a few months time.