I write articles, provide advice and contribute my images to national wedding magazines across the UK on a regular basis. You may find some of these articles and publications useful. Click here to read a selection of my published work from UK wedding magazines. Below you’ll find some of the common questions we’re often asked:
What’s your style of photography?
Over the years I’ve developed a unique photographic style that is described by my couples as ‘creative- documentary.’ I photograph the ‘natural’ story of your day using an unobtrusive and creative approach, and combine this with some highly unique ‘signature’ shots of the bride and groom together, showing off your chosen venue/s to their fullest potential.
What about posed group photos?
Almost all of my couples request a few formal posed group shots at some point during the day. I work hard to ensure that all of the important people/groups are captured, but in a quick and friendly way which creates natural, happy looking images for you. Capturing 6-8 groupings will provide you with cherished images of your loved ones for your beautiful album, while allowing you and your guests to get on with the important job of enjoying your special day, without the stress and boredom that can result from group photos ‘taking over’ your wedding.
Who will photograph our wedding and how many photographers will be present?
Limiting the number of weddings I photograph in a year, ensures that I’m able to offer a completely ‘personal’ service to my couples. I’m a full-time professional, award-winning wedding photographer, and the only photographer who will capture the story of your day. Your photography will not be ‘farmed out’ to a cheaply hired ‘second-shooter,’ so that I can double book your date!
In order to ensure a high level of artistic consistency through the story of your day, it’s vital that they are all created by the same person, with a single and consistent vision for the final image.
Working alone ensures that I’m able to remain an unobtrusive observer during the day. When previously working with a second photographer and/or assistants, I found that guests looked to the ‘team’ of photographers swarming everywhere for direction and instruction, which becomes very intrusive. The atmosphere of the day is also very different and it becomes increasingly difficult for the photographers to remain unobtrusive enough not to affect the actual story of your day, something I work hard to avoid!
How will our photos be presented?
All three wedding photography packages are built around providing you with all of the original colour images from your day as high resolution j-peg files on a CD. The disc comes in a beautiful case with a printing license which means you can make as many prints as you wish and design your own album if you prefer. Depending upon the package selected, you will also receive all of your images printed and displayed in our beautiful hard-back A4 sized ’Proof Book,’ together with the opportunity to come into the studio for a ‘champagne preview session,’ and immediately afterwards will have a password protected on-line slide-show gallery of all of your images available.
More than 90% of our couples also choose to display the story of their day in one of our uniquely designed, luxury contemporary wedding albums, either including an album in their initial package, or ordering one after their wedding when they see their amazing images. When ordering an album, selected images are taken through an extensive secondary digital process, to ensure that they look their best when printed. With three contemporary and very different styles of album available from the world’s finest suppliers in the UK and Australia, you are sure to find the perfect presentation option for the story of your special day.
What options do we have for displaying our favourite images outside of our album?
Your wedding photographs are individually created pieces of art that will show the story and emotions behind the events of your special day. Most of our couples therefore want to display their favourite images independently of their beautiful albums. We can of course offer a full range of large format display options including luxury framed prints, canvas and block-mount prints, together with unframed prints in all the popular sizes. Click here to see the current options available.
Who will design our wedding album and will you retouch our photos?
I am the only person who will design your unique album from scratch. We do not simply send off a disc of images to an album company for your album to be designed for you. This ensures that each and every album I design, truly reflects the story of each wedding photographed, in a completely creative, unique and personal way.
I do not use software templates for my album designs, instead using your favourite images and starting the design of each album from scratch. This ensures that your album is unique to your day, and will never look like anyone else’s wedding album. All images selected for use in our albums or ordered as prints will go through an extensive additional retouching process, to ensure that you look your best in your photos.
How much of our wedding day will you photograph?
This depends on how much of the day you want covered. Our packages can include coverage of your preparations, the ceremony and your reception up to the first dance, without any time restrictions if required. This is typically 8-12 hours, but can be extended further if required. If you require a shorter period of coverage, again this is not a problem (although it won’t change the price of the package.)
Can we change the package?
Yes of course. If our very popular packages don’t meet your requirements, just let us know what you’re looking for instead. Please note that we will not offer ’cheaper’ packages, but are always happy to change them to meet your specific requirements.
What are your wedding photography prices?
Before you ask this question you may find the information on this page useful to see how different levels of investment in your wedding photography will affect the level or service you experience and the quality of your final imagery. Couples typically invest from £1,295 to £2,495 depending upon their specific requirements and the way they choose to personalise their package.
How much are your wedding albums?
Our uniquely designed, luxury wedding albums start from £225 for parent/family albums, and from £495 for main albums. Full album details and prices are discussed with you in person. Those couples who include an album in their package at the time of booking, receive a discount of up to £200. Many couples use our popular ‘Wedding Photography Gift Scheme’ to get family and friends to pay for their album, or perhaps order an album after the big day once they have seen all of the amazing images!
How do we book you?
Simple. First, complete our availability form to check that I’m still available on your date. Then call us for a friendly and informal chat to check that I’m the ‘right’ photographer for your special day. Most couples wish to confirm their booking at this point, so we simply ask for a minimum booking fee of £400 to secure your date, (click here to pay by card or ask us for our account details to pay by BACS/Electronic transfer.) We then ask you to complete our on-line booking form here. Next, we’ll invite you into our studio to meet me in person and view my portfolio through our range of exquisite, uniquely designed albums.
Some photographers offer 1,000 images on a CD for £600. Why don’t you?
Simple. You get what you pay for. Photography is my profession, not a part-time interest. I invest typically 80+ hours into each and every wedding story I’m involved with. From pre-wedding consultation meetings, post-wedding studio proofing sessions, to album design sessions, I also spend 8-12 hours with you on the day and a full week editing and processing your 300 individually created images, each one it’s own unique piece of art. It can then take a further 3-4 days to complete the album design process. On top of this there is the cost of my equipment, studio running costs, marketing, advertising, motoring and insurance costs etc.
Investment in your wedding photography with me is about more than just photos of your wedding day memories. Click here to see an overview of the ‘typical’ experience of our couples. You’ll quickly see why I become most of my couple’s ‘family photographer’, for many years after their wedding.
The discerning couples who commission me to capture the story of their day are only interested in creating the finest story possible of the day’s events and the ‘complete’ package that I provide them with. With award-winning, uniquely creative images that capture the emotion, detail and story of your day, combined with the finest albums and display products available anywhere in the world, you are guaranteed a result that you will be over-joyed with, and will ultimately end up cherishing for a life-time to come. Isn’t this worth investing in?
Our couples generally receive 250-320 individual images from a single wedding. These images are carefully selected from the many more frames that are actually taken on the day, to ensure that the story of your day is told in full. Duplicates, any unflattering images, or images where someone blinked at the wrong time etc are all removed, to ensure that you are not left with the task of having to wade through 1,000′s of similar looking images.
In light of the quality of my photography and the high quality, contemporary products used to display it, our prices are extremely competitive when compared to other studios at the same end of the market. Click here to read more on average wedding photography prices across the UK and what you can expect in return for your investment.
Do you photograph winter weddings?
Yes, I’m a ‘specialist’ Winter wedding photographer. I’m usually as busy in Dec & Jan as I am in Aug & Sep. For more information on this specialist area of wedding photography, click here.
How far will you travel to photograph a wedding?
I have photographed weddings as far away as Japan, but more usually across Wales and the UK, from our South Wales base on the M4 corridor between Cardiff and Swansea. We have a specialist ‘Destination wedding photography package’ available for weddings overseas. If you are getting married in South Wales (Newport to Cardigan,) we do not charge you for travelling to your wedding.
Based on the M4 corridor I’ve photographed weddings in London, the South West, Liverpool, Manchester, the Midlands Mid and North Wales and the Cotswolds amongst many other places across the UK. Our convenient M4 motorway base makes it easy for me to be pretty much anywhere in the UK within a few hours drive to cover your UK wedding, so if you’re planning a wedding outside of Wales and have already fallen in love with my style and approach, call us today to check my availability for your date.
Do we have to feed you?
No. My attendance at your wedding is to perform a professional service for which you are paying me. I always have food and drink with me and will usually aim to grab a bite to eat and a break during your own meal, though of course if you or the venue were to offer me something on the day, I usually don’t refuse and it’s always greatly appreciated!
When should we book you?
We receive 150-160 general enquiries each year. Of these I only book a maximum of 30 weddings before the year is full. This is to ensure that we are able to maintain the high quality of our service that we are renowned for. Those couples who really want me to capture the story of their special day, often book me 12-24 months in advance to ensure that I’m still available on their date. Please don’t leave it too late. We hate disappointing people when we have to tell them that their date is already booked.
Why haven’t we seen you at a wedding fayre and how can we meet you and see your work first-hand?
We no longer attend wedding fayres because the majority of fayres are now overcrowded with medium/poor quality photographers with work that is all visually similar, generic and uninspiring. These photographers will try to ‘hard-sell’ you into booking with them. By limiting the number of bookings I accept each year, I can ensure that each and every couple I work with receives the very highest level of care and attention to detail. Not attending wedding fayres ensures a certain degree of ‘exclusivity’ for my couples, and also means that the majority of my bookings now come from three main sources:
* Firstly and most importantly, from direct referrals from my previous couples.
* Secondly, venue referrals from the wedding venues I work at regularly.
* Thirdly from couples who fall in love with my work, style and approach on our website.
These three sources ensure that when meeting new couples, I don’t need to ‘sell’ what I do. I can simply concentrate on listening to your requirements and find out more details about your needs and plans.
We have a dedicated wedding studio in our home, which is used to meet with our couples in comfort. It is fully stocked with examples of my work and the complete range of luxury album and large format display products. My work is created to be printed, it’s therefore vital that you get to see it…’in print.’ We also use the studio to conduct our ‘champagne preview sessions’, showing you your wedding photos for the first time on our 80 inch display screen with a glass of bubbly.