Cathy and Martin are two of the loveliest people I’ve met on my wedding photography adventure. They’re very good friends of Heather & Dileep too – (you can see their photos here) and they recommended me to Cathy. This is always my favourite way to get new business – firstly, because it confirms that a couple love their wedding photos enough to tell someone else to use me and secondly, it’s much cheaper than other forms of advertising! I ‘met’ Cathy and Martin on a Skype chat, as they live in London. (Ha! Well before anyone had even heard of Zoom!) I often joke that I don’t need the gym as handing heavy Graphistudio albums around keeps my arms well toned, but there’s nothing quite like holding one up in front of a webcam for 10 minutes to really test your stamina! So naturally I was delighted when they quickly decided they wanted to book me so that I could put the albums down 🙂
Following a meeting at Church Farm, in which I basically fell in love with the place, Cathy told me that growing up, she’d been next door neighbour to Heather and that both Heather and Dileep were going to be guests. I love recommendation weddings even more when the original couple are going to be there too! Cathy and Martin got married at the fabulous St Peter’s Church in Heswall, with a vicar cousin of theirs performing the ceremony, so for the first time, I got to shoot at the front of this wonderful church. Not all clergy allow photographers at the top end, so do check with your church what their arrangements are for photographers.Unusually, I didn’t shoot the bridal preparations for this wedding as Cathy asked another of her cousins to shoot this part of the day. Sarah did a fantastic job – but I’ve not posted the photos here as neither myself nor my assistant, Lindy, took them. So our day began at the church. St Peter’s is one of my favourites, as the path that leads from the road to the church door is so long, that the confetti throwing seems to go on forever, allowing for some wonderful shots. There was a considerable comedic pause en route as Cathy’s sister tried heroically to fire her confetti launcher – she got there in the end!
This part of Wirral is absolutely beautiful and Church Farm is nestled in perhaps the most rural part of the peninsula: Thurstaston. Rolling green fields surround it and the views over the Dee to the hills of North Wales are just stunning. A short car journey from St Peter’s and a quick trundle up the farm track and all the guests had arrived. We took Cathy and Martin on a little drive across the field to have an early couple shoot, before returning them to their guests for drinks. Next, the family photos – the sun was high in the sky, so we had to use flash all the way through to avoid horrendous shadows on people’s faces, but in turn, this allowed us to feature the beautiful blue skies that didn’t desert us all day. My tried and tested group photography method worked its usual magic and we were done in double quick time – just 25 minutes! (If you’re dreading the group photos because you’ve been at weddings where they take hours to complete the photography, fear not – get in touch with me to find out how I can make sure every guest and family member is photographed in less than 30 minutes – even where there’s over 100 guests.)
After a tumultuous welcome for the happy couple as they came into the gorgeous marquee for the wedding breakfast, my assistant and I took a lovely break outside, seated on the wooden benches and waited for the meal to finish so we could complete the couple shoot. The sun was now low on the horizon, giving us wonderful ‘golden hour’ light, which we took full advantage of! Next, back to the marquee for speeches, then back outdoors again for the sunset – everybody came out for this spectacular visual feast. Then it was back in doors for a good old-fashioned ceilidh – the marquee floor was bouncing!
We are very happy to have chosen Dan as the photographer for our wedding, and are really pleased with our wedding album which we’ll treasure for many years to come. The photos are really lovely. Dan was friendly and professional in the lead up to the wedding. He ensured that all the different parts of the wedding had been thought through, and that all the photography logistics were well planned. And he took the time to ensure that we were happy with how the day would run. On the day, Dan coordinated the photos very efficiently, ensuring that the main group photos were completed quickly and with a minimum of fuss. Helped by the wonderful weather, he captured many special moments and stunning backdrops throughout the whole day.