Tag: bognor wedding photographer

Two Woods Wedding Photographer | Kerry & Craig

On meeting Kerry & Craig, it was clear that their love of all things nature was going to be the presiding factor of their day. Their engagement shoot was held in the stunning West Sussex Bluebell Woods. Their wedding was planned for Two Woods in Pulborough which is perfect for those loving the outdoor vibes!

Kerry and Craig’s ceremony was held in October, which has to be one of my favourite months to shoot. Autumn is my visual highlight of the year as the colours change into the most firey of tones. Add in the choice of venue, as a regular Two Woods Wedding Photographer I was truly excited for this one! The creative couple that they are, I found out later that they had designed their own stationary and had done much of the decor themselves.

The Bridal Barn is a light and airy space, perfect for your group to get ready in. Kerry had provided lovely gowns for her and her girls, we couldn’t resist making sure these was part of the picture! The bridal party itself was made up of family members and their spouses, who were also their closest friends, making it a really lovely, intimate feel.

It seems Kerry is a very organised bride, she had sourced her wedding dress a few years before planning their wedding from Whyte Weddings in Worthing. How she kept that a secret, and didn’t keep visiting it and wearing it I don’t know! Shelly Bond Bridal was in charge of the hair and make-up for the day, which also included floral hair pieces and crowns designed by Brandon at Flowers4, also in Worthing. The bouquets were sumptuous, perfectly complementing the Autumnal colours that were everywhere.

The girls got ready swiftly in their Asos dresses and opened their gifts. Stunning earrings which again, fitted the natural theme of the day to perfection. Helping Kerry into her dress, the girls primped with final details before getting ready for the ceremony being held in the Redwoods.

The boys were already at the Redwoods greeting their guests and checking the final details. Craig looked incredibly dapper in his tweed suit from Greys Suit Hire, Worthing. His groomsmen in blues which further complemented the natural orange tones of the season.

It was easy for the guests to find their way through the estate to the Redwoods as Kerry and Craig had thoughtfully marked the way with many handwritten signs and arrows!

It was lovely for Lee, my second shooter to have been able to catch the boys in a moment of calm before they took their places to await Kerry and the girls.

I love how Kerry was escorted to the Redwoods from the Bridal Barn in an open jeep, a great way to travel in style for your day!

One of the most gorgeous things I see as a regular Two Woods Wedding Photographer is the epic aisle! I mean WOW! What an entrance as you round the corner and start making your way to your beloved under the canopy of these beautiful Redwoods! I’m not surprised to see many a tear shed and Craig was no exception to a display of emotion as his bride glided towards him. With music provided by Jade Woodhouse, The Sussex Cellist, it was truly a serene moment.

The outdoor ceremonies held at Two Woods are just gorgeous, regardless of the time of year. Sheltered from the harsh sunlight by the natural canopy overhead, with rustic seating. You can really make it your own. With an unplugged wedding like this, you can really see the emotion and love in the guests as they watch their friends take their vows.

As I often do, rather than a disorganised shamble of a group shot, I find myself taking the group shot just after the signing of the register. That way the guests are all still present and visible while they are seated. This not only looks far neater (in my opinion) but takes less than a couple of minutes compared to longer when you try to reconnect everyone after they have dispersed and found the bar!

The guests enjoyed the bar after the ceremony while we completed the requested group shots within the Redwoods. A perfect spot for those precious photos with parents and your bridal party. It was lovely for the wedding guests to enjoy some mingling time with each other in this space while it remained wonderfully warm.

While the guests were ushered to the barn ready for their afternoon tea and speeches, Kerry & Craig held back for some couple portraits. When planning your photographic timeline, we try to choose the time spent with the couple to fit within those moments where there is either down time, a room is being turned around, or just simply… to get the rest of the guests from A-B! Often catering, especially when hot, is on a precise schedule. If we take the newlyweds out of view for a few moments it enables the team to usher the guests to the next part of the day in a timely manner, also allowing the couple a few moments of quiet to just “be” in that moment.

The short walk back to the barns provided the perfect backdrop for portraits that complemented their natural theme of the day.

The barn was set up for afternoon tea by Karen from Henry’s Kitchen, which was kicked off with some hilarious speeches by the best men! The rest of the bridal party also got involved with voicing some words for the happy couple!

I loved the foxy theme used within much of the decor too, from the table displays, to the wedding stationary. Even Craig’s lapel pin was on-point! As the afternoon tea finished, the room was turned around for the evening celebrations. The children played outside, making masks and enjoying the freedom and space the venue allowed.

After a minor mishap with the dress, Craig’s sister Helen thankfully works for a bridal boutique, so there was also a little room for her to apply her skills, ensuring Kerry’s dress was lifted and fastened securely for the evening party! They all looked very relaxed during this impromptu sewing session!

The Bridal Party used the Bridal Barn upstairs to take some photographs. As they were all either siblings or couples, Kerry and Craig had asked if we could create some quick portraits of each couple, which of course was a pleasure to do. We couldn’t help but make sure that the newlyweds got their own Bridal Barn Portrait too!

The evening kicked off with a bang to the First Dance: God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. A favourite of mine and one that holds many special memories for me. The 88’s band were in charge of the party and didn’t fail to get the party tunes rolling out! A brilliant band that sounds incredible at every wedding or event! There was a pizza van later in the evening proving some more delicious food for the guests.

During a quiet moment I managed to also get a closer look at Kerry & Craig’s rings. As Kerry works in the medical profession, she is unable to wear anything with stones, so Timothy Roe jewellers in Chichester had made her a bespoke ring with an entwining leaf pattern so she could wear something more unique in her day to day working life. I think you’d agree it is a perfectly befitting piece of jewellery for her.

I had such joy shooting Kerry & Craig’s wedding. It was a beautiful and happy day filled with my favourite Autumnal colours. No wedding is complete however without an album!

We designed their Graphistudio album to complete the natural feel of their theme. Using a Dark Brown Maple finish for the Original Wedding Album and Design Box, finished with a Burnt Sienna linen lining. I think you’ll agree, a perfect fit for this Two Woods Wedding.

Thank you again for choosing me Mr & Mrs Bendell, may you have a lifetime of happiness!

xX Fiona Xx

Two Woods Wedding Photographer | Kerry & Craig

Bognor Regis Wedding Photographer | Pre-wedding Shoot

I met the lovely Charlotte and Rob at a wedding last year that I shot at Two Woods Estate (have a look to remind yourselves!). Barely weeks had passed before we were getting together to discuss their October wedding plans for the following year. I shoot all over our beautiful country, but it really is a joy to be on my own doorstep sometimes as a Bognor Regis Wedding Photographer. We were able to meet at a local pub to us all and plan the pre-wedding shoot to happen in our town.

I’m a regular on our beach, walking the dog, playing with my children or just paddling on a warm evening when the tide is out. It was a perfect spot to hang out, practise posing and take some portraits. We managed a cheeky half before setting off and capturing a portrait with their baby daughter before she was whisked away to play with Grandma!

Today happened to be deceptively chilly quite a windy day, we really felt like we could have blown away! We played on this with some Hadouken fun! I happen to be a sucker for reflections too! Charlotte and Rob are planning a more alternative approach to their wedding day so I really wanted to capture some of this in our pre-wedding shoot.

Running alongside the beach is Marine Park Gardens, so we sauntered our way through there on the way back to the pub, somewhat more sheltered from the wind! I like to look at scenes from different perspectives. While Charlotte and Rob looked quite symmetrical from the front, I just love how they appear more abstract when viewed from the side through a peep-hole window.

Next on the agenda is to plan their wedding timeline. October may seem a way away yet, but it will certainly fly by! I can’t wait!!

Fiona xx

Bognor Regis Wedding Photographer | Pre-wedding Shoot

Master Photographers Association

We’re still in the first quarter of the year so I am very pleased to have ticked off another item on my “Things I hope to Achieve” list for this year. I have been awarded my Licentiateship with the Master Photographers Association. As well as now being an accredited photographer with 2 professional associations, I also get more fancy letters after my name and more mentoring and support I hope in the coming years to help me shape and grow in who I am as a photographer.

An added bonus of attending my qualification assessment is that it was taking place at The Photography Show at the NEC Birmingham. As a trade member with the Master Photographers Association I was able to get free tickets for my husband and I. We had a lovely stay in a hotel in Stratford upon Avon the night before which was a real treat for us… a small spa, a fancy restaurant and a sleep without little ones climbing in our bed in the wee hours!

Thankfully Tom loves tech and gear in all forms so he wasn’t too bored being dragged around the exhibitions with me, being silly on some of the stands and even enjoying some of the seminars that were available (and keeping me from overspending in geek heaven!). The tips, tricks and ideas I have walked away with are buzzing around my head and I can’t wait to implement them in my upcoming weddings.

For my MPA qualification, much like the assessment with the British Institute of Professional Photography earlier this month, a working profile is required which is a book describing you, your business, your policies and procedures, workflow and finally a description of all the images included in the panel. This was the hardest part again, but once I decided to throw their suggested format out of the window and design my own pages that complemented my branding the whole process flowed much easier…. that rebel inside just won’t be quieted!

The way the Master Photographers Association like to have the images presented are in two lines of 10. The top 10 from 1 wedding and the lower from a varied selection so the completed panel would look like this:

With a massive thank you again to all my lovely Brides and Grooms that make these images possible, here’s the panel that I submitted for my successful Licentiate qualification with the Master Photographers Association:

Fiona xx

Mr & Mrs Elliott | St Peters, Brighton | Long Furlong Barn

The wedding of Mr & Mrs Elliott at St Peters Church, Brighton, followed by the reception at Long Furlong Barn, Clapham.

There are so many routes I can go down to approach this blog, but I think I’m going to try to go down the kindness road, rather than the teasing and mickey-taking that could happen. You see, we know Jim, we know him really well. He used to rent a room from us, plays in a band with my husband and friends, is a founding member of the Push Community that my husband started a few years ago. We also shoot & video together sometimes, him being an ace videographer that we use for our music videos (me an inexperienced second following his command -and occasionally ignoring him totally!), and he a fab assistant at weddings for me from time to time.

Now, Jim’s relationship history was a bit of a disaster, and I mean with a capital D. It was becoming a standing joke that there would be a tale to be told when he was asked about his current state of affairs, he could have written a book. So, it was to our surprise when we met Olivia that she was normal. When I say normal, I mean she’s hot, stunningly gorgeous. She’s also intelligent, bright, strong, passionate. An independent character, full of faith, who happened to have fallen for our mate! As we got to know them more we could see they were a perfect match, bringing out positive sides to Jim that we hadn’t seen before, so I was really honoured that they asked me to be their wedding photographer. No pressure!! Jim & Olivia had met at St Peters Church in Central Brighton, although not a home church for either of them, it was fitting that they chose it as the location for their wedding.

On the wedding morning I popped into Olivia’s parents house on the way to St Peters so I could capture some moments as she got ready. Sadly, the weather was not great for the day, but the colour palate that had been chosen really made up for the lack of sunshine. Beautiful sunflowers adorned the bouquets as well as white roses, and Olivia’s bridesmaids were wearing lovely pale yellow. I have to admit, when I asked Olivia’s mum to bring down the dress for me so I could photograph it, I got a little emotional. It was stunning! Full bodice with textured lace detailing that flowed tight around the hips to open up to a fishtail skirt. With a full length veil and an additional sheer lace sleeved top. This dress was going to look amazing.

As Olivia came down the stairs towards her awaiting Dad, it was lovely to see the emotion in both of them. A few snaps with them all, then I was heading off to Brighton to catch Jim at St Peters.

As I mentioned earlier, the weather forecast wasn’t amazing, so we hadn’t planned for much outdoor wedding photography at the church, which was lucky, as the building was surrounded by scaffolding that had to be 100m tall!! The Church is going through some major renovation work inside and out, but it still managed to invoke feelings of reverence and sanctity. I can’t wait to see it complete. I managed to grab Jim and some of the boys while they were all busy milling about. Jim seemed….well. He was obviously looking forward to the day that was about to unfold, but you could tell there were some nerves kicking in!

St Peters filled up, everyone got into place…Jim’s best man Rex was leading worship for the most part so rather than being by his side, he was up on the stage ready to break into song. This was a blessing in disguise as I was not permitted near the front, so I had tasked Rex with the job of catching a few snaps of Olivia walking down the aisle from his iPhone (I know, groan…..but beggars can’t be choosers here!!) Then, the hush happened. Olivia and her bridal party arrived. Walking down the aisle with her father towards her groom, they both looked so happy.

The service was full of worship, prayers, vows and love. It was full of the faith that Jim & Olivia hold so dear and important. There were children playing in the aisles, smiles, tears and laughter. Our mate Jim was married. Amazing!!

Did I mention the weather was awful?? After the ceremony we sped to Long Furlong Barn to be met with a wall of rain. A literal wall of rain. Thankfully there were two barns to entertain the guests. One was set up for dining, the other contained games, hay bales, snacks, cards, giant Jenga, giant connect 4 and a bar! I grabbed the newlyweds for a quick (dry) portrait in the private bridal suite so they could carry on enjoying their guests.

Guests arrived, played games, chatted nibbled on the snacks provided while the caterers finished cooking their giant hog roast complete with wood-fired pizzas and paella. As the guests were sitting down to eat, this was the moment the skies cleared. We grabbed 10 minutes to venture outside to take a few more portraits before the heavens opened again. The setting at Long Furlong Barn is stunning. Located near a village called Clapham, 10 minutes from Worthing, it sits in the South Downs National Park. Surrounded by rolling hills, this valley location has a backdrop that changes with the weather and crop seasons. Today, the field was partly ploughed which created a great line for the eye. I like lines. Have I mentioned that before??!

The speeches were much cause for hilarity, if only there was a video. As is tradition, the groom generally offers the thanks for those who have contributed to their day…Jim kindly thanked the Father of the Bride for the gift of his daughter, that he “planned to unwrap slooooooowly, then fast” later that night. It was actually hard to photograph this as I found myself laughing so hard!!

After the meal, guests helped themselves to cake and a sweetie stand. Once suitably fuelled with sugar the party really started. So, Jim is in a band right? The Deloreans. Pretty awesome band (even if I do say so myself, go check them out people!) They came to play. How does this work you ask? Well, my husband is the dep-guitarist for the band so he stood in for Jim. As some of the members are the same, they also played a combined set with The 88’s (also amazing, check them out too….no, not just because my hot hubby is in it!!). So while they played some amazing party hits there was a limbo game set up on the dance floor. I challenge any bride to resist!! The band surprised Jim with the Steel Panther cover of The Backstreet Boys “I want it that way” that he’d been requesting (and been denied) for years as an addition to their repertoire. Jim also got up to play! He totally rocked out, even contributing to dance moves that he is usually pretty immune to!

As the party slowed to a close, guests and their children began to leave, it was time for Jim & Olivia to make their exit. Under a tunnel of arms, clutching his iPad, Jim led his beautiful bride Olivia off into the distance to start their married life together.

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Elliott, we can’t wait to see more of you as you grow together in your life journey.

Much Love, Fiona xx