Tag: Qualified wedding photographer

Destination Wedding Photography | My Italian Workshop

In my 12 years of business, I regularly take time out to invest in my own growth and development, Something I feel is vital to my creativity and keeping the inspiration flowing. Last year I had the pleasure of attending a weeklong photography workshop in Italy run by the fantastically talented Scott Johnson and Paul Fowler. The icing on the cake for me was that this workshop was being hosted by Graphistudio, the album company that I partner with.

So I headed off by taxi to Gatwick in the wee small hours of a May morning to jump on a plane to Venice in the hope of being picked up on the other side! Thankfully, Scott and Paul were nicely organised and along with Martin from Graphistudio we were all met and transported through the beautiful scenery to a village called Pielungo (with a much needed stop-off en route for some delicious antipasti and local red wine!)

As we were transported through the foothills of the Dolomite mountains we were told the history of Graphistudio and how they came to be in ownership of Castle Ceconi, their beautifully renovated, neo-Gothic Castle. I love sharing this story when I meet people and tell them about the albums they will receive! This was to be our learning base for the next 4 days…. I’ll save the history lesson until we’re face to face!

Scott and Paul took us through an intense period of learning and workshops. We shot around the castle, were shown different techniques and inspired to look at locations differently. Our hearts were opened by Fundy (the company who provide my album design software) to help us understand the essence of why we provide the service we do. We had business advice, live critiques on our images and also the opportunity to play with new camera systems courtesy of Fuji and Lensbaby who were on hand for us to try new things.

In addition to all this learning, a highlight for me was visiting the Graphistudio workshop where I saw one of my albums in production (I cried!) and was able to make changes under the advice of the creative team to the positive outcome for the album! We could see how hand made these pieces of photographic art really are.

To say this was exhilarating, tiring, inspiring and brilliant is an understatement! Along with the rest of the delegates, we stayed in a small hotel in the village where after our days of learning we would drink incredible Prosecco, dine on the best pizza and pasta dishes and bond. I can honestly say I made firm friends. Some even put up with me dragging them out for morning runs in the mountains, through the stunning waterfalls and landscapes after very late nights of sampling the local produce! Over 18 months on, we’re all still in regular contact!

For the final days of our workshop we relocated to Venice for a sunrise shoot with our very patient models (a real life couple and previous bride and groom of Scott). The sunrise was hidden behind some very heavy rain clouds, but how perfect it was! To actually shoot live in the most awful conditions and still create something beautiful is fantastic.

Although I haven’t taken on Destination Wedding Photography in recent years while my children were still very young, I’m so thankful to have visited Italy to flex that muscle again, be challenged and inspired by some incredible photographers, have my business plans checked, and make great friends. Now my kids are a little older I’m looking forward to visiting overseas more for work in the future.

If you’re a photographer and considering investing in your development, all I can say is DO IT!! Your future self will thank you for it. You can only grow from these things! I’d been professionally shooting for nearly 12 years at the point of the workshop and I still learnt so much (and have still so much more to learn!). These guys run annual workshops at Graphistudio HQ, invest in their training sessions, it’s worth it!

Here’s some of my favourite shots from my time on the workshop (some under the tutelage and inspiration of Scott & Paul, others using my own time spent with the models) I hope you like them too!

xX Fiona Xx

Destination Wedding Photography | My Italian Workshop

Wiston House Wedding Photographer | Velma & Rob

Wiston House Wedding Photographer| Velma & Rob

I have known Rob, the Groom for many years through mutual friends and church, so it was a great joy to shoot the big day for him and his beautiful bride, Velma.

After booking me the first thing we put in the diary was the engagement shoot. This was set for a very wintery day in Arundel finished off with tea and cake whilst we put plans to paper! Here’s one of my favourite shots from that session.

Velma and Rob met at university in 2009 and instantly hit it off with their shared interests. Rob proposed to her on their 6th anniversary of dating on a beach in Zanzibar. There were musicians and a sunset to set the scene……so romantic!

Everyone got ready at Wiston House. The bride and her bridal party naturally assigned the most beautiful room big enough to host her girls and her family. The atmosphere was lively with drum and bass blaring from a speaker somewhere, whilst everyone bustled to get ready! The girls did each others hair and make-up in their matching silk robes, which was a lovely moment to capture.

As Velma got into her stunning mermaid style gown by Paloma Blanca which showed off her figure perfectly, the women present broke into spontaneous songs of blessing as she got into her dress. This was such an emotional moment and I struggled to hold back the tears! After a few shots with Velma’s mum I captured some moments with the Bride, one of which became a winning image… I had entered a number of wedding photographs into The Master Photographers Association 2018 regional print comp… I came both first and second place in two categories: Classic Wedding Photography and Documentary Wedding Photography. This particular image won Silver in the later category.

Whilst the bridal party made their final preparations, I popped down to see the boys before they left for the church. I found them finishing off some details in the Reception room before moving into the grounds to take some portraits. For a Wiston House Wedding Photographer the inspiration for portraiture is plentiful. The Groomsmen looked sharp in their blue suits and plum ties, to match the Bridesmaids, Rob standing out as Groom with a waistcoat. The look completed with Maasai print pocket squares from Kenya. The groomsmen were more than happy to pose for a formal shot or two.

As a coincidence, this image below won the second place silver in the same print competition, this time for the Classic Wedding Photography.

Once the boys had set off I returned to Velma to capture the most beautiful scene of the women in the room surrounding her in a moment of prayer. For Rob and Velma their faith was a very important part of their celebrations, it was an honour to photograph such an intimate tradition.

Before Annie, my second shooter, and I left for the church we captured Velma by Wiston Chapel to compliment the images I took earlier of Rob. All of my couples are provided with an album so I often shoot with a mind of how this will look in their album. As you will see I have earmarked this spot to create a portrait of them together later.

Rob and Velma chose to marry at Opengate Church in Bognor Regis, this is where Rob attended before he moved away. Before the arrival of the Bridal party, Rob spent some time with his Dad. Velma arrived shortly after with her parents, unbeknown to her Rob had organised to sing to her as she walked down the aisle once the bridesmaids had completed their procession. What a brave and touching thing to do.

Opengate is such a light, bright and airy church to shoot in and versatile to decorate so that it is in-keeping with your theme. The service was led by Jamie Fredricks, someone whom Rob admired greatly as he represented their values. Leading the worship band was my late husband and other close friends of the couple. It was an emotional celebration and you could see and feel the love and joy in the room.

Once Rob and Velma had signed the register (during which one of the bridesmaids sung), using the wide space and light room we created a group photo before the final blessing. Rob had one more surprise up his sleeve, with confetti cannons hidden around the room ready to go off as they walked up the aisle as husband and wife. The guests remained for tea and cake whilst we returned to Wiston House for some newlywed portraits.

As a Wiston House Wedding Photographer it is amazing to shoot here. The venue is beautiful and the grounds are vast, giving me the opportunity to create many varied memories of the big day. The happy couple arrived in a Rolls Royce with a personalised number plate and I was ready to capture this moment! The countryside grounds created a perfect backdrop for portraits of Rob and Velma, and not forgetting the chapel door that I mentioned earlier to create these stunning shots.

After taking shots in the grounds we also wanted to capture the grandeur of Wiston House itself so we moved to the main house where we took a few more portraits whilst they waited for their guests to arrive.

As the guests arrived they were greeted by a string quartet playing classical music. It was a lovely Spring day so the wedding party were able to use the stunning grounds for lawn games and drinks. The bridal party put beautiful handmade traditional Maasai jewellery on each other which was such a tribute to her cultural traditions.

Wiston House has an impressive Great hall used for the Wedding Breakfast, once the guests were seated the happy couple arrived to a rapturous applause. The speeches were given before dinner and it was lovely hearing the Groom, Father of the Bride and Best man regale kind and loving stories of each other. Rob asked his friend and mentor Jo to lead Grace before the wedding breakfast was served.

While the room was being set up for the evening, and many of the guests returned to their rooms to freshen up, we made the most of the stunning sunset and went outside to get more shots of Rob, Velma and their bridesmaids. We wanted to make the bridesmaids feel special and like they were part of a Vogue photo shoot! We definitely achieved this, they were all naturals and they all got their glam on!!

Before the evening party got started we embraced the period features of the house and created a couple more portraits before it was time for the first dance.

Rob and Velma booked an East African band for their party, embracing the Kenyan side of the wedding. They had a slow first dance before the band kicked off and the dance floor exploded! The moves on the dance floor were unbelievable, the room was full and the party was in full swing.

Annie and I left shortly after to head home for the next stage of our wedding photography service of culling, editing and designing the album. This was certainly not a chore as it was such a vibrant and colourful day to go back through. We completed their collection with a handmade Italian Album by Graphistudio a perfect way to view your photos back in the highest definition and print quality possible.

Thank you so much Velma and Rob for letting us share your big day with you! Wishing you all the happiness in your future together.

xx Fiona xx

Wiston House Wedding Photographer| Velma and Rob

Incase you missed it! Here is a list of the suppliers used.

Venue: Wiston House

Cakes: Kasserina Cakes

Dress:Paloma Blanca

Flowers: Rococo Florist

Transport: Phantom Hire

Stationary: Hobby Craft

Entertainment: Kmusic/kaleidoscope string quartet and Ugandan Band: jo@sebentege.co.uk

Catering: Wiston House

Farnham Castle Wedding Photographer | Sam & Amanda

I met Sam and Amanda at a wedding fair on a hot, sunny day at Goodwood… when most sensible people are sitting in a pub garden enjoying a nice cold beer! I’m very glad we’re not all sensible people mind you! Sam and Amanda booked me for their lovely Farnham Castle wedding. As with most of my wedding collections, we start with a little “getting to know each other” on a pre-wedding shoot. I met them at a stunning lake near Petersfield which was a regular spot for them both in their early dating days. Here’s a little peek of that!

Amanda is a keen historian with a passion for archaeology working in a brilliant West Sussex museum. It came as no surprise then that she chose a castle venue for their wedding. Farnham Castle is steeped in history, with the keep still standing and open for visitors. The rest of the modernised venue remains in keeping with the stately nature, whilst providing a versatile space for weddings and events. Both Sam and Amanda got ready at the venue, Amanda at the gatehouse while Sam had one of the rooms. Personally, I feel that the morning of preparations is one of my favourite parts to capture… the excitement, anticipation, and the first look of the beautiful dress that until now has been kept hidden and treasured. Amanda had previously found THE dress on a chance visit back to Leeds with her family, but logistically it was too far to make repeated trips for alterations, but with a little communication was able to source the dress from Proposals in Chichester. The Groomsmen also looked very dapper in their suits with cravats to complement the purple and lilac hues of the colour scheme.

Sam and Amanda opted for a civil ceremony in the bright and airy Lantern Hall. The thing I love about being a Farnham Castle Wedding Photographer is that there is great flexibility on where you can marry there, offering both a Civil Ceremony in the Lantern Hall and a Church of England service in the Norman Chapel. I don’t know many other venues that can boast that dual option.

After the ceremony, Sam and Amanda were showered with confetti before settling on the steps for a group portrait and some family photos. The team here at Farnham Castle are well versed in keeping their guests fed and watered, seamlessly moving from drinks and canapes to the Great Hall for the wedding breakfast. We worked with Sam and Amanda to find quiet moments for their portraits that didn’t keep them from their waiting guests too long. The newlyweds have the pleasure of having the Castle Keep to themselves once opening hours have finished, so we made sure to get some portraits befitting a princess in the castle. The wedding breakfast looked amazing…. Amanda presented a person from each table with a butchers apron where they then discovered they were in charge of carving the roast for their table! A great way to break the ice if you don’t know whom you’re seated with! The Speeches made for some great entertainment too with some hilarious photos of Sam, courtesy of the Best Men popping up for the guests to enjoy!

The evening celebrations opened with Sam and Amanda cutting their beautiful cake before heading to the dance floor for the most amazingly choreographed first dance, They wowed the crowd with their ballroom moves. This also enabled me to get the shot that won me The Master Photographers Association | Reportage Photographer of the Year (South Central Region). They had the moves, I was very glad to have captured them. As the evening went well on into the night, John and I said our goodbyes and started the journey back to prepare for the next stage of editing and album design.

Sam and Amanda opted for the Duet by Graphistudio… A double album consisting of the included 30page Young Book and an additional 100 Primo, a larger A3, magazine style album which enables the whole day to be printed, not just the highlights. They also treated their families to a Parent Copy each, a wonderful Christmas present to give in that first year of marriage!

Thank you so much for having us share your beautiful day! We wish you every happiness in your future together.

xX Fiona Xx

Farnham Castle Wedding Photographer | Sam & Amanda

Russets Country House Wedding Photographer

Russets Country House Wedding Photographer | Cressy & John

You may or may not remember it was about this time last year I took Cressy and John to my favourite secret spot for their engagement shoot. With bluebells galore and gorgeous yellow rapefields, we maxed out on the scenery. Here’s a little look back…

Although West Sussex based, Cressy and John had their summer wedding in the most stunning Surrey venue. Russets Country House. A privately owned venue, which also serves as the family home, sitting with stunning views over the Surrey Downs. The interior is gloriously and artistically decked out to make the most of the light coming through its many windows.

Cressy and her girls got ready in a divine master suite. Her dress, sourced from the Southampton based Ava Louise Bridal Wear was incredible. Delicate lace detailing with a full back reveal, yet classically simple in design. Simply beautiful and fitted Cressy like a glove. The girls were all in charge of each others hair and make-up, which of course means that a selfie or two must be captured to mark the results!

John and his groomsmen were kitted out in stylish Herbie Frogg suits from Havant based Astares Menswear. From their brogues to their handkerchiefs the boys matched the girls in style!

As they guests started to arrive, the warm weather and welcoming venue set a president for the happy and excited vibe that was filling the place. The ceremony was held in a light and airy room which didn’t fail to enhance the impact as Cressy was walked down the aisle by her father towards an awaiting John. As a Russets Country House Wedding Photographer, these moments of anticipation and joy never lose their sparkle. Fun and giggles with the rings and vows, it wasn’t long before Cressy and John exited the room as Mr & Mrs!!

While the guests filtered out to the lawns for drinks and canapes, we quickly went the other way to capture a few moments alone with the newlyweds. This gave them a little breather to process and enjoy their new marital status before heading back to their guests. With a selection of group shots requested, I think one of my favourite photographs is the one where Cressy’s nephew stole the show!! Kids have a great way of breaking the ice at a wedding!

While the guests enjoyed their wedding breakfast by Just Jane catering, we recharged and reloaded ourselves. Returning for the speeches was hilarious. Cressy’s dad had the whole room in stitches, while John and his father both gave really emotionally charged speeches. As the guests filtered out into the warm late-afternoon sun, we took another brief moment to capture Cressy and John for some more portraits. The sunlight dipping down was gorgeous.

As we re-joined the party it seems the guests really did get into the spirit of things with their own prop-laden photo booth! It wasn’t long before the cake was cut, the magician pulled multiple tricks out of the bag and the dancefloor filled. This was a wedding that had something for everyone. Fun, games, love and laughter. It was clear that all those there were very much loved by the happy couple.

Before long the time came for us to head home. It was such a pleasure shooting this wedding and is often the case, we don’t usually want to leave there’s too much fun to be had!

Thankfully the work doesn’t stop there. Once all these images were processed, the next stage was to design the wedding album. Using only the handmade, quality albums from Graphistudio in Italy, the Young Book was created to complement the colours from Cressy & John’s day. I think you’ll agree it looks stunning. A real heirloom for them to carry forward into their future.

I received the most lovely feedback from Cressy & John. Although this job is most definitely a passion, to hear your couples love your work as much as you loved creating it is always the icing on the cake!

“We can’t believe it was a year ago today we first met Fiona and went on our test shoot! Fiona is such a lovely and professional person we felt at ease straight away. We’re rubbish when it comes to having photos together so having the pre wedding shoot made us feel so much more comfortable and reassured when it came to the big day. It was such a laugh and we enjoyed it so much and loved the outcome of the photos. We spoke a lot prior to our wedding day. Fiona always updated us and helped us with decisions. She was just fabulous. When it came to the day Fiona and Lee took charge of all our guests so we got all the photos we had asked for which isn’t an easy job! Fiona and Lee were very good at taking us off little bits at a time so we didn’t feel like we were missing out on anything. They are such lovely people it was like having two extra wedding guests. We were over the moon when we got our wedding photos it was like replaying the whole day again and we honestly wouldn’t change anything and we’re so glad Fiona was recommended to us. We were so pleased with our album too and glad our package included this as well as the online gallery. Such precious memories to have and look back on.
We couldn’t recommend Fiona enough and will definitely be using her again.
Thank you
Cressy & John “

Anyhow, wishing you both all the very best for your future, and I hope to see you again to capture the next stages!

xX Fiona Xx

FionaMillsArt| Russets Country House Wedding Photographer | Cressy & John