I asked an innocent little question on facebook the other day. Something I was pondering as I looked through wedding submissions for the blog. I’m not a photographer. I’m wouldn’t call myself an expert. I see a lot of weddings; I think I can tell a great wedding photograph… but how can I really be sure I’m choosing the very best wedding photography for my English Wedding blog?

So then I thought about helping brides and grooms out there who might be wondering the same thing. And my photographer friends came to my rescue and explained how to choose the very best wedding photographer. They shared advice which applies to me, brides, grooms — anyone out there looking for great wedding photos. It’s easy to choose the perfect wedding photographer for you — and this is how (with advice from the experts!):

Do wedding photography qualifications matter?

My friend and expert wedding photographer Chris Hanley had lots of advice to share on the subject of wedding photography qualifications. My thanks to Chris for explaining how the various types of wedding photography qualifications work — and for sharing his opinions and helping me understand what really matters!

There are 2 types of qualification a wedding photographer might have. I’ll explain each one in turn:

1. Industry qualifications from associations such as the SWPP (Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers), BIPP (British Institute of Professional Photographers) and the MPA (Master Photographers Association). There are various associations like this in the UK wedding industry and worldwide. Some are worth more than others. Some charge a fee to be a member and anyone can join (and get a shiny logo to put on their website). What do they really mean? In some cases it’s nothing more than a panel of self-important, impressively rich people sitting in judgement over wedding photographers’ work.

Charlene told me on facebook, “We just wanted to love the images. The photographer we went with had albums that took our breath away, he also shot on actual black&white film which we love. Although it turned out money doesn’t buy you good customer service, at the time we did love him. Our photographer was part of the BIPP. It took a year to get our album and we had been so focused on getting that I couldn’t even take in what we had got when he turned up at our door. The album itself is a disappointment. For his experience and skill we had very high expectations and they have not been met. After the day can be as important as on the day. Not knowing what was happening ate us up inside and we felt completely hopeless. Honesty is very important.”

Don’t choose a wedding photographer solely on the basis of an impressive looking membership like this. At the very least, investigate what membership means: how exclusive is the association and do they hand out awards and badges like candy?

2. Educational qualifications from universities and colleges teach technique. Qualifications and letters after his or her name mean your photographer understands about light and composition, and has been taught about creativity and the core principles of photography.

Kristin from Struve Photography says, “I spent 3 years at college studying photography before I started. Having been through college, I did come out feeling a lot more confident about my ability, I have good editing and workflow ability; I’ve been pushed and challenged by my peers and tutors, and having learned lots of different photographic styles and had the benefit of meeting some amazing photographers and photo industry experts. A lot of the skills from the different things we studied are things I take with me to weddings.  However, I do think it depends a lot on the student, the course (and the time frame) and the course provider. Some self-taught photographers are incredible; some educated photographers are… well, bland at best. Also, it doesn’t necessarily improve your interpersonal skills, which are absolutely vital for any wedding photographer. There’s no “right” way, I think, in a person’s path to becoming a good photographer.”

Qualifications are certainly not a bad thing, but there’s a whole lot more to wedding photography. And there are so many ways to learn about photography techniques, from books to online resources and a wealth of magazines in your local newsagent. A lifetime’s experience of taking photographs is just as valid as a 3-year degree course, if you ask me. (Internationally renowned photographer David Bailey left school aged 15 and worked his way up from Fleet Street to photographing the biggest stars in the world.)

Jessica’s facebook comment was an eye-opener: “I spoke to a highly qualified person, but I’ve never been so spoken down to in my life. He made me feel childish, stupid and quite frankly pathetic. I’d rather have someone with no qualifications but talented and friendly then someone with qualifications and end up with stiff pictures because the photographer was awful to work with. Just because me and my fiancee are young does not mean we deserve to be ill treated by people who ‘know more about weddings’ as the photographer stated to us.”

So a photography qualification on its own does not make a great wedding photographer. Wedding photography requires some very specific skills: being able to work amongst large groups of people. Having fractions of seconds to capture a crucial and emotional moment. Lacking control of circumstances — unfamiliar venues, bad lighting, numerous distractions and more.

This is where experience comes into play, alongside creativity and style. Jonny Draper is a Manchester wedding photographer whose work I’ve featured on English Wedding before.

He told me, “You can have all the qualifications in the world but if you’ve never shot or worked a wedding before then you need to be upfront and honest with your clients. Experience is massively important…how much experience/qualification do you get for your money? I think it’s fair to say that if someone is charging you £250 for the day then you may not expect a huge amount of either (that’s not to say you won’t get lovely photographs of course!) but if someone is charging £2k-plus then you’d be entitled to expect a little bit more for you money in all aspects.”

A ‘professional’ wedding photographer?

The very definition of a ‘professional’ wedding photographer can be misleading, and is very much linked with this discussion. The word ‘professional’ used to be directly linked to a level of qualification. A qualified doctor or solicitor is certainly a professional. It’s a grand-sounding word, but its use has changed over recent decades. Professional is now widely used to imply high standards; to distinguish full-time workers from those who work part-time, for example.

I’m not saying this use of the word ‘professional’ is wrong, though. In my opinion (my background is partly in linguistics) it’s simply an example of the way our language changes over time. As an interesting aside, I understand things aren’t so simple everywhere: in Austria, for example, it’s illegal to call yourself a professional wedding photographer and go out shooting weddings without a professional qualification.

If qualifications don’t count, what does?

Experience is the most important thing you should look for in a wedding photographer. Photographing real weddings has more value than any qualification ever could. It’s about learning where to be to get the best shots throughout the day. It’s about knowing which lenses to use; which settings work in which circumstances. How to shoot in dark churches; how to get great images of the first dance with disco lights. How to watch for that moment when the groom’s bottom lip begins to go… how to be unobtrusive, how to know when to back off for a second if the bride is nervous before the ceremony.

Only time and experience will prepare a photographer to shoot weddings with sensitivity and skill.

Wedding photographer Jo Blackwell also shared her thoughts on facebook: “when I started second shooting, then going it alone, I brought my life experience to the table and my people skills — in my opinion this is where some of the more technically fixated pros fall down. A wedding is about emotion and story-telling, not whether the highlights are blown on the groom’s button hole!… I’ve looked into qualifications as I want to be the very best I can be, but there are a lot of impressive-sounding organisations out there that don’t seem to be very well regulated. I think that when choosing a wedding photographer, looking at their work and talking to them, seeing if you actually like them is a better indicator of whether they will deliver what you want than letters after their name.”

Creativity is important in a wedding photographer. We all want our weddings to be memorable and unique, to be special and reflect our personalities. So experience isn’t the only thing to look out for: Bob from Bob’s Wedding Snaps might have shot 100 weddings at your venue already… but is he taking the same photos each time, just with different faces in?

Nicky Chadwick is a Yorkshire wedding photographer, and she told me on facebook, “I have had three brides in the last 12 months who have come to me after their wedding day to see if ‘there is anything I can do’ with their pictures!!

“I think ultimately the couple have to feel comfortable with the photographer from the start and they have to like their work. If a photographer won’t answer your questions or can’t show you a good body of work then look at others who can. Get a contract from them and make sure it covers you as well as them should the worst happen. I do have qualifications from years ago, but like a few others have mentioned these only really help you technically, not with the customer service. I can honestly say I’ve never been asked what my qualifications are, maybe that’s because many people wouldn’t know what would be good qualifications anyway?”

Every wedding photographer has their own style. Don’t settle for the first photographer you see: find someone whose portfolio you love! The wedding photographer’s personality will often shine through in their images.

I loved Martin Roe’s facebook comment: “So many highly qualified photographers seem to be so hung up on perfect exposures, composition and pixel counts, that their flair and creativity fly out of the window along with their sense of fun. To me, if you have a keen eye a sense of humour and people skills you’re more than half way there. The rapport that I have with my clients is to me the singularly most important factor in obtaining photographs that will mean something to them and create an album that captures the personalities and atmosphere of their day.”

There are wedding photographers whose images have timeless beauty and elegance. Some will focus on formal or traditional images while many wedding photographers work in a photo-journalistic or documentary style. Some wedding photographers will spend half an hour or so with the bride and groom getting styled or natural portraits of the couple; others will leave you to simply enjoy the wedding celebrations. Each of these styles will appeal to different couples — it’s up to you to choose which is right for you.

Nobody knows better than the bride and groom

So wedding photographers don’t need qualifications. It’s wise to look for someone with experience, and it’s great if you can find someone whose work you fall in love with. At the end of the day what all of this means is that

you are the experts!

And why are you the experts? Because it’s your wedding day. Because the day is about you. The wedding photographs will be of you, your friends and family. Every wedding really is unique, as is every wedding album.

When you’re choosing a wedding photographer, have the confidence to go with your heart, but use your head too!

Budget for the best wedding photographer you can afford. Photographs will be the lasting memory of your wedding day: so think what you want to remember — those priceless little glances across a crowded room? The kiss at the altar? The way she looked at you as she walked down the aisle? Or how handsome he looked? What about all the handmade decorations you’d poured your heart and soul into making? The detail of your dress? The figure you’d worked so hard for all year before your day?! Find a wedding photographer whose portfolio shows they have a natural eye for whatever is most important to you.

More help finding a wedding photographer

If you’re looking for a wedding photographer, I’ve shared a quick list of my 10 top tips over on the English Wedding Showcase. And if you’d like to share advice of your own, do pop over there and contribute your tuppence-worth via the comments!

Finding a wedding photographer: top 10 tips

I’d love to hear from you if you have thoughts about wedding photography qualifications too. Have your qualifications helped you more than your life experience, or vice versa? What do you think makes a great wedding photographer? Pop a comment for me in the box below!

I’ve been waiting so long for a cold snap. I pictured myself blogging all wrapped up and toasty, with glistening icicles outside and this winter berries wedding inspiration shoot on my screen, next to a mug of steaming hot chocolate…

Well there’s no snow outside (yet). I give up!!! But it’s chilly. It’s been frosty… and the sparkles on the pavement in the morning say it’s time to blog this lovely wedding inspiration shoot!

Two posts — all about the shoot today, and an inspiration board to share with you tomorrow. If you’re having a winter wedding, think of sparkly frost and crystals, red berries all shiny and light with a little snow on top… a little bit of white (fake) fur, and plenty of gorgeous sparkle. Hannah Webster (of Lifeline Photography) and friends are here to show you how!

Enjoy x

Wedding Inspiration: winter berries — the details

The shoot was photographed by Hannah from Lifeline Photography. “The more weddings I shoot, the more I fall in love with the little hand crafted details that make things feel so personal.

Back when my sister got hitched a few years ago, we spent hours making the invitations, jewellery, table decorations and favours. They looked amazing, my sister’s designs were incredible, but more importantly, the process of making them will stay with me forever. Thinking about the time and love that we poured into turning my sister’s ideas into reality never fails to make me smile. The blisters, however, I am happy to forget.

Anyway, after a summer of shooting weddings where one or two cute little crafty details made all the difference, I thought it would be worth putting together a wedding inspiration shoot highlighting some simple DIY ideas that could easily be incorporated into almost any style of wedding to add a lovely personal touch without breaking the bank. Because, let’s face it, pretty details usually come with a not so pretty price tag. But with a little bit of imagination and ideally help from your friends, you can easily add stylish finishing touches and end up with the same proud feeling that I have when I think back to my sister’s big day.

Much as I’d love to be able to say that I am a crafting queen, it’s sadly not the case. I do try though. I made a boutonniere using berries, twigs and feathers from my mum’s potpourri bowl (seriously) tied together with some gingham ribbon (I love a bit of gingham ribbon, me); I sewed some simple red & white bunting using an old halloween costume that I figured I’d never need again (Red Riding Hood really didn’t suit my personality); and I made berry topped cupcakes and ribbon tied candy jars to pretty up the sweet table…but whilst I can follow through on a few good ideas, I’m not so great when it comes to putting them all together. So I called in some local creatives to help me out. And a mighty talented lot they turned out to be, too.

My good friend Sara of Monty Manatee Designs is a Cornish artist living here in Nottingham who designs quirky, colourful wedding stationery. She put pen to paper and came up with a cute design based on our winter berry theme and our gorgeous venue in my home village, Thrumpton Hall. She also talked two of her lovely friends into modeling for us. Susie and Tom aren’t even a couple — but they were so sweet together on the day. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer pair to work with and Susie looked absolutely gorgeous in the frocks we were loaned by Grace Couture, West Bridgford’s friendliest bridal boutique. I was desperate to try one on for myself, but sadly we didn’t have time. Ahem.

We borrowed a decadent chocolate cake from yumminess designer Danielle Gotheridge of Your Unique Day based in Nottingham’s trendy Hockley Village, hand crafted jewellery and headpieces came from the little bundle of cuteness that is Melissa of Pearls For Lily, Kelly B sculpted Susie’s locks and Laura Harrison made her up to perfection.

Wedding inspiration shoot — winter berries: the bride and groom

And then there was Chloe. Lovely Chloe Addlington of Adore By Chloe is a wedding stylist and a hand-crafter extraordinaire. She worked her magic on our various props, made flowers for the tables and bouquet out of cupcake cases (and posted a tutorial here: http://www.adorebychloe.co.uk/adoreblog/category/topics/diy-projects/) and made the whole thing look absolutely beautiful. I seriously couldn’t have done it without her.

And if any brides out there need some inspiration for personalising their wedding, ways of adding cheap and cheerful DIY elements that make the day all about you and not just about the wedding industry, I highly recommend you take a peek at her site. She is utterly fab at what she does…from suggesting little additions that compliment your theme to hand crafting items herself for you — because, let’s face it, we don’t all have the time or indeed the talent for such things *points at self*.

• Styling & DIY elements: Chloe at Adore By Chloe — www.adorebychloe.co.uk
• Stationery & Fingerprint Tree : Sara Bodinar at Monty Manatee — www.montymanatee.co.uk
• Cake: Danielle Gotheridge at Your Unique Day — www.youruniqueday.com
• Frocks & veils: Grace Couture in West Bridgford, Notts — www.gracecouture.co.uk
• Jewellery & headpieces: Melissa at Pearls For Lily — www.pearlsforlily.com
• Hair: Kelly at KB Wedding Hair Specialist — www.kbweddinghairspecialist.co.uk
• Make-up: Laura Harrison — www.lauraharrisonmakeup.co.uk
• Venue: Thrumpton Hall on the banks of the River Trent in Nottinghamshire — www.thrumptonhall.com

… there’s an inspiration board coming up tomorrow for all you creative brides and grooms who are itching to get your hands inside the pot pourri jars and rip up your red riding hood costumes. Don’t miss it — on English Wedding blog in the morning!

Allister Freeman is a top UK reportage wedding photographer & photojournalist — his photography has a tranquility and a tenderness to it which for me is unrivalled in the industry. I’m thrilled to share Allister’s insightful interview as part of The Elite on English Wedding blog today.

Allister Freeman cares deeply about weddings, his clients and the industry he inspires — that’s clear to see from his work and from his wedding photography blog. His real wedding blog posts are personal and generous; his thoughts on wedding photography and advice posts are considerate, useful and compelling.

The Elite: Allister Freeman — an interview

Allister, for me you provide the very definition of fine art documentary wedding photography. Was it an active choice for you to master this style, capturing the naturally beautiful moments of a wedding day rather than staging key images?

“For me, long-lasting wedding photography must be powerful and emotive and more than just a set of pretty pictures. In order to create images that evoke a strong emotional reaction viewers need to be able to connect with the moment and so images need to be believable.

“I always strive to create authentic and honest photographs — I just don’t believe in fairytale weddings. What I do believe in is that this is one of the biggest moments in a family’s history and therefore it’s a wedding photographer’s responsibility to record this momentous occasion accurately and with taste. I’m just not into setting people up, I find it unnecessary and a bit naff, when it’s done well it’s a true art form but sadly I rarely see this in today’s staged wedding photography.”

I’ve admired your work for years, but never been able to put my finger on just what makes your images stand out so far from the crowd. Can you help me?

“They’re imperfect. I don’t over process, I don’t crop to a point where the composition becomes unbelievable, I only look to create images in the camera rather than relying on post production. I read a photographer’s bio page recently which stated “taking the photograph is only 20% of my process, the rest I perfect on the computer”. This process totally misses the point of photography.

“I also work quite close to the action, or what would seem very close to many. This proximity gives my work a more personal feel as I’m often shooting over shoulders and through crowds, I’m also much more in-tune with the day as I can hear what’s going on, which can only help more to anticipate moments. My main objective is to recreate the event in pictures, the very definition of the term documentary or reportage. Something that simply wouldn’t be possible if I spent my time staging photographs.”

Who do you admire in the wedding industry?

“My associate photographers, who have worked incredibly hard over these last couple of years. I also admire photographers that don’t succumb to trends, gimmicks and fads and focus only on mastering their own unique style.”

Who are your heroes? Who inspires your creativity and passion?

“The inspiration behind each image really comes down to the subjects involved, once people are used to you being there they really start to show their true colours. For me it’s about capturing this unique character and it’s quirks that really pushes the creative aspect of my work. I also like environments — be it a vast beach or an inner-city street scape, I always try and involve the wider environment in my portraiture, this often results in particularly creative compositions and perspectives. In terms of photographers that inspire me? The work of street photographer Matt Stuart is pretty inspirational.”

For further information: www.allisterfreeman.co.uk

For more subtly beautiful wedding photography by Allister Freeman: www.allisterfreeman.co.uk/blog

More of the UK wedding industry’s Elite on English Wedding blog

There’s nothing like a real love story to brighten up a cold morning… and Alice and Jamie’s story is a lovely one. Both living in London now, they went back to their childhood home of Wales to get married last year. Alice has written her own story of the wedding day which is as enchanting as the images of the wedding. And she looks so incredibly beautiful in lace and pearls…

All the photographs are by Cambridge wedding photographer Jean-Luc Benazet. I have something very special to tell you about Jean-Luc at the end of this wedding blog, but for now I’ll leave you to read Alice and Jamie’s wedding story.

Enjoy!

Bryngwyn Hall wedding: Alice and Jamie

“Even though Jamie and I live in London, we are both from the same area in Mid Wales (we met at primary school!) and knew we wanted to get married back there.

The weather on the day was perfect! We were so lucky, particularly at that time of the year. The morning was spent with respective families, getting ready. We had my two nephews (age 4) as page boys and my two nieces (age 2) as flower girls with my other older niece as bridesmaid.

The church service was beautiful. The vicar was very personable and patient — particularly when, halfway through my vows, I was feeling very emotional and found it difficult to get my words out. We had the hymns ‘Make me a channel of your peace’, ‘All things bright and beautiful’ and ‘Cym Rhondda  –Bread of Heaven’. A friend played ‘Blackbird’ on his guitar during the signing of the register.

Jamie’s suit, including tie, handkerchief and waistcoat were from Favourbrooks, Jermyn st, London. His shoes were from Loakes, and his shirt from Emma Willis.

My shoes were my very first wedding purchase! I saw them in a magazine and knew they were the ones-whatever my style of dress was going to be! The brand is ‘Irregular Choice’ from Schu online.

My earrings were pearl and diamond from John Lewis, my hair accessory was borrowed from my lovely friend Laura, who had purchased and worn it for her own wedding (it’s a hairband but my hairdresser, Bonnie, managed to cleverly place it in my hair like a clip). Jamie bought me the pearl necklace as a wedding present. The pearl bracelet (my Mum’s) was a last-minute addition about half an hour before going to church! My ‘something blue’ was a sapphire ring that belonged to my Nanna.

My wedding dress: Jim Hjelm 507 from Blackburn Bridals in Blackheath, London. Found after much searching! Cape over dress was from Phase Eight, Debenhams. Because of the unusual dress material, I found it really hard to find something to complement it. The cape was a lucky find and only tried it on on my final dress fitting– a week before the wedding. I was pleased that it worked!

My local church-2 minutes from my parents’ house– was our first choice for the service but it was more difficult to find a reception venue. We just wanted a marquee in a field somewhere to throw a good party! We realised quite soon that this wasn’t that practical and so when Bryngwyn Hall was mentioned to us, we knew we had found the perfect place! Beautiful grounds in which to put up a marque but knew we wanted something a bit different… Then we found our beautiful teepees with Papakata.

As we drove up to the venue, we knew it was going to be a very special day. The tepees looked amazing against the backdrop of the hall and the countryside, the sun was shining, jazz music was playing and the champagne was already flowing. It was great to see the guests’ faces as they arrived at the teepees, as we had kept the choice of venue secret.

We were lucky with the weather to be able to have our photos taken outside. Following on from that, we joined our guests at the teepees and sat down about an hour later to a gorgeous meal.

The florists, Jenni and Val, had done such an amazing job; with all the flowers, but particularly the table centrepieces with the lanterns were beautiful.

We wanted to have a welsh touch somewhere and the heart welsh cake favours, made by my mum and sister, were perfect!

Wedding day advice:

A clichéd one but enjoy every moment. For us, that included the planning itself. I loved researching, finding and making (with help from friends and family). The day itself goes by so quickly and we tried to savour every moment.

Also, try not to get stressed about it all. We both agreed, that if anything on the day wasn’t running exactly as we had planned, then it shouldn’t affect the enjoyment of the day. And it didn’t!

Memorable wedding day moments:

Having my nieces and nephews walking down the aisle with me, all dressed up and looking gorgeous. A very special moment.

Saying our vows – a very over-whelming and emotional moment.

Our first dance and being joined by family and friends on the dancefloor at the end of the song.

One of the ushers dressing up and dancing as Beyonce later on in the evening! On my hen night, my friends had dressed me up as Beyonce (though not in the glamorous sense!) and my sister thought it would be great for Beyonce to make an appearance at the wedding party!

Our first dance was ‘One day like this’ by Elbow. We had taken a couple of dance classes in the weeks beforehand, but ended up forgetting most of it on the evening and just doing it freestyle – it actually worked out better and didn’t involve too much shuffling! Everyone came onto the dance floor for the end of the song. A really lovely, emotional moment.

The band and DJ were fantastic and got everyone onto the dance floor. I couldn’t believe it when the music ended at the end of the night – the evening had just flown by!

A very special memorable day shared with very special people.

Alice and Jamie’s recommended wedding suppliers:

Jean Luc Benazet Photography www.jeanlucbenazet.com After seeing the photos taken at a relative’s wedding, by Jean Luc, we booked him for his amazing shots and his calm manner.

‘PapaKåta’ www.papakata.co.uk Amazing tents from a friendly, professional team.

The Soul Jets band www.thesouljets.co.uk Fantastic music from a band that gets everyone up on their feet.

Roslin Catering www.roslincatering.co.uk Gorgeous food and great service

Tim’s Tipples www.tipplesbar.co.uk very good slick service. The bar staff and catering team worked with each other to ensure everything ran smoothly.

Blackburn Bridal blackburnbridal.co.uk A place where I was made to feel very special. And where I found my beautiful dress!

Bryngwyn Hall (our wonderful venue) www.bryngwyn.com

Wedding car www.classicjags.fsnet.co.uk Our driver, Frank, was a lovely guy.

Jenni and Val Florists (details on request) – Two very lovely ladies who spent a lot of time and effort, to ensure that everything was just right.

On English Wedding blog tomorrow

I promised to tell you something special about Alice and Jamie’s wedding photographer Jean-Luc Benazet — and I’m very excited to be sharing his own wedding on the blog tomorrow! It’s always great to see who a wedding photographer chooses for his or her own wedding photography… but you’ll have to wait for the morning to find out.

When something new drops into my lap like this, it makes my world a more exciting place. Today’s wedding is one which has me (virtually) gazing skyward, admiring the gorgeous English church in glorious detail, and smiling very, very happily in the direction of Alex and James.

This is a two-parter: today I’m sharing the pre-wedding photographs (spot the cat-mat and admire those fabulous stained-glass windows!). Tomorrow we’ll head to Harlaxton Manor for a game of croquet with the bride and groom, shall we? Photography is by Beautiful Life Photography (click for the official website).

Alex makes a really beautiful bride, with the most natural and radiant smile. James looks the business in his morning suit — and together they’re the happiest, handsomest couple you could see.

There’s only one photo missing from the first part of this wedding blog: the one described by Beautiful Life wedding photographer Joy Foulds on her blog: “Alex was also getting ready in the village so I was able to photograph her getting into the wedding car (I did have to do a slight jog over the field to make sure I was at the church when she arrived, but nobody saw me so that was ok!!)” now I’d like to have seen that!

Enjoy x

Harlaxton Manor wedding (Lincolnshire) part one!

“My dress was by Augusta Jones from Ellie Sanderson’s shop in Beaconsfield. I knew that I wanted lace and one that wasn’t strapless. It was the first dress that I tried on at Ellie Sanderson and was perfect!

The wedding started at St Andrew’s church in the Lincolnshire countryside. It was so special to have all of our friends and family packed into such a little church! We chose some great hymns and were so lucky to have my dad compose an anthem which was sung during the signing of the register. He also wrote the music which we went out to!”

The church was full of beautiful flowers that my mum had arranged, most of which came from the garden. They were lovely and tied in so well to the bouquets which Emma at The Grantham Florist had arranged. Before leaving the church in our 1930s SS Jaguar , our guests showered us with confetti from dried petals. There was so much of it and made for some great photos!

Classic black tails for the groom and ushers! James chose to wear a double breasted waistcoat to be a bit different. Very few places would hire double breasted waistcoats so we bought one instead and it is an excellent memento from the day!

Recommended wedding suppliers:

Wedding photographer: Beautiful Life www.beautifullifeuk.com

Dress: Ellie Sanderson bridal boutique, Buckinghamshire www.elliesanderson.co.uk

Bouquets and table flowers: The Grantham Florist www.jrtinternet.co.uk/florist

Car: Gladstone Carriages (based in Rutland) www.gladstonecarriages.co.uk

Band on arrival: Happy Jazz — from Melton Mowbray more information and reviews here: www.dgmusic.co.uk

Evening band: Guy Garrett — The Good Guys Orchestra www.facebook.com/pages/The-Good-Guys-Orchestra/220692591279186

Click the Google thingy to make sure you don’t miss part two tomorrow!

Anthea and Nimish had a perfectly elegant, wonderfully stylish wedding at Dartmouth House in London. An exclusive wedding venue for a couple whose calm, sophisticated personalities fit beautifully with the luxurious surroundings.

I will always believe that weddings should be ‘you’ in that they are a celebration of your own style and personality — and whether your wedding’s held in a tipi or a mansion, you should feel at home. Anthea and Nimish fit this venue like a glove. The wedding photographs by Brett Symes Photography exude the same elegance and style.

Anthea shared some details of the day with English Wedding blog. I will leave you to enjoy the story of this beautiful bride and handsome groom. I hope you love today’s wedding blog — it’s special.

“My wedding dress, made of ivory French corded lace, shrug and veil were all by couture wedding designer, Christine Kendall. Christine runs her bridal boutique from New Cavendish Street, London and I loved it because it was as different from the regular bridal shops as it was possible to get. I had several fittings with Christine and each time, Christine was an oasis of calm professionalism, exactly what I needed!

My wedding shoes were from Zara and my earrings from Liberty in love. The Hair accessories were from Glitzy Secrets.

Nimish wore a bespoke grey three piece suit from King & Allen.


Our wedding day was the perfect culmination of several months planning. We had a beautiful catholic wedding ceremony at Farm Street Church presided over by Fr William Pearsall. This was followed by a champagne reception and wedding breakfast at Dartmouth House, Mayfair, a gorgeous Georgian mansion run by the English Speaking Union. In the evening, we had a more relaxed barbecue and drinks reception followed by the cake cutting and the dancing.




The day was particularly perfect as it turned out just as we wanted it. We were able to bring together the degree of formality in the day I wanted with the relaxed party atmosphere that Nimish wanted and we both thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it in the company of our friends and family.”

What one piece of advice would you give to English Wedding readers?

“Book the reception venue as early as possible as venue viewing was the most stressful part of the process for us.“




Recommended wedding suppliers: Anthea and Nimish

Christine Kendall www.christinekendall.com

Dartmouth House www.dartmouth-house.com

Brett Symes photography www.brettsymesphotography.co.uk — see more of Anthea and Nimish’s elegant wedding day on Brett’s wedding photography blog

Majestic Wines www.majestic.co.uk/Services/Weddings

“Hmmm”, said Claire one January morning as she battled with her stupid tax return.

Photo credit: Jean-Luc Benazet

“Hmmm, I wonder if I can get away with blogging about my very own English Wedding facebook page today.”

Over in the corner, the taxman nodded sagely, looking at his watch.

Thought Claire, “Well, I have just uploaded a batch of rather special wedding photos from a few of the real weddings I’m about to blog.” and then, looking vaguely guilty, “and it did take a whole  five minutes to do that.”

Photo credit: Martin Pemberton Photography

The taxman leant forwards. “I’ll beat you with this big stick if you think you’re going to write a full blog post, Missy.” he said in a threatening manner.

Claire hid under the table then, and published the shameless plug for her facebook page anyway.

Maybe someone would click the “Like” button, she thought. And the thought made her feel just a little bit happier inside.

Wedding photographer Marshal Gray is a wedding photographer too cool for school, with a wonderfully artistic approach and a fantastic blog. Real name Gary Marshal, I’m sure I’ve called him Marshal more than once since we first chatted online a year or so ago. He’s a lovely guy, and the perfect choice for Louisa and Andrew.

This wonderful couple were married at Surrey’s Northbrook Park last summer. The sun shone, the day went swingingly and there are some beautiful images of the bride and groom here for you to enjoy. My favourites are the look they exchange, holding hands when they’ve put the wedding rings on — and the bit where Louisa gets to try on lots of shoes… Cinderella style! I’ll leave you to see that one for yourself!

Louisa very kindly emailed her wedding story for English Wedding blog, and her own favourite memory of the day is really touching. I’ll leave you with Louisa’s words and wedding photography by Marshal Gray. Enjoy!

“My wedding dress was a single strap Grecian style — Francoli by Pronovias, purchased at Teokath in Wimbledon. I went light on the accessories given the design on the dress and used jewellery I already had.

While the groom and groomsmen were fairly relaxed leading up to the wedding, you could feel the pressure on morning of the wedding. They were fantastic with the groomsmen coming into the bridesmaids cottage regularly for instructions on what else needed to be done. The girls loved it. The champagne was flowing quite early that day.







Andrew wore a tailored suit made by Kipper Bespoke. His shoes were from Barker.

Our family and friends travelled from fairly far abroad (America, China, Dubai, Turkey) just to attend our wedding so we wanted to ensure that they had a good time. As our families live far apart, they only met for the first time the day before the wedding.

I felt really relaxed and then all the emotions hit when the doors opened and I saw my friends and family and Andrew all there for me.





The whole day went by really quickly and we could tell that everyone had a really good time, which made us very happy.

What stands out as a special memory of your wedding day?

My father’s speech – My father is an outspoken shrewd businessman that doesn’t really show his soft side that often. I could tell he was nervous delivering his speech which was a surprise to me and my siblings, as we had never seen him nervous before. I was really touched by his words and the guests loved him. As he continued his speech, the guests clapped and laughed at his jokes. He could tell he was winning the room over and you could see the confidence returning. At the end, he went around toasting and high fiving the guests!

What wedding day advice would you give to other brides?

- Try to prep everything before the day and give your wedding party responsibilities for the day so that you can sit back and really enjoy the day as it will go by quickly. Fill them in on the plan for the day so they can help other guests and you (esp. After the ceremony, where they should go, who needs to be in photos, and if something doesn’t happen when they know it should – they can help you sort it out b/c they know the plan in advance etc)

- Make a list of the group photos so that you don’t forget on the day. Gary recommended this and asked for our list in advance.

- Prepare yourself for last minute changes. For my wedding and quite a few of the weddings I went to this year had last minute guests who could no longer come.

- Seating plan – I prepared mine using post its on my wall which was really great because I had to change it multiple times and it’s on your wall so it’s out of the way and you can stand back and get overall view.

Tell us about any wedding suppliers you recommend

Gary (Marshal Gray) our photographer, of course. From our initial coffee meeting, we felt at ease with Gary. Always quick to reply to any emails and really personable. Great balance of artistry and the wedding must shots. His second shooter was also great – I really liked her as well.

Teokath Wimbledon — Reasonable, very nice and helpful, and no fee for trying on dresses (I found a lot of places in London charge now)

Three Bees – our caterer. Dell and his team were absolutely amazing. Not only was it great food and service, they made us feel comfortable and confident that we were in safe hands. Dell always made time to answer our questions. We exchanged countless emails and conference calls. The venue was essentially venue only so everything else was provided by Three Bees — reception canapés and drinks, wedding breakfast (incl glasses, linen), and bar service for the evening. Absolutely amazing.