Grand Designs

Weddings come in all shapes and sizes. I have to say I do love a good old English Country Style Wedding. And if you get a spill of weather, it’s all good time rock and roll. Vicky & Eds wedding day came with a curious twist in the tail in the shape of the Grand Designs team. Yep. V&E are building their dream home from scratch and the actual Grand Designs TV show were involved in the whole shebang.

The TV crew was very discreet. I was half expecting a full scale film crew when I arrived which would obviously be a potty affair but the reality was there was just a small team with a minimal set-up. Obviously I tried to snag a little walk-on part, angling for an insert, but at the time of writing I’ve seen the show and there’s not a sliver of me in it that I can see. Abandoned to the dark recesses of the cutting room floor.

All Those Sunny Days

Outrageously sunny weather spilled into the day. Give me bright sunshine all year long. It’s something I get asked about a lot by other photographers. How do you deal with bright sunshine and no clouds? Well most of the time I don’t have to. Hello? I’m from England. But; when it is full on sunshine I’m in my element. I love it. You have a choice when it’s sunny. You have the sun but if you want the shade you go ahead and find it. If it’s cloudy … well then it’s just plain old cloudy.

California Dreaming

I tend to shoot a lot of backlight and over the years I’ve become half decent at working in harsh sunlight, often shooting directly into the sun. You have to really work the camera in full manual when shooting with the sun in this way. Cameras are by and large stupid. They mean well but they tend to fall short when faced with half a challenge and shooting into the sun is challenging. And it’s worth it as you’re liable to get a myriad of happy accidents. I also love the look of backlit images. They have a kind of nostalgic, seventies quality to them that is real, and timeless and hasn’t been achieved with some cheap editing preset.

I’ve photographed a lot of weddings overseas in hot terrain. I remember the first time I shot in California. It’s literally cheating. And, you can plan your wedding day a year in advance and know it’s going to likely be killer hot weather. This is why UK photographers are some of the best in the world. We have to work with such unpredictable weather all year round.

Stealing Frames

I spent the early part of the day with Ed and his groomsmen who were prepping the terrain for the arrival of their guests. With an open country wedding such as this, a lot of the guests, close family especially, are on hand to support the day early on. They’re prepping cakes, decorating tables, and running errands. At the same time everyone is relaxed because everything is pretty much in one location.

I hit the ground running. Photojournalism is at the heart of my wedding photography and I’m always wanting to connect with the guests as soon as possible. I want them to get used to me and my camera so I’m playful, stealing frames, keeping it light hearted. I’m also trying not to get in the way or fall over things I shouldn’t. I kind of look at it like I’m building this beautiful creative tapestry through photographs.

The First Time

I want to create a beautiful record for my couple of their day. I’m stealing moments that they will only ever see in hindsight so the least I can do is make sure these moments are captured to the best of my ability.

I’m not attempting to recreate something I’ve seen or something I’ve created before. I want my images to be fresh, original and exciting. So I have to be alert and part of the day. No matter how many weddings I photograph I always approach each as if for the first time.

If you liked this English Country Wedding do check out this Fforest Farm wedding in Wales.

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