‘James photographed our wedding and he was great on every aspect. He is a funny, down to earth guy, who made all our guests feel relaxed and we had great feedback from everyone.’ Joe & Grace
Joe and Grace’s wedding adventure started at St Edmund’s Parish Church located in the hamlet of Holme Pierrepoint near Nottingham on the River Trent.
I love photographing church weddings especially in older churches with St Edmund’s listed as a place of worship since 1200AD. These buildings were designed before electricity was invented so they maximise in utilising as much natural light as possible. For a documentary wedding photographer like me this is music to my ears as I take advantage of the light and shadows throughout the day.
Joe arrived first in his awesome red suit. Grace, his Bride followed shortly which her family is support. It was a windy day and because she wore a long veil with her wedding dress, I ensured I captured how strong the wind was with how it fluttered and floated in the wind.
Children at weddings always add an extra dimension rewarding a wedding photographer with great, candid and unposed moments. I noted how expressive the Page Girl was when she led Grace down the aisle. She got so excited she covered her mouth as a form of self-regulation.
As stated at the beginning old church buildings maximise the capturing of natural light. This can be seen during the signing of the register where the Vicar allowed me to witness the signatures. How the light flooded into the room allowed me enhance these special moments further with the added bonus of winning a Wedding Photojournalism award for my efforts.
As a wedding photographer you have to have your wits about you as anything can happen. On this occasion the nerves got the best of one of the Bridal Party who forgot to bring the confetti. An extra element of fun was added as I had already organised the guests in a line to throw the confetti. So, thinking on my feet, I told them to give the newlyweds a very loud and long round of applause as they walked the line. To be honest it was quite refreshing and emotional as it happened.
The wedding reception was held a 15-minute drive following the River Trent to The River Lodge which is in Colwick in the borough of Gedling, Nottinghamshire. A stylish timber building in a beautiful countryside location with a raised south facing terrace overlooking the River Trent bordering Colwick Country Park.
Whilst the settings were more intimate, I still had the freedom to capture the socialising, speeches and drinks in an unobtrusive manner until they cut the cake.
‘The quality of his photos are amazing and he provided them to us in a timely fashion following the wedding. Would recommend to family and friends.’ Joe & Grace