Katie and Ashley married at Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church followed by a reception at Charleston Manor near Seaford. The barn and grounds are simply stunning! A photographer’s dream! The sea mist had decided to roll in with a vengeance and we had a cool overcast afternoon but this didn’t dampen any spirits. After the speeches and the breakfast, and a few drinks, a lot of fun was had. The hens were particularly playful… I’ve never seen eight girls run so fast at the suggestion of striking a pose in front of shaped hedges! Girls… you rocked it! And you’ll be pleased to see that the Prince Wills face mask shot worked perfectly…

My day started with groom prep. I arrived at Robert’s house to find the groomsmen relaxed and preparing breakfast. An hour to go. They ate, showered and dressed with the sort of speed and efficiency that the Germans would be proud of and left the house on time. I was amazed.

It was a bitterly cold day. I’ve been to ski resorts that were warmer. Fingerless gloves now on order! The ceremony was in a lovely little church just around the corner from where Alanah and Robert live. The rest of the day was spent at the beautiful Wokefield Park Mansion.

Here are my favourites from the day…

We spent some time chatting about their honeymoon and it turns out they are going to New Zealand! Paul is a keen photographer and Sarah bought him a new camera as a wedding present and for the trip. They brought it along and we had a mini photographic course after the shoot. Now I used to shoot with the 30D and 5D1 for quite a while but it seems the menus have changed completely. Could I find the viewfinder grid? Not a chance. Answers on a postcard :)

I’m really looking forward to the wedding now. You guys officially rock! It was lovely to see you both again today, I hope you enjoy these photos…

I arrived early to take some photos of the bride and groom before family and friends arrived. We had some beautiful evening light but it was a chilly evening. Summer has left the building. Uh huh.

Sarah looked absolutely amazing, especially as she and Mark had just arrived back from their Florida honeymoon!

The evening began with their confetti arrival at 7.30pm, followed by speeches, dancing, and much casino-style fun. And a candy bar! I may have paid a visit :)

Congratulations Sarah and Mark, and thanks for letting me be a part of it. Here are some of my favourites from the evening.

I arrived at the Lansdowne Club in central London nice and early on a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning. I had expected traffic this bank holiday weekend but thankfully it was pretty quiet. Lisa and the girls were starting their bridal preparations in one of the gorgeous hotel suites; there was Moët chilling on ice and chocolate mini rolls on the side. What more does a girl need?! I may have helped them with the chocolates :)

Lisa arrived at St James’s Church, Sussex Gardens, where the ceremony was to take place. She looked absolutely stunning, as did her four bridesmaids. During the register signing one of Lisa’s friends sang a version of Ave Maria, which sounded just beautiful in the church. Then it was onto Hyde Park for some more photos. I have to say that walking into such a popular tourist spot with a beautiful bride and her husband is a pretty amazing feeling. We did a few formal shots here, and all credit to Lisa and Mark’s amazing family and friends who organised themselves with pretty much no direction from me :)

The reception took place back at the Lansdowne Club. This place is stunning, with some fantastic architecture. The new Mr and Mrs Price walked into the magnificent 18th century ballroom to rapturous applause. There was a lot of love in that room. The speeches were brilliant, full of emotion and laughs and I especially liked the best man’s reference to Mark as a ‘social hand grenade’!

I knew I’d find it difficult to choose which shots to use for this blog, so um, it might be a *bit* longer than usual. I make no apologies though as it was so much fun to shoot.

Congratulations Lisa and Mark! Thank you for the honour and privilege of allowing me to document your day. I hope you like this preview of what was an epic and beautiful wedding. And Lisa… as you said to me when I left… it’s been emotional!

Flowers by: The Flower Company
Make up by: Mel Kinsman – www.melkinsman.com
Ceremony Venue: St James’s Church, Sussex Gardens – www.stjamespaddington.org.uk
Reception Venue: The Lansdowne Club – www.lansdowneclub.com

Meanwhile, at the Henley Golf and Country Club a few miles away, James was nervously awaiting his bride. I should tell you that they have been together for several years and have a house and two children; a huge commitment in itself. Still, James was very nervous indeed. I found him at the bar :D

And then the rain stopped. The ground dried. Zoë arrived. She looked absolutely beautiful. It was an emotional journey down the aisle on her brother’s arm. Zoë’s father passed away many years ago, understandably his absence weighed heavily on her and her family. Zoë was nervous about getting her words right and she needn’t have worried. She did brilliantly, although it was ironic that one of the few words she did stumble on was ‘impediment’. Sorry Zoë, I had to share that!

After the ceremony, it looked like it was going to rain again so we went out and shot as many photos as we could. As it turned out, the hour we had for photos was the only hour of the day that didn’t rain. Just as we finished it began raining again. So I thank you weather gods.

And lastly, to Harry. Boy… have you got some moves! Not only are you a poser for the camera (see the boy on the hill below) but you have some dance moves like I’ve never seen before. I asked James about them and he told me that Harry is currently obsessed with some sort of martial arts game. The result looked like a cross between Michael Jackson and The Karate Kid. Awesome!

Congratulations and thank you Zoë and James! It was a pleasure and an honour to be present for your day and to be entrusted with capturing it all. Here are my favourite shots from the day. I hope you like them.

Aaaooowwww! Sha-mon!

Meanwhile, the groomsmen were getting ready in a flat next door. Also very handy. We took the men for some urban shots in Portsmouth and then made our way back to the cathedral for the ceremony. Nicola was a picture of elegance and beauty and clearly took Mark’s breath away when she arrived.

Unfortunately this was a ‘no photography’ ceremony. We were allowed to shoot the bride and groom entering the church but from that point to the signing of the register it was forbidden. I always feel for the couple and the families when a photography ban is imposed. At the end of the ceremony, Nicola’s brother played the oboe accompanied by a pianist. Captivating music by some very talented musicians.

Finally, we finished the day at the gorgeous Tithe Barn in Petersfield where the reception was held. It rounded off what had been a perfect summer’s day in Hampshire and a perfect summer wedding.

Congratulations, Nicola and Mark, and thank you for letting me be a part of your fantastic day!

Here are some of my favourite images from the day.

When I first arrived at the church, I heard music and singing coming from inside and thought that it was an amazing CD playing and equally amazing speakers playing it. To my surprise, and delight, I walked inside to find an opera singer singing unmiked. Towards the end of the ceremony, she sang for the congregation and had us all speechless. Just incredible. Shona came down the aisle with her father to the tune of a bagpipe player. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful, Ed and Shona couldn’t stop smiling.

Later we moved on to the Vera Fletcher Hall for the reception. Shona, Ed and family had worked for several hours the day before decorating the place. Shona loves daffodils and at this time of year they are normally out in full bloom. In fact there was some fear that it may actually have been too late. But the longer, colder winter this year meant they have only just started to grow. Undeterred, Shona set the thermostat to 24c and set about convincing several hundred daffodils that now was spring and they should get themselves out into bloom! She succeeded and the room was awash with yellow flora.

A wonderful wedding breakfast was enjoyed, much wine consumed and many Trivial Pursuit questions about Plymouth, iPods and Big Brother discussed. Then, to round off a perfect day, a live band performed for the happy couple and guests.

It was my pleasure and honour to be present for this amazing day, for Shona and Ed and their wonderful friends and families, to capture it all. I hope I did ok…