Back in September I had the absolute privilege of shooting Emma and Anthony's Wedding at the always wonderful Trenderway Farm.
Trenderway is situated in gorgeous countryside with spectacular views of its surroundings between Pelynt and Polperro. I love shooting there because of the fantastic staff and awesome and endless photo opportunities.
Emma and Anthony are a fantastic fun and relaxed couple, their wedding day was absolutely awesome , a real pleasure to be a part of.
Emma got ready in the Meadow Barn overlooking the meadow and lake with her Bridesmaids, while Antony and the rest Groomsman got ready at Trevathick House, a stones throw from Trenderway itself down a private track. The lads arrived in style on a Gator and trailer equipped with Bales and Ribbon.
Emma and Anthony took full advantage of the amazing surroundings by getting married in the meadow looked on by their closest family and friends.
Due to the time of year and the weather we had plenty of time to get the group shots Emma and Antony wanted in Trenderway’s lovely garden.
Once the group shots were done I left them to mingle with their friends and family. I think it’s important that couples have plenty of time with their guests through day as often it can all seem a bit of blur.
After the wedding breakfast I took Emma and Anthony around Trenderway’s lovely grounds to get a mixture of relaxed candid shots and a few posed ones too, we took full advantage of using the Gator to get across the meadow to the rope swing.
Then it was on to cake cutting and the first dance before letting them party the night away.
Here is a small selection of photos from their fantastic day, I hope you enjoy them.
Congratulations once again and all the best for the future!
Simon
Suppliers
DJ - John Green - Dynamic Entertainment
Hair - Red Hair Dressing Liskeard
Makeup - Hands and Tans Bridal Makeup
Cake - Mother of the Bride
Venue - Trenderway Farm
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I thought i'd share a few images of Rachel and Craig's fun filled April Wedding at Trevenna Barns.
I met Rachel and Craig in November last year, they found me on Google and although they don't live in Cornwall they chose the wonderful Trevenna Barns to host their wedding. It was a fantastic day with everyone getting to the spirit of the day. The groomsmen danced down the aisle and then tore up the dance floor in the evening.
Suppliers
Hair - Red Hair Dressing
Cake - Trevenna Barns
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The Alverton Hotel Truro
Sophie and Alex
Sophie and Alex got in contact with me around a year before their wedding, when I met them we hit it off straight away! They were a fantastic fun couple and I couldn't wait to shoot their Wedding at the Alverton Hotel. We were blessed with fantastic weather on day, which made a lovely change from some of the dismal weather over Christmas and the New Year! Here are some of their photos.
I had an email from Elpitha and Daniel in April of this year about their wedding in the August, we exchanged a few emails and then arranged to Skype! The were such a cool couple and as soon as they told me more their wedding the more I wanted to shoot it! It was a relaxed festival style wedding that embraced both of their cultures with guests coming from all over the world!
The wedding was held at the stunning Colehayes Park in Bovey Tracey, here are some of the photos from their amazing day!
I thought I'd share a few more shots of Grace and Sam's Wedding that I shot in June this year.
Grace and Sam got married at Hessenford Church followed by a reception at The Orangery Mt Edgcumbe.
They were a fantastic couple, if either of them were nervous, it didn't show, there were lots of lovely moments between them , little smiles, looks and laughs, it was obvious to see how happy they both were and how much the day meant to them both!
Grace and the Bridesmaids looked amazing! The Groomsmen didn't scrub up to badly either :)
However, as usual it's always the children that try and steal the show! If it’s not the little Bridesmaids and Flower girls it’s the little guys in the tux's and tuxbabygrows!
Thank you for letting me be part of your day guys! it was great, I wish you and your little family all the best for the future.
I hope you enjoy their photos.
Simon
Suppliers
Wedding Dress, Veil and Bridemaid Dresses- Colin's Bridal,
designer Mori Lee
Suits - Colins Bridal
Flowers - St Mellion Flowers
Car - West Country Wedding Cars
Cake - Tina's Cakes for All Occasions
Hair - Hair by Mel
MUA - Steph Soloman - Hands and Tans
Reception - The Orangery Mt Edgcumbe
Stationary - Pearls Gems
DJ - Soundone
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So, i recently saw a post on social media that went something like this "Hi looking for wedding photographer that doesn't charge a fortune for a days work"
Now a "fortune" is open to interpretation but, what got me more than anything, was the "days work" comment!
Shooting a wedding is much more than a days work, for every client there is the time spent dealing with emails, scoping out the venue, meeting clients a few times before the wedding, the day shooting the wedding and the hours spent editing the photos of your big day, the cost of the presentation materials (USB, Albums, Web Hosting etc), camera equipment, insurances plus if its our main source of income we have the same day to day costs as everyone else, rent or mortgage etc having said that the majority of costs are transferable for other self employed people too, mechanics, plumbers etc
Now, we don't begrudge doing any of this, its what we do, we love it, its what drives us, to create brilliant images of your special day, however sometimes people don't appreciate the time and effort and cost involved. I've lost count the amount of times people have said to me "you certainly earn your money don't you"
So what does shooting a wedding entail?
I arrive for bridal prep normally around two hours before the ceremony (anytime between 9am and 11am) and I will be with you for around an hour after your first dance ( If the party is in full swing then i'll stay longer)!
When we say goodbye the rest of the work starts, I personally won't got to bed until i've downloaded your images, made sure they are backed up and i've posted your "sneak peak" image to Facebook and Instagram for you to see in the morning, sometimes this can be 1 or 2am.
Then there is the sifting through the 100's of images i've shot that day, I love doing this, its great to see the moments i've captured through the day and love between couples, friends and family. When going through the images I cull duplicates and any others that aren't up to scratch, then apply colour correction, cropping, small blemish removal, then the extra editing for the more dramatic shots you see on my website, perhaps remove that tree that seems to draw your eye away. Review, review and review until i'm happy!
Once they've been edited, I upload them to your online gallery, copy them to USB and deliver them.
Shooting a Wedding, its not just a days work, its a passion! Wedding Photographers are a dedicated and commited bunch to ensure you receive great service and images. It can be long hours and hard work but we love it.
Thanks for reading.
Simon
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So my last Wedding of 2016 was the lovely Chris and Hannah's at
Mountains Country House at Hildenborough
. I met Chris and Hannah alot earlier in the year and they were such a relaxed chilled out couple!
When Hannah told me some of the details about their wedding, I knew I wanted to shoot it!
We arrived to capture the girls getting ready at a Premier Inn just few minutes away from Mountains, The weather was a typical UK December day... a bit damp! To be honest part of me was glad it was damp rather than snowing, I can't be dealing with the stress of get to a Wedding in the snow!
Hannah was relaxed and chatting away while the Hair and Makeup Artists did there thing and we set about documenting the day.
Soon it was time to make our way to Mountains to catch up with the boys before the ceremony and grab some shots of the guests arriving as well as the Marquee before it was filled with guests, Hannah obviously had an eye for detail!
Chris arrived in a Hummer and Hannah went for something classic..... a Mini! not just any Mini ... a stretched Mini.
The ceremony was lovely and went without a hitch!
We then got everyone together for the group shot before jumping in to the stretched mini (it seats 5) to grab some photos of Chris and Hannah at Knole Park (the mud didn't stop us) were we got photobombed by a terrier dog and its owner!
We made our way back to Mountains to complete the group shots before letting Chris and Hannah relax for the High Tea style Wedding Breakfast, followed by the speeches. Then the challenge of getting some shots of Chris' son Bobby! I do like a challenge, we got there in the end and by the end of the night I even got a high five from Bobby!
It was time for the cutting of the cake and the first dance, we then grabbed a few shots of everyone letting their hair down before letting Chris and Hannah to party the night away.
A big thanks to Hannah and Chris for letting us be part of their amazing day! I hope you enjoy looking through some of their photos!
Suppliers
Makeup - Karen Cox
Hair - Samantha Jones
Dress - Yours Truly, Maidstone
Suits - Penguins
Rings - Bliss Rings
Stretched Mini - Paladins Classic Car Hire
Hummer - Karen's Cars
Cake - Joy Eatwell
Venue Decor - The Creative Venue
Flowers - Flowers by Linda Shackleton
Photo booth and Love lights - TC Photobooth
Venue - Mountains Country House
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I met Ashley and Joanne back in January of this year, October seemed miles away! I honestly cannot believe how quickly their Wedding came round.
I was prepared for a bit of damp day but fortunately we escaped with a mostly dry day apart from one TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR (a bit more on that later)
I arrived at Port Lympne and met Joanne and the Bridesmaids where they were getting ready in the Spencer Roberts room.
Joanne and the bridesmaids seemed quite relaxed throughout the morning and it was soon time for the Ceremony which included a two readings, one of which was “A LOVELY LOVE STORY " BY EDWARD MONKTON” (I love this story)
After the breakfast and speeches it was Safari time! You know I said it was a mostly dry day? well it was, until this point, at which time the heavens decided to open and what followed was the most torrential downpour! Everyone got soaked during the Safari but it didn’t bother anyone, everyone had a laugh about it, and is often the case in this country, as soon as we returned to the house the sun came out!
Time for Tea, Coffee and a warm up before the cake cutting, first dance and party time.
Here are a few photos from their day.
Simon :O)
Eden Project Wedding - Kelly and Rob
Hempstead House Wedding - Lisa and Chris
Mt Ephraim Wedding - Lorraine and Rob
St Augustine Wedding - Natalie and Matt
Sam and Steph - Tregenna Castle Wedding
Port Lympne Wedding - Ashley and Joanne
Chris and Hannah -Mountains Country House Wedding
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I was privileged to have the opportunity to photograph Sam and Stephanie's wedding at brilliant Cornish Wedding Tregenna Castle in St Ive’s Cornwall.
As soon as I met them back in January I could tell it was going to be an awesome day.
I drove down to Cornwall on the Friday night in torrential rain and was all prepared for a wet wedding, luckily on the Saturday the weather was bright and sunny, although a bit wet underfoot.
I arrived at Tregenna Castle bright and early and had a walk around and found some lovely woods at the back of the hotel which I thought would make for some awesome photos. Unfortunately, the ground was soft underfoot and I was unsure if was suitable for a gorgeous bride in stunning dress to venture out there.
I made my way to the girls room where Stephanie, Scarlett and the bridesmaids were getting ready, I tentatively mentioned about the woods and to my surprise, Stephanie was happy to take a look.
We stayed with the girls for around an hour or so before making our way across the hotel to get a few shots of the Sam and his best man EB getting ready before making our way back over to the girls to finish of documenting the bridal prep.
The ceremony was lovely, Sam and Stephanie make such a great couple!
After the Ceremony we made our way outside for the group and confetti shots before stealing 20 minutes with the bride and groom to do a few relaxed shots with them before they made their way inside for the Wedding Breakfast.
The speeches were brilliant, the first time I have heard a rhyming one! And some nice references to Fireman Sam were made by E.B.
Following the speeches we ventured up to the woods (luckily the ground had dryed out) and thank you to Stephanie for walking up the rocky path to where we were going to take the photos (we did carry their drinks though)
After making them both walk to the woods we left them in peace to chat with their guests before the cake cutting, first dance (Always by Bon Jovi) and chocolate fountains!!
Scarlett and the other Children owned the dance floor after that and I left everyone to party the night away.
Thank you for an amazing day guys, it was lovely to be part of it.
Simon
Suppliers
DJ - Paul Reece
Cake - Sammy's Cakes
Wedding Dress - In 2 Flowers
Flowers - Arranged by Alison - Supplied by Kelly-Ann's Flowers
Chocolate Fountains - Absolute Chocolate Fountains
Suits - Anne Maids
Other Blogs
Eden Project Wedding - Kelly and Rob
Hempstead House Wedding - Lisa and Chris
Mt Ephraim Wedding - Lorraine and Rob
St Augustine Wedding - Natalie and Matt
Sam and Steph - Tregenna Castle Wedding
Port Lympne Wedding - Ashley and Joanne
Chris and Hannah -Mountains Country House Wedding
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It was a great day, Rob and Lorraine were brilliant, the weather was great and the venue was gorgeous.
Rob and Lorraine got married at the Holy Trinity Church in Milton Regis Sittingbourne followed by a reception at Mt Ephraim Gardens.
Lorraine and her Wedding Party got ready at her house, a stones throw from the church. Everyone seemed relaxed and were enjoying cocktails . I stayed with Lorraine for most of the morning before making my way to the church to get some photos of Rob and their two sons, Best Man and guests at the church.
Lorraine and her Dad arrived at the church in a white Jaguar XF (very, very nice)
The ceremony went smoothly with a reading by the best man Tony before a confetti shot outside the church, then Rob and Lorraine made their way to Mt Ephraim Gardens, where welcome drinks, a string quartet and Bouncy Castles awaited them.
Rob and Lorraine had a Toast Master (Tony) which I can highly recomend...they can help make the day run smoothly while relieving some of the pressure from the Bestman or Chief Bridesmaid and allow them to enjoy the day too.
Once everyone had arrived, we disappeared in to Mt Ephraim's Gardens to do the group shots before heading back to the house to allow Rob and Lorraine to chill out before the Wedding Breakfast, as the weather was good and the light was on our side we opted to do the couple shots after the Wedding Breakfast.
The speeches were great and Tony (Bestman) delivered a highly detailed insight in to Rob's past :O)
After the speeches I took Rob and Lorraine around the gardens to do the couple portraits before popping back to the house to take some relaxed shots of the guests while Rob and Lorraine had some time to themselves.
The first dance was "Your the one" by Shania Twain and once the sun set we got some final shots of Rob and Lorraine before leaving them in peace to party the night away.
Enjoy some of their photos!
Suppliers
Venue - Mt Ephraim Gardens
Toastmaster - Anthony Gilbert
String Quartet - The Swan and Three
Chocolate fountain - Temptation Towers
Videographer - East Kent Wedding Video
DJ - Platinum Videotech
Bouncy castle - ABC Inflatables
Florist - Blue Daisies
Cake - It's Mine Cakes
Hair - Rebecca's Hair & Beauty
Make up - Lorraine Caddick (Chief Bridesmaid)
Wedding dress - eBay Seller
Well.......what an emotional day!
Chris and Lisa got married at Hempstead House Hotel along with their closest family and friends!
The weather was kind to us, it had been the most horrible week prior to the day of their Wedding but fortunately it was just a bit overcast, far far better than any of the previous days.
I met Chris on arrival at Hempstead House to go through how we were going to unveil Lisa's present and he gave me another present to give to Lisa when I went upstairs.
I arrived at the girls room to find them in a relaxed mood and gave the present to Lisa on Chris's behalf, the present turned out to be a pair of flip flops!!! (I know the weather was an improvement on the rest of the week but I still thought he was being optimistic!)
I stayed with the girls until shortly before they were getting into their dresses and went downstairs to get a few shots of Chris, Bradley and Mal before running back upstairs to catch the rest of the girls getting ready!
The ceremony was emotional, It was clear to see just how much the day mean't to Chris, Lisa and their loved ones.
The day ran smoothly and Lisa was absolutely over the moon with her other present............a CAR!! A classic Morris Minor to be exact! Lisa has since named the car Maisey!
The speeches were done before the wedding breakfast with plenty of heartfelt emotion in them.
The first dance, "At Last" by Etta James, finished off an emotional day fantastically!!
Congratulations guys! I hope you enjoyed your Honeymoon and thank you for allowing me to be part of your day!
Simon
Suppliers
All the staff at Hempstead House especially Danny!!
Country Brides Faversham - Wedding Dress
Bridesmaid Dresses - ASOS
Lydia Hair and Make Up - Kent - Hair and Make Up
Sittingbourne Balloons - Balloons
Sweet Barrow Sittingbourne - Sweets/Favours
Sheena Rowe Elegance - Flowers and Cake
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It was a great day and it was nice to meet fellow photographers Den, Elaine, Dalius, Maya and Sabrina and see how other people do things.
Thanks to the Bride Mia Sollis , Groom Nathan Poulson and Bridesmaids Lucy Scarfe and Petra Bartha for putting up with us, nothing was too much trouble for them, I imagine their faces were aching by the end of the day!
Suppliers, Hair by Sarah Sandwell Make up by Allie Bell Mesher, Flowers by Becky Stevens Wedding and Bridesmaid dress by BAHBUA
Once again, thanks to Lauren for putting on a great day full of information and tips. :O)
Simon
]]>The day started with the girls getting ready at an apartment in Pochin House, just a stone’s throw from the Eden Project. It was a lovely bright day - stark contrast from the weather that Cornwall had been experiencing as of late. Not only was I the photographer, it transpired that I was also chief taxi flagger down and also bag carrier - it's never a dull job being a Wedding Photographer.
Kelly had her hair and makeup down by the brilliant Lynn from Spellbound Hair and Makeup, the bridesmaids Melanie and Frankie did a sterling job of making sure everything was running to time (well nearly) but hey, it’s a Wedding and everyone made it to the Eden Project on time for the Ceremony.
The guys looked very dapper, and Finley stole the show.
After the ceremony it was time for everyone to grab some liquid refreshments and to do the group shots......or so we thought...... what followed was an impromptu performance from the brilliant Seth Lakeman!!!! who had just come off stage from performing at the Cornish Pasty Championships, much to everyone's delight.
After Seth's brilliant performance we did the group shots before a stroll around the Biome to capture some lovely relaxed moments between Rob and Kelly.
Everyone then boarded the Land Train to the Gallery for the Wedding Breakfast, I say everyone - I chose to run up ahead and grab the shots of cake and other details before everyone arrived. (I need to visit the Gym more often!!)
After the Wedding Breakfast, some of the children took to the dance floor to practice their moves before the grownups got on there! some heartfelt speeches followed before the cutting of the cake made by Donna Mears and the first dance, which was the upbeat “Shut Up and Dance” by “Walk the Moon”
After the first dance the great SoulStone Duo with Josiah on guitar and Charlotte on vocals took to the stage to get everyone in the party mood!
It was a fantastic day and I would like to thank Rob and Kelly for letting us be part of their day and to Emma Halliday, the Eden Projects Events Coordinator for making sure everything ran smoothly.
Time for a new pairs of shoes!!!
Simon
Suppliers
DJ - ASY Entertainments Cornwall
Band - Band Soulstone Duo
Wedding Cake - Donna Mears Cakes
Cheesecake - The Cheeseshed
Pork Pie - Eley's Pork Pies
Hair and Makeup - Spellbound Hair and Makeup
During a recent visit to Polperro Cornwall to see the family over the Festive period it was a particularly wet and windy week in Cornwall and I took this opportunity to take some shots of the Harbour using a variable ND filter which allows you to slow the shutter speed down in bright conditions. Below are some of the photos I took.
This photo was taken at Talland Bay
October 16th 2015 - I had the honour of photographing Max and Sarah's Wedding at St Augustine's in Westgate on Sea. The day was a little wet but this didn't dampen the opportunity for some great photos due to St Augustine's great corridors and rooms.
Below are just few of the photos.
Simon
A really useful and exciting day at Hazelwood Castle in Leeds run by the award winning and UK Wedding Photographer of the year Chris Chambers....something to aspire to and looking forward to trying to incorporate these in to future weddings.
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