Sun might be in short supply this summer and in the wedding industry, no amount of pre-planning can control the weather gods.
That said, don't let our temperamental weather compromise your plans. If you want to get married in the open air, go for it! There are some incredible all weather wedding venues in the UK that will have you covered, metaphorically and literally. Tipi wedding venues are often family run with the nicest of wedding co-ordinators and they usually offer a choice of locations to tie the knot; from woodland glades to characterful barns, with the party continuing late into the night under cover of canvas beneath the stars.
Back in April, I was fortunate enough to capture Laura and Matt's festival wedding at The Firs Wedding Venue near Bromsgrove in Worcestershire.
As is my way, my booking confirmation was accompanied by a questionnaire designed to get to know my couples better. I always offer to meet couples in person or at least have an initial consultation on the phone, but I also like to allow couples time to absorb and consider my questionnaire. It's nothing scary I hasten to add, but in addition to the sensible questions about colour schemes and whether or not there are any family politics I should be aware of, I might ask them a few randoms. An example might include, which actor they would choose to pay them in a film. It's an ever-evolving document, but intended to be fun. No one wants to work their way through reams of paperwork. However, I'm a genuinely curious person and love to get to know my clients, whilst respecting the fact that we're in a business relationship, so the questions are designed to give me a clearer picture of clients' style and taste.
With Laura and Matt, it was established early on that their wedding was going to be unique and deeply personal; a festival style wedding or "wedfest" with celebrations stretching over a full weekend. Guests stayed in bell tents erected on site and feasted on pizza and noodles.
By the time of their wedding, I was familiar with some of their favourite music/bands (drum and bass in this instance), had a good idea of their personal style, was in possession of the day's itinerary (not carved in stone, but still handy) and knew that we gelled - in terms of their requirements from me and my preferred way of working - e.g. documentary style photography. Plus, I was chuffed to discover that they are cat people, but more on that later.
After abysmal weather leading up to the wedding, the day itself dawned bright and beautiful.
I arrived early and set about capturing the guests arriving and milling about.
Laura and Matt's chosen colour scheme (blues, greens, teal and a hint of burgundy) was accentuated by the bluebell carpeted woodland glade setting chosen for their handfasting ceremony. Whatever the weather, nature always delivers.
The personalised ancient handfasting ceremony was beautifully delivered by Stourbridge based SJW Celebrant. I have no idea of what had just passed between the three of them here, but it made for a great photo!
Check out Laura's braids and black lace cloak! Matt was also on point, bringing the Burgundy.
Another useful skill for any photographer is to have eyes in the back of your head. If you can't live up to that expectation, make sure you do the odd 180 degree rotation to capture guests' reactions.
In such beautiful surroundings, or anywhere for that matter, eco friendly confetti is a must. Laura and Matt had created their own from dried flower petals.
It's actually extremely common for clients to confess to being uncomfortable in front of the camera. An important part of the job is addressing that specific issue. There are various ways of doing this. Pre wedding shoots are always an option to enable couples go get used to being photographed. Whilst I'm rubbish at remembering jokes, I do try to engage clients with humour and there's nothing more disarming than seeing your photographer lying down on the ground to get a better angle as I've been known to do. I also avoid labouring over photographs and read the room. The trick here is to instinctively know when to shoot from the side lines and when to gently orchestrate a particular shot that reveals itself to me.
After the ceremony and a relaxed couples' portrait session,
Matt and Laura took some time for themselves. Then it was time for speeches and cake cutting...
... which moved seamlessly into music and partying. Becky Hill's Afterglow kickstarted the party.
I loved that Laura and Matt's stamp was all over this wedding; from individual wedding attire, to ribbon twirling, festival food, silent discos and giant bubbles.
This attention to detail was by far, my biggest takeaway. It was a totally inclusive wedding and that also extended to those who couldn't make it, namely the couple's five cats.
As for the weather, well despite being on the cool side, we had uninterrupted blue sky, which made for the most incredible golden hour portrait session (including the silhouette photo of Laura at the top of this post). Matt and Laura immediately recognised their luck in this regard and - nerves melted away - were happy to take a short walk with me in order that I could capture the happiness they were both radiating in the most magical light.
If you're inspired to plan something similar and need a friendly female photographer to capture your day, I have various available wedding photography packages. Let's talk!
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