Wedding photographer's blog archive

Hi everybody and welcome back. Today I want to quickly show you another new wedding album sample that I've put together. It's always great rewarding to show couples some examples of my photography from recent weddings. My latest selection is from Jodie & Sam's wedding at the lovely Alcott Farm venue near Alvechurch, which took place last summer.

Hi everybody, and welcome back to another blog post. Here's a question: other than when having fun with selfies on your own or with friends, how often do you have your photograph taken? Especially by a pro? I'm guessing that not many of you.

Hi everybody, and welcome back to another post. There is absolutely no doubt that the Bride is the centre of attention on her wedding day. The great news is that a Bride has so much choice with how she wants to appear - selecting her wedding dress, hairstyle, make-up and jewellery is all part of the fun in the planning process and on the day itself.

Hi everybody and welcome back to another blog. Last August Bank Holiday weekend was blessed with incredible weather. Sunny and hot (30C); the kind of day that Brides, Grooms and guests dream about for a wedding. This was exactly the weather that Helen & Joe experienced: particularly fortuitous since it was an outside wedding and celebration.

Hi everybody and welcome to another blog post plucked out from the depths of the archives. The wedding industry, including photographers, patiently waits for the coronavirus lockdown to gradually ease, then we can start dreaming about future weddings.

Hi everyone, and welcome back. Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, photographing 'Get To Know You Shoots' and weddings are on hold for the foreseeable future. So with that in mind, I thought that I'd dive into the archives occasionally and re-live a few moments with you.

Hi everybody and welcome back to another blog post, this time with the wedding of Beki & Tom last year. I first met them at a wedding fayre a couple of years ago hosted by Wootton Park. I was really chuffed that they booked me as their photographer soon after the event.

Hi everybody, and welcome to another blog post. Back in August, it was Claire & Craig's turn to become husband and wife. It was a day that they had planned for quite some time, and it was a lovely summer's day. I caught up with Claire during her bridal preparations, before the wedding service at Coleshill Parish Church in the West Midlands. After the service we all travelled to 'The Strawberry Bank Hotel' in Meriden near Coventry.

A few days ago Tarquin & Camilla (made up names) came round to my office to view and pick up their wedding photographs. They were keen to not have any people photos put up online, hence their made up names, which I of course completely respect.

Hi everybody and welcome to another blog post. A few days ago I took delivery of a new sample wedding album, and wanted to show you some images of it. The wedding that I selected was of Helen & Joe who became husband and wife at the end of August at Alcott Farm near Alvechurch.

Hi everybody, just a short post from me today. At the weekend I received a lovely email from Beki & Tom, whose wedding I photographed last month at Wootton Park near Henly in Arden, and it said....

You know how brilliant it is when the stars align? That's exactly what happened on August Bank Holiday a few weeks ago. Helen & Joe celebrated their wedding at the wonderful Alcott Farm near Alvechurch, and the weather forecast leading up to the date was predicting a rock solid, full on, in your face summers day. Not a cloud in the sky, 30C, and a gentle breeze - perfect for an outdoor wedding and celebrations.

Hi everyone, I thought that it was time to post about a recent wedding that took place earlier this summer. I first met Sally & Chris at a Wedding Open Day last year during one of those many baking hot days. When they told me the name of their wedding venue, Hartlebury Castle, I did a quick Google search because I wasn't familiar with it.

Hi everybody, and welcome back to another blog post. A few evenings ago Claire & James came to my office again, this time to pick up their wedding album. I was their wedding photographer last year at Chesford Grange near Leamington Spa and Kenilworth here in Warwickshire.

Hi everybody, and welcome back to another blog post, this time a very short one from Claire & Craig's wedding last weekend. Their wedding ceremony took place in Coleshill, followed by the celebrations at Strawberry Bank Hotel in Meriden. In short, I captured this image of Claire and her Grandad sharing a moment together.

Hi everyone, and welcome back to another post on my blog page. This time I wanted to briefly show you another 'Get To Know You Shoot' from this summer, of Claire & Craig.

Hi everybody, and welcome back to another blog post, this time Jodie & Sam's wedding. I first met Jodie in July last year at the Alcott Farm Wedding Open Day where I was displaying my wedding photography business. Alcott Farm was their chosen venue to host their celebrations.

Yesterday evening it was great having Emma & Melvin back in the office. I photographed their wedding at Coombe Abbey last year, and a few weeks ago they gave me the list of images that they had selected for their wedding album.

Hi everybody, and welcome back to another blog post, this time it's Helen & Joe's 'Get To Know You Shoot'. I first met Helen at the Alcott Farm Wedding Open Day last summer, in the baking heat. We then caught up for a coffee a few weeks later before they decided to book me as their wedding photographer.

Last night I received a lovely email from Jodie & Sam..... "Hi Martin. We just wanted to say a massive thank you for saturday, you were a fantastic wedding photographer. Thanks for being so patient and relaxed the whole day, we can't wait to see the images."

Hi everyone, and welcome back to another blog post, this time a few photos from Sally & Chris's 'Get To know You Shoot' from the weekend. I first met them during one of the heat waves last summer, at a venue Open day.

One of the great things about being a Wedding Photographer, is getting to visit different wedding venues. These could be stately homes, village halls, castles, or farms. Each venue is different. This is especially so with Alcott Farm, where couples can choose a tipi set up, marquee, or yurt.

Hi everybody, and welcome bask to my blog page. As part of a process to help plan for a couples wedding, and for them to help feel more relaxed in front of a camera, I suggest that we have a 'Get To Know You Shoot' about a month before the wedding date. Often I can get booked to cover a wedding well over a year before the wedding date, it's also a good opportunity to catch up with each other.

Hi everybody, and welcome back to my 'Why I like this photo' blog series, where I pick a photo that I like and quickly give some background to it. This week I've been putting together a couple of wedding albums for couples, and one of them is for Susie & Andy who became husband and wife last October.

Hi everybody, and welcome back to my 'Why I Like This Photograph' blog series, where I love to show you an image that I've taken during a wedding.

Hi everybody, and welcome back to the 'Why I Like This Photograph' blog series, where I look back at some of my wedding photographs from last year and share them with you.

Last week it was lovely being able to show you three images from Becki & Jason's wedding at Walton Hall a few weeks ago, particularly focusing on the time around sunset. I mentioned that my next two weddings was the following weekend, and that the weather forecast was looking like more sunsets were possible.

How many times have we heard that good cooking is all in the timing, you can especially this with contestants on Masterchef and the Great British Bake Off! And it's also the same with photography sometimes.

Walton Hall is a fabulous wedding venue in the heart of the Warwickshire countryside.

It's been non-stop at the moment during the busy wedding season, which normally means my blogging has taken a back seat! However here is another quick post to keep things ticking along.

Hi everybody, and welcome back to my blog page. Earlier this week I had a really fun 'Get To Know You Shoot' with Claire & James. I first met Claire last Autumn at a large wedding fair at Stoneleigh Park, just up the road from me here in Leamington Spa.

I've been very quiet on the blogging front recently, so here is a very quick update today, with another coming tomorrow. A few weeks ago I caught up with Becki & Jason in the grounds of Walton Hall deep in the countryside of Warwickshire.

Last weekend I had the absolute pleasure of attending, and displaying at, Alcott Farm's Wedding Open Day. It was a beaut of a weather day, with strong sunshine, and not a cloud in the sky - perfect for hosting such an event in the great outdoors.

What a summer we are having with the weather, so much sunshine. It's the kind of weather that Brides and Grooms, and their guests, dream about for their wedding day. Sunny drinks reception, cheerful formal and informal photographs, and then admiring a sunset all add to an amazing summers wedding day.

Ettington Park Hotel is a gem of a wedding venue, just a few miles away from the historic town of Stratford upon Avon. This 19th century mansion is built in a Neo-Gothic style and is now part of the highly respected 'Hand Picked Hotel' chain.

Last week I caught up with Emma & Melvin for their 'Get To Know You Shoot'. A few months ago they suggested having it at the amazing Blenheim Palace, the location of Melvin's proposal to Emma a couple of years ago.

Hi everybody and welcome back to the 'Why I Like This Photograph' blog series, which is a quick way of looking at images captured at some point during a wedding. This image was taken a couple of days ago during Emma & Matt's wedding day here in Warwickshire.

Hi everybody, and welcome back to another blog post, this time taking a quick break from the 'Why I Love This Photograph' series. A few days ago I met up with Emma & Matt at Stoneleigh here in Warwickshire for their 'Get To Know You Shoot'.

Hi everybody, and welcome back to the 'Why I LikeThis Photograph' blog series. Sometimes I find myself sat in my office here in Leamington Spa, reviewing photos from weddings that I have shot over the last few years, and this morning was no different.

Hi everybody, and welcome back to the 'Why I Like This Photograph' blog series. This week's image was taken at the iconic Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwick, a gem of a wedding venue here in Warwickshire.

Welcome back to the fun blog series called 'Why I like this photograph'. This time the limelight has been taken away from the Bride & Groom, in this case Tina & Richard, and to member of their family.

Hi everybody, and welcome back to my 'Why I like this photograph' blog series. There is no doubting that the summer is on the way, the warmer recent weather is a real treat, and I've been getting more and more emails from Bride's about their upcoming weddings.

Everybody loves looking through old photographs, whether on a smartphone, tablet, or good old fashioned hard copies like prints or even an album of some sort. So I thought I'd restart a blog series from last year titled 'Why I like this photograph'.

A few weeks ago I visited the UK headquarters of one of the wedding album suppliers that I use, Graphistudio. I had met Jeremy the director at an event in Warwickshire earlier in the autumn this year, and he encouraged me to visit his office.

The main responsibility of a wedding photographer is to record the wedding day. Hope that doesn't sound as though I'm stating the obvious, but it's true. Photography is there to record the emotions, the special moments and any requests by the couple.

Last weekend me and my wife Harriet, left Warwickshire and the West Midlands behind, and flew out to Houston Texas in the USA. After a busy wedding photography autumn season, it was time to relax, and also visit some of Harriet's family.

A couple of weeks ago I spoke about covering the Groom preparations of Stuart, click here for the link. For this week's article I thought it important to have equality and show a recent Bridal prep from last month, of Fiona from her hairdressers.

In just over a weeks time I shall be displaying at another major wedding show this Autumn - The West Midlands Wedding Fair at the NAEC in Stoneleigh Park. Following from the National Wedding Show at the NEC recently, it will be great to keep the momentum going with another big show.

It's not every wedding that I get to shoot the Groom preparations. If the Groom is getting ready at the same venue as the Bride, then I can normally sneak in a few minutes. Or if I'm second shooting for a principle photographer (who will normally capture the Bridal prep), then I'll have the chance to cover the Groom prep.

All of a sudden the end of September has come round quickly, which means it's tme for the 'National Wedding Show' at the NEC in Birmingham. A few months ago I took the plunge and booked a display area for the show after much deliberation.

A few months ago I was second shooting for Darren at Jenny & Jamie's wedding over the Warwickshire border into Oxfordshire. We work really well together as a team, and this enables us to cover most angles during the wedding day.

Earlier this week I welcomed Sarah & James back to my office to hand over their wedding album. Before clients come and pick up their heirloom, I double check the product for quality control, take a few snaps, and generally drool over the album. Their album was no different, and I was really proud of it.

One area in a wedding photographer's business is marketing and sales, and is something that I trying to improve on all the time. With that in mind, as mentioned in a previous social media posts, I'm displaying at the massive 'National Wedding Show' at the NEC in Birmingham between 29th Sept and 1st October.

One of my favourite things to do in the office when I have a spare moment, is look through some of my wedding album samples. There is something so magical holding an album and looking at images in print, compared to viewing images on a computer screen.

A few weeks ago I was asked by Darren to second shoot at a wedding local to us. Kate & George became husband and wife at the Holy Trinity Parish Church in Sutton Coldfield, with the celebrations held at the fantastic Shustoke Barn in Warwickshire.

The Shustoke Barn wedding venue is one of the hidden gems in the heart of the Warwickshire countryside. Since opening in 2013, it has grown in stature at a rapid rate, and has become known as one of the finest wedding venues in the county.

Last month saw the marriage of Sarah & James, an event that they had been planning for nearly two years. Their wedding service took place at Sacred Heart & St Theresa in Coleshill, with the celebrations over at Ansty Hall Hotel in Warwickshire.

It's such a privilege being a wedding photographer; spending time on the wedding day with people having fun, visiting stunning venues around Warwickshire, listening to hilarious speeches, and observing all sorts of things including looking at cakes.

A couple of weeks ago, I was a second shooter at Laura & Keith's wedding. A second shooter is effectively another photographer shooting alongside the main principle photographer which gives the couple more images from different viewpoints.

It is an absolute pleasure to now be able to show you some images from Tina & Richard's late spring wedding from the fabulous Wethele Manor here in Wawickshire. Last year Tina and Richard contacted me from Shanghai where they were living and working at the time, and asked me to be their photographer.

Following on from last week's blog post featuring Kate & George, I thought I'd quickly share with you another photo from their wedding. It was late in the evening at Shustoke Barn in Warwickshire, and all of the important duties had been performed by everybody, ie formal photos, speeches and the wedding breakfast.

A couple of weeks ago I second shot for Darren at Kate & George's wedding in Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands, followed by their celebrations at Shustoke Barn back over the border in Warwickshire. It was a grogeous day, and along with fabulous guests, it was a great wedding to be attending.

I had the absolute pleasure of capturing Sarah and James's wedding at the weekend. The church service took place in Coleshill in the north of Warwckshire, then the celebrations took further south at Ansty Hall Hotel just outside of Coventry.

A few weekends ago I caught up with Sarah and James for their 'Get To Know You Shoot', and also to have a chat about their wedding day. This was a rescheduled date because of weather, and this time it was warm and nice and dry.

Wethele Manor is one of those wedding venues that's a hidden gem in Warwickshire. It's easy to drive away from the town of Leamington Spa, towards Weston under Wetherley, and completely miss this quaint and characteristic venue.

A few weeks ago here in Warwickshire, I caught up with Tina & Richard for their 'Get To Know You Shoot'. We arranged to meet up one Sunday morning, at Newbold Comyn, to start the process of talking through their wedding day - and any thoughts they had on being photographed.

There are many positives to being a wedding photographer, being able to shoot for a living,meeting new people all the time, and being creative when designing couple's wedding albums. I recently received an email from Charlene & Tom, whose wedding was held in Coventry with their celebrations at Ansty Hall Hotel in Warwickshire.

Last week I posted a photo from Mel & Scott's wedding when I was second shooting for my friend Cathy, it continued with theme of my preferred shooting style for most of the wedding day - discreet and unobtrusive. I wanted to stay with the same wedding this week, and show an image for a slightly different time of the day.

Continuing with this blog series I thought I'd talk about another period of the day that sometimes doesn't get much of a mention, a pre-ceremony drink! Mel & Scott's wedding was across the border in Nottinghamshire, and this time I was second shooting for my friend and fellow wedding photographer Cathy.

Following on with this new blog series, I want to show you all another favourite photograph of mine from recent weddings here in Warwickshire. This week's photo comes from the Welcombe Hotel near Stratford-upon-Avon.

Following on from last week's blog post, I wanted to continue to share my passion for wedding photography with another choice in this new series.

Like most people, I love going through old photographs. They can be such powerful things especially when they remind you of emotional events, for example weddings. So I thought I'd start a new blog series called 'Why I Like This Photograph'.