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Welcome

Hello and welcome to our blog. Here is where we'll be posting developments in our work and our lives, and even random ramblings about interesting stuff.

A bit about us first. We've been together for 15 years, married for 13 and have two amazing children. We have a job we love, working with people we like at the happiest times of their lives. How lucky are we?!!

We love hearing from new friends so if you have something to say about our blog please leave a comment or drop us an email - it would be great to hear from you!

Love

Phil + Lou xx


Activities

 

Forthcoming Wedding Fairs

Hazlewood Castle 11th October 2009

Aston Hall 25th October 2009

Woodlands Hotel 15th November 2009


Forthcoming Training


The Sound Gallery
www.thesoundgallery.co.uk

 

Jeyda & Gavin: Pre-Wedding Shoot 22nd June 2009

 

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I spent some time in York again last week, this time for Jeyda & Gavin’s pre wedding shoot. It was great to meet up with them again and chat about their wedding, and York was a perfect setting as usual.

We’ll be venturing into beautiful North Wales, to Plas Isaf,  for their wedding in October and we’re really looking forward to it - the scenery around there is stunning so we’re hoping to get some amazing shots for Jeyda and Gavin.

 

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Goldsborough Hall

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Last week I was invited to Goldsborough Hall near Knaresborough for a meeting of their wedding suppliers. It was a great opportunity to chat to like minded people, particularly other photographers.  Believe it or not (!) we can be a tad nerdy when we get together and it was great to be amongst like minded anoraks, swapping war stories like the famous boat scene in Jaws (but with less scarring).

Anyway, Goldsborough were promoting themselves as a wedding venue. It’s a fantastic location and one we’ve been lucky enough to work at a few times now. It’s actually a private home which has been beautifully renovated into what is now a stunning venue. Downstairs is very traditional with oak panelling and big chandeliers and mirrors, and the stunning upstairs suites are just amazing. It may sound a bit weird but I tend to judge a place on its bathrooms and the ones in the suites at Goldsborough are gorgeous so get a big thumbs up from me.

Outside is stunning too, with both formal and informal areas which is great from a photograph point of view as we can get a real diverse range of images.

Anyway, here are a few Goldsborough pics:

 

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Laura & Jamie : Pre wedding shoot 15th June 2009

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This time of year is always the busiest for us - not only have we got lots of weddings booked, but we also tend to have pre-wedding shoots too. Over the next couple of weeks we’ve got around 8 booked in so I’ll try and keep up with them all and blog them shortly after the shoot.

Anyway, my shoot last Monday was with Laura & Jamie at Fountains Abbey - not a bad location really! Laura and Jamie are getting married there in September and it was lovely to walk around he grounds with them chatting about possible locations to use on the wedding day. Laura was a bit nervous for the shoot, but she was a fantastic model as you’ll see from some of the shots below. We were extremely lucky weather. As we were walking round the Abbey it was warm and sunny but occasionally we would hear a rumble of thunder. As we worked our way back to the coffee shop the sky got darker and darker. By the time we left in our cars the rain was coming down like a monsoon!

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Tamsin & Will : Pre-wedding shoot 14th June 2009

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I had a fantastic time spending some time with Tamsin & Will for their pre-wedding shoot last Sunday. They’d asked to have the shoot at Valley Gardens in Harrogate close to where they live, and I have to say it was a beautiful location for it. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and all was well with the world!

Lou and I are really looking forward to Tamsin & Will’s wedding in November which is taking place at one of our favourite venues, Allerton Castle. Here are some of the pictures from Tamsin & Will’s shoot.

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Anoushka & Dave : Wedding 20th June 2009

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Our wedding this weekend was Anoushka & Dave’s, and what an amazing day it was. This time I had Rob Booker, another one of my v.v. talented photographer chums along for the ride.

All of Anoushka and Dave’s wedding celebrations took place at the Chevin Country Park Hotel near Otley, and as usual I spent time with the Anoushka & the girls in the morning while Rob was with Dave and the boys. Anoushka looked amazing and had a particularly gorgeous veil which made for some bee-yootiful photo opportunities.

After a lovely civil ceremony in the Lakeside room, everyone then went outside for a second ceremony. Anoushka has Sri Lankan heritage, so this second ceremony reflected that, with dancers, drummers and Sri Lankan traditions. It was so different to any other wedding we’ve covered before and a real joy to photograph - there was so much going on, and we managed to get some fantastic shots!

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After the ceremony we took Anoushka and Dave off around the grounds for their couple shots, then it was back inside for a more traditionally english wedding breakfast. Dancing and a hog roast at the evening reception finished off a great day. Take a look at more of the day below and at Rob’s Blog.

I was a real privilege to be part of your day, Anoushka and Dave. We’ll see you both again soon!

Phil & Lou x

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June 25, 2009 - 9:34 am Rob - What an amazing day! The Sri Lankan ceremony was beautiful and made for some fantastic photos. A real pleasure to be part of the occasion. All the best to Anoushka & Dave. Rob x

Fathers Day

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It has been a busy few weeks but today I had a chance to spend some time with the kids. After a busy day yesterday I thought I might get a Fathers Day lie in but sadly not. Come 6.30AM! I was joined by the kids wanting to give me my Fathers Day cards that they made. I love the time and effort that goes into making these - far better than anything you get from a card shop. I managed to get a coffee and bagels in bed but I sensed that it wasn’t going to be as peaceful as I had hoped. I love being a father to these two. Children give you so much unconditional love and don’t ask for much except the odd Ben 10 toy or some chocolate! Also I would like to say happy Fathers Day to my father who has been a great inspiration to me and has supported us through this great journey we are on. Currently he is enjoying himself out in Italy probably having a large glass of red as we speak. Anyway check out a couple of shots of these kids we took last summer on our way back from Italy.

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June 22, 2009 - 2:12 pm Phil - What gorgeous kids!! Lou xxx

Vicky & Marc : Wedding 13th June 2009

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I had a really busy week last week so I’m playing catch up this week with quite a few blog posts to do. First up is the wedding of Vicky & Marc on 13th June. Lou had other commitments again so this time I had Tom Arber along with me to help out. Tom is a great photographer with his own wedding photography business so I was really chuffed to have him along.

Vicky & Marc’s wedding all took place at Wood Hall hotel at Wetherby - a gorgeous venue that we’ve worked at before and it was great to be back there. I spent the morning with Vicky and her entourage while Tom was with the boys who were enjoying a couple of nerve steadying drinks in the sunshine before the ceremony.

The ceremony took place in the elegant Vavasour suite which was beautifully decked out in purple flower arrangements. Afterwards guests spilled outside onto the terrace for drinks whilst we got on with the family group shots and shots of Vicky & Marc. Then it was back inside for the wedding breakfast and speeches. All in all it was a really relaxed, happy wedding and I think Vicky and Marc had a fantastic time - we certainly enjoyed being there.

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Marc and Vicky, thank you for inviting us to be part of your day. Lou & I both with you lots of happiness for your future.

Have a look at further images below from the day

Phil x

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Jess & Rob : Wedding 5th June 2009

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We had back to back weddings in York last weekend. Saturday’s wedding was Sally & Mike’s and they’ve asked us not to post any of their pictures up until they’re back from honeymoon so I’ll be posting in a couple of weeks time about their day.

Anyway, it was Jess & Rob’s turn on Friday. We’d been keeping a close eye on the weather all week and it really wasn’t looking too good at all, but Friday dawned and the sun was shining. Yay! Their ceremony was at the Treasurer’s House in the centre of York which is a beautiful old national Trust property. It was a stunning location for the wedding. The sun continued to shine whilst we took pictures in the lovely gardens and the guests enjoyed champagne and canapes. Lou & I then took Jess and Rob around York for some couple pictures, and the ancient city provided a stunning backdrop for the photos. 

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While this was going on, the guests were being whisked away to the reception location, which was a an amazing Tipi which had been set up on the Escrick Estate just south of York. The Tipi looked amazing inside and had been decorated in a country fair style with rustic wooden tables and wild flowers in beautiful mismatched antique jugs. It looked so pretty and Jess and Rob must have worked so hard planning it to perfection. They’d decided on a barbecue for their catering and everything was sizzling away and smelling gorgeous when we arrived, with asparagus, kebabs, giant prawns and the biggest sirloins of beef I think I’ve seen! 

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The timing was great, as just as everyone moved into the tipi the heavens opened and the rain came down. Twas no problem though as the sides of the tipi were lowered and all was cosy inside. I have to say the speeches were fantastic - some of the best we’ve seen. One of Jess’s bridesmaids, Fran, had everyone in stitches with what I can only describe as part speech-part stand up routine. After that the party really got going and we bid our farewells as everyone got set to party into the night. Jess, Rob and their friends certainly know how to have a good time!

Thanks guys, it was such fun being part of your day. We’ll see you soon!

Phil & Lou xx

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All About Weddings: Training in the Lakes

Monday & Tuesday I was up at Annabel Williams studio to speak on a course ‘ All About Weddings’ There were 14 photographers all wanting to gain experience on how to do develop their own wedding business. I love meeting new photographers who all have a passion for photography and it is great to share ideas and knowledge. Far to often you meet people who are quite defensive about their business and are unwilling to share. I don’t know if they feel it is a threat but for me the best thing is to talk about our experiences good and bad. This is how we learn and get better at what we do. When I first started out with our photography business we met some fab photographers who were happy to talk about setting up and developing their business so it is great a few years down the line that we are now helping out people who are at the start of the journey.

Most of Tuesday was taken up with actual shoots. In the morning we did a pre wedding shoot with Gemma and Tim, a great couple who were fantastic models. I’ve mentioned before how important I feel the pre-wedding shoot is, and it was great to share some tips with the guys on the course. Simple things like chatting with and posing the clients - anything to get them to relax in from of the camera and build up a rapport.

Check out some of the pictures below and to see the full slideshow click here -> SLIDESHOW

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Then after lunch we had two new models Adam & Nicole who were dressed up to the nines in their finery. For a couple of hours we went through the simple steps of the wedding day - bridal preparations, detail shots, groom at the church, the arrival of the bride, inside he church, leaving and confetti shots and finally the all important couple sots. It was great to show people that the couple shots are pretty much a replication of the pre-wedding shots, so the couple know how we work and what to expect. Another great reason for the pre-wed.  See some of the shots below and click here for the full slideshow -> SLIDESHOW

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We finished the day back at the studio for some Q&A - I’ve never been bombarded with so many questions, but it was fantastic and I think I managed to answer them all! 

As I mentioned, I’m always more than happy to share my experiences, so if anyone out there has any questions or would like to bend my ear about photography then please get in touch - it would be great to hear from you!

Kate & Paul Pre-wed : 31st May 2009

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After Saturday’s wedding it was up and out again on Sunday morning for Kate & Paul’s pre-wedding shoot. Kate and Paul live down in Derby, but drove up to Yorkshire Sculpture Park for their shoot. It was another glorious sunny day and I think Paul and Kate enjoyed spending time in the sunshine.

Kate & Paul are getting married in the Peak District in August. We’re really looking forward to their wedding.

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