t would generally starts with Michelle or both of us (depending on locations) at the bride’s home approximately 2 hours prior to the ceremony, to take photographs of the bride getting ready. Here there is the opportunity to take photographs of details of shoes, jewellery or underwear and photographs that capture the mood of the day; the frantic last minute panics and the stages of hair and makeup preparations and all the little details that go on behind the scenes. These are reminders of all that went on and generally activities that the groom didn't witness first hand!
With all the excitement, recording these moments becomes precious as the day whizzes by and one soon forgets just what went into planning this special occasion.
Mean while... Philip can be arranging to meet the Groom and Best man - or taking shots of the wedding party getting ready or arriving. Documenting events such as last minute speech writing at the bar or getting to grips with the intricacies of tying a cravat!
Having two photographers at the Church or Registry Office allows for one of us to be at the front to get photographs of vows and ring exchanges (with permission from the Minister or Registrar) while the other is in a prime position to capture the Bride and Groom from the back and the reactions of the guests.
Photographs after the ceremony generally tend to be of the wedding party and group shots. It is during this time that we would also take pictures of just the couple, that would form the basis of the gorgeous shots to fill your album. If that means departing to another near-by location for photographs then we will do that.
At the reception we would observe from a distance to capture reactions and emotions of the bridal party and their guests, generally people are more relaxed at this point and photographic opportunities often present themselves.
At this point we would suggest a 'mock cutting of the cake' where we could capture it at it's best, before the rest of your guests want to get in there too!
During the wedding breakfast, we take photographs of receiving lines, table groups and any table decorations that you have probably spent months agonising over.
Obviously photographs will never replace the capture of speeches on video, but a photograph of the look on a face or a wipe of a tear will evoke all the memories of the day that have been frozen in a second.
The evening entertainment is often when inhibitions drop and everyone has such a good time. If you have different guests arriving for the evening we would be capturing their arrival and observing again with a long lens from a distance.
Finally there is the first dance. We look for positions where we can get a couple of good view points and between us both, can capture this unique moment when the married couple first dance together.
This would generally signal the end of our day and we would make our way out, looking still for any photo opportunities that the bride and groom would like to see if only they weren't so engaged in their party!
