Bamburgh Castle Wedding

July saw us at one of the most outstanding ancient buildings in Northumberland, the magnificent Bamburgh castle

Bamburgh Castle with the majestic wedding car provided by Alnwick Wedding cars

The wedding was a wonderful family affair that had been long in the planning. The main hall at Bamburgh is a spectacular setting which looks so special, it almost looks like a stage set, except these items are real

Groom and best man waiting for the arrival of the Bride

Bride and Groom in the main hall at Bamburgh castle

There was also a special guest of honour at the ceremony, Lucky the West Highland white terrier who was so well behaved

Lucky with his bow tie and button hole

 Music was provided by the always excellent musicians Andrelli, and the classical approach was such a good fit in the setting

The Andrelli duo

 We had to dodge the showers a bit (despite it being July) but we did manage to get a small break in the clouds when the sun lit up the castle for about 30 seconds, we were so lucky to get this one

Bride, Groom and Bamburgh

Then it was on to the Pavillion in front of the castle for the reception and party

We couldn't resist one last shot of the castle as we left in the late evening

Practice, practice, practice

I am a strong believer in training and practice if you have ambitions to excel at things.

To that end I try to go on several training events each year, to not only learn from the the trainers but also other photographers attending the event.

I recently attended a training day at the fabulous Wynyard Hall near Durham, with Pete Bristo (a many times qualified photographer with just about every organisation going), with a working title of Chasing the Light.

We had a model bride and groom couple, who gave us something to photograph when we found the light, and made a believable looking couple even thought they only met each other on the morning of the course.

Sheryl, Pete's wife and second shooter made sure things ran on time and kept Pete on track when he wanted to wander 'off-piste' so to speak

There were seven photographers on the day and we all had ample shooting time.

We were coached in posing and finding the good light, we also had a play with a new light source, which had the added bonus of looking like a light sabre!! - Mine is on order obi-wan.

These are a few pictures from the day - can't wait to put some of what I've learned into this years weddings

Qualified wedding photographer

I have recently achieved Licentiate status with the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (LSWPP) and can now use the Qualified Logo on my web-site

This is achieved by submitting a panel of 20 images from real weddings (no model shoots or study day images) for review by a a number of highly qualified and experienced wedding photographers who mark each image and decide if you have reached the required standard.

 For my submission I decided to show a variety of images from throughout the wedding day to showcase the coverage that we offer (the we in this case is my wife and I who work together on a wedding day - me photographing and Leigh sorting the dress, lights etc)

The first set below are all pre-wedding, the essential getting ready shots that set the tone for the day

The next set are ceremony and immediately post ceremony, the tension and nerves are suddenly released and the new married couple can ease into married life

Then of course, after the wedding breakfast and the speeches, it is time to party, we love to photograph the first dance and also will always try to take a parting shot as the light fades to round off the coverage

 

I hope you enjoyed this brief flick through some of my wedding photography, now I need to start thinking about the next level of qualification (Associate)