Mount Ephraim Gardens Kent Wedding

Wedding Photography Mount Ephraim Gardens


"Just seen these, WOW WOW WOW!!!   Love them!   Thanks so much, you were amazing on the day and certainly made us all feel very relaxed!   Now we know where to find you am sure we'll be seeing you at more family functions, best photographer out there, we'll make sure to get in early!"    Jamie and Amanda.


My last wedding of 2012 saw me travel to Herne Bay in Kent to photograph the special day of Jamie and Amanda.  Living in the USA now, they travelled back for Christmas to spend it at Amanda's family home and threw in a wedding for good measure!

It was here where I met up with Amanda and the girls as they got ready for the day ahead in the lovely house overlooking a wild and wintery sea.  The weather would turn out to be typical of December, dark skies and rain!  However, and I say this to all couples that I meet, that not to get too caught up with what the weather is going to do, as even on a dark and damp day a great party is still inevitable!

I met Jamie and the boys all kilted up at the church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Herne Bay, and what with Jamie being cool as a cucumber, the service started with Amanda's father walking down the aisle behind the proud page boys.

After the lovely service which included some special readings by the young bridesmaids, it was off to the wedding venue of Mount Ephraim Gardens in Faversham, Kent. A small window of dry (ish) weather meant I could grab some shots of Jamie and Amanda in the grounds before the heavens opened again, and once inside a cracking afternoon and evening lay ahead with Mount Ephraim laying on 5 star catering to kick things off.

A superb cake made by a friend and a live band signalled the start of the evening, and after photographing the spendid first dance I made my way into the drizzly December night.

A selection of some of my favourite pictures are below.

As always please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this page, or sharing on Facebook or Twitter is equally as nice! If you are considering a wedding at Mount Ephraim Gardens please feel free to drop me a line via the contact form.


Mount Ephraim Wedding Photographer

Part of the Party

I often get asked about how I go about photographing weddings.  Apart from my obvious approach of not dictating things, or taking couples away from their party for hours on a photo shoot (i've been to weddings as a guest where this has happened, madness! You don't actually get to spend time with the couple you've come to see get married!).

I don't stand in a distant shadowy corner with a long zoom lens picking off snaps, I'd much rather prefer to wander about mingling amongst guests capturing all kinds of great moments.  You get a real feel of the day doing this, and as a result this transfers across to the pictures in a big way.  As a photographer you effectively become more invisible by approaching it this way as the wedding party quickly become used to you being around.

This picture below, whilst in no way is an award winning shot, highlights this fact.  The chap talking was so engrossed in a story he was telling he didn't even register me being there even though I was only a few feet away, and this in turn makes for a great photograph.  You get a real sense of being part of the day, purely because I was positioned where I was, and so in a sense viewing a wedding thorough the eyes of a guest.

Mount Ephraim Wedding Photographer

 

 


A Winters Barns Kent Wedding

Last month saw me travel to just outside of Canterbury in Kent to photograph the lovely wedding of George and Emma at the venue of Winters Barns.

It was my first time photographing at Winters Barns and I certainly hope not my last, as even though the heavens opened for the duration of the day, it still provided a great venue to photograph in!

Emma was getting ready in the nearby converted apartment, and it was here I met up with her and her bridesmaids where preparations were in full flow.  George meanwhile was over in the main barn greeting guests as they turned up.

Emma arriving via a multitude of umbrellas in her stunning dress signalled the start of the proceedings!  The ceremony was held in an adjoining barn which then followed on to afternoon drinks and canapes in the lovely soft lit main barn where everyone gathered to wish George and Emma well.

A lovely three course meal was then served (which I was lucky enough to sample, thanks guys!), which moved onto the cake cutting and a great first dance led by a cracking band.  After which it was then time for me to make my way into the drizzly night leaving the party in full swing!

Below are a some favourite shots from the day and as ever comments below or on social media are always welcome!

If you are planning a wedding at Winters Barns then please feel free to get in touch via the contact page to discuss any photographic requirements you may have.

 

 


Image of the Week 9

I had the pleasure of photographing at the stunning Hever Castle in Kent this year for the wedding of Ian and Lottie and wanted to share this image that was one of my favourites.  It was a great day for it and when dusk was setting in I saw a great opportunity for a photograph by the lake as the light was a dream to shoot in.

Ian and Lottie were happy after the meal to go for a wander over to get some air before the first dance and evening festivities began, and whilst they stood looking out over the water I shot a few frames using the superb panoramic feature on my Fuji X100.  I think this stands out for me just down to the simplicity of it and is pretty much straight out of the camera with very little post production done.

The Fuji X100 is a marvel of a little camera, quirky to use at times but the images from it are great and is the one i take out and about with the family rather than lugging heavy slrs all the time.  And as seen here is a good tool to have for the panoramic feature, shots of which are nice to include of the wedding venues grounds or buildings.

As a Kent wedding photographer, the venue of Hever Castle has to be a favourite, so if you are considering a wedding here please feel free to get in touch via the contact page.

As always a comment below or a share on Facebook or Twitter is always great to see!

Hever Castle Wedding


No need for posing...!

The title says is all really.  Being someone who doesn't really like having my photo taken, I've always approached my documentary wedding photography with the same opinion, which really boils down to that actually not many people do (apart from you super models who are reading this!).  So I approach a wedding and the way that I photograph a couple with that thought very much in the forefront of my mind.

I always put aside about 30 minutes on a couple's wedding day to take them aside for some shots of them both together.  This a nice calm interlude to the day away from the guests, and simply taking a short stroll around the grounds can result in some lovely pictures.  No daft posing or hours spent setting up lights or getting the bride and groom to hold each other awkwardly, this isn't a photo shoot its their wedding day with a great big party to get stuck into! Taking a couple away from that for an excessive amount of time would be a crime, and quite honestly shooting as a Kent documentary wedding photographer great simple, clean pictures of the bride and groom on their own needn't be a complicated process (and never is!).

Kent Wedding Photographer

 


Image of the Week 8

So here is a favourite picture (one of many from this particular day) of mine from a Kent Wedding I photographed back in the summer at the venue of Tonbridge Castle.  The day belonged to Adam and Louisa whose wedding I was fortunate to photograph, and a full blog of which can be seen here.

Why I like this picture boils down to some simple things really, such as how shooting into a very bright light source such as these narrow windows can be very effective, and used as seen here to create a nice silhouette (but not too much so).  The warm colours and texture of Tonbridge Castle's walls work well here, and I also particularly like how the vivid red of Louisa's fab Vivienne Westwood shoes creates a nice focal point.

Photographing inside a castle can create some interesting challenges, low light being one of them, but used creatively and not blasting the whole place with flash some good clean documentary photography can be achieved.

Kent Wedding Photographer

 


Image of the Week 7

Got to love some bubbles at a wedding, particularly as in some venues or churches confetti isn't allowed, and this shot from a wedding back in the summer at the stunning venue of Penshurst Place is a favourite example of this.

As a Kent wedding photographer with a passion for documentary coverage, situations like this are great as there is no need to mess about trying to organise people to do anything staged, it just happens and I always make sure i'm in the best spot to capture the action.

Please feel free to comment below or to share via facebook or twitter, it's always nice when you do!

Penshurst Place Wedding


Image of the Week 6

Have just finished editing a recent Kent wedding (blog of which to follow) and just wanted to quickly share this photo which caught my eye.  It was in the church just before the guests settled down ready for the service, and adults being adults they like to have a chin wag whilst the kids hang about!

I saw this little girl holding onto her mother's leg and as I crouched down to get on her eye line she spotted me and I quickly took the shot.  The entrance was behind me and so hence why there is great soft light falling on her as she was looking at me.  Generally I like people to be unaware of me taking shots as they are the best type, but with children it almost makes it a better shot if they are looking down the lens, and this is a perfect case of that here.

Shot on a Canon 5D mk2 using a Sigma 85mm 1.4 lens.

Kent Wedding Photographer


Lympne Castle Wedding Photography

A couple of weeks ago saw another new venue for me as a Kent Wedding Photographer in the form of Lympe Castle near Hythe on the Kent coast.  The wedding of Tom and Loo took me there and yet again was really impressed by the setting of this private castle which being in a high up position commanded cracking views across the Kent coastline.

The start of the day as usual saw Loo getting ready at the Mecure Imperial Hotel in Hythe before heading to the castle for the ceremony.  As Loo walked down the aisle in her stunning dress the whole of the wedding party broke out into a spontaneous applause as I think that people were gob smacked on how great she looked!  The ceremony also including a reading by her young son which also made it that extra bit special.

A warm Autumnal day greeted everyone as they made their way outside into the gardens of a glass of fizz and this is always a favourite time for me as a documentary wedding photographer.  There are numerous moments happening wherever you look, which are great to capture and to help tell the story of the day, which is the basis of how go about my photography at every wedding.

The wedding breakfast was then held in the medieval hall where huge windows filled the room with the setting sunlight, and in which some funny and yet very emotional speeches were read.

Below are a handful of shots I've chosen for the blog, and if you were a guest and would  like to view the full gallery please contact Tom and Loo for the password.

Please feel free to comment at the bottom of the page or to share on Facebook or Twitter!