Jonathan Bean Photography

Photo Influences {Lancashire Wedding Photographer}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:27:00 +0000

Last night I watched a hugely enjoyable drama on BBC4 - "We'll Take Manhattan". It's the story of the young David Bailey (and if people know the name of just one photographer it's quite likely to be Bailey) and his favourite model/muse Jean shrimpton. Now I have no idea how accurate to their real story this drama was, but it did remind me how much I love his work, in particular his portraiture.

In the early 90's I taught the History of Photography to aspiring photographers in Cardiff, and I make no excuse for being absolutely fascinated by this beautiful medium, it's developments (technical, artistic and social).Bailey was a huge inspiration to me as a young photographer and is someone whose influence I can still see in my work today. The work of great photographers like Bailey has a way of seeping into the subconscious and I happily embrace these nods back to my heroes.

So I thought today, inspired by that drama, I would share an example of how a Bailey shot inspired one of my own favourite wedding portraits.

A few years back I was asked to shoot Sara and Richard's wedding at The lovely Ashton Memorial in Lancaster's Williamson Park. It was to be a somewhat retro styled wedding (right up my street!), very black and white, very 1960's in style. Sara and Richard were great, and totally open to my suggesting we try incorporating some 60's influenced shots. When I discovered there would be two best men, both in dark suits, white shirts and thin black ties, my mind flashed back to Bailey's iconic portrait of Reggie and Ronnie Kray, the 60's East End gangland villains, and I suggested we might try to do something similar. I love it when clients trust you enough to do stuff like this!
I'm whilst I'm reminded of Sara and Richard, this is also a great excuse for me to re-post one of my absolute favourite wedding photo moments. A crazy, chaotic image in which everyone seems to be doing their own thing, and yet, for me, it still all comes together and works brilliantly!

A thorny dilemma for newly engaged couples

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:30:00 +0000

There's been a fair bit of talk on the wedding blogosphere recently along the lines of who you should ask to do your wedding photos - hire a pro or ask a friend? It's really not surprising that this should be happening right now given that we are in the midst of a biting economic downturn. We are all finding it tough, and we are all looking to save some money - I know I am.

January is generally a time when we wedding photographers get a burst of enquiries for our services - "are you available on...?", "can you send me your price list?", "do you travel as far as...?" and so on. And this hasn't changed this year (much, I would venture to say the phone and inbox have been a little quieter this year, but only a little). But I have been getting a new response quite often on my follow ups - "Oh, we've decided to use a friend - he has a good camera". And you know what? That's fine, I did the same for my wedding (although he had never shot a wedding before, he was someone I studied photography with, he knew his way around a camera very well, and I loved his work, I wanted very informal pictures and I knew he was good at that). Thankfully he did a great job, especially considering he was doubling up as my best man too! But I'll be honest, when I get that response, my heart sinks a little, and not because it means I'm losing work, but because I really hope they still get the pictures they want and will look back on with smiles for years to come. Your pictures will remain with you long after the cake and decorations. It's a big decision.

I read a great post this morning over on the very wonderful Rock 'n' Roll Bride website that pretty much gets the issue bob on! If you are planning on getting married, and are thinking about asking a friend, I recommend you give it a read. It's not trying to persuade you against using a pro (and I wouldn't either), but it does ask you to consider some pretty important things that will help you get the pictures you want.

A good camera does not a good photographer make - this can barely be stressed enough, so much of my work is about understanding light, it's about about looking, and seeing, and being in the right place, it's about being good with people, and making them feel comfortable. It's not about having the best gear.
Has your friend ever shot a wedding before? An obvious question maybe, but a good one. Shooting weddings is hard work and it's not the same as taking a few snaps of your kids birthday party. It requires some pretty specific skills.
Does your friend have backup? He/she may have a top notch DSLR but even the best gear can break down at the worst possible moment.
Have you met up with your friend and talked through the day? what will happen when? where it will happen? what are the important things/people you don't want missing? what you are hoping your pictures will be like? have you shown them the kind of pictures you like and discussed how he/she will approach getting ones like them?
Have you visited the venues together, at a similar time of day to the wedding time, have they taken test shots in appropriate lighting conditions?
Will they be shooting RAW or jpeg?
Will your friend be editing your photos or giving you them straight out of camera? Have a look at this page to see the difference.

There are many more questions I could suggest, but I'll stop because it sounds a little bit like I'm saying 'don't do it - hire me instead' and I'm really not. It's your day and no-one can tell you what to do, or how to spend your money, least of all me.

January Sale {North West Wedding Photography}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:24:00 +0000

OK here's something nice for all you couples who received a surprise marriage proposal this Christmas, or perhaps resolved at New Year to make this the year to tie the knot with your beloved?

For anyone booking their wedding before the end of January 2012, I'm offering the dvd of your hi-res (fully edited) images FOR FREE, yes FREE. I normally offer this for £150, so that's fabulous photographs to cherish for a lifetime AND a saving on your wedding budget of £150! Result!

Jonathan Bean Photography - Wedding Portfolio from Jonathan Bean on Vimeo.

To take advantage of this incredible offer, just email me me and announce "I am getting married in 2012 and I would like to claim my free dvd!". Actually you don't have to do that bit (though it would be fun) just check my availability for your date and get in touch.

The smallprint: To qualify for the free dvd, you must confirm your booking with me and put down the required 25% booking fee before the end of January 2012.

Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate, wins Costa Poetry Prize

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:22:00 +0000

Congratulations to Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate, who it has just been announced has won the Costa Poetry Prize for her latest collection "The Bees".
A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of driving Carol Ann around Lancaster and Morecambe whilst on her visit to Lancaster Litfest. On the way we stopped for fish and chips in Morecambe's West End and had a wonderful conversation about music, television, cinema and in particular about the nature of successful double acts. At which point of course, I couldn't resist getting a shot of Carol Ann by Eric's statue.

(pictured with Carol Ann Duffy is her musical collaborator John Sampson)

So long 2011, and thanks for all the fish {Lancashire Wedding Photographer}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:58:00 +0000

So another year has been packed up and filed away, and a new year arrived with a seductive, beckoning wink.

2011 was quite a year, in many ways, and for me one in which I shot 21 fabulous weddings.

It would be impossible to pick out a favourite, so instead a personal favourite from each and every one of them.

Clare + Sam at Mottram Hall

Claire + Simon at Farington Lodge

Rachel + Paul at the Grange Hotel

Emma + Joe at The Midland Hotel

Rebecca + Alex at The Village Hotel, Bury

Phil + Matt at The Lowry

Jane + James at Garstang Country Hotel

Matt + Sue at The Ashton Memorial

Louise + Mark at Lancaster House Hotel

Claire + Adam at The Pickerings Hotel

Sarah + James at Lancaster Town Hall

Sarah + Mark at Garstang Country Hotel

Cara + Jordan at Stanley House

Steph + Zac at Garstang Country Hotel

Hannah + Niall at The Inn at Whitewell

Claire + Wayne at Broadaoks Hotel, Troutbeck

Zoe + Craig at The Great Hall at Mains

Rachel + Barry at The Villa, Wrea Green

Colleen + Steven at Garstang Country Hotel

Geoff + Sam at Barton Grange

Kim + Matthew at Whoop Hall, Kirkby Lonsdale

Big smiles, lots of laughter at Kim & Matthews Remembrance Day wedding {Lancashire Wedding Photographer}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:50:00 +0000

Kim & Matthew chose Remembrance Day for their wedding at Whoop Hall Inn just oustide Kirkby Lonsdale in Lancashire. This year Remembrance Day had the very memorable 11/11/11 date, so no excuses Matt for forgetting any future anniversaries!
It was a lovely gesture to mark the occasion that all guests wore poppies and contributed to a Royal British Legion collection box.
It's quite possible that Kim and Matthew might just take the prize for biggest smiles of all my clients this year - Kim, I'm betting that your jaw ached the next morning from all that laughing!
A grey day, but the lovely Cumbria hills were still visible through the murky skies, and no rain - Yippee!
These two were such a fun couple to photograph and it really shows in their pictures.
On a technical note - boy! but it was dark in the ceremony room, and with Kim and Matthew lit by a single overhead spotlight, there were some tricky exposures to handle. Aw heck - it's good to be challenged now and again!
Here's some of my faves...

... and you can see the full set here (but you'll have to ask Kim or Matthew for the password!)

Don't Panic! {Lancashire Wedding Photographer}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:20:00 +0000

A nice quiet Winter {Lancashire Wedding Photographer}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:36:00 +0000

After a hectic summer of weddings, it's rather nice to settle down in the winter to a different (but still hectic) way of working.Winter usually finds me planning madly for what I want to do next year with my business, new directions, new offers, new kinds of work, new people to work with. And I always have plenty of plans! Some come to fruition, some don't and that's fine.For next year I've already teamed up with Phil at Tall Order Photography to cater for clients who would like to get the ultimate coverage of their big day with two photographers, and I'm exploring making improvements to my wedding albums with a local graphic design company.

I'm already busy preparing lots of clients wedding albums right now, and that's a nice chance also to review the work I've done over the summer and see where I've improved or need to get better.

I also get to work on a few more portraiture and commercial jobs, and recently that has included a whole day shooting different cuts of meat for Mansergh Hall Farm nr Kirkby Lonsdale for their recent web makeover, a morning shooting wedding card stationery for Kelly at Perfect Touch a local wedding stationery designer, and a morning reacquainting with a previous client for some baby and family portraits. Coming up, I'm looking forward to a possible shoot with the bell ringers in Lancaster Priory, another portrait shoot, a bridalwear collection shoot and a vintage shoot for Mrs Beanphoto, whom I now have to refer to in her own right as co-owner at Itsy Bitsy Vintage.

In March, I'll be taking a stand at a wedding fair for the first time ever, running a short course in social networking for small businesses, and if I'm lucky, I might get to spend some time on doing some personal work! In that respect, I'm currently looking for willing participants in a portraiture project, shooting 50 year olds (interested? get in touch!); I also have a fun ongoing side project called Slingfilm, in which I'm collecting and using vintage cameras with undeveloped film still in them; and I'm hoping to get things moving again on a co-project connected to the old Moor Hospital in Lancaster.

It's time also to start looking at ways to start selling some of my personal work. I'm always shooting things for myself as opposed to shooting for clients and slowly some of that work is starting to sell too.

Work slowing down in the winter? I don't think so!

Colleen & Steven's vintage bus ride wedding {Lancashire Wedding Photographer}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:34:00 +0000

Oh I do love a vintage bus! And Colleen & Steven's has become very popular by all accounts since carrying Kate Middleton and her friends on a big day out last year.

My day started at a very relaxed Colleen's house in Bowerham, just down the street from the St. Pauls Church Scotforth where we would soon be going fo their ceremony. The day was marked by a little light rain for the most of the day, but it barely seemed to bother anyone, least of all Colleen, who strode brolly-less through it all with a huge smile on her face!

I was joined at the church by the lovely Jodie (L'Appasionarta) who was along for some second shooting experience and did a great job.

After the service it was all aboard the bus once again for the (bumpy) ride to Garstang Country Hotel for the reception and wedding breakfast.

Such a lovely day!
You can see the full gallery here (but you'll need the password!)

And some great shots now from second shooter Jodie!

Samantha & Geoff's Garstang wedding {lancashire Wedding Photography}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:58:00 +0000

I'm on a bit of a catch up with weddings at the moment as a result of the Lancaster Literature Festival taking up a large part of October, but better late than never, and so here, a little later than planned, is the first of today's catch up posts. Geoff and Sam married at Garstang Country Hotel in Lancashire, a venue that seems to have become very popular in the last couple of years, perhaps unsurprisingly as the staff team there, led by James do a great job of looking after everyone involved, photographers included!
Here's a few of my faves...
... and you can see the full set here (but you'll need the password!)

Introducing... Art Deco Weddings {Lancashire Wedding Photographer}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:18:00 +0000

I have another new Lancaster & Morecambe based wedding supplier to introduce to you today. Last Sunday I was at the Midland Hotel Wedding Fayre, helping the Itsy bitsy Vintage girls to set up their oh-so-lovely vintage china hire stand. It was a great event and nice to see lots of other familiar faces too: Philip White Weddings, Tall Order Photography, Flowers by Catherine, Dotty's Vintage, Madam Chocolat, David Lancaster and a chance to meet a few new ones too like Martin Crombie and Anthony and Steph the couple behind Art Deco Weddings, a rather wonderful company offering some fab vintage style for all you wedding couples planning a vintage wedding. I'll hand over to Anthony now to let him tell you all about ...

Charleston Dancing And Art Deco Weddings

When we think of weddings there are many traditional features from the 1920’s (the cars, the dresses, the suits) and so what better way to celebrate the big occasion than with some vintage glamour and dancing from that era?

Morecambe and Preston based dance teachers Anthony Padgett and Stephanie Sturges have decided to bring back the oldest, newest dance craze – the Charleston. It’s the perfect wedding dance for both bride and groom and guests as it’s easy and fun. Whether you are 8 or 80 it can be done solo, with a partner, or in a group. The dance is associated with Flappers, Gangsters and Hollywood Glamour of the Jazz Age of the 1920s and 1930’s. This era is evoked in films such as “The Great Gatsby”, “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “Bugsy Malone” and in TV programs like “Jeeves and Wooster”. People look at this era with affection and you can create a great party atmosphere where people dress in smart and stylish clothes.

The couple offer Wedding Dance tuition, Fun Party Charleston Dance lesson for guests and Hen Parties at affordable rates. Their DVD "How To Charleston" sells around the world and they have recently been filmed for Sky TV’s Got To Dance.

The Jazz Age was a great period of Art Deco design and to make the day complete they offer Chauffeur Driven car hire of 1929 Aston Martin International and 1930's Morgan replicas. And because these cars are smaller than the standard wedding cars they offer them at half the price - with twice the fun.

Stephanie has also had her wedding cakes in a number of national magazines and can create bespoke art deco and classical designs for the big day.

And if you want to continue the vintage theme through the afternoon until the reception Anthony & Stephanie can also teach your guests how to play the vintage game of Croquet.

The couple are happy to help with recommending venues, jazz bands, clothing, cocktails, invites etc. There favourite venue is the Art Deco Midland Hotel in Morecambe where they have taught Charleston and which also stocks Anthony’s novella "Murder At The Midland Hotel" (a Charleston Murder Mystery).

Anthony and Stephanie are based in the North West (Lake District, Lancashire, Manchester) but can also travel to major events. Please e-mail or phone them to discuss your wedding plans. For more details visit www.artdecoweddings.co.uk or contact Anthony on 0790 2342448

Sneak Peak {family portraiture}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 06:53:00 +0000

Earlier this week, on a day off from the busy demands of the day job, I popped over to see some old clients and shoot new family member Ellie. Now as beautiful as she is, Ellie didn't exactly warm to the experience of her first photoshoot, but I just had to share this one pic which leapt out at me when I flicked through the files yesterday. You can see the full set here (password required)

(click the pic to see a larger version)

Rachel & Barry's vintage Inskip/Wrea Green wedding {Lancashire wedding photography}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 07:10:00 +0000

(view the full wedding gallery)

Rachel and Barry are such a lovely, unassuming couple, and their big day was a perfect reflection of their personalities that it was impossible not to come away feeling more than a little touched by their tenderness. The rain that followed me from Lancaster gave way as I pulled into Inskip where the day started for me at Rachel's parental home, little more than a stones throw away from the charming St. Peter's Church.

I went next to find Barry, best man and groomsmen welcoming the guests without a speck of nerves on show.

Rachel and bridesmaids arrived in style, in a beautiful, vintage Morris Minor.

After the service we all moved on to The Villa in Wrea Green, such a lovely venue for a Lancashire country wedding.

I loved the relaxed fireside feel to the speeches, and Rachel's tables had some really pretty details going on.

Lovely day guys, best wishes to you both X

Dress: Halo & Ellis
Flowers: Flower Design and the good ladies of St. Peter's Church Inskip
Photography: Jonathan Bean

Introducing... Tailormade Poems

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Time to introduce a new strand to the blog, and one I'm hoping will be of interest to everyone who finds themselves spending hours, days, weeks trudging the high streets, fingering the yellow pages or clicking their way through countless websites in search of suppliers who can make your big day that extra bit special.

As a Lancaster wedding photographer, I get to see some great suppliers and some fab ideas, and often I get to meet the wonderfully creative people behind them. So here's where I get to share them with you, and in their own words let those suppliers introduce themselves to you.

First up is a very unique local business... Tailormade Poems:

"I love you love you love you love you?"

These days, we’re always saying how much we love each other, at the end of phone calls, on texts, to friends, family and even our unsuspecting pets. It’s important every time.

But then, what do you do when you want to use those three little words for a very big occasion? And make them different and, well, even more heartfelt?

You can buy a card, mass-produced, and maybe not quite you. You could write your beloved’s name in airplane smoke in the sky. Or you could commission a Tailormade Poem absolutely just for them, and absolutely just from you.

A Tailormade Poem will say exactly why you love your beloved – the things you’ve shared already, from balmy walks to tiffs in the rain, and of course the future you’re already dreaming up.

We’ll write you a one-off personalised poem which might be read out at your wedding and happily ever after. It’s a point of honour with us that your find a unique voice: we don’t do off the peg.

Tailormade Poems are written by one of three Lancaster-based poets: Sarah Hymas, Elizabeth Burns and Rebecca Irvine Bilkau. We love words, rhythms and imagery, and the magic that happens when almost inexpressible thoughts shine through the perfect phrase.

We set up Tailormade Poems to help other people do just that. For us, every commission is a special occasion, and we treat every one with the respect and honour it deserves.

To find out more about Tailormade Poems and to commission your own bespoke poem visit http://tailormadepoems.wordpress.com/how-it-works/ ... and don't forget to tell them who sent you!

Win your wedding venue! {Lancashire Wedding Photographer}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:26:00 +0000

Ok, you all know how expensive getting married can be! Wouldn't you like to shave a bit off your budget? Well how about this? Hornby Institute are offering some romance for the recession with a wedding competirion for couples tying the knot in 2012!
Hornby Institute is a charming venue nestled in the beautiful Lune valley in the village of Hornby. the kind of venue that would complimemt any couple going for a vintage wedding theme. With a range of rooms to choose from, and licensed for civil weddings this is a great offer. Village Hall doesn't necessarily mean small either: The Parkinson suite (Main hall) seats up to 120 guests (banquet style seating) with a large stage and sprung dance floor!
Now because the competition ends on February 14th (Valentines Day) all you have to do is share the romantic story of how you both first met! The most romantic story wins the venue for their wedding.

The Institute is suited to self-catering or contract catering weddings, and would be perfect for a vintage tea party and dance wedding! And if you need a little help planning and styling such an event why not give the girls at Itsy Bitsy Vintage a call and discuss how they can help give your event some vintage va va voom!

Zoe & Craig's Great Hall at Mains vintage wedding {Lancashire wedding photography}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:26:00 +0000

Zoe and Craig's big day at The Great Hall at Mains, had so much to enjoy. a great venue, a super-happy couple, lots of sunshine, a gorgeous vintage car once owned by the family of Florence Nightingale, pretty, vintage china tea cups for the flower displays (I loved how the floor standing displays for the service later became table centre-pieces for the wedding breakfast), some rather amazing wedding shoes, bundles of smiley happy guests and the directive to relax and just shoot the day as it happens (my kind of people!). So, here's a selection of my favourites, and thanks to Zoe and Craig for asking me to share in their fab, fab day!

Walking in Circles

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 07:27:00 +0000

Litfest2011 starts very soon, and life in the Litfest office is getting pretty busy in preparation. One of the events I'm really looking forward to is the launch on Sunday 16th October of Flax029: Walking in Circles a collection of three poetic walking tours of Lancaster by Elizabeth Burns, Rebecca Bilkau and Martyn Halsall.

The three walks – all starting at The Storey – take different routes around the city to explore its history and people. For the launch, in the Storey Auditorium, the poets will read poems to create a journey around the city, with projections of photographs (by yours truly) of what you might see en route.

If you’d like to take the walks yourself, a map of all three routes will be available from the Visitor Information Centre – you can even borrow an MP3 player with recordings of the poems to listen to as you go. You can also download the map and audio of the poems from the Flax029 page of the Litfest website after the event. And an ebook (cover image below) of the all three sequences will available from the 16th October.

The photographs which will create a slideshow backdrop for the launch of Walking in Circles were all taken in the course of one afternoon. You can see the full set of images here on Flickr.

A sun-drenched vintage style Lake District wedding {Cumbria Wedding Photographer}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:37:00 +0000

My favourite shot from a recent wedding at the very lovely Broadoaks Country Hotel in Troutbeck, Cumbria.
Worth getting my suit a little dirty round the knees and elbows for I think!

And here's Claire & Wayne's book...

Claire & Wayne by Jonathan Bean Photography | Make Your Own Book

Kodak Bantam Colorsnap 3 camera

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:22:00 +0000

This weekend I picked up this gorgeous old film camera (this is becoming a bit of a vice for me at the moment) from a local Trash 'n' Treasure fair for £1.

The Kodak Bantam Colorsnap 3 was manufactured by Kodak between 1961 and 1963, making it the same age as me! It takes 828 roll film, not so easy to find these days, but I'm hoping i may be able to pick up an old roll from ebay and give it a go. However, the fun bit is this - on opening the camera to inspect, I found it had a used roll of film still on the spool! Now how fun would it be to get that developed and printed! 50 year old forgotten and undeveloped photos! All I have to do is find a printer who can handle 828 film! Anyone out there who can help?

Litfest 2011 is coming

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 14:13:00 +0000

As many readers may know, my working week is split between Litfest and Beanphoto, and one of the really lovely aspects of working at Litfest is getting to do most (if not all) of their photography. It's a treat doing all the flax writer portraits and occasionally I get a picture or two used for a cover on a flax publication. As we move through summer I start to think in the back of my mind about an image we might be able to use on the annual festival brochure. I wanted something bright, fun and eye catching. A chat with Penny (Litfest marketing) and the idea of a house made from books came about. From there I tried a few ideas out, re-shot thr best of them, did some swift market research to gauge public opinion and settled on this shot of a tiny house made from book pages. The little figures are becoming a bit of a trademark of mine (I love them!) . At this point I left to on holiday and handed the raw files to Gareth of Morph Films who designed the brochure. I came back off holiday to find a little pathway had been added in computer, which I have to admit I wish I'd thought of myself!
Anyway here's the finished image adorning the festival brochure cover.
I really like it and pretty soon it will be all over town! But what do you think?
p.s. If you'd like to make your own paper house, you can download a template from the Litfest website. And you can download a copy of the festival brochure here. You'll see a fair number of other photos by me in the brochure too, but more about those later.

Niall & Hannah's Happy Ever After Wedding at the Inn at Whitewell {Ribble Valley Wedding Photographer}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 08:03:00 +0000

Niall & Hannah's wedding at the lovely Inn at Whitewell, was such a lovely day. After some pretty awful weather, the sun came seemingly out of nowhere to shine for this great couple and we were able to make the most of the Inn's beautiful grounds and vistas.
The day was all the more enjoyable for me for seeing some old familiar faces among the guests. Observant readers might recognise Alan & Frazer amongst the throng. And several guests from their wedding seemed to be here for Hannah and Niall too. Hannah's design for the marquee loooked absolutely gorgeous and I loved the cupcake tower with cake on top made by Alan!

Credit here to Lancaster's Yummy Cupcake Company for the beautiful and very scrummy cupcake tower!

Niall & Hannah {sneak peak}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 08:49:00 +0000

A slight deviation today whilst I feature Niall & Hannah's charming wedding venue in the beautifully untouched Forest of Bowland. St. Michaels Church at Whitewell is snuggled in some fantastic scenery, is adjacent to one of the finest Inns in the land (The Inn at Whitewell) and has a vicar who was happy for me to shoot as much as I wanted. More from Niall and Hannah's gorgeous day later, but for now, here's to St. Michaels, Whitewell.

Steph & Zac {Lancashire Wedding Photographer}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 06:58:00 +0000

Ah, I just loved Steph & Zac's wedding day. From the off when I arrived at Steph's parents house in Lancaster I was made to feel as welcome as an old friend, and there were just so many big smiles throughout the day it would have been impossible to have come away without one too!
The service took place at St. Pauls Church in Scotforth, Lancaster, just up the road from where Steph was getting ready, and one of my favourite church wedding venues in Lancaster. It's such a pretty venue with great grounds for the pictures and it helps that the vicar is just a little bit bonkers (in a really good way!)
The rain just about held off, with only a few short drizzly spells, and we mostly enjoyed some lovely summer sunshine. The beautiful bouquet and flowers were once again provided by the fabulous Flowers by Catherine.
From Scotforth we went onto the very popular Garstang Country Hotel for the reception and wedding breakfast part of the day, where we heard some great speeches before the meal moving Steph and Zac, family and friends alike from fits of laughter to some very touching tears in the briefest of moments.
Enjoy the pictures... (click a picture if you want to see it larger)

To see Steph & Zac's full gallery, click here (requires their password)

Cara & Jordan's Stanley House Wedding {Lancashire Wedding Photographer}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:35:00 +0000

Stanley House in Mellor, Lancashire is a superb wedding venue and the one chosen by Cara and Jordan to celebrate their big day. Pink was a big theme for the day, with some amazing flower work by Lilybets of Hoghton.

All Cara's work on her wedding breakfast room paid off as the room like stunning.

It poured down all the way on both my drive over there and back home again, but amazingly against all the odds (and weather forecasts) the sun came out over Stanley House and and shone throughout!

Here's a selection of my favourites from the day... (click a pic to see it larger).

Sarah and James {Lancashire Wedding Photography}

noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 08:09:00 +0000

Everyday when I wake up this is the view I see from our back window, it's Lancaster Town Hall and on this morning, it was also to be the venue for Sarah & James' wedding.

It always feels special to be shooting in my home town, on my doorstep, and so it was with Sarah and James' day, which started for me just a few miles up the road in Carnforth, where Sarah was getting ready at her parents house. I just loved the wallpaper in that back room!

From Carnforth it was onto Lancaster and the Town Hall where James was waiting in the Council Chamber for his bride to arrive and the ceremony to begin.

The Council Chamber is such a great venue for a Lancashire Wedding Photographer like myself to work in and a beautiful setting for this small and intimate family celebration.

After the ceremony, we had time to relax in the serenity garden adjacent to the hall (with the local sunwoshippers!) and by the Queen Victoria statue in Dalton Square, before heading off to another favourite local spot of mine (and my local!) the Gregson Community Centre for the reception.

Congratulations Sarah & James - lovely day!

And here's a look at Sarah & James' book...

Sarah & James by Jonathan Bean Photography | Make Your Own Book