There was one bonus to the very late Spring this year, which was that the wonderful drifts of daffodils at Kentwell Hall in Suffolk were still in bloom for Hannah and Nicholas’s wedding photos. I was asked to provide the Kentwell Hall wedding photography for this lovely couple in exactly the style I enjoy doing best – capturing totally natural, joyful wedding images to serve as great memories of their happy day. Kentwell Hall is one of my very favourite venues, offering a stunning backdrop to the wedding photos and superbly run by the team there. Here are a few of my favourite’s from the day showing the happiness and warm friendships that Hannah and Nicholas enjoy.

If you were a guest at Hannah and Nicholas’s Kentwell Hall wedding, please visit: http://www.everybodysmile.biz/cgi-bin/public.cgi?Id=176694 for all the pictures from the day.

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Michelle and Mark held their wedding at the lovely Suffolk wedding venue of Hintlesham Hall. The Hall always looks wonderfully impressive as you spot it at the end of a long drive through the trees. The weather was predicted to be a bit of a mix but there was just enough sunshine to lift the light and giving a feeling of Spring warmth as the guests gathered outside. Michelle and Mark had been planning their special day for a long time, and their two little boys were very much a part of the proceedings. Both did brilliantly, despite the much more attractive distraction of a miniature train chugging around the grounds with the many little guests.

Michelle got ready in the light and airy Braganza bridal suite at Hintlesham Hall. The choices for her bridal accessories were gorgeous and perfectly set off by the soft pastel colours of the beautiful flowers supplied by the florist, Victoria Strowger Flowers.

The grounds of Hintlesham Hall offer several romantic spots for the couple portraits. I always try to make good use of any seasonal foliage and flowers in these shots to give a sense of time and place and I was gifted here with both pretty pink cherry blossom on the trees and the very late flowering yellow daffodils in the orchard. I love all of these shots, especially the ones where Michelle’s beautiful smile lights up the photo.

There was enough time later on in the evening to do a second portrait session with Michelle using some of the elegant backdrops of the interior of Hintlesham Hall and then after the couple cut the enormous wedding cake they took to the dance floor for their First Dance with music provided by expert DJ, Adam, from Your Wedding Disco. A quick little groom only solo with the improvisation of a handy saucepan was followed by a rather moving Father and Daughter dance before all the guests joined them on the dancefloor.

If you were a guest at Michelle and Mark’s Spring Wedding at Hintlesham Hall, please visit here to see all the pictures from the day: http://www.everybodysmile.biz/cgi-bin/public.cgi?Id=178328

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Nichola and Craig chose Gosfield Hall for their Essex wedding venue and were one of the nicest couples to work with. I really enjoyed their joyful, fun wedding which was full of warmth, laughter and love. It was obvious to all, the very strong bond that Craig has developed with Nichola’s three lovely children and it was a pleassure to see. Craig and Nichola had invited family and good friends and lots of children who enjoyed rushing around the grounds of Gosfield Hall in the sunshine. A very happy celebration and I wholeheartedly wish a lifetime of happiness to the newly married couple.

If you were a guest at this wedding and would like to see all the pictures from the day, please visit: http://www.everybodysmile.biz/cgi-bin/public.cgi?Id=176771

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Although I have provided the Essex wedding photography at many lovely venue’s, it was my first time at the very popular venue Crabbs Barn near Kelvedon in Essex. I arrived early to have the opportunity for a chat with the owner and a good look around for some unique locations for the couple portraits later in the day. Nina and David were blessed with a bright and sunny Spring morning as they got ready in the newly appointed guest rooms at the Barn. Nina was well attended by some great fun bridesmaids who looked fabulous in their purple silk bridesmaids dresses.

Nina had a beautiful dress and accessories which did justice to her artistic eye as an interior designer. I particularly loved her cream shoes which tied with a silk ribbon.

If you were a guest at Nina and David’s lovely wedding and would like to see all the pictures from the day, please visit: http://www.everybodysmile.biz/cgi-bin/public.cgi?Id=177651 and use the couple’s new surname for the password.

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The first set of Hengrave Hall wedding images for 2013 comes from Laura and Jonathan’s spring wedding held there at the start of April. The weather certainly offered the seasonal ‘spring showers’ a plenty but luckily the sun did break through for a short while in the afternoon for a beautiful set of couple portraits.

Laura was attended by no less than seven bridesmaids, one of which was a familiar face for me as I had shot her own wedding just last year. The girls all looked stunning in their soft pastel pink long dresses and Laura herself looked sensational in a beautiful and original styled dress. Jonathan and the rest of the guys were getting ready just down the hall and it made a nice change for  the groom to have some equally sumptuous accessories to photograph as the bride! Once everyone was ready, the boys headed over to the little chapel within the grounds to greet their guests whilst the girls received their bridesmaids gifts and probably took even more photos than I did!

Laura and her gorgeous coterie of bridesmaids had to make a quick dash across from the main buildings of Hengrave Hall to the little chapel in the grounds as the first spots of rain were felt. After a simple, joyful ceremony, another dash, featuring an army of staff with umbrellas, saw the guests dried off and happily celebrating inside the wood panelled ballroom of Hengrave Hall. A quick dash out into the gardens between showers gave me the chance to take some beautiful romantic shots of Laura and Jonathan.

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After a very long and dark winter, I attended a lovely wedding last week for Elizabeth and Mark at Great Tey church. The day brought not only the first glimpse of Spring seen on the Suffolk/Essex borders but also a wonderfully happy and stylish day expertly organised by Chris at the nearby Barn Brasserie where the reception was held.

Just one for now and very often my most favourite image from a wedding day ….. as the happy couple come through a cascade of petal confetti surrounded by their family and friends. To register to see all the pictures from the day, please visit: http://www.everybodysmile.biz/cgi-bin/public.cgi?Id=175842

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I spent a very interesting day yesterday at a professional workshop on creative lighting techniques, giving me lots of inspiration and original ideas, perfect for my winter weddings. Winter wedding photography is very different from a mid-summer wedding and the light disappears very early on. An experienced wedding photographer will still be able to create stunning, romantic images whatever the time of year.

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It was a cold and bright January day for Mary and Adam’s small  Le Maison Talbooth wedding in Dedham. Mary is a talented artist and her eye for design was evident in her beautiful and unusual wedding details. She chose to wear a rather more ‘quirky’ wedding dress than I usually see on a Saturday and she looked absolutely radiant. Both Mary and Adam were lovely clients to work for and great sports when it came to leaving the lovely cosy rooms of the hotel to take photos outside. The guests were later entertained with wonderful music by their friend who was both a pianist and singer! I think the first picture here must have been inspired by the great Australian wedding photographer, Marcus Bell, whose workshop course I enjoyed the week before this wedding!

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A few days after Christmas, I was at one of my favourite Suffolk venues, Yaxley Hall, for Hannah and Laurie’s wedding. The short days of winter suit this fabulous wedding venue perfectly with the warmth of log fires and candles welcoming the guests in from the cold. Hannah got ready at her parents very pretty cottage where the attention to detail throughout the wedding was evident before I even got through the front door.

Hannah made a beautiful bride and showed no nerves at all as she arrived at church in an eye catching vintage bus!

As it was so cold and windy outside, the vicar very kindly allowed the guests to throw their confetti inside the church as Hannah and Laurie came down the aisle, making some very pretty pictures.

Once everyone had arrived at Yaxley Hall for the wedding reception, the champagne started to flow and Hannah and Laurie invited their much warmed up guests to join in and sing Christmas carols around the piano.

I love these atmospheric couple shots which were taken in the main building of the Hall. There are so many quirky, glamorous backdrops to choose from at Yaxley Hall – perfect for photography for a winter wedding!

Hannah had told me that she loved the stylish and iconic films of Audrey Hepburn and the whole wedding exhibited her stylish approach to wedding planning. After an excellent dinner in the marquee, the guests were treated to a Jazz singer as they chatted over coffee. A quick fun shot of Hannah recreated the famous pose from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and then once the evening guests arrived, it was time for the stunning First Dance.

Yaxley Hall was looking amazing in the moonlight as I finally left.

For more pictures from this beautiful wedding at Yaxley Hall, please visit the Client Galleries on my website.

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Louise and James chose to hold their wedding just a few days before Christmas at the magnificent Essex wedding venue Gosfield Hall. The lovely building gleamed white in the crisp December sunshine and inside, candles and fires had been lit and there were no less than four Christmas trees to add sparkle to the day.

Louise and James both got ready at Gosfield Hall and they were both wonderfully relaxed and well supported by their bridesmaid and groomsmen. The bridal bedroom at Gosfield Hall is the most beautiful room and made the perfect backdrop to a set of stunning relaxed and intimate preparation images.

The church for Gosfield Hall weddings can be seen just across the fields and Louise arrived in a vintage Rolls Royce with her brother. With a fairly bitter wind blowing, they both quickly made for the warmth of the little church and to where James was waiting for his beautiful bride.

Sadly, there was very limited photography allowed in the church but I was permitted to take these few moments, including the all important, ‘First Kiss’.

James and Louise stepped out into the little churchyard where after some warm and exuberant congratulations from their friends, they walked through a cloud of confetti and set off back to Gosfield Hall in the Rolls.The guests congregated in the beautiful main reception room of Gosfield Hall with its black and white tiled floor and the enormous Christmas tree setting the scene.

Louise and James willingly braved the cold outside to give me a chance to do their first set of ‘couple portraits’ and what a stunning couple they make!

The upstairs wood panelled dining room at the Hall had been decorated to perfectly complement the Christmas season but avoiding the obvious reds and greens one is used to. The white clothed round tables, were decorated with extravagant floral arrangements of white winter roses and silver, green and gold foliage and looked simply stunning.

The speeches were started off by Louise’s mother and all were very well received with the room filled with laughter and a few tears!

A very ‘enthusiastic’ group of young ladies waited for the throwing of Louise’s bouquet and a big cheer went up as it was caught!

For more from this beautiful wedding, please visit: http://www.everybodysmile.biz/cgi-bin/public.cgi?Id=171402

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