I had been looking forward to this wedding as not only did I like the couple and had developed a good relationship with them but also the chance to cover a wedding at the fabulous Dewsbury Minster and then at Hotel St.Pierre and the Newmillerdam lake.
Unfortunately the weather forecast on the previous day was dreaded rain which always makes things interesting...
I had to travel past the Minster on my journey to the hotel and in the rain it certainly didn't look very welcoming, but we would cross that bridge later!
As any wedding photographer will tell you the bridal preparation photos attained can depend so much on the hotel room, the bride and others in the room, e.g. hair & makeup artists, bridesmaids, mothers, brides and children.
Add to this a lack of space and tungsten rubbish lighting and things start to get a bit tougher!
In addition to the Bridal Prep I was covering the grooms preparations and the groom was on another floor so I was running between the floors and rooms spending some time with both of them.
With Dewsbury Minster 20-30 minutes away then there wasn’t much that could be achieved in this time however all things considered I managed to get the shots I wanted for the storybook album that will be designed later for the couple.
From Hotel St.Pierre it was a dash to the minster with at least a 5 minute delay enroute due to someone breaking down and leaving their car in the middle of the road rather than push it to the side, very inconsiderate!
However we arrived at the amazing Dewsbury Minster in plenty of time, and I took a wander around the minster to compose my thoughts, look for any additional photo opportunities and options given the horrible weather, and to have a chat with Ken from Phase 5 Videography who was covering the wedding also.
I had worked with Ken on some previous weddings so we knew how to work around each others requirements without any fuss, embarassment or arguments as to who should stand where etc!
It was after just a few steps taken that I slipped on the treacherously slippy flagstones (covered in slimy sap from the trees – thank you Kirklees council!) and went straight backwards like a comedy sketch, only I certainly never laughed!
Luckily my two cameras were in front of me on a harness so they crashed down on my body whilst my bum elbows hands and back all hit the rain soaked floor.
Thankfully whilst now soaking, embarrassed and in a temporary daze, I got up, dried my hands and checked the cameras, phew, they were fine. So I continued my walk but this time on the grass!
Once inside a quick chat with the vicar and verger who were very helpful, and even a tour of the building showing me some additional options for photos if the weather continued to be poor.
From here it was some photos of the minster, the guests and Mark the groom, before Nikki the bride arrived soon afterwards, a few minutes early.
The service went very well and the choir was excellent and extremely moving during their rendition of amazing grace.
I almost applauded when they finished, but a), my elbow hurt from the earlier fall, and b), I didn't know how this would be taken as it’s generally not the ‘done’ thing to do in a church!
There was also a superb song from Nikki’s sister Louisa who added a twist and personalised a well known song.
The one and only annoying thing that happened during the service was after the couple were officially married, the Vicar told them to face the congregation to pronounce them man and wife, and never encouraged them to kiss or the congregation to applaud etc, and worst of all I had no way of getting around to the congregation side to get the kiss shot!
Apart from that it all went well.
The vicar was, however, very accommodating and relaxed regarding photos during the signing of the register, so that made a refreshing change.
Its always a photographers nightmare trying to accommodate the bad weather when it happens and even with an ‘a’, ‘b’ and 'c' plan it still depends entirely on the attitude and willingness of the couple, the guests and the venue of course.
The vicar was again very relaxed about us staying inside to do the photos which was a blessing, so we used the time to the maximum by doing some photos on the stairway, cafe, and also sneaking the bride and groom out onto a ledge to look out onto their guests to provide a one off photo that I'm not sure the vicar will ever authorise again!
After all the photos the one main one still to be achieved was the confetti shot which the bride really wanted, however trying to persuade the guests to go outside in the drizzle for a quick photo wasn’t the easiest of tasks!
(I still love seeing this photo and Marks reaction to the confetti which he says went in his mouth!)
Once this was done it was into the car and off to Hotel St.Pierre at Newmillerdam, Wakefield.
We were meant to be stopping off at the lake at Newmillerdam for some romantic peaceful photos of just the newlyweds however due to the torrential rain again this was decided against so it was straight to the hotel for the room/decoration photos and mock cake cutting before the meal at 3pm.
Guess what, just as they were announced into the room and sat down for the wedding breakfast the rain stopped and the sun came out. It was very tempting to quickly dash down to the lake but as I was going to be there until the 1st dance then it was decided to continue with the meal and hope the weather stayed dry.
After the meal and speeches whilst it had intermittently poured down it had stopped momentarily so we jumped in my car and went down to the lake where we took some romantic photos whilst at the same time watching the very black clouds approach and the sound of thunder get louder and louder!
(The rain stopped and we managed to quickly get these amazing shots of the couple who moments later were running to the car to get out the rain and avoid the lightning)
Nikki & Mark just made it back to the car before the deluge started, though the couple of metres from the car to the hotel quickly soaked me as it came down so hard and fast!
Back inside the hotel the couple mingled with the guests whilst I took guest photos again before noticing that the ceiling had water pouring though like a waterfall! I don’t know whether there was a leak in the roof or weather someone had left a bath running but I suspect the former, though somehow the staff managed to stop the leak quite soon. Full marks to them for this.
After a couple hours it was then 1st dance time and some more photos capturing this wonderful moment for them to cherish in their storybook album.
Nikki & Mark. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your big day and to capture these precious moments for you to last a lifetime.
I wish you every best wish for your future together.
Andrew Marriott
Charisma Photography Yorkshire
]]>The Foley is extremely small and just fits in the registrar and attendant, the couple and me perched in the very corner and with a 24mm lens this just covers the dark interior which was lit by candle light.
Very romantic but a nightmare to actually capture, especially with a large microphone on a stand in front of the couple (so the ceremony could be broadcast via speakers to the guests waiting outside) and no way of moving at all during the service.
A challenge indeed!
The weather the previous day wasn't great and the dark skies clearing way for a bright sunny day was an unexpected change which made for a great wedding.
Both cars provided by Halifax Wedding Cars at www.weddingcarshalifax.com
Here's a few photos from the big day:
ps sorry for the large watermark. This shouldn't be appearing!!!
As you will have noticed this was a Wedding (not a Civil - more on this later!), between two ladies, and whilst this blog isn't about the Lesbian aspect, it is important to note as this was the first Bride/Bride wedding I have covered since starting wedding Photography 4 years ago and I was interested to see whether the dynamics of the day would be different and give different challenges to that of our weekly Bride & Groom weddings.
However, the main thing for me was that this couple were evidently so in love that the actual interaction between them was the same as any other couple which made the photography much easier.
TEMPLE NEWSAM
I've done photographs before in the fringes of the park before (generaly enroute to a reception from a church wedding), but this was the first wedding I've covered at Temple Newsam House.
The whole park is HUGE, with Gold Course, Lakes, Rose Gardens, Running Track, and the house itself which is magnificient.
Its just a shame we couldnt cover photos everywhere!
CHALLENGES
Amongst the challenges I was to face was the extremely bright and high sun which was blinding during the lunchtime wedding along with a couple of relatives that weren't overly mobile so I had to change my usual approach to the family and group photos.
However all went well and the guests/families were brilliant and allowed us to get every photo we needed before I disappeared with the girls and the wedding car for a trip down to the lake for some intimate photos. (To also give the couple a bit of time out from being the centre of attention with friends and relatives).
In addition to the blinding burning sun and the shadows created other challenges appeared which, being in a public park were inevitable, but these included the public milling about and walking through the 'distance' shots, dogs jumping in to the lake and then running about and 'shaking the water out of their coats' dangerously close to the girls, the public calling out good luck messages (great and lovely but obviously also a distraction), but it was all great fun and from their comments it was evident the girls loved it.
THE FRIGHTS
Anyway, lets go back to the couple of frights we had before I show you a few more photos from the day.
Firstly, despite checking my equipment was all working prior to setting off in the morning, my 7d which had the 70-200 zoom lens on was struggling to focus at some lengths. Very strange and despite trying many different things to replicate the problem it proved inconsistant so discovering the cause was a nightmare during a live shoot!
However it did seem to move a little on the camera whereas previously I seem to remember it was snug and sound. So I took the lens off and discovered all 4 of the tiny screws on the lens screw plate were all loose. Quickly screwed back in and all good again!
Though as I always have two cameras and lenses with me anyway so it wasnt going to ruin the day regardless!
Second fright was during my conversation with the attendant at Temple Newsam who thought they were doing a civil ceremony rather than a wedding. Therefore she had to make some quick phone calls whereby the documents and booking was confirmed it should be a wedding and therefore a registrar had to rush from Leeds Town Hall with the register books so the two brides could be married!
A 20 minute very anxious wait for the girls but all went ahead evenutually and they were duly married.
All in all a brilliant day. Here's a few more photos which I hope you will enjoy.
p.s. sorry for the large watermark running through the photos, Ive set the photos to be watermark free but its still appearing on the blog photos!!!
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Unfortunately I'm still baffled a little with facebook and canot understand why/how to share or link to comments made directly to our page by someone else. I wouldve thought as it was posted on our page then I could do anything with it, but it seems FB has other ideas, either that or im just being stupid (probably the latter?), so instead of copying a link to the comments directly on twitter or fb Ive had to 'snipe' the details from the page instead, which I hope is okay!
I will try to keep up to date and continue to add comments to this blog as and when they are received and when I get 5 minutes to do it.
I will therefore start with the latest comments from a Bride from last year, Emma whose storybook album I've just started work on.
April 2014
Emma & Lee...have just picked up there album and within a few minutes posted the following on our facebook page:
Following are some comments from Charlotte who recently collected her storybook album:
It's always great to catch up with the couples that have already booked and just popping by to say hello, and it was equally great to see so many new couples that we hadn't met before.
A big thank you also goes to the couples that booked. I was pleasantly surprised that we took so many bookings on the day itself which is quite rare to be honest, as most bookings come a few days or even many months after the wedding fayres!
All in all a very manic long day as we also had appointments booked for straight after the show back at the office, but finally it's all quitened down now and after I post this it's some very much needed family time!
My wife Jane often jokes that she is going to marry someone else and get me to do the photos as maybe that way she will get lots of attention judging by the amount of time i spend with our brides and then on the albums afterwards etc!
It was also good to day to present one of our couples with their storybook album finally:
From this week we are now on Twitter, so please follow us or feel free to send messages.
If you have any reviews then please mention us in them.
Our user name is Charisma Photography and you can reach us on.... @CharismaPhotog
We have also been on Facebook for a couple of years and now have 300 genuine likes.
Again feel free to leave messages (though be aware that unless you are a 'friend' of Andrew Marriott then our reply to you may go straight into your 'other messages' inbox - (which most people don't realise they have) - therefore if you can include a phone number in your message i can send you a text to let you know I've replied.
]]>A very contentious issue amongst clients and fellow professional photographers alike, so I will detail the options and tell you what we offer and why!
STORYBOOK ALBUM
A storybook album, of which there are many suppliers and price ranges, if done right will leave you with an amazing album to look through and showcase your wedding to friends and family which you can then pass down through your family for generations to come.
(Indeed probably the next generation will look at it and wonder what this printed thing is that doesnt live on their tablet/watch/phone etc!)
Following the wedding I love sitting down with couples reliving the day and discussing with them the plan & design for the album and it then gives me an amazing buzz and makes all my hard work pay off when I see the look on their faces and hear their initial comments when I present them with the finished album.
I still sit down and go through my own wedding album and every time still spot something in the album that makes me remember a little more from the big day, which was now 7 years ago.
Our Service
Whilst many photographers ONLY offer the Storybook Album option (and retain full copyright of all the photos taken) we prefer to give our clients the opportunity to purchase whichever package they can afford from our range rather than be tied down just the one package.
So if you want just the disc or usb option that is fine with us - as you are then more than welcome to come back to us weeks, months or even years later when your budget allows and order an album!
DISC only Option
With the Disc only option you get your images burnt onto a disc.
Some photographers limit the amount of images they give you, typically to 100 or 150 which means that they are 'vetting' the photos and deciding what THEY think are the best ones which may in reality be totaly different to ones that you may have preferred, but you will never get the chance to see them!
However we do not think this right, it's your wedding and you should be entitled to see all of the photos taken and pick out your own favourites, and therefore with us you will get all the images that we take.
In addition, be aware that a lot of photographers will NOT give you copyright of the photos, and indeed, the images may be low resolution, shrunk in size or have the photographers watermark or name on them which will mean you would have to buy any full size images from the photographer directly, usually at a premium!
With Charisma Photography Yorkshire we do not work this way, and instead give you what we call 'shared copyright'. This allows you to copy, print or share the images with your family, friends and on social media etc, as long as you do not sell the images or use them for commercial purposes.
In addition we usually upload all the images to a password protected online gallery which allows you to view the photos, pass the password and link to your relatives which allows them to buy any photos they like directly from the print lab, without the couple having to constantly email,print or copy the photos for their relatives.
OUR SERVICE
To summarise, with our disc only option you will get all the images taken burnt onto dvd, in full size and with no watermarks or copyright details on the images.
You get shared copyright
The discs are personalised and printed and come in a personalised quality presentation case.
All your photos are uploaded to a password protected website for your convenience.
After you have the disc you are more than welcome to come back to us for prints, canvases, editing, wall art, or Albums!
USB Option
The USB option is a new alternative to the disc only option above, mainly for those people that no longer have pc's and laptops etc with disc facility!
Everything is the same in relation to the images and service of the disc option, however all the images will be burnt onto a quality Heart Shaped USB.
This stunning USB stick will certainly get your family and friends talking!
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This will probably be boring so personally i'd switch off now and go watch our slideshow showcasing some of our recent weddings and studio work!
As I get into this then I will keep you uptodate with information regarding us, the company, special offers and any other wedding or photography information.
If you wish to contribute by posting comments or asking for information then please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you are reading this then I will assume that you already know Jane and I, who are Charisma Photography Yorkshire, but for those that don't know us, or havent met us yet, then I will add some personal details another time.
The last few years have seen us go from strength to strength offering a professional and friendly wedding photography service whilst at the same time managing to keep the rates down for everyone in these tough times.
2014
The first couple of months of 2014 were initially looking quiet which was actually very welcome and gave me a chance to not only change and update the website but also to change suppliers of our gallery hosting which is where we post all of the wedding photos for clients under individual password protected galleries enabling the happy couple to pass the login details to friends and families so they in turn can buy prints, canvases and wall art without having to 'hassle' the poor couple for copies of the disc etc.
As you will have gathered, the time has also been spent starting this blog, which I hope will be informative for clients, and i will shortly be joing twitter too. In the meantime you can follow our recent work on facebook http://www.facebook.com/charismaphotographyyorkshire
Unfortunately though things are going a little slower than planned as since Christmas we have had a considerable number of orders for albums and canvases from couples that were married in 2013. Excellent news to get the orders but it does mean that some of the marketing has taken a backstep and will only be done i between the work for clients.
Weddings in 2014
As with the album orders 2014 is looking busy for weddings and we thank everyone for choosing to put your trust in us.
Anyone who is still looking to book their photographer then please do not hesitate to contact us to arrange an appointment to come and see/discuss our work and what we may be able to do for you.
We shall be at numerous wedding fayres in the next couple of months so please come and say hello!
2nd February - Leeds United Pavillion
16th February - Cedar Court Ainleys
9th March - Shibden Hall
16th March - Imperial Crown Halifax
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