Sophie & Tim's Engagement Shoot at Columbia Road Flower Market

I try to vary my locations for engagement shoots as much as possible.  Every couple is different and I want to ensure that each engagement shoot represents them as much as possible.  Columbia Road was particularly busy on this day but we snuck off down some side streets initially until Tim and Sophie were more relaxed in front of the camera then we braved the crowds and went shopping for some flowers, stopping for a few oysters on the way.  They were great in front of the camera - very relaxed and natural and fun to be with.  Wedding pictures now here.

Debbie & Gavin's Engagement Shoot in Bristol

I hadn't see Debbie since I was about 14 as far as we could both remember.  Our parents are close friends from their military days but we had lost touch a while back.  I was so delighted to reconnect when Debbie wanted to speak to me about her wedding in Somerset.  We spoke in the loosest sense of the word back at Easter, although I was in the throes of losing my voice, and confirmed the details and finally had the chance to meet up when I went down to Bristol last weekend. I had the most wonderful day, a few hours with Debbie, Gavin and their gorgeous, smiley little boy Jack wandering around Clifton, followed by a lunch with a girlfriend at The River Cottage Canteen, a wander along the harbour at the Bristol Harbour Festival and finally a few drinks with an old friend.  The perfect spontaneous, fun filled, sunny day to fill my heart with love and friendship.

Julia and Pete's Engagement Shoot in Camden

Gorgeous Julia and Pete asked to do their engagement shoot in Camden where Julia used to live and where they used to 'court'. We met at 7pm but it was still muggy and hot and everyone was on the streets and in a great mood, not least Julia and Pete who are the most smiley, lovely couple. Julia is a pilates instructor which is why she looks so A-mazing! I love engagement shoots; I get to wander round new parts of town and get to know a couple in a much more relaxed environment. We started off at Camden Town tube and pottered along the canal up to Primrose Hill and near to where I live.

Their wedding in September is at Kensington Roof Gardens. I haven't been there for years but I'm sure it will be a fantastic venue not least because there are pink flamingos up there!!!

Hayley's Pregnancy Shoot

It's such a personal stage in a woman's life and it was a real privilege to have the opportunity to shoot Hayley only one day before he was born.  She was absolutely glowing and beautiful and we did the shoot in the comfort of her home using mainly natural light and the lovely space of the house.  Congratulations to her and Wes on their new arrival. I had the pleasure of shooting a heavily pregnant bride, Amber, in the summer at a gorgeous central London wedding.  For how to maintain your glamour whilst in the second trimester see the blog post here!

Teva & Neil's Engagement Shoot (in my garden)

Since moving into my gorgeous garden flat near Chalk Farm earlier in the summer I've been musing about how I can shoot in it.  It's quite little but has a wonderful range of textures and backdrops and light sources. Teva and Neil, who live in Brisbane, Australia but are getting married at Southend Barns in Chichester in February came round today for a cup of tea and to chat about their wedding details and as the sun was streaming in through the French windows I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to try the flat out as a location.

It was the first time I had met either of them but they were so warm and friendly from the moment they came in, and so affectionate with each other I knew they would be a delight to photograph.  Such natural smiles and ease in front of the camera.

Lucy & Graeme's engagement shoot in Islington

I lost count of how many times Lucy and I had tried to arrange their engagement shoot but with this disastrous summer I was really keen to hang in there until we had a beautiful evening.  We had a great location picked out; the canal near their home in Islington and I knew that given the right day it would look fabulous.  We hadn't even met by the time I knocked on their door last night but when Lucy opened the door looking utterly gorgeous and floaty in a beautiful summer dress I sighed happily at the prospect of shooting this very lovely couple. This perfect evening made me even more jealous of my American wedding photographer friends who take this amazing light for granted every day!  Hopefully they will be lucky again on their wedding day in September on the banks of Loch Lomond.

Vicki, Alan, Lewis and Brooke at Pollok House

When Vicki and Alan booked me they asked if for their engagement shoot they could include their children Lewis and Brooke which of course I was more than happy to do.  Although toddlers do NOT stay still for a second!  A photographer needs lightening reflexes or a bottle of calpol.  And their moods swing quicker than lightening!  Lewis was charming though and it was quite adorable they way he was so caring towards Brooke. We did the shoot at the stunning Pollok House and gardens just outside Glasgow.

I think it's great that kids can be involved in their parents weddings and I look forward to another loch-side wedding next month where (weather pending) Vicki and Lewis will be arriving for the ceremony in Callendar by boat.

Lorna & David's Engagement at the Botanic Gardens, Glasgow

I've really crammed a lot into my recent weekend in Glasgow, 1 pre-wedding consultation, 2 engagement shoots and a wedding.  I love visiting Glasgow and enjoy getting to use some of my favourite locations for engagement shoots.  I met Lorna and David for a coffee in Heart Buchanan on Byres Road before heading over to The Botanic Gardens for a little stroll around.  Their wedding is in just two weeks time in Loch Lomond which I'm very much looking forward to.

Laura + Alan's Engagement Shoot at Glasgow University

I've shot several weddings at Glasgow University and the cloisters there are beautiful so I was delighted that Laura suggested we meet there for their engagement shoot.  They looked totally fabulous for their shoot, and with Laura having modelled in the past it was a treat to shoot them.  She was a total professional despite it being SO cold and wet.  We were shivering under the arches most of the time but her smile was gorgeous, real and infectious. I offer a complimentary engagement shoot with every wedding package.  It only takes an hour or so and is a great opportunity to get to know each other better and for a couple to get used to being in front of the camera so that by the wedding day the whole experience feels a lot more natural.

A Brighton Love Story

A few of my favourite pictures from a pre wedding shoot with Matt and Meredith down on the Brighton front. It was a gorgeously crisp day with a blue sky and we had the use of very fancy 1934 Rolls Royce for an hour. They were great fun to work with as you can see from the smiles.

Kate + Alex's Wedding at Great Fosters, Surrey

I have to confess; covering a wedding for a friend is quite possibly the most stressful assignment out there for a photographer.  I feel the pressure even more than usual to ensure that the photos are absolutely knock-out good (they know where I live), but this wedding actually turned out to be one of the most relaxed and calm I've been to all year.  The whole day from start to finish just flowed smoothly.  The team at Great Fosters were outstanding, with fabulous attention to detail and service.  And Kate and Alex simply radiated happiness and charm throughout. Kate got ready at her parents house, with make up by her friend Christina Panzini and then it was a short hop to the very lovely chapel upon a hill; St Edward the Confessor in Sutton Park.  It was pretty tight inside which meant I had to try and make myself even more discrete during the ceremony (at nearly 6 ft this is something I sometimes struggle with!).  Kate's composure dropped and her emotion came through as she entered the church on her dad's arm wearing a stunning gown designed for her by Forget Me Not Designs.  At the top of the aisle, Alex was tense in anticipation before he turned to see her walking down the aisle.  Oh, I'm welling up just writing about it! As everyone piled out of the church the sun broke through, accompanied by the pealing of church bells courtesy of one of the ushers, Mark, my brother (such wide ranging skills, who knew?!) and I pulled the couple away for a quick stroll up to the end of the church lawn and a few pictures. Back at Great Fosters we took a walk around the gardens where we had been a few weeks earlier for their engagement shoot.  Except for 30 seconds of rain (literally) it stayed bright and lovely.  I could have shot for hours with them, they are such a beautiful couple, but got them back to the Tythe Barn in good time for their grand entrance.   Usually at a wedding I will take a break during the meal (photos of people eating are never flattering), collapse in a corner, call my boyfriend and drink a LOT of water and when lucky be provided with the wedding meal.  Kate and Alex kindly squeezed me onto a table and I was sandwiched between newly weds Gemma (my brother's wife - wedding pics from Ibiza here) and Hayley.  Unfortunately for them I probably wasn't great company as I was hopping up and down every 5 minutes for shots but it was nice to grab snippets of conversation between mouthfuls.

The meal was delicious, salmon roulade, lamb and plum crumble and ice cream.  Cheese came in the form of a cheese 'cake' instead of the traditional wedding cake (made by The Lavender Hill Company who also did all the beautiful flowers).  After the first dance the awesome Ska band, Oomphf from Brighton kicked in, and parked outside was a photobooth taxi providing instant prints for guests.  Here is me and Dan the fantastic videographer from From the Hip trying it out:

If you were a guest at Kate and Alex's wedding you can view the full album here.  The password is their surname.

Kate + Alex's Engagement Shoot at Great Fosters, Surrey

I am hugely flattered to have been chosen by Kate and Alex to shoot their wedding.  As a school friend of my brother's, I hadn't seen Alex for many, many years until he was best man at Mark's wedding recently.  Mark hadn't actually mentioned to Alex and Kate that his sister was a wedding photographer and so they had booked another photographer.  Happily for me they decided to change at the last minute and even more happily I was available.  We managed to squeeze in this shoot 10 days before their wedding.

I was bowled over by how stunning Great Fosters is - it will be a perfect wedding venue.  The grounds are spectacular and the venue itself is impeccably smart with wonderful staff.  We had a lovely 2 hours wandering around the grounds and they were such a delight to photograph - and absolutely gorgeous as you can see...  9 days and counting!