Chris & Judith's Wedding in Bordeaux

It is definitely one of the perks of my job to be able to travel for work.  It gives me such joy to know that I can pack up my camera bag and work anywhere in the world.  This year I have done a handful of destination weddings for UK based clients and am looking forward to doing more next year. Chris and Judith chose to marry in France, away from their family homes in Belfast and Glasgow.  They found the beautiful Chateau de la Ligne just outside Bordeaux and brought over 60 close friends and family (Chris is one of 9!).  From the outset they made me feel so welcome and comfortable and I honestly felt like one of the party - and I think this benefits the photography as by the time of the wedding I knew exactly who everyone was and they were all far more relaxed in front of the camera.  It was lovely to be able to capture both the boys and girls and all the family getting ready across the chateau before they went down to the village church for the ceremony which was conducted by their local priest who also came over from Belfast.  After the ceremony canapés and champagne were served on the lawn before a meal served in the cool orangerie.  They surprised their guests with fireworks over the vineyards as the sunset, and then they were surprised by a video link with Chris' brother who was unable to attend the wedding because he was on tour with his choir in Canada.  At this point I slipped off to bed but the laughter continued long into the night.

See the engagement photos here.

Thinking about having a photobooth at your wedding or party?

The photobooth has been around for a while and seems to be gathering pace as opposed to being a dying trend.  There are so many different types you can have from black taxis and passport photo booth style which print out pictures instantly through to more elaborate set ups with backdrops, furniture set and props.  You can make your own by providing a box of dress up, a polaroid camera, book and pen and theme the booth through your choice or props or backdrops.  You can either rummage in your local charity shops for props or companies such as Etsy

Alternatively your photographer (i.e. me) may offer this as an optional addition to your package.

Here are a few reasons why I think photobooths work so well at weddings:

1.  They usually take place later in the evening when your guests are a little more, ahem, relaxed and in the full swing of the evening.  This means they will be ready to perform and it would be a shame not to catch your friends at their most entertaining and creative.

2.  Put a silly hat, wig or prop into someone's hand and suddenly the camera seems far less scary and your guests are more likely to pose for a photo rather than ducking into a camera-shy manoeuvre.

3.  The pictures provide a great momento for your guests of the evening.  I upload all of the images onto a private online gallery that your guests can view and order prints from.

4.  It's a source of interactive entertainment for participants and viewers alike throughout the evening.

5.  You can use chalk boards to have your guests write messages to the happy couple.

I really enjoy running a photobooth - it is a great opportunity to interact with the guests who I have been photographing all day and capture another side of them; relaxed, fun and often very silly!

Below are some examples of recent booths I've run including in a yurt at Lucy and Simon's wedding at Inshriach House (the team there went all out to help me decorate the yurt with some awesome props)  and those with the green curtain are from a wedding party at Shoreditch House.  I set up in a corner using what was available in the venue.

I always bring extra lighting and use my professional camera so that the images are as high quality as the rest of the images from the wedding.  The images can be edited for a more vintage style and are always supplied in colour and in black and white.

If you are booking me for your wedding then I will set up a photobooth for £250 for 1.5 hours after the first dance.  For stand alone photobooths for parties and other events I can provide a quote depending on length of time required and location.

Mad Hatter Easter Party at Eclipse London

Spending the evening of Easter Sunday in a club wasn't really my plan at the start of the week but a last minute call came in from Ignite Group who look after Bumpkin (one of my favourite places to eat), Boujis and Wyld to cover their Mad Hatter themed party at Eclipse in Kensington.  So I took my leave of a very delicious easter lunch with friends and headed South. The event was sponsored by French gin brand G'Vine and Boutique Brands.  Eclipse is a great bar and I spent the first hour shooting the bar dressing, all cupcakes and teapots to match the theme and the fantastic and totally enthusiastic staff in full fancy dress, making cocktails before the guests started arriving.  By 11pm it was packed, a drummer was sat on the bar, and the cocktails were flowing.   And I headed home to bed; because I'm not 19, or single anymore (but my foot was tapping just a little...)