Category Archives: wedding photographer

providing wedding photography in Saddleworth and surrounding area

Gemma & James wedding preparation to the party

Gemma & James

Wedding preparation to the party

From the wedding preparation to the party were the instructions, once we sit down for dinner we want to relax…. ok I said.

Gemma & James live in coventry, Gemma is Irish and James is English and they got married in Ireland, and were married in one county and had their reception in another…what could go wrong?

The answer is easy nothing, the day went off without a hitch… except they got hitched!

I photographed these guys when I still lived in Ireland, it was may, the weather was fine and the day was a fantastic celebration.

After we chatted about what the bride and groom wanted from me and how long they wanted to book me for we agreed that I would photograph the wedding preparation to the party.

An as I lived two miles from the reception hotel, I was home in time for a beer and chat with my wife, this is unusual for a wedding photographer!

I met the bride at her mums house and started work, bubbles were already flowing and spirits were high, the ceremony was in Dundalk and reception in Slane. we agreed that if the weather was fine we would stop at the famous Hill of Slane and shoot the bridal party there.

once we got the group shots done the bridesmaids and groomsmen left and we spent 20 minutes or so getting the bridal portraits done. all that was left was the throwing of the bouquet , a ritual that seems less popular these days.

I photographed the bride and groom cutting the cake and got out of their hair, a great day all round, enjoy the pictures.

Manchester reportage wedding photographer

Wedding preparation to the party

Manchester reportage wedding photographer

Wedding preparation to the party

Manchester reportage wedding photographer

Wedding preparation to the party

Manchester reportage wedding photographer

Wedding preparation to the party

Manchester reportage wedding photographer

manchester wedding photographer

Wedding preparation to the party

manchester wedding photographer

Manchester reportage wedding photographer

manchester wedding photographer

Manchester reportage wedding photographer

Jim & Diane Manchester Town hall wedding

Jim & Diane

Manchester Town hall wedding

When Jim and Diane contacted me about shooting their wedding and told me it was in the Manchester town hall I was over the moon.

The bride and groom were very relaxed, they weren’t going to have a photographer initially, but then worried that any pictures from the day might go missing or never get to them.

So they asked me to document the day and only requested that I get a family picture, Jim and Diane both had grown up children from previous partners so getting a family picture was important.

Photographing their wedding started at the town hall, the ceremony room was very elegant and I did manage to grab a few shot of people milling into the room before the ceremony.

The formalities went off very smoothly, before everyone settled into their glasses of bubbly I gathered the family out to one of the fantastic landings where I had already set up some lights to give a little help to the available light.

Once the family groups were done five minutes with the bride and groom was all we needed to finish the posed pictures so they could re join the party.

I traveled from Manchester town hall to Old Trafford cricket ground where the reception was to take place and a bit more partying, Jim instructed me to get some food…. which was lovely before the entertainer started touring the room, he was great fun.

The last part of my job was to capture the first dance, one of my favourite parts of a wedding day as its the point at which you see the couple relax… everything is done, speeches, thanks are given and it’s party time.

Cheshire reportage wedding photographer

Cheshire reportage wedding photographer

Reportage wedding photographer manchester

Cheshire reportage wedding photographer

Manchester Town hall wedding

Cheshire reportage wedding photographer

Manchester Town hall wedding

Cheshire reportage wedding photographer

Manchester Town hall wedding

Cheshire reportage wedding photographer

Manchester Town hall wedding

Marion & Darren Marriage vow renewal

Marion & Darren

Marriage vow renewal

Marion and Darren approached me to shoot their wedding but then told me they were already married, which confused me a little.

The couple had been married for some years, as many folks work and kids filled their lives and they were happy that they were married.

Marion had always wanted her dad to walk her down the isle but when they first got married in a registry office it was just the two of them.

So when life had calmed down the couple decided to renew their vows in a beautiful church, Marion called me and we met up for a chat, the brief was a simple one, capture her coming down the Isle and get a few nice portraits of the bride and groom.

It can be a little nerve wracking when a couple are so relaxed with their requests as I sometimes worry that I may not fulfil their ideas… but as usual this was unfounded, the day was beautiful in every respect.

The church was stunning with lots of natural light and the hotel had a stunning rooftop garden for the party to enjoy, I rarely complain about the sun but I did have to find some shade for the rooftop portraits, but that’s no hardship!

we did get a couple of inside shots too before I departed to let the couple enjoy their second big day.

manchester reportage wedding photographer

manchester reportage wedding photographer

Janet & David travel wedding Photographer

Janet & David

Travel wedding Photographer

Janet & David booked me for their wedding while I actually lived in Ireland, my moving back to the UK before their wedding was what actually made me a travel wedding Photographer, but I’m taking it as my first destination wedding as I did have to travel to Dublin to cover it.

The Bride and Groom actually live in the Cayman Islands, we exchanged a few emails and had a few consultations by Skype, which was great as I could do it from home.

After chatting to David and Janet I did my usual recci and check out in door and outside locations, it was a December Wedding so being outside would be for a very short amount of time.

The couple gave me two locations they liked, and I made a plan to get there and onto the hotel in Dublin city centre easily. I sent pictures of my recci through to Janet and we formed a plan to get everything done, thankfully the day was dry and not to cold, so we managed to get some outside portraits of the couple; before retreating to the hotel.

The formal pictures were nice and easy to get as the hotel had plenty of space to work and it was nice and bright. the main reception room was spectacular I hope I did it justice in my pictures.

Reportage wedding photographer

Anne & Liam small and intimate wedding

Ann & Liam

Small & intimate wedding.

Ann and Liam are a mature bride and groom who asked me to shoot their wedding, Ann had been searching around for a photographer and contacted me because she liked the relaxed feel to my work, and they were planning a Small & intimate wedding.

I have covered small weddings of only thirty guests and larger weddings of two hundred guests, Ann & Liam were some where in the middle with around ninety friends and family going along to help them celebrate.

The ceremony room was quite challenging to work in because there were no windows and the light levels were low, I did have to use some flash, but tried to make sure it looked natural by using the flash very carefully.

As with all civil ceremonies it was a swift affair, and once the vows were exchanged there were a couple of readings and then it was party time.

The weather leading up to the wedding had been very wet, thankfully the day was dry and we managed to get outside for some pictures.

The hotel had no gardens so we used the rear entrance to the hotel which did offer some greenery and extra light.

The day was a pleasure and everyone had a good time, the bride and groom were relaxed and the groom was happy I only asked him to do formal pictures for about fifteen minutes.

As usual I took far to many pictures and made it hard work for myself to edit them down to an easy to digest number for the couple.

Candid wedding photographer

Small & intimate wedding.

Serena & Jason Wedding photography plan.

Jason & Serena

Wedding photography plan.

In a rather unusual twist it was the groom that found me to photograph this wedding, Jason called me and we had a very detailed chat about what he and Serena wanted for their day.

I di have a slight moment of worry as I’d only ever spoken to brides initially and Jason seemed to know every detail about the day… this was highly irregular!

I arranged to meet the couple at their home, they had a 10 month old son and a 13 year old son too which would add to the importance of planning as Serena was still feeding the baby herself.

So once we talked about their family and wedding day I set about making sure the day went as smoothly as possible for the couple to enjoy.

I recci’d the reception hotel for a wet day plan and Jason liked the pictures from previous weddings where I had taken the couple out to a picturesque location, this part became easier than I first thought it may as the church and hotel were very close I was worried it might take longer to get out somewhere than I would like.

On my way home on a little detour I found a beautiful Castle ruin, found out how to get the key and hey presto we had our location five minutes from the church!

The couple were very happy as this meant Serena not being far from the newest family member incase milk was needed! all was well and even the weather played the game supplying me with some clouds to make life easier.

Wedding photography plan

Cheshire and Manchester wedding photographer

Wedding photography plan

Rick & Sian, Farm wedding, Cheshire

Rick & Sian

Farm wedding, Cheshire.

A while ago I was pleased to be asked by an old friend to photograph his wedding to the lovely Sian, the day was to be a fairly relaxed affair once the ceremony was over!

The couple were to be married in St Werburgh’s in Chester, a stunning church both inside and out, Rick is a camera shy farmer so he wanted to feel relaxed about the day… ok I said don’t worry you’ll hardly know I’m there! I love it when couples say they only want a few posed pictures when I’m photographing their weddings.

As usual I kept a low profile during the ceremony, the day was nice so we managed to go across the road to Grovsner park to get a few pictures of the couple and one of all the guests, we had a nice walk through the park where I grabbed a few frames of the B&G walking and chatting, before getting a few formal portraits.

After the party left Chester it was back to the farm where Ricks family live, serious hours had been put into preparing the house gardens and barn, despite being from an agricultural background I had never photographed a wedding reception on a farm; and I was looking forward to it!

The farm is where I let loose and probably took to many pictures, but with so many happy faces and such a relaxed atmosphere it was like shooting fish in a barrel to capture the mood of the party,

Farm wedding in cheshire

KEN_TOPHAM-2-223

KEN_TOPHAM-2-230

Farm wedding in cheshire

Farm wedding, Cheshire

Victoria & John

John and Victoria asked me to shoot their wedding after looking at my site they decided they liked my work, on meeting the couple we had a good chat and found out what their day was about.

Victoria and John already had a family, their daughter was a bridesmaid and little boy the ring bearer, with a family and many other elements we set out a plan to make photographing their wedding as stress free as possible.

After running through what the Bride and Groom wanted I arranged to visit the church and hotel where the ceremony and reception were to take place and formulated a plan for the formal photographs, the town is home to a rather impressive castle which the couple expressed that they wanted included in the formal photographs.

The Castle keepers were fine with us shooting outside the walls which gave the best view, but no shelter whatsoever if it were to rain… umbrellas were put on my list of things to bring!

The hotel were very accommodating as I had photographed a wedding there earlier in the year, they gave me free run to make a wet day plan, thankfully we didn’t need it and the day was dry and the sky offered a little moodiness in the bridal portraits which was a bonus!

The day went really well apart from a minor panic in the church when the best man forgot the marriage licence and had to sprint back to the hotel for it, thankfully it was only a few hundred metres!

once the meal was finished and speeches done I had my lights set up for the first dance, after the obligatory Bride and Groom set the whole family got on the dance floor!

My aim as a wedding photographer is to tell the story of the day not just produce a handful of good formal pictures, that should be the easy bit.

I am based in North Manchester so can cater for people looking for a wedding photographer in Lancashire across to Yorkshire and Cheshire Weddings.

discrete wedding photography

Reportage wedding photography

discrete wedding photography

Reportage wedding photography

discrete wedding photography

Al & Rosie

I had the pleasure of photographing Al & Rosie’s wedding a short while ago, the brief was simple, get a picture of all guests in one group and some family pictures, that’s what I like to hear.

I had an assistant with me on the day so we sent about photographing the wedding in a relaxed fashion, capturing lots of candids and and observing the arrival of the guests and bride.

I never interrupt the proceedings, and capture what happens in front of my lens. This wedding was great fun to shoot as the couple had a great sense of humour and were very excited about everything that was going to happen on their big day.

The priest was an absolute gent, cracking jokes and telling me I could go where I wanted, very kind of him… I prefer to keep a low profile and not move around to many times as it’s very distracting for everyone there.

The church was a modern one so quite bright and no need for flash another bonus, after the church we proceeded to the reception, again more candids while the Bride and Groom have a drink and mingle with their guests.

I grabbed the couple for a short while to shoot the bridal portraits outside as it was a nice day… that said I needed some shade to stop the hard shadows and squinty eyes. I always make a wet day plan… the British Isles not renowned for consistent sunny weather!

I like to met my couples and get to know them a little before the wedding day, wedding photography can be hard work if you have no connection with the couple, providing one of the most treasured and long lasting memories of the day is a serious undertaking, and making sure you’re on the same page as the couple is top priority.

Enjoy the pictures.

Ken & Yvonne

Ken & Yvonne, both geologists’…. so that the rocks makes!

These lovely guys hired me to shoot their wedding, it was one of the last weddings I photographed in Ireland before my move to Saddleworth.

I really had a good day working with Ken and Yvonne, although photographing someone with the same name as yourself can get a little confusing!

We had a fun day as the wedding went smoothly, it was a civil ceremony so there were no logistics to worry about. Everything took place at the beautiful Tankardstown house.

There were lots of lovely details to photograph from the button holes made out of maps of importance to the couple, to the dancing bridal Converse all stars which was a brilliant touch for later on in the evening and the his ‘n’ hers rock place names at the dinner table

We had a mix of as much candid as possible with making the most of the beautiful location for some bridal portraits. it rained until after dark so it was to cold to spend any time outside in late november!

But we did manage to have some fun with light painting and sparklers, I was my first sparkler exit. and I was pleased with the results.

My photo booth was also in use at this wedding, the guests seemed to enjoy it and there were plenty of fun shots from the camera inside, my booth is autonomous… I usually stay near by incase someone can’t find the right prop, but it works without an operator present. I think this is the key to a fun Photo Booth, no-one saying smile but being on hand to encourage a few silly pics is a bonus.

Once the Brilliant Pulp Fiction inspired first dance was over I switched on the photo booth and let the guests do their own thing in there while I popped in and out to take more pictures of the dancing in the main room.

Saddleworth wedding photographer

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Bridget & Anthony

I spent a few hours with this lovely couple, they hired me to shoot their ceremony. They chose to just have immediate family and some close friends at their ceremony, so the priest in Bridget’s parish offered the use of the parochial house, which was perfect for the occasion.

Bridget and Anthony both wanted a very relaxed time for their celebration, and so wanted the same from me. I was happy to oblige we did some bridal portraits and a few family group pictures.

The couple were having a meal with their friends and family at a lovely country hotel restaurant to celebrate the day, we managed to grab a couple of portraits of the bride and groom and then kept the photography natural and low key.

I milled around taking portraits and a few candid group shots, looking waiting for moments to happen and being ready to capture it, I really enjoy this type of photography. Recording moments that happen rather than trying to create them is a much more relaxing way to work for the couple.

I will sometimes find a little place to take the bridal portraits, I take plenty of pictures of the couple walking to the place, they often make great shots as the couple are relaxed and not to conscience of the camera.

I find group pictures need to be taken quickly, as people get fed up standing to long, not forgetting the bride and groom who are present for all of the groups, I like to get everyone smiling too even the grumpy ones!

Bridget and Anthony were a joy to photograph and their brief of candid and low key photography made my day very enjoyable and let me witness their families interacting and celebrating the special day of their loved ones.

Candid manchester wedding photography

Candid manchester wedding photography

Candid manchester wedding photography

Candid manchester wedding photography

saddleworth wedding photographer

Unposed Wedding photography

I was very fortunate last year to be chosen to record the wedding of Linda & Ciaran.

The only real brief I was given by Linda was to keep the formal stuff to a minimum, an instruction I was happy to hear.

Their wedding ceremony was in Drumcondrath, Ciaran’s home village and the reception at the stunning Ballymagarvey village in Balrath Co. Meath, Ireland.

The day started at Linda and Ciaran’s house in Carickmacross where Linda was getting ready, I had dropped my able assistant off with Ciaran to photograph the grooms party at Ciaran’s parents house… the breakfast was already in the pan and smelt good!

I carried on to photograph the brides preparations, Linda had dispatched her dad to wash her car… the blue bullet her Golf which she wanted to leave the church in… that comes in Later.

The bridesmaids were out delivering things for Conor and Oisin the couples lovely little boys.

The usual morning activities were underway in a brides house, dresses hanging, cup of tea flowing with the odd glass of bubbly. All was flowing well make up artists were doing their thing and I had the pleasure of documenting all before me. Unposed wedding photography was the order of the day!

Wedding Photographer Saddleworth and Manchester

So onto the church where the day was dry and bright if not a little windy… which was a pleasant break from the storm force winds the days before, the ceremony was pleasant and went off nicely. I was shooting from the wings of the church and capturing those moments that can be forgotten in a heartbeat… the nerves were building a little because Linda had let me into a secret that we were going from the church to Ballymagarvey by helicopter and I was a helicopter vergin!

The Blue bullet delivered the bride and groom to the local GAA pitch where Ciaran started to regale us with his glory days on the pitch before being interrupted by the thudding of rotor blades as the helicopter landed.

All aboard Linda, Ciaran Oisin and Conor and lastly myself took of for the reception taking in the sights along the way, we soon landed and were greeted by the lovely staff at Ballymagarvey village. this is where I had the most fun with the unposed pictures… to the extent of capturing the newlyweds walking to were we were going to get their shots done, they were very relaxed and that was the plan. When Linda had first contacted me about photographing their wedding, the first thing she said was we want the least amount of posed pictures possible… a request I was happy to get. Most Irish couples have similar thoughts on this, capturing real moments of the day being much more important. I feel the same way!

Enjoy the Pictures

Wedding photography and Photo booth

Maria & Edd

I had the pleasure of Photographing the wedding of A local girl and her soul mate Edd, I had the pleasure of meeting Maria and Edd at the Conyngham arms Hotel where I was invited to show my work at one of their open evenings last year. Maria asked me about my photo booth and weather I was available for their day. As it happened I was, so I met the couple for a coffee and we discussed their day and what sort of Photography they wanted and how the Photo Booth would work at the Conyngham Arms Hotel. Maria told me they wanted only a few formals and to just capture the day as it progressed, A job which was very enjoyable, so how does Wedding photography and Photo booth work in one day? I set the booth up in the hotel in the morning and then photographed the wedding through the day, switching the booth on after the first dance. Maria had asked for the onsite printing option which works really well with the guests able to take a 6×4 print of their Photo Booth shenanigans home to look at with a clear head! Wedding photography and Photo booth has become increasingly popular as some couples want to share fun and relaxed pictures with friends and relatives from the evening without having a photographer walking around at the reception. I have a box of props, silly hats, wigs, mustaches and feather boas. all make for good fun in the booth. My booth is nice and open so once a few people break the ice it starts a little buzz around the booth. I try to locate it where it can be seen but is not to in the way. I had such fun working with Maria and Edd, their wedding was so nice to be a part of and I hope I captured their happiness well.

Wedding Trends

Wedding trends 2014

Starting to plan your wedding for 2014 or maybe even 2015 (it’s possible) and looking for some inspiration. I’ve been reading up on predictions for wedding trends and this is my take on what I’m seeing and hearing.

No. 1 – Vintage

Vintage is appearing a lot! We’re talking dresses, shoes, even crockery for the wedding breakfast. Whilst the understated glamour, lace and long sleeves of the 1920’s are expected to be popular, we’re also talking 1940’s. 50’s and 60’s styling too. By the time we get to 2015 I’d expect to be seeing even some 70’s or 80’s styling too, yes really!

Wedding planners www.absoluteperfection.co.uk have some great examples of vintage here:

No. 2 – Destination shoes

Shoes that are just a little bit different, mostly hidden under your (or your brides) beautiful dress, but maybe jewelled, or multi-coloured.

No. 3 – Something special

Every wedding is different, and of course every wedding is special, but brides and grooms are going that bit further to include something very unique to them in their celebration. Maybe motorcycle out-riders for the keen bikers, or a strictly come dancing style first dance for the dancers amongst you, whatever it is, it’s something unashamedly and unapologetically all about YOU. And why not, it’s your day after all.

Whatever your plans for 2014, 2015 feel free to get in contact to discuss your wedding photography with me.

I have packages to suit modest budgets up to packages that give a couple everything they may want form their photographer.

Not everyone follows wedding trends, and some people just want what they like rather than following the crowd. My style of photography is to document your day and tell a story whether you are vintaged up or simple and stylish, I wish to capture all the little details you have spent months thinking about.

My weddings page explains how I work and what I put into planning your day so you don’t have to worry about what happens next with the photography.

Emily & Teddy

I was fortunate enough to already know Emily When she asked me to photograph her wedding as she works in my daughters créche and pre-school.

Emily and Teddy came to see me one evening and I showed them the last wedding I had photographed, they liked my work and we had a good chat about their day and what was happening and where.

After getting all of the info about where they would be getting ready and where the church was, I set about making my plan. I had already been to Emily and Teddy’s house for their engagement shoot, so the next step was to speak to the priest and look at the church.

Grange church is a modest sized church, in the traditional T shape layout, after after seeing inside the church I thought it would be nice to get a group shot of the guests inside as the church is bright inside and a February wedding could be chilly outdoors.

I was glad of this opportunity as the day of the wedding was cold and I didn’t want to have people outside for too long.

Next Stop was the Nuremore hotel http://www.nuremore.com/ To take a look around, I always plan for a wet day and that way if we get outside it’s a bonus. I try to make sure there are some different places to shoot to make the shots look different.

It was a dry bright frosty day when I went to do my recci at the hotel but like I said the day of the wedding was cold and gray so I made sure not to get much sky in any outdoor shots.

nuremore hotel weddings a beautiful hotel set in a stunning parkland golf course.

Shane & Deborah Branigan’s Wedding at Dunboyne Castle

Shane and Deborah’s wedding came to me through a friend referal which is a nice way to get work, I had photographed Shane’s sister and her family a while ago, and when Shane popped the question they asked to see some of my work.

After meeting the couple, and visiting the stunning Dunboyne Castle Hotel I put a plan together of how I would work on the day. It was to be a civil ceremony and everything would take place in the hotel, with it being an October wedding I was glad about this!

The Day before was Glorious, but we weren’t blessed with the weather… so we worked hard to get some nice pictures inside the beautiful Dunboyne Castle hotel for Shane and Deborah.

Like I said the weather was poor on the day but I had been to the hotel to do my recce and made sure I had plenty of different locations to use should the day be wet outside, the hotel has a nice mix of new and old so it was easy to get plenty of different looking images.

We did manage to sneak 10 minutes out in the cold and grey, and managed to get some lovely shots in the soft failing light at the end of the day.

I always ask the couple for permission to use the images of their day on my site, most people are glad for them to be used but sometimes people would rather not and I respect that, Shane and Deborah were happy for me to use their pictures in my post, so here they are…. I hope you enjoy them.

Wedding and Portrait photographer in Meath

Navan wedding photographer

meath wedding photographer

Slane wedding photographer

Drogheda wedding photographer

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wedding photographer Slane

wedding photographer meath

Wedding Photographer Meath

Wedding at Dunboyne Castle, this venue is just inside County Meath and has stunning grounds out side and beautiful interiors from the contemporary newer part to the older section with it’s lovely stair case and large windows.