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London wedding reviews and Google

By London Wedding Photographer

For any photographer in the capital or surrounding areas London wedding reviews and google plus testimonials are a very important part of our business. For Joanna and myself it gives us feedback as to how others see us and what they value most about our wedding photography. In the old days (that would be three or four years ago!) you would get a thank you card or email, and perhaps you would include that on a dedicated testimonial page on the website. An example of this, because it still of course happens a lot can be found here: David & Joanna towards the bottom of the page.

London_wedding_reviews_header_image

In these days of Trip Advisor, Amazon reviews and the like, there is a great opportunity to check on public feedback for your potential wedding photographer with google’s own review service. Goole local, places, my business – the name keeps changing but whatever you  want to call it, if you are registered for google plus it is very easy to find or write a review for your London, home counties  or local wedding photographer.

A couple of days ago this review from recent bride Caron was posted on our official Big Day Weddings google plus My Business page. We have cut and pasted it here for convenience:

“From the moment I met Jo and David I knew that they were exactly what we were looking for – they were warm, intelligent, funny and had a great chemistry between them! They made us and our guests feel totally relaxed and we had lots of FUN with them during our very magical wedding day, their natural easiness and high level social skills are clearly reflected in the final results! Our photographs are spectacular …none of those awkward stuffy portraits, but naturalistic gems that capture sparkling moment after moment. We adore the finished results and I actually wept when I saw them for the first time, they are truly beautiful. I would absolutely recommend them without reservation, for any occasion . Thank you Jo and David for being part of our day and capturing the most special memories for us xx”

See some of our google plus reviews here: Big Day Weddings google review page

When Joanna and I read this we both felt quite emotional, it really means a great deal to get that kind of reaction. It is wonderful to know what a positive and lasting addition a photographer can be for a couples once only big day, and not just for them but their guests too.

Google plus has been compared to it’s rival Facebook for obvious reasons given the similarities, but is well worth exploring in its own right if social media and reviews and testimonals are important to you.

By David Green

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London engagement shoot

By London Wedding PhotographerNo Comments

As busy wedding photographers our weekends are full and week days are spent editing images and meeting with couples. Our week also usually has at least one London engagement shoot.

London engagement shoot

Many of our wedding collections: Pricing contain a complimentary studio or location engagement shoot, which is great for getting to know a couple and relaxing them in front of the camera.

It is also a good chance to collect and create images that may be used on invitiations, signing boards and displays for the actual wedding day itself.

London engagement shoot prices image

Many couples who are getting married abroad and far away, say for example Singapore, Australia or Japan, choose us as experienced London wedding photographers for a bespoke engagement session in the capital. Very often this is because they have met each other here and want to celebrate and remember that part of their lives.. That was certainly the case for Singaporians Wai-Ling and Justin, who headed over for a few days before returning for work and wedding preparations in their home city of Singapore. Wai-Ling had very specific requirements of where she wanted to go, a kind of trip down memory lane if you like. It was left to myself David to do what I’m hired to do (ha!) and that is pick the spot, mood, angles, composition lighting and camera stuff, then create the moment and magic you would expect!

St Pauls engagement shoot at night

On a typical wedding day Joanna and I are used to having a fairly small amount of time to create the kind of unique shots that are going to be remembered for a lifetime. With an engagement shoot, there is extra time and opportunity for an almost limitless amount of photographic possibilities.

Lloyds building engagement photo

As befits a typical English evening it rained, then stopped, then started then…well you get the picture. No problem though, we love umbrellas in shots and it also clears away a great number of the general public off the streets!

Starting around the St Pauls area on a Tuesday evening, I noticed an unfeasibly good looking couple posing with a photographer on the steps of the cathedral. A short conversation with the “snapper” revealed the couple were actually models employed to boost his online portfolio. He had initiative that’s for sure but it is something Joanna and I have never done or needed to.  We only deal with real couples, their wedding days and engagement sessions! Real people come in all shapes and sizes and it is your job as a photographer to make them look their best in meaningful emotive shots that will stand the test of time. When I worked for glossy magazines doing branded fashion shoots once I had got the lighting and setting right the model could stand on their head, fall over, whatever and they would still look good. They were sculpted and styled to perfection because the army of helpers around us would make sure of that. Your average real world couple has to feel relaxed and comfortable, which is very much down to the personality and people skills of the photographers. They may need to be coaxed a little and certainly gently directed to get the best out of them. The moments and reactions that you see in photographs very rarely happen all by themselves. The photographer also has to take into account that one person may be much taller than another, carry a little more or less weight than another, wear clothes a little more comforatbly than another and so on.

Leadenhall market engagement shots

An often overlooked but very important point of preparation to bear in mind before your London engagement shoot is what you wear. To help make an akready good photographic image great, and keep the focus on your subject, then plain and simple is best. It is the opposite of the fashion ethos where the garment or accessory is king and the real point of emphasis. So we would always recommend avoiding busy patterns such as spots and stripes, big obvious logos and colour clashes. Nobody wants you to look like The Waltons though!

Rain image at London engagement shoot

Whether your engagement shoot is part of one of our wedding collections, or a one off bespoke and dedicated photo session, we will design a package and time frame for you to get the best possible experience and results in and around the greatest backdrop we know – London.

London engagement shot at Canary Wharf

To set up a relaxed chat, skype or meeting take a look at our contact page here: CONTACT Speak to us about our London engagement shoot prices.

You can also find part of our extensive image collection here: GALLERIES

By David Green

 

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London Enfield’s first gay wedding

By Barnet Wedding Photographers, London Wedding Photographer, Wedding VenuesNo Comments

We were delighted to be asked to photograph Peter and Mark’s special day, which unknown to us until we arrived turned out to be London borough of Enfield’s first gay wedding.
Right from the beginning when civil partnerships first came into existence, we have been photographing a great many of them in and around the capital, so this was not really unkown territory for us and great to see now that everyone has the chance to fully marry. From our own research, a highly scientific method that involves the question: “so how long have you been together?” we found the average couple has been with each other for about three years before deciding to tie the knot. For a gay couple it seems to be anywhere from five to ten years. These guys confirmed our research…
London gay wedding Enfield registry photo
Peter is originally of Italian decent, so a large group of friends and family made the trip over for the day. The ceremony was held at one of London’s prettiest registries, namely Enfield’s at Gentlemens Row.

Afterwards we had family and couple shots along the old streets and canal bridges nearby, It is an area we have photographed many times that never feels stale. The reception followed a short ride away at the four star Royal Chace Hotel, again a venue we have covered for many Enfield weddings and receptions.

We would like to wish Peter and Mark all the very best for the future. What was a new event for the area is sure to herald in a new era of equality for ALL couples, and we were very happy to be a part of it.

See our related Enfield wedding photographers post at: Enfield wedding photographers

Check out our extensive image galleries here: GALLERIES OR just scroll through this blog, it’s full of images! And here’s a quick link to our London wedding collections and their pricing: Pricing

Find out more on Enfield’s Royal Chace hotel here: Royal Chace Hotel

By David Green

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London headshot photographers

By Barnet Wedding Photographers, London Wedding PhotographerNo Comments

We think the most important fact to state straight away is that if we had to describe ourselves it would be first and foremost as London wedding photographers. We do what we love full time, usually six sometimes seven days a week. A lot of people may think wedding photographers only work at the weekend, we wish! It’s true that the vast majority of big days are either on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, but for the rest of the week we are busy editing and polishing our images, desiging wedding albums, or meeting with currently booked or potentially new couples.

London headshot photographers

However we do get requests for other work in the week, for instance as London headshot photographers. Now as long as we can, and it does not intefere with our busy wedding schedule, then a little bit of variety keeps us fresh and often gives us new ideas for our wedding photography.  We thought it would be interesting to show couples who may be browsing the website and on this blog some of the other types of images that we create.

London fashion wedding photographers

A lot of readers won’t know that David works with actors, directors and performers new and well known for headshots and profile images. Or that as Big Day Weddings we have done over twenty photo shoots for De Beers diamond merchants in the last three years, two jobs for Ralph Lauren, and have been product ambassadors for Motorola’s camera phone the Razr i. And no, we don’t use that particular device for any of our wedding shots!

actors headshot london graphic

Joanna also gets requests for wedding boudoir shoots. This usually takes the form of tasteful fine art images that become a surprise gift for a brides new husband after the wedding day or on honeymoon. If this potential scenario has crossed your mind feel free to have a relaxed chat with Joanna and she can send you some sample images to show what can be achieved. If you are one of our present or potential wedding couples to work with, and need some quality shots with a difference, then have a chat with David about headshot and profile images.

Big day weddings fashion shot

Guardian newspaper journalist profile image

Of course if you don’t give a “monkeys” about any of this and just want to look at wedding related imagery only, no problem take a look here: GALLERIES OR just browse through the general blog, it’s full of them! Here’s a quick and convenient link to our London wedding collections and their prices: Pricing    

By David Green

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Pembroke Lodge Weddings

By London Wedding Photographer, Wedding Venues2 Comments

There is something about photographing at a place like Pembroke Lodge that no matter how hard you are working, it still feels like a trip out! That may have something to do with the fact that Joanna and I used to go there on our quest for the ultimate London cappuccino experience, long before we photographed a Pembroke Lodge wedding. Although the lodge remains a public treasure your wedding will still have a private and special feel. First floor rooms will be reserved and a beautiful section of the lawn area to the side of the house will be available for drinks, canapes and photos.

Pembroke Lodge wedding photographer

The Lodge was originally a one bedroom cottage in Richmond Park which was developed over time into the fine Georgian mansion we see today. It was given by Queen Victoria to then Prime Minister Lord John Russell in 1847. It has hosted many historical and famous figures from Gladstone and Palmerston, to world renowed authors Charles Dickens and Lewis Carroll. For the past fifty years or so it has been available for wedding days. Civil ceremonies and receptions can be hosted in either Russell Suite upstairs for small to medium size weddings, with the alternative Belvedere seating up to 140 on the ground floor.

wedding car at Pembroke lodge

We think a Pembroke Lodge wedding is always going to have a little bit of everything: a historic classically featured Georgian venue with internals to match. Varied grounds that can also include Richmond Park London’s largest at two thousand three hundred acres. Spectacular long range views over the Thames valley, and pretty nice cappuccino on tap at the wonderfully situated tea rooms. Wander into the public park and find some of six hundred and fifty free roaming deer!

wedding confetti photo at Pembroke lodge

We have always tried to think creatively at every wedding as well as being ever ready to expertly cature those once in a lifetime spontaneous moments, which is why you can see one of the couples featured here is actually driving a Richmond Parks official vehicle. All you have to do is ask, who is going to refuse a confident photographer with a bride and groom in attendance?

Richmond park wedding image

Here is Pembroke Lodge’s official site that includes plenty of info of hosting London weddings: Pembroke Lodge

Pembroke lodge cappuccino drinking wedding shot

To see over 100 wedding images just click on the link here: GALLERIES OR just scroll through this blog, it’s full of images! And here’s a quick link to our London wedding collections and their pricing: Pricing     By David Green

Sign post at Pembroke lodge

wedding procession inside Pembroke lodge

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