It was quite a bizarre state of affairs, because the wedding photographer’s usually pretty much in charge of how things flow on the day, but this time I was restricted by the TV crew – I could only stand in certain places, I would only move into my spot when the Floor Manager said it was OK and that I wouldn’t be caught on camera and once I was in place for the ceremony I’d had to stay there until the cameras had been turned off …… which slightly restricts your creative abilities a bit!

I managed to catch some shots of Kate as she made her way from the cliff-lift down onto the beach, followed by the final preparations behind the curtain of the marquee – the local TV crew managed to catch me quickly a couple of times on film!

Nipping around the side of the marquee and in through the catering area (so glamorous my life!) I waited for the Floor Manager to give me the nod that I could move into position by the wedding hut itself – which, considering I was sharing it with two huge TV cameras and a large HMI light meant I didn’t exactly have a lot of space to work with!

The bridal party was led down the aisle by the couple’s neice and nephew, who looked so sweet and did a great job bearing in mind they were being watched by over a million people!

Kate looked stunning in her Amanda Wakeley dress as she arrived by Frazer’s side and the ceremony started …. it was obvious that they’re a couple very much in love, and the tenderness really showed in the looks that they gave each other as they took their vows.

After the nerve-wracking part of exchanging vows broadcast live on TV there was time to relax and let out the tension with some gentle words and a laugh -

With the formalities of the signing of the Register completed, some final interviews with the TV studio, it was time for the cameras to leave Kate and Frazer to enjoy the rest of their day with family and friends.

So, to round off with one of my favourite images from the day – another moment of tenderness and quiet reflection as Kate and Frazer prepared to be announced to their guests at the wedding breakfast, held at the Marriott Highcliffe ……

This was a fabulous day that even the unseasonable weather couldn’t dampen, and it was a real privilege to be a part of the team for this first wedding on Bournemouth beach …… congratulations Mr & Mrs Seed.

Ian

Dorset wedding photographer

Beach Weddings Bournemouth is run by the fabulous and very talented Melanie Kiani, who also runs her own highly successful wedding planning business Bellissimo and Bournemouth is the only place in the UK where you can have your legal wedding ceremony on the beach – such a great idea!

I’ve been involved with Beach Weddings Bournemouth since it was launched last year, and shot the PR and advertising images for them so I wasn’t exactly “green” when it comes to beach shooting, but having a TV crew dictate where you can stand and when you can move cramps a photographer’s style slightly!

Because the wedding was being broadcast live on their morning programme, ITV stipulated that the ceremony had to take place between 08:00 and 08:30 – now, as anyone who’s been married knows, it’s not exactly a 5 minute job to get yourself ready for what’s possibly the most important day of your life! Plus, the interviews you watch on TV are the result of very precisely-timed rehearsals, which often meant 5 or 6 attempts to get everything right – and with me being pushed out of the way because I couldn’t appear in the shot!

Kate and Frazer’s families and friends came down to Bournemouth the day before the wedding and we had a rehearsal so that everyone knew what they were doing and where they’d be during the ceremony. Cables were run around the site,  satellite dishes were set up for the broadcast, camera positions and lights were agreed and adjusted (then re-adjusted), the floor managers did their stuff directing people and everything slowly fitted into place.

On the morning of the wedding I photographed the bridal preparations as usual, but a first for me was having to do this at 5am – now I know I’m an early riser but that was just a bit too early! Never mind, it was great fun! Kate’s hair was styled by celebrity hairdresser Richard Ward, who styled Kate Middleton’s hair for last year’s royal wedding and she wore a dress designed by Amanda Wakeley.

With the preparations done, the TV interviews completed, spliced and broadcast it was time for the main event on Bournemouth beach – but that’s for another Blog post …….

To see more images, visit my Facebook page.

Ian

Dorset wedding photographer

Received a lovely text from them on Saturday before they jetted off on their honeymoon ….

“We had an amazing day & couldn’t have picked a better person to capture our special moments, so excited to see all the photos! Thank you again, Stevie & Byron x”

Being a wedding photographer carries a huge responsibility, but it’s also such a privilege to be part of probably the couple’s most important day of their lives – and I have to admit that the emotion often gets to me as well!

Dorset wedding and portrait photography

That said, it’s been pretty hectic over the past few weeks, with portrait shoots, an engagement shoot with Stevie and Byron ahead of their wedding this week, plus lots of planning for the forthcoming wedding season and of course, the first wedding on Bournemouth beach … LIVE on ITV Daybreak in just 2 week’s time!

It promises to be quite a hectic time, what with not only the bridal party, but camera crews, technicians, support crew and everyone else around ….. definitely a lot more people than I usually have to contend with at a wedding! I’ll be shooting “behind-the-scenes” coverage for my Blog and for Melanie from Beach Weddings Bournemouth so keep an eye on the Blog for some interesting shots!

The competition entries have been narrowed down from around 1000 to just 3 couples, and you can catch up with them tomorrow morning (16th April) on the Daybreak show, and then vote for your favourite on the 19th – the winner’s going to be announced on the 20th.

One thing’s for sure – weddings in Bournemouth will never be the same again!

Ian

Wedding and portrait photography in Dorset

Highcliffe Castle’s one of my favourite wedding venues in the Dorset and Hampshire area, and although they’re not getting married here in April it’s a lovely place to be photographed.

Here are just a couple of sneak peeks from the shoot, and I’m looking forward to photographing their wedding in just under 3 weeks time!

Ian

Dorset wedding and portrait photography

I came across this blog post at the weekend about Jason Bognacki, who had an old folding camera that was made in 1919 and wondered how good the photographs would be if he used it. Although you can still get 127-type film he decided to “hack” it and see whether he could mount it onto his DSLR, a Canon 5DMkII – as you can see from the photographs below he did it, but what’s most surprising is the quality of the images that the little folding camera produced!

At a time when people seem consumed with getting the latest “kit”, chasing megapixels as new models are released, it’s refreshing to see that old photographic equipment can still produce images that make you smile! As a wedding photographer I’m not sure it would really work out on assignment (understatement!), and it certainly won’t win any prizes for being the most elegant body/lens combo ….. but who cares?

You can see his full blog post with more images here

Ian

Dorset wedding and portrait photography

Anyway, here are just a few photographs from the past week or so ……

I picked up a copy of “bh exclusive“ recently, a glossy publication for the Bournemouth area and was delighted to see some of my images featured! Not wedding photographs, but a commercial shoot I did last year for the interior design consultancy Mirco & Mirco, featuring an elegant conversion they undertook on an Edwardian garden apartment on Bournemouth’s West Cliff. Needless to say, I was rather chuffed to see my work published! “bh exclusive“ also produce the in-house magazine for the Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa, one of my favourite wedding venues, so you can get an idea of the quality of its production!

The other weekend I covered a 3 day event at a plush hotel in Sandbanks (I know, it’s such a tough life for photographers!), shooting PR of the speakers in action plus some business portraits of some of the delegates. That’s the joy of being a photographer – although I shoot primarily weddings and portraits, my job allows me to diversify and cover a number of different genres (although I should stress that you have to limit what you cover, otherwise you can end up being a jack-of-all-trades, but having covered PR and commercial work for many years I’m sufficiently grounded on this!). At the end of the first day’s shooting I took the cameras back out to the car to be greeted with this absolutely stunning sunset across Poole Harbour towards Brownsea Island – we’re so lucky to live in this area and to have such glorious scenery on our doorsteps! It was certainly a case of being in the right place at the right time!

Last week some of the photographs that I shot from the press day and the subsequent opening weekend of Beach Weddings Bournemouth appeared in the Westbourne Traders’ Magazine – a nice bit of PR for everyone involved! In around 7 weeks or so we’ll have a wedding on the beach broadcast LIVE on ITV for their Daybreak programme, and that’s going to be a really exciting day (and a bit of added pressure for the Bride and Groom I think).

And that’s about it for the moment on the image front … I’ll post a couple from one of my recent shoots later this week but now it’s back to more admin, meetings with Brides (and Grooms of course) and a host of other tasks …. it’s not all about taking photographs I’m afraid!

Cheers, Ian

Dorset wedding and portrait photographer

Their superstore on 20th Street in Manhattan is a veritable treasure trove, with over 1,500 dresses in stock – can you believe it? 30,000 square feet, plush carpets, chandeliers and an appointment only system to meet the “consultants”. A recent article on BBC News stated that the average spend is around £4,000, but that a Nigerian princess spent £20,000 (just on the dress, before she added the veil, shoes, jewellery etc.) – and of course the Americans often have a second dress to change into for the reception!

Kleinfeld’s clients come from all over the country, as well as Europe, China and Brazil – and they’ve got a men’s boutique as well, so the guys don’t feel left out!

Kleinfeld's window display Nov-Dec 2010

Kleinfeld are also involved in a TV Show “Say Yes to the Dress”where cameras follow Brides as they go through the decision making process and look at all of the work that goes into creating their dream dress.

If you’d like to know more about Kleinfeld you can visit their website.

Ian

Dorset wedding and portrait photography

This cute little chap from Bournemouth was an absolute joy (although I think Mum and Dad might disagree with me!) and was very well-behaved during the shoot with only one minor tantrum – not bad when there’s a stranger pointing a camera at him! I think you’ll agree that he’s adorable!

Ian

Dorset wedding and portrait photographer

Engagement shoots (or eShoots as they’re sometimes referred to) are really important as they let you get to know your photographer before that big day – you’re a couple in love, relaxed and at ease with each other. On your wedding day, as Bride and Groom, you’ll be nervous and excited, anticipating the events of the day as it unfolds. The engagement shoot starts to build that all-important bond with your wedding photographer so that on the day itself you’re more comfortable with having your photograph taken … and believe me, that will show in the images.

This slideshow contains just a handful of images form recent shoots with my bridal couples, and you can see that the shoot can take place anywhere you want – wherever is special to you both.

If you’d like to know more about my wedding photography coverage across Dorset, Hampshire and the South of England please visit my website or contact me on 07575 567408

Ian

Dorset wedding and portrait photographer