So I am eleven weddings in to 2016, almost half way through and I am looking forward to meeting more incredible people during the second half.  I am slightly ashamed that I haven't got round to blogging my weddings yet (I will get there!) so I thought I would do a post that sums up some of the gorgeousness that 2016 has already sent my way

...whether the right people will see my posts.  So please if you have taken the time to look at this blog and you like what you see, could you be kind enough to 'Like' the post on my page and if you know Ellen and Ben please 'share' it too, I would be so grateful.  Ellen and Ben will be receiving their full gallery anytime soon, but for now, here is their gorgeous preview...

I met with Rob and Lauren last autumn at Aldwickbury Park Golf Club, their lovely hertfordshire wedding venue.  I loved this shoot, it was a chilly autumnal day, but the colours of the leaves were just stunning and beautiful; we had a good laugh throughout.

I believe it's such an important and valuable part of the wedding photography experience.  It's daunting for couples to begin with, but usually within about 10-15 minutes I can visibly see the nerves quickly disappearing,  replaced by a new confidence in front of the camera.

Their beautiful wedding deserves a blog post all to itself, however in support of raising awareness of Cluster Headaches, I asked Chloe if it was possible to share her story, and how she and Fraser coped with her condition during one of the biggest days of their lives in time for Cluster Headache Awareness Day tomorrow - I personally would like to see #underthehat trending on Twitter!

The question often arises:  How do we choose which groups we would like for the formal photos after the ceremony?

Firstly, formal does not have to mean 'too formal' - I approach my formals in the same way as I approach any part of my photography.  People need to feel relaxed.  If that means they are having a laugh together and not looking straight at my camera, then to me that is fine, that fits with my style and it creates a photograph that I would be far more likely to put in a frame, than one where everyone is looking too rigid, straight faced and serious.

I feel the relationship with my couples is the recipe to put them at ease and achieve great natural photography, when the relationship already exists it is so lovely to work with couples and families that I already know... I left feeling that love is real and love exists and that I have possibly the best job I could ever wish for.

My job is to capture memories, but most importantly it is to document you how you are at this moment as a family.  Children grow and change at a rate we cannot keep up with, but how precious and priceless are these every day 'little' things.  

Before a wedding day I always want to have a few nerves in my stomach and not ever be ashamed to be so emotionally involved in someone's day that a moment makes me cry or even sometimes sob, because I feel the emotion and that is what I capture with my camera.  If I ever stopped feeling the emotion perhaps I would stop seeing it and I just never want that to happen.

I know that by now both Leigh and Sarah are used to me and my camera, so the session was really relaxed and Elliot especially loved being in front of the camera, so much so I think he tried to steal the limelight a little bit.  What a beautiful family, I love capturing these moments, each one a new chapter