I have photographed many different types of weddings over the ten years working as a professional wedding photographer. All offer something different to the next. All are as individual as the couple. I still very much enjoy capturing this special day for people, and often find myself smiling along with everyone else there.

It’s obviously a given that during the wedding ceremony, it is the bride and groom who take centre stage. However, if there is the opportunity, I also like to capture guests reaction and smaller details such as flowers, rings etc. It all adds to the story.

The wedding breakfast can provide many good photographic opportunities, it really depends on the crowd and the couple, and what, if any entertainment, they have organised. A photo booth always provides good material, as you’ll see in the photos a little further down this blog.

When it comes to taking good photos, be it of a wedding, a family, a baby or a dog, the key is attention to detail. It’s important to notice the little things and to think about how that fits with the composition of the picture. In the image below, I wanted to draw attention to the groom’s ring in the foreground. Keeping the bride in the background provides an interesting narrative.

I was professionally trained in fine art photography at Central St Martins, London. It is extremely useful to have that knowledge behind me. It is also reassuring for couples to know that they are in safe hands when it comes to capturing thoughtfully composed shots.

As I’ve mentioned in other blogs, confetti shots can be tricky. If you’re not careful you can just end up with both the bride and groom’s faces completely obscured by the stuff. These types of photos are usually very candid, which is great. I like to reel off plenty of shots as it only takes a split second for the confetti to fall, resulting in one picture being totally rubbish, and the one taken just a second later being absolutely brilliant!

With this first dance of Rebecca and Gareth, no flash gun was used. It’s a tricky shot as there is the natural light from the windows plus the artificial light from the large letters. It was important not to over expose the background and therefore loose the detail in the bulbs, but equally important not to make the subjects, (Rebecca and Gareth) too dark either.