I actually photographed this wedding at Sindlesham court a few weeks ago but have been on holiday so haven’t been able to post anything whilst away camping!

Another local wedding this one, in fact it was so local I could almost walk there – shame my camera bag is so heavy – thats my excuse anyway!

Louise and Shane got married at Sindlesham Court a beautiful grade 2 listed building set in its own large grounds. It was originally known as Sindlesham Lodge with the main building being constructed as far back as the late 1700’s. It’s recently been renovated making Sindlesham Court one of Berkshire’s most romantic wedding venues.

Louise got ready at here parents and set me into a panic when there was nobody there when I arrived at the agreed time. This is when paranoia really sets in and you start thing that you’ve got the date wrong or the address wrong or a whole host of things. It turned out she was a bit delayed at the hairdressers.

Ceremonies at Sindlesham Court take place in “The Berkshire”  with its unique vaulted ceiling and minstrels’ gallery which, it makes a stunning backdrop for wedding photography. Whhilst non-religious, lends itself to the solemnity and importance of the vows you will be taking, with seating up to 300, and right next door to The Flavell Banqueting suite. I think it’s a very unique venue for a civil wedding and has some really beautiful grounds and architecture for wedding photography.

Below is a slide show movie of some of the highlights of Louise and Shanes big day and an insight into my  Sindlesham court wedding photography – I hope you enjoy it.

Wedding photography Sindlesham Court – Louise and Shane is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

Here are some images from  the civil partnership wedding of Brian and Olly, this was another wedding venue  that was just down the road from me at the St Annes Manor hotel in Wokingham.

Its always nice to photograph something a bit different and I really enjoy civil partnership wedding photography, it gives me a different challenge to my normal work. They really kept me on my toes as Brian arrived in a stretch limo with his mum and  best man and bridesmaid. Shortly followed by Olly who has to go one stage further than Brian and arrive by helicopter with his best man and bridesmaid!

Olly then took over on choreographing everybody on how to enter (see the slideshow!), again a bit different with the entrace of one best man with bridesmaid, followed by both parties with their mums giving them away.

Fun civil partnetship wedding photography.

They had a really lovely ceremony which was then followed by drinks on the lawn.

Normally I have about 1 1/2 half to get all of my shots but today I only had a bout 45 minutes to get everything ( I won’t mention that Olly was late in the helicopter!).

For civil partnership wedding photography I’m always sensitive to how comfortable each person is being for want of a better term “touchy feely” in public so I always ask if they are ok with what I’m asking them to do.

We  spent about 10 minutes on our own getting some nice shots of Brian and Olly together before doing a small number of formal shots and the finished with a big group shot.

Slideshow of civil partnership wedding photography

You can see more of my civil partnership wedding photography from the day in the slideshow below.

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Civil partnership wedding photography – Brian and Olly is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

Last week my wedding photography took me to Cain Manor just on the Surrey / Hampshire border outside Churt. Its a fantastic venue, well tucked away – in fact you really have to keep your eyes open otherwise you can go zooming past it.

Felicity the bride to be was getting ready there so it made logistics nice and easy, no zooming around from location to location. It also means I have more time to concentrate on the important things – my wedding photography! I then popped downstairs to photograph the groom Phillip along with his best man and ushers. Then a quick rush upstairs again for the final getting ready shots, dad arriving and the registrar interview.

The ceremony itself took place in the attached barn / ball room which is very impressive, which you can see from the photos.

Good weather is getting a bit of a trend at the moment, although now I’ve said that we are going to have rain for the next 3 months.

Cain manor with its beautiful Elizabethan style frontage, dates back over 400 years and makes a fantastic photographic backdrop to any wedding. Plus its extensive grounds afford breathtaking views over Surreys Golden Valley with loads of little nooks and crannies for taking great wedding photos.

Combining warmth and comfort with lashings  of style, Cain Manor is smart and contemporary without losing the feeling of being Home. I’ve photographed there quite a few times and have created a web page specifically for it so pop over to my Cain Manor Wedding Photography page to see more information on this great venue.

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Cain manor wedding photography is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

As a wedding photographer I don’t always photography big weekend weddings, last week I had the pleasure in photographing the intimate small wedding of Caz and Mike. They got married in the local Wokingham registry office with just a handful of guests. Beforehand they visited a local restaurant for a celebration pre-wedding lunch. Originally we were going to meet there but the grounds weren’t that scenic so I suggested meeting at the registry office and then using the grounds of the local church which is a couple of minutes walk away.

Its makes a change not having to shoot most of the day, having said that I still take a lot of shots as you can see from the gallery from their small wedding here . I’ll be honest, the local registry office is “functional” and doesn’t have any scenery around it, luckily the very impressive St Pauls church is just around the corner. I’ve photographed there loads of times so recommended that we went there to use that as a backdrop. We didn’t want to use too much of the church as it was a civil wedding but just use it as an alternative to red brick and a car park!

[swfobj src="http://blog.shaunedwards.com/wp-content/uploads/caz-mike.swf" alt="Intimate small wedding photography" width="640" height="480" align="center"]

Intimate small wedding photography – The wedding of Caz and Mike is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

This wedding was a bit different from the usual fair, Sarah and Gareth had a very small and intimate wedding at the Waterside Inn in Bray, the Michelin 3 star restaurant set up by the Roux brothers. Its a great setting overlooking in the river and again the weather was very kind to as as you can see in the photos.

They had about an hours relaxing in a private garden with champagne and canapes before retiring to a private room for lunch.

We then met up again about 4 hours later at Bearwood Lakes golf course where they had a party for about 100 guests. The weather wasn’t quite as kind at this point as the heavens opened just after a 10 minute drive in 4×4′s to get to the lake view!

Another meal with drinks and the night was finished off with a disco with music provided by a very interesting Elvis impersonator! That was a good cue for me to leave the building….

[swfobj src="http://blog.shaunedwards.com/wp-content/uploads/sarah-gareth.swf" alt="wedding photography Bearwood lakes golf course" width="640" height="480" align="center"]

Wedding photography Bearwood Lakes – Sarah and Gareth is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

Another glorious April day for the wedding, this is getting to be a bit of a trend!

Logistically this was pretty easy. Manjit was getting ready at home, which is about 2 minutes drive from me and then off to meet the groom Andy at St Annes manor which is only about 5 minutes away. It makes it a bit of a change from driving around frantically from location to location as a wedding photographer I get to see quite a lot of the country normally at break neck speed.

I’ve put a slideshow of the highlights below, all of the images can be seen on www.ShaunEdwards.com just click on “View Recent” button.

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Wedding photography St Annes Manor – Manjit and Andy is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

wedding photography slideshow

Wedding photography slideshows are a new feature that I have just added for my wedding clients. Within about a week of the wedding date I will create a blog post of the wedding along with a slide show of the highlights of the wedding photos. The pictures will have my artistic touch so you’ll get a real feel as to what can be done with the captured images that will go into your album.

As its a blog post friends and family can post comments on them so you will get to see what they think as well.

I’ll of course still upload all of the images taken to my website so friends and family can view as well as order online.

I’ll also be uploading a video version of slideshow to my facebook page making it even easier to share with friends and family.

You can see a recent wedding photography slideshow here.

Wedding photography slideshow is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

The wedding of Nicola and Rob

Here are some highlights from Nicola and Rob’s wedding the other week at the Stirrups Country Hotel.

Again we had fantastic weather which you can see in the pictures. It must be said Rob was a wee bit nervous beforehand but luckily it doesn’t show!

All of the images from the wedding are here

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Wedding photography Stirrups Hotel is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

Last weeks wedding was at Wokefield park just outside Reading in Berkshire. Its a fantastic venue, I’m a preferred supplier so I work over there quite a lot.

In fact I met the Claire and Greg, the bride and groom at the Wokefield Park wedding photography fayre last year along with my wife and daugther who were helping me. They really liked my storybook wedding albums and decided to book my services on the day.

And the wedding day turned out to be a corker weather wise, bright sunshine, and 20 degrees C, in April!!  I thought we were supposed to be getting wet this time of year, maybe that’s all being stored up for the summer!

I had a great time and got some lovely shots. They got married at the venue and Claire got ready there so logistics was pretty simple, no rushing around from venue to venue.

Below is a slideshow of some of the shots, the full version of the Wokefield park wedding photography shoot is here

[swfobj src="http://blog.shaunedwards.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/claire_greg.swf" width="640" height="480" align="center"]

Wokefield Park wedding photography is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

I have been providing storybook wedding album for about 9 years now. They are steadily becoming more and more popular, although I also offer a slightly more traditional (I prefre the term “classical”) style of album as well.

I used to get them made specially for me by a semi-retired bookbinder in Australia. His work was fantastic but the shear distance made things quite difficult. About 6 years ago I started to use Graphistudio in Italy, the world’s leading manufacturer and pioneer of the storybook wedding album format. Being a lot closer to home certainly helps!

I do all of the design based on the images that the newly wed chose.  I do not send off images to be designed for you by somebody who wasn’t at your wedding and who doesn’t know the story of the day. I  don’t use pre-made templates either, each page of every album is designed from scratch to show off the images in the best possible way.

Versatile storybook wedding albums

They are available in a range of covers from personalised soft silk to spectacular metallic and transparent covers, your chosen images are printed directly onto the page and then bound into a book to produce a stunning magazine style wedding album that is certain to impress. The  albums are produced from the finest materials with thick durable pages which have a beautiful vibrancy to them.

One great advantage of the storybook wedding album is the exact replica copies that can be made which gives a more portable full record of the day. They come in a range of sizes starting from 4 inches up to 14”, these are very popular and make great presents for parents and the bridal party.

Storybook wedding album is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

The venue also invites their select list of preferred supplies (yep – I’m one!) to exhibit what they can do. Yet again they had a great turnout and I met some really nice people.

I shoot at the venue a lot.It’s a beautiful grade II listed neo-georgian mansion house surrounded by a “mere” 65 acres of parkland designed by the renowned Capability Brown. It makes a fantastic wedding venue, the first thing you see when you approach is the huge white column front of the house then entering by absolutely massive oak doors, its sure to make your guests really go “Wow!”.

I’ve just added a dedicated web page on my main site (Northcote House wedding photography) detailing a bit more about the venue along with more images. In the next few days I’ll upload an album or two as well so you can really see a whole wedding day in action!

Wedding photography at Northcote House is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

A signature frame mount is a fantastic way to mark you wedding day.

As a wedding photographer I usually get told “But I hate having my photo taken!“.

First of all that’s fine because I am well experienced in photographing people either in the studio or at a wedding that are not used to having their photos taken. A lot of the skills of a portrait or wedding photographer is putting people at ease and making them feel relaxed. This is even more important at a wedding when nerves can really come into play. If the photographer makes you feel at ease and relaxed then that will show in the photos. You might have found a photographer that takes great pictures  but if them wind you up and make you feel tense then that is really going to show in the final images.

Secondly the majority of my wedding packages include a complimentary pre wedding shoot, most of the time this is in the studio, a nice an controlled environment where you don’t have to worry about the weather! Its a great way to see how I work and experience professional photography before your big day. You’ll also have a free 10″ framed picture to make the event.

One very popular product is a “signature mount”. This is a card mount that will be part of the framed picture. We take an image from the pre-wedding shoot and have it mounted. Then on the day all of your guest can sign the card surround. Finally we either frame this picture or chose a picture from the wedding day. That way you’ll have a great image along with loads of personnel comments from you guests. It’s a fantastic way to make the day.

Wedding photography – A pre wedding photo shoot is great way to get used to having your photo taken. is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

If you’ve been looking for a wedding photographer you’ve most probably heard the term “Reportage Wedding Photographer” I know I use the term quite a bit! It sounds a bit flowery and posh – but what does it mean?!!?

Your wedding is easily one of the most important moments in your life. You’ve probably played it out a million times in your mind: the resplendent, shimmering wedding dress, the air heavy with the musky perfume of flowers, the lingering smell of delicious food, and of course, great photography to capture it all.

Modern day weddings demand photography that goes beyond the traditional, formal poses that reek of stiff cordiality, rather than carefree, eternal love. Gone are the days when wedding photography meant smiling uncomfortably and waiting for the camera to click. Today, wedding photography is all about capturing the unique personality and intimate moments of a wedding.

A wedding is replete with priceless, precious moments, from Grandpa & Grandma holding hands to your little niece dropping ice cream all over her dress and smiling wildly about it. Traditional wedding photography, unfortunately, fails to capture these details. Creative wedding photography, on the other hand, takes the traditional and adds a special zing to it, capturing these moments in all their wonderful glory.

Maybe you want to get a few photographs in black & white or seeped in sepia. Maybe you want to capture a few moments of intimacy between you and your spouse to-be. Or, maybe you want photographs that capture the true essence of your wedding, and you as a couple. Whatever your requirement may be, creative wedding photography can capture it.

Finding the right wedding photographer, however, is far from easy. The easiest way to go about it is to get in touch with friends and family whose wedding photographs you admire. The work of a good photographer spreads by word of mouth, and you are much more likely to find a quality wedding photographer in the recommendation of your friends than in the yellow pages.

The internet is another great way to find a creative wedding photographer. You can do a quick search for photographers in your area on Google. Many of them might have websites or photo albums online, and you can browse through them to get an idea of their work. Are their shots candid enough? Do they capture the special moments of the wedding? Do they sprinkle enough formal shots in between those candid moments? These are just a few of the questions you must ask yourself before picking a wedding photographer.

Once you do decide on someone, meet them in person. The wedding photographer will be by your side throughout the big day. You want to hire someone whom you are comfortable with, or else the quality of the work might suffer.

At the wedding itself, you should give the photographer a free rein. A quality professional should be able to float through the guests, capturing intimate moments. In that respect, creative wedding photography is quite like story telling – with the bride & groom as the primary protagonists. Remember that the pictures of your wedding day will last with you forever. You want to show your kids and grandkids a story, not a series of formally posed photographs without warmth or intimacy. It might cost you a bit more than hiring a traditional wedding photographer, but when it comes to preserving the memories of the biggest day of your life, it is money well spent.

Reportage wedding photography – Posh name what is it? is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

The process of listing down and cutting down everything into specific details—the wedding date, the venue, the reception, the caterer, the designer of the gown and suit, all the way down to the wedding coverage—are the areas where stress usually ushers in.

Due to hectic schedules, most couples usually do not pay much attention to one of the crucial things in any wedding—the wedding coverage. Despite the overwhelming tension and excitement, couples do not have to be nonchalant when choosing their wedding photographers if they want their fun times and precious memories recorded very well.

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY PREFERENCES

To avoid making this slight neglect that usually leads disastrous results, couples have to decide first what kind of wedding photography they would want to have.

Most wedding photographers today categorize the types of wedding photography into two: the traditional or classic style and the wedding photojournalistic style.

The most common style used by wedding photographers today, the traditional or classic wedding photography is considered as a “timeless” and the “safest” style because you normally see in countless wedding albums. Characterized by classic poses of subjects aware of the camera, this style involves so much control from the photographer because he is in-charge in arranging individual and group shots before, during, and even after the wedding.

Having excellent portraiture skills, expect the photographer to focus more on the quality of the photograph by making the subject look great from the littlest details. Expect typical wedding photos like pre-ceremony pictures, formal shots of the bride and groom posing with brides maids and ushers, cake cutting, garter and bouquet toss, and the like when you choose a classic wedding photography. This style is ideal if the couple would want to keep portraits of family members for their wedding album.

If the couple is adventurous and unconventional, then you might want to consider the wedding photojournalistic style of photography on your big day. An increasingly popular style today, wedding photojournalism offers fresh and new style of taking photos in the occasion. Characterized by candid shots of the subjects unaware of the moving camera, the photojournalism style lets the attendees act freely to capture their pure and true emotion.

Sourcing style from his experience in journalism, the “photojournalist” pays more attention to minute details and candid shots rather than arranged ones. He’s more into eyeing interesting moments and capturing those in his lens to produce a narrative collection of images that tell a story.

Although some traditional poses will be present, expect photos that show actual emotions of the bride and groom and of other participants throughout the duration of the wedding when you choose the photojournalism style.

In order to avoid ruining the documentation of your wedding, here are some tips in making your wedding a picture perfect one:

1. Weddings are one of the most exciting chapters of one’s life. Make sure that you choose a wedding photographer that can meet all your standards. Meet with the photographer before hand the so you could discuss the details you want.

2. Inform the important participants about the schedule of photo sessions and make sure everyone attends the rehearsal to cut down the stress.

3. Have a reception area so guests can be informed about the itinerary. This will set the occasion in order.

A Picture Perfect Wedding – Tips for getting great wedding photography is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

They provide personalised keep sake boxes for your to keep all those little things from your wedding day that you want to keep. I also think as a baby photographer they would be great for keeping all of the paraphanlia that you get with your new baby like hospital tag, first booties, little mitts, that sort of thing.

They have a great selection on their personalised  keepsake boxes website.

Keepsake boxes – Great for wedding photography and other things! is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

So I’ve created a page dedicated to my Surrey wedding photography, it gives some details on the county plus a bit more information on the venues that you can chose for your Surrey wedding. I’m going to add specific pages for some of the choice venues which will also include wedding photos that I took from that venue to give you an idea of the environment and opportunities for great wedding photography.

So if you are searching for a Surrey wedding photographer click here

Wedding Photographer Surrey is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

It was a lovely intimate wedding with a small party of friends and family. The church in Hurst – Berkshire, was about 1 minute away from Linda and Roy’s house, and the reception at the Castle in Hurst was about 30 paces from the church so travel was not an issue!

Got some beautiful shots from the day and Roy and Linda wrote a really a lovely thank you letter which I have copied below.

‘If you are reading this you are one of the hundreds of Bride & Grooms looking for a photographer for your wedding, you don’t need to look any further because you have found Shaun Edwards.  I am in the Wedding Industry as a Professional Toastmaster so I know the market place better than most, so when it came to my own wedding on 4th September 2009 there was only one photographer I required and yes, you guested it, Shaun was the man.

Shaun made us  and our guests feel so relaxed, they all  made very positive comments about the way he worked. When we returned from honeymoon to view the pictures they were Truly Stunning. He captured  the day perfectly from start to finish.  He is a bundle of fun and he knows how to get the best from his clients, in a relaxed,friendly and fun way. You cannot help but keep smiling.

So please look at his site and have a chat with Shaun, you will be delighted on his Professional approach and the end results’.

Linda & Roy – Wedding Photography in Hurst Berkshire is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog

Your wedding is easily one of the most important moments in your life. You’ve probably played it out a million times in your mind: the resplendent, shimmering wedding dress, the air heavy with the musky perfume of flowers, the lingering smell of delicious food, and of course, great photography to capture it all.

Modern day weddings demand photography that goes beyond the traditional, formal poses that reek of stiff cordiality, rather than carefree, eternal love. Gone are the days when wedding photography meant smiling uncomfortably and waiting for the camera to click. Today, wedding photography is all about capturing the unique personality and intimate moments of a wedding.

The full text of this article about reportage wedding photographer can be read here

Reportage wedding photography is a post from: Berkshire Photographer - Shaun Edwards Blog