Designing your Album

Hi guys,

Just a little tutorial post for my clients out there! Some of you may have purchased an album from me and wondering how you go about designing and making your album from the photos that I present you with.

First things first, I will design the layout of your album for you, so you don’t have to worry about that part at all! The part where I need your input is choosing what photos will go into the album. With my standard album package you will get a 30x30cm 40 page album, therefore you need to choose around 70 of your favourite photos for me to include. I will then lay them all out in order of your day, maybe add in a few more that tell your story well, and then send the proofs back to you to review. Once you have had a look and made any changes, I will redraft, send the final proofs back to you and your album will be ordered! Hooray!

So, below is a guide of how to choose your photos for your album from your private online gallery:

Go into your gallery and click the “Select photos” button at the top right of the page

Then select which photos you would like by simply clicking on them and making sure they are all ticked in the corner as shown below:

Once all the photos you want to include are selected, click the “Add to Favourites” button at the top of the page:

All the selected photos will now be sent to your “Favourites” folder in the top left corner of the screen. To see which photos you’ve selected you can click on the “My Selection” button next to it, or hit the “Edit my Selection” button from the drop down menu:

This will take you to your “Favourites” folder. To send all the photos directly to me, click the “Send to…” button at the top left of the page:

A little box will then pop up, please write in “My album selection” in the title and then type in your details below. In the message box please write any extra instructions, like which photo you would like as the front cover. Make sure that the top of the box says “Sent to Photographer” so that it comes straight to me. Then hit “Share” and it will ping directly to my emails.

You’re all set! If you have any questions, please feel free to email me directly. Happy album designing!

Lauren x

Janine and Tom – a relaxed, outdoor wedding

On a beautiful sunny day in May, I second shot for Summer Lily Studio at the gorgeous South Farm in Hertfordshire. The lovely couple, Janine and Tom, decided to marry outdoors in the little wooden pagoda on the lake behind the farmhouse. It was a beautiful location and all the guests were really moved by the stripped back and heartfelt ceremony. The couple laughed and giggled and whispered in each other’s ears throughout, it was a pleasure to capture. We completed the ceremony with some beautiful backlit confetti shots, and then stole the couple away for a few romantic shots alone. South farm really is a beautiful location and there were some amazing hideaways where the couple could have a few secluded moments together. The reception took place in the barn, lit with fairy lights and decorated with cute, rustic details. The speeches were incredibly moving, and during the father of the bride’s speech, he revealed where the couple would be flying to on their surprise honeymoon. The look on Janine’s face was priceless. The day ended with a beautiful sunset and some rather hilarious drunken bridesmaid photos! It was an amazing day.

Victoria and Carl – a vintage camper van wedding

Victoria and Carl were married on the 30th May this year. I photographed this wedding alongside Summer Lily Studio, and I was privileged to be able to shoot groom prep by myself while Terri covered bridal prep. The day was like something out of Pinterest, there were gorgeous little DIY details everywhere! The pair were married at a old school hall and their reception was held at the gorgeous Buckettsland Farm. A few things I loved about the day: – the groomsmen wearing super hero socks, the bride’s floral crown, the cake table where everyone brought their own creations, the adorable bunting hanging in the school hall and a homemade kissing booth! It was an absolutely beautiful day with some incredibly heartfelt speeches, a bride who didn’t take herself too seriously and a groom who you could tell was madly in love with his new wife. I loved photographing every second.

 

 

 

 

Louise and Andrew – an April bloom wedding

Back in April I was invited to second shoot alongside the lovely Marie Wootton of Marie Wootton Photography. The wedding itself was at the Felix Hotel in Cambridge and the lovely couple were Louise and Andrew. It was an incredibly relaxed wedding, with an outdoor ceremony where the whole family walked down the aisle together. It was a beautiful sight. The bride wore a gorgeous 1950s style ‘Marilyn’ dress and the flowers were all bight blues, purples and pinks. The couple opted in to have a ‘First Look’ as well which was a beautiful touch, watching the groom see his bride for the first time was truly heartwarming. It was a really amazingly emotional day and I am so glad to have been invited along to share in the experience. I had so much fun shooting alongside Marie and hope to work with her again in the future! 

Lucy and Matt – exploring leighton engagement shoot

Matt moved over to England from South Africa when he was little and attended University in Southampton. There he met the craziest, weirdest girl ever – Lucy. He knew she was the girl for him. Time passed and each year Lucy would wonder when she was going to be proposed to, telling all her friends that it would probably never happen. They bought their very first house together last year and all their attention turned to DIY. When Matt took Lucy away to Naples in Italy last October, she thought nothing of it. He had been planning his proposal for a long time, and Italy seemed the perfect location. It was a complete surprise to Lucy and she burst into tears of happiness!
This adventurous couple’s engagement shoot covered three different locations around their new hometown, Leighton Buzzard. We visited the Bluebell woods, which matched Lucy’s beautiful blue stone engagement ring, next we visited some bright yellow fields to reflect their shining personalities. And finally we visited the gorgeous Rushmere Park, with many hidden curiosities that lay beneath the tall trees, to of course appeal to their sense of adventure.
This couple were up for anything and their shoot turned out to be so fun yet so intimate. It was one of my favourites yet! I hope you enjoy!

Bridal Hair at Tiger Lily Beauty

Last month, Linda Tookey from Tiger Lily Beauty invited me along to take some photos of her doing some bridal hair and makeup. We had three models for the day, all with varying hair lengths, colour and thickness. Linda had three different looks in mind, but ended up doing two extra than planned! Our first model, Aimee, had an absolutely gorgeous, almost Downton-esque up-do, with sweeping curls just at the nape of the neck, and some carefully placed sparkles. Perfect for a vintage wedding!
 Our next model, Charlotte, started out with cascading curls, then Linda carefully wove a plait around the crown of her head – perfect for more of a casual country wedding! Then, to dress the do up a bit, linda twiddled all of the remaining hair up into the curliest most intricate side bun. The plait swept into the bun beautifully and added a little extra something to an elegant up-do.   Our third model, Rachel, had the longest hair to work with. Therefore Linda tried out a curly cascade look – perfect for brides who want to leave their hair down, but still want it styled. First Linda curled all of the hair, and swept it to the side. She then twisted up three curls at the back of the hair, to keep it in place and also to create some interest. The remaining hair was twisted and curled and backcombed into a relaxed side ponytail. A flower to the side of the twists completed the look. Rachel also had some bridal make-up done as well. Check out the beautiful natural look Linda has given her below!  Linda very kindly did my hair for me too! In a lovely curly side-bun with some added sparkle! I love the look and might well have something similar when I am bridesmaid for my best friend’s wedding next February! I hope you have enjoyed my photos and be sure to check out Tiger Lily Beauty‘s website for full details of her bridal packages. 

Jenny and Steve – a Winter Wedding

Back in February I was invited to shoot alongside the amazing Summer Lily Studio   for another beautiful wedding. I had already met the lovely Jenny and Steve at their Sunrise engagement shoot on Harpenden common. You can see my photos from the shoot here. The couple met whilst skiing in the french alps, and their wedding reflected this with a beautiful mixture of pure whites, sage greens and silvery tones. Wintery touches were everywhere – the bride was snuggled up in a white faux fur shrug and all the desserts were glistening in silver icing. One of my favourite touches from the day, was that the confetti was wrapped up in cones made from pages of the bride’s favourite book – The Princess Bride, which also happens to be one of my favourites too! I had such a wonderful day recording Jenny and Steve’s story alongside Terri. Hope you enjoy my photos.

Aimee and Jonny – couples shoot in the bluebell woods

Aimee and Jonny met through a mutual friend. Jonny was instantly smitten, yet Aimee was oblivious to his advances. After being best friends for a year, things became more serious after they found they had a mutual love of similar films and books! Nerds unite! These guys love adventure and being outdoors, and they chose to have their couple’s shoot in a place that reflected this. They are an incredibly fun-loving couple who aren’t afraid to be silly in front of the camera, and because of this their photos look so natural and unforced. Hope you enjoy!

Jade and Paul – a woodland engagement

Jade worked in HR with me in my day job, and approached me the week before she left in search of a wedding photographer! After talking wedding plans and seeing some of my work, she went ahead and booked me for their May wedding! So, at the end of March, we met for their engagement shoot. Jade and Paul had met while camping and therefore wanted to bring back some of those memories during a woodland stroll around Ashridge Park, Berkhamstead. We even managed to find a little tent made of sticks which the couple loved! After initially being a little nervous, these two blossomed in front of the camera and I got some beautiful shots of them. I simply cannot wait for their wedding on 3rd May!

The Blue Rinse Band

I photographed The Blue Rinse band back in October for my portfolio and really loved how the photos came out. I tweeted the band one of my photos and they loved it and were eager to see more! On the 28th March, they were due to play at the same venue again, and hired me to take some official photos for them for use on their website! There was an amazing turnout for the gig at Venue 360 Luton, and I had so much fun photographing the band and their adoring fans! Check out The Blue Rinse’s website here for some videos of them in action! Hopefully some of my work will be appearing on there soon too 🙂