Leah and Tom – a village wedding

Back in May, Terri from Summer Lily Studio asked me to photograph her best friend’s wedding alongside her, as she was to be a bridesmaid! It was to be a local village wedding in the bride’s home of Blunham, with the ceremony taking place at the local church and the reception at The Horseshoes pub next door! The bride’s home was so close by, that she even walked down the street to her ceremony, it was a breathtaking sight! The wedding was overall very traditional but with a few twists, the ushers wore suave burgundy suits, and the bridesmaids wore black wiggle dresses with 1950’s beehives! Another adorable feature were the flower girls, the bride’s daughters, who wore white feather wings and they looked like little angels. It was such a laid back and friendly wedding and I enjoyed every second of the day, even if I did only stay until the wedding breakfast! 

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.

 

 

 

 

Lauren and Chris – a half Greek wedding

May was such a busy month for me and Summer Lily Studio. The third wedding in May that we shot together was that of Lauren and Chris, a stunning blonde from Letchworth and a handsome greek boy from Enfield. In the morning, Terri visited the bride at her mother’s house and I headed off to the groom’s parents house in London. The groom prepared for his wedding day by taking part in a traditional greek ceremony, where they used a cut-throat razor to shave his face and each family member dressed him in a different item of clothing. Meanwhile a band played greek music and everyone sang and danced, the atmosphere was incredible! The pair were then married at the Jehovah’s witness church in Letchworth, and the reception was at the gorgeous Sopwell House. These two were honestly the most beautiful couple I have ever seen and so kind hearted too. I hope you enjoy my account of the day below.

Emma and Jamie – a sun soaked wedding

In May, I had the pleasure of second shooting for Summer Lily Studio once again. I love working with her! The gorgeous couple were Emma and Jamie, and they were seriously one of the cutest couples ever! Whenever you saw them together, you could just tell how much they loved each other – the way he made her laugh and the way she made him smile.
The ceremony took place at the beautiful Meppershall Church, with the bride arriving in a vintage museum owned car! The reception was then held at Beadlow Manor Golf Club nearby, which looked absolutely gorgeous soaked in sunshine. We took the newlyweds off for a wander around the golf course and gardens where we caught some amazing moments. The sun was bright, but it really did look magical shining through the trees behind the bride and groom. It was a warm and beautiful day all round, hope the weather stays this nice for the whole summer!

Jade and Paul – a rainbow wedding

Jade and Paul’s wedding day took place on the 3rd May this year, and was my first solo wedding! I was super nervous to begin with, but once I got into the swing of the day, it was an absolute pleasure to shoot!

Their day was very quiet and relaxed with only 20 guests in total invited to the ceremony alone. Jade and Paul are a modest and understated couple, they didn’t want a great big bells and whistles wedding, they wanted a day that was about them and their loved ones. They didn’t need to spend much to get the feel that they wanted and used the family’s talent in all aspects of the day.

Jade’s dress was made completely from scratch by her mother, and her hair and makeup was done by her younger sister. The ceremony took place at Hemel Hempstead Registry office, which was an absolutely gorgeous Georgian style house. The wedding breakfast was held at The Chequers Pub in Redbourne, and they even had me sit and eat fish and chips with the family! Because of the day’s relaxed feel, there were no speeches at the meal, but as it was such a small gathering and everyone was so close, they weren’t really needed. Finally their Reception was at Harpenden town hall, which was decorated with paper pom poms of all colours and rainbow bunting. It looked adorable! Their wedding cake was made by Jade’s mum (a woman of many talents!) and was pure white on the outside, but when cut, revealed a cakey rainbow on the inside!

The whole day was so beautiful and it was an absolute pleasure to be a part of. I loved every cute little detail and every emotion I captured on the day. I can’t wait for my next wedding!

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.