Finding the right Wedding photographer is HARD…a case study of how it can go right!

It’s a big day. It’s a big deal. It’s a once in a life-time kinda time and you want to get the wedding photographer right. I get it. Absolutely. 

So, to help you decide if I might be a good fit as your wedding photographer, one of my previous awesome couples, Andrea and Steve, take a look back at their big day, and tell you where I fit into that picture (see what I did there).

Here’s their story…in their own words….

Couple Stats

Name: Andrea & Steve 

How we met: Met by accident when Andrea turned up at the wrong dance class! 

How long: Together 7 years before Steve popped the question by enlisting the help of a highly trained cat!

Wedding style: Cozy, intimate, chilled, and informal

Wedding Date: 1st July 2019

Wedding Venue: South Farm, Royston, Hertfordshire  

Purple balloons and a crazy man…

I searched so many websites and didn't like anything I found. Everything was too soft, or too romantic, or too girly. Then a friend mentioned John, telling me, “I think you’ll get along well with him because he's a bit crazy like you”! 

I took a look at his website and found ‘the one with the purple balloon’ and it really stuck out. The colours were so vibrant.

The “one with the purple balloon” Andrea and Steve talk about. The AMAZING outdoor wedding of Mark and Weezy at The Bonded Warehouse in Stourbridge, West Midlands

The “purple balloons” kinda went everywhere with these guys haha!

His pictures were fun and they were very natural and spontaneous instead of posed and everything being perfect. I really liked that style.

We met him at the pub for some drinks and a chat, and instantly connected. I thought, “yeah, I want this guy. He's awesome”. We got on well and he seems very chilled and very funny. And we didn't really look into anyone else, we were both convinced!

Don’t smile for the camera...

Then we had TWO engagement shoots. I enjoyed them so much because you kind of build a relationship with him and get to feel comfortable.

I'm really bad for pictures. And I told him I hate pictures of myself. I don't like it because I get very stressed and I do things with my face! I cannot pose. There's something that I just don't understand how people do it.

And he was like, “that's OK, we'll get there”. And definitely I was like, “oh, this is fun” because he makes it fun.  He made it really fun and comfortable. It was as if we were going with him for a walk and then from time to time he was just taking pictures of you doing X, Y or Z.

I always think I look nice in those pictures because I'm enjoying being with people. I especially liked it because they’re spontaneous. 

Andrea and Steve’s SECOND pre-wedding shoot. They loved it so much, they did it twice!

Just be you. That’s what I want to capture.

On the day, he was perfect...

He arrived early, around half eleven or twelve or something like that when I was getting ready. To be honest he was like another of our family members and friends but at the same time he doesn't bother you. 

I wanted more spontaneous and natural pictures rather than poses. So he is there, you know, having fun with you when he's taking the pictures. He's just blending with the people and having fun himself and taking pictures when he sees opportunities.

It was really just easy, very easy, and comfortable, and chilled.

Andrea composing herself before the big moment after getting ready at the gorgeous South Farm, Royston

During the ceremony I barely noticed him...

And then, during the ceremony, there was just a couple of times that he said anything to us. Honestly, I don't know how he got the shots because I was like, “where the hell was he”?

Then during the reception was the only moment that I think he organized us a little bit was for groups with my mom and my sister, with Steve's parents, with family, with friends. He was really organized and very quick. 

And then later on, we just went with him for a walk to take some pictures around the venue, he was there during the dinner and as well as during the dancing. So, again, it was very easy. 

I think he is very good at connecting with people and that's a skill. I know we haven't known him for that long, but I almost feel like he's a friend. If I didn't feel comfortable then it would have been a bit difficult for him to get the spontaneous pictures we love.

South Farm has so many gorgeous little places, it’s hard not to take a good photo!

Mad friends as well as a mad c0uple haha!

I LOVE these moments when they happen….

I won’t “pose” anyone as such, just a couple of pointers and the couple do the rest!

And here the madness started……Andrea and Steve did an awesome job of putting together their own playlist for the whole evening, both making sure they had some fantastic music for all to dance to AND save money. What a great idea!

I had to tell him to leave…

He was with us all day, until people were leaving and there was nothing going on. It was actually almost midnight, maybe one a.m. and I had to tell him, John, you have to go home! He was just too excited because we were having so much fun. 

Who doesn’t love a sparkler shot. Why not ramp it up….

South Farm at night looks absolutely amazing…

But now we have a problem…

We still haven't printed the album. We're struggling because we cannot choose which ones to put in it. All of them are SO good.

I look very pretty in the pictures, honestly. Like, I don't think I'm ugly and obviously my husband thinks I'm pretty, but I know my face sometimes when someone takes pictures and sometimes I do really weird things with it. So I was really happy with how he captured me so naturally. I was like, “oh my god, I actually look really pretty”!

The pictures are just so, so perfect. 

I'm so glad he got that one…

In our first dance, we had a “Dirty Dancing” move (we are both semi-professional dancers) and he was like, “I need to capture it”! I am so glad he was actually able to get it. I think it was his challenge because we told him when it would happen.

And I’m like, “wow, I'm so glad he managed to get the frame and the light and everything”. He got it spot on!

The “Dirty Dancing” move. I knew it was coming, just wasn’t sure when. I managed to just about get it!

It’s really tricky to find our favourite...

The uniqueness that really makes it hard for us to really choose which one is our favourite. They’re unique and all of them are so well over our expectations, honestly.

Everybody has complimented the pictures, but not just on the pictures, on him too. John sat with Steve’s sisters and their husbands at the table and they had so much fun with him. So that was fantastic. They all really loved him.

He's such a joy, like, good from a spirit point of view. He's just so full of bright energy. He’s more than enjoyable. His uniqueness is spontaneous, fun, and very humble.

I really like him as a person. And honestly, to me, the pictures he took are all perfect and I wasn't even expecting them to be this good. I love his style.

I have some friends getting married soon, and I 100% recommend them to have John!

***

So there you have it, that’s Andrea and Steve’s story. If you’re planning a wedding and want that kind of natural, spontaneous, anti-stuffy photography, then get in touch…I would love to chat, find out about you, your big day and help you have a success story like this of your own amazing day!