MEMORABLE MOMENTS How can we ensure our photographer is the right fit for our big day? It’s hard to know who is the right photographer for you, so start by looking through websites and social media pages to see if you love the photos they create and their overall style. Once you have found a photographer you love, then the next thing I would do is look at their reviews. See if they are part of a trade association, have the necessary insurance and how long they have been working as a photographer (this is the biggest thing to check) as knowledge and experience of weddings will help them in any situation that might occur on your special day. Thirdly if you are happy with all that you have seen, arrange to meet with them for a brew to chat through your plans and see if you feel comfortable with them and if they are available to photograph your day. If you feel relaxed around them, then you should feel comfortable spending all day with them. Come away from that meeting and chat about how you feel before booking. Christina Davies www.fish2.co.uk SUMMER ROMANCE My wife-to-be and I are getting married next summer and would like some shots that reflect the season. Do you have any ideas? Next year will be the first season for some time where weddings will be fully open. The summer season gives you the opportunity to create some fabulous outdoor portrait shots and natural images indoors. Try and plan with your photographer when to get the very best light. Warm colours of the late afternoon or the cooler shades of the morning can create beautiful images compared to the harsh midday light of the UK. Indoors is ideal for prep-images in the morning, the shade will create contrast, and sunlight shining through will help capture the infamous window shot. Summer creates areas of shadows for romantic portraits with lots of colour and flowers. Think about having a first look in an outdoor scene. It’s not for all couples but it will create a private moment for you both and help get rid of a lot of nerves. If you’re wearing a suit, think about the colour. Does it complement your partner’s outfit and colours you will be surrounded by on the day? Talk to your partner about posing, are you nervous, comfortable or a natural model and secretly love posing? I give couples a guide to think about images they may want to have in their album. To get the very best summer shots talk to your photographer, ask for advice, be natural, and most importantly relax and enjoy your day. David Allbutt www.davidallbuttphotography.com BOLD AND PLAYFUL My hubby-to-be and I are trying to think of a theme for our upcoming wedding. What trends are popular at the moment? Last year was all about neutral tones, and although these are still popular, vibrant colours are back bigger than ever! Couples are incorporating vibrant hues into their tables-capes with coloured candles and matching linen. I’ve also noticed brides and grooms are opting for re-usable centrepieces that guests can take home. Olivia and James, the bride and groom whose wedding I styled in this photograph, had a Mediterranean-themed wedding with olive trees as centrepieces. This was a great way to be more sustainable and they created very little waste by gifting the plants to guests at the end of the evening. A wedding theme represents the overall look and feel you want to create on your wedding day. If you decide on your wedding aesthetic first, your theme will naturally follow. This will help you keep your wedding decisions more uniform later down the line. Victoria Rawlins www.instagram.com/blossomandbowseventhire www.fish2.co.uk www.davidallbuttphotography.com 58
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