The old cliché is that the sun always shines on a bride, but at the start of Claire and Dan’s wedding the promised afternoon improvement in the weather didn’t appear to be materialising.

Wisely Claire and Dan took the view they were going to have a memorable day, whatever the weather did to them, but there was an audible sigh of relief mixed with joy when as the vows were being exchanged the sun spectacularly emerged. Claire and Dan were keen to get outside for photographs in the courtyard – you can get outside at Ramster as soon as the rain stops and they were rewarded with some great photographs, as well as many of their guests following them.

We’ll be able to look back at them with pleasure over the years to come as they capture the moments and emotions of the day so well …We are both very happy we met you and had the opportunity for you to photograph our wedding

Claire mentioned when I met them that she hated being photographed and it would be hard to get any good pictures of her. This is something I hear from most of my clients – and why I’m particularly happy and pleased with a really good set of pictures. Their verdict? “We’ll be able to look back at them with pleasure over the years to come as they capture the moments and emotions of the day so well …We are both very happy we met you and had the opportunity for you to photograph our wedding”.

When I met Colette and Tim about a year ago it was clear their photography was very important to them.

Colette is a graphic designer and put a great deal of effort into planning every aspect of the day – from the moment I arrived at Gate Street every detail showed that she had come up with a remarkably unified and beautiful vision for the day.

Whilst Tim was very clear about his preference for reportage photography throughout, Colette had sent me some mood sheets with photographs she liked and of a style she would like to see in her own pictures. Help! – not my usual style at all. And there was one other small problem. The ceremony was at 4 o’clock in November – when the light starts fading shortly after 4 o’clock.

These are amazing! We are both so happy with the final results. I know that it wasn’t an easy brief but you really have done an excellent job

I’d thought long and hard about making the best of the light and so used the light just before and just after the service for the elegant ‘contemporary posed’ shots that appealed to Colette and then switched to reportage photography for the rest of the day for Tim’s pictures. The result? “These are amazing! We are both so happy with the final results. I know that it wasn’t an easy brief but you really have done an excellent job”.

My photography has never been and will never be ‘one size fits all’ – each day should be individual and unique.

“Dear Henry, you photographed my wedding back in 2000 …now my little sister is getting married in October this year …your photography is just so amazing …I would love you to photograph her wedding.”

You can imagine my reaction to the e-mail – Jo’s wedding was enormous fun, so I looked forward to seeing everyone again. It’s been the year of the sisters – I’ve photographed at least 5 sisters of previous brides this year – and I always enjoy seeing those I’ve photographed at other weddings and in this case to see Jo’s seven year old son and two year old daughter.

Highcliffe Castle – A gem of a Dorset wedding venue

Highcliffe Castle is a beautiful venue, surrounded by immaculate gardens, overlooking the Solent and the Isle of Wight, with steps down to the beach – bridal footwear permitting. The exterior is is magnificent, imposing and beautifully proportioned. It has an added fascination in that the perfect outside hides an interior that was completely gutted by an horrendous fire in the sixties. Rather than being restored, the remaining original details have been left as at the end of the fire, which shows you just how the Castle was constructed in the first place – it’s well worth a visit. The ceremony room has huge windows on three sides – an enormous help for a photographer who avoids flash as much as possible.

The photos are gorgeous thanks so much! I just smiled looking through all of them and it really bought the memories back of the day!

In mid- October you never quite know what the weather will do, but Laura and Richard had sunshine and warmth enough for everyone to be outside and explore the formal gardens – and to have a shot by the old Highcliffe Castle main entrance, which particulalry appealed to them. Laura’s reaction was just what I’d hoped: “The photos are gorgeous thanks so much! I just smiled looking through all of them and it really bought the memories back of the day!”

I couldn’t help reflecting on the changes in ten years – Laura and Richard live in Australia, but unlike ten years ago their pictures are viewable by family and friends across the globe at any time of day or night. Ten years ago there was just one hard copy set of pictures and sometimes it took months or even a year for friends and family to see them.

Thank you Richard and Laura for a great afternoon – see you in Melbourne one day I hope!

Despite dire forecasts Hannah and Adam had a fine sunny day for their wedding.

We started at St.Mary’s Church in East Lavant, with a first glimpse of Adam and Hannah’s wedding car, their very own much loved Land Rover. The breeze added atmosphere to many of the shots, especially the confetti, giving great natural smiles. After the service we moved on to the reception venue, Farbridge.

Farbridge is a purpose built venue near Lavant, just outside Chichester. Because it was only completed recently it has been able to reflect what many brides and grooms are looking for – huge well lit inside space, with a separate dance area where civil ceremonies can also take place, whilst outside there’s plenty of greenery and views across the downs.

Hannah and Adam had a fabulous reception – the inside looked truly wonderful thanks to Hannah’s painstaking attention to decoration and detail, with beautiful displays from Debbie at Country Flowers. Hannah and Adam had always wanted Thai lanterns at their wedding and were looking forward to watching them drift slowly across the Sussex countryside in the night sky. But by this stage in the day the wind was very strong and it seemed like the lanterns might not happen. However the two best men, Munster and Stu, were not to be deterred and overcame the elements to give Hannah and Adam the display they wanted – a great conclusion to a highly memorable day.