A portrait film of Laura Caudery at Fetcham Park

I’ve spoken before of the wonderful people I’m privileged enough to meet in my role as a documentary wedding photographer, from event managers to cake designers, florists and even singing chefs!

My latest film project introduced me to another wonderful lady, namely Laura Caudery, curator and weddings manager at Fetcham Park.

Fetcham Park is a magnificent Queen Anne mansion, and also Laura’s family home, so we wanted to produce a film that not only showed bride and grooms what a glorious Surrey wedding venue it is, but also create a legacy portrait of Laura.

From my perspective, it was an absolute pleasure to both meet and work with Laura, and I sincerely hope our paths cross again in the future.

About Fetcham Park

Fetcham Park is a stunning Queen Anne Grade II listed house, built in around 1705 by one of the leading architects of the time. During wedding celebrations, couples have ‘exclusive use’ of the house and grounds. Unlike many wedding venues, there are no set packages, so you are free to choose how you wish to celebrate and use Fetcham Park as your home for the day.

For more information on celebrating your wedding at Fetcham Park, visit www.fetcham-park.co.uk, and if you’d like more information on my wedding photography, I’d be delighted to hear from you via the Contact form on the menu above.

 

Sanctum on the Green Weddings | Spotlight feature

Aside photographing wonderful couples, another real plus side of being part of the wedding industry is working alongside so many fabulously talented fellow professionals.

One of those people is Kate Richards, whom both Neale I and first met back in 2008 whilst in the role of Business Development Manager for Galloping Gourmet. Recently however, Kate has taken on an exciting new role at stunning Berkshire wedding venue, Sanctum on the Green.

Berkshire wedding venue Sanctum on the Green

Why do you think couples choose Sanctum on the Green as their wedding venue?

Most couples say they love the overall vibe when they arrive. I think the outside swimming pool and gardens help to create a very relaxed environment where people feel they can have fun – it’s also a fabulous space to hold a civil ceremony.

I think the best part about the venue is the fact that you can experience 3 different areas; the ceremony outside, marquee for the wedding breakfast and hotel for the evening reception.

Gardens at Sanctum on the Green set up for an outdoor civil ceremony

What’s your favourite wedding colour theme chosen by couples?

The marquee looks so pretty when dressed in pale pastels. We also use coloured uplighters to line the walls adding an extra splash of colour, which looks stunning.  Especially in the Spring when the pink and white blossom trees are in bloom it’s like a matching colour scheme inside and out!

Ornate wedding cake and pastel flowers from a wedding at Sanctum on the Green

Which three dishes would you choose if you had your wedding breakfast at Sanctum on the Green?

Under the expert guidance of the UK’s youngest Head Chef, Luke Thomas, all couples celebrating their wedding here create a bespoke menu. For many couples, this is what sets us apart from other wedding venues. For example recently we served:

Potted Seafood with Crab and Brown Shrimp and Pickled Cucumber

Roasted Fillet of British White Beef, Tomato Fondue Pancetta with Duck Fat Confit Potato and Spring Greens

Vanilla Crème Brulee, Raspberry Compote and Sorbet.

In the end even a vegetarian guest tried the beef it was so delicious!

Luke's Dining Room, restaurant at Sanctum on the Green

Do you have a most memorable moment of a wedding here so far?

I think it has to be Jennifer and Adam’s wedding. They enjoyed a civil ceremony in the beautiful gardens back in April this year, and whilst walking back up the aisle to ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ all their guests started dancing!  It was such a great atmosphere and something really special to be part of.

The stylish courtyard at Sanctum on the Green

What would be your top 3 tips for any couple looking to plan a wedding?

To coin an phrase, DON’T PANIC! Trust your instincts when booking a venue and add 10% to your final budget. Just in case.

To view more of Neale’s wedding photography, please visit the galleries at the top of this page and for more information on Sanctum on the Green weddings, please click here.

The singing chef | Matara Centre

Meet René, the Matara Centre’s Head Chef and one of the most welcoming kitchen professionals I have had the pleasure to photograph. Photographing chefs at work has become, when possible, something I try to achieve at a wedding. I’ve formed some good working relationships with those that spend their time ‘stove side,’ and in a photographic sense I think my brides and grooms prosper from having a further pictorial dimension to their day. In documentary terms you can’t deny this rather pivotal part of the day. It’s not always possible mind, and I did visit one venue recently where my request to photograph the chef at work was met with a a series of expletives usually reserved for a Channel 4 series. He didn’t think I’d heard, but you know, I’m sure that day I could taste his main dish emerged just a little tainted by an over-riding ill mannered attitude. They say that about cooking don’t they? Or maybe mine was just dropped on the floor.

No such case in René’s kitchen. Here’s a man who cooks with pride, humility and respect. This is one of the first of a series of blog films, so if you have a chance to leave a comment, I would truly appreciate your thoughts.

Is that a blue sky? Notley Abbey

Low horizons. They’ve become a stylised feature of pictorial outdoor wedding capture for me, when I want to depict some form of vista that is. The base line dictionary definition of vista, is a pleasing view and after the weather we’ve endured of late, there was certainly a photographic calling to show how blue the sky can actually be during summer. June 1st arrived, I’m assuming this is now officially summer yes? And so I found myself photographing an outdoor ceremony in the gardens of Notley Abbey near Thame. I talk often to prospective clients visiting my offices near Newbury about width in wedding photographs.

Certainly I champion the prospect of working up close and personal, and many photographs in the portfolio section of this website demonstrate how being photographically tight can produce dramatic results; certainly when capturing emotional exchanges. Yet there is clearly a time to pull out and reveal your subject, be that a venue landscape, or in this case the entire wedding party during a ceremony. Yet there is equally reason to capture in a unique fashion. If you’re not thinking about composition, you may as well pass your commission to your bride and groom’s favourite camera wielding well intentioned relative. And so as part of my new wedding journal series, I present a way to depict weather.

Outdoor ceremony Notley Abbey

Let them eat cake | Olofson Design wedding cakes

Over the last few months I’ve gradually been creating an additional side to our wedding photography business, focusing on film production.

I’ve initially concentrated on producing film bios for a select number of people working alongside me in the wedding industry. Florists, venue curators, magicians, wedding reporters and, in this instance, a cake designer. But when I say cake, that doesn’t seem to come close to describing exactly how incredible these gastronomic creations actually are. These wedding cakes are literally edible works of art.

So, without further ado, I give you Ceri. Bespoke cake designer extraordinaire at Olofson Design, London.

If you’ve enjoyed this latest film, please do like and share via the social media buttons below. Thank you.

Notley Abbey same day edit | James and Victoria

I don’t have a problem per sae with supermarket brand spirits, but you simply can’t compare bland label brandy with something like, say Martell. For sure I’m no connoisseur, but I know the taste of the real thing. As much I know the feeling of a wedding where there is so much more being exchanged than words repeated from a registrar’s ceremonial running order.

There are times, particularly during speeches, where it would be true to say I hold the camera’s viewing piece to my eye just a little longer than is entirely necessary following the culmination of an address. “Oh me? No, I’m not weeping, no, not me, it’s merely, ummm, dust, yes dust.” Perhaps it’s the drawn intimacy through viewing these private and precious moments through a small eye piece, I’m not entirely sure, but I would certainly say that more often than not, something envelops me during times like the speeches that serves as a pretty potent reminder of why I choose to photograph weddings as a specialist genre.

Today’s wedding at Notley Abbey, was no exception. There was an air of sentimentality when I arrived to photograph bridal preparations. The mood was contemplative yet flirted with excitability. My advice to brides and grooms is to let the day run, trust the professionals around you, and don’t let rain stop play. Embrace the opportunity to let go. You’ve done months, perhaps years of planning, now is the time to breathe in the day whilst those around you complete spreadsheet tasks. This is a wedding, your wedding!

Wedding photographs from Notley Abbey

Congratulations James and Victoria upon your wedding and my thanks for inviting me to be a part of your day.

Father greets bride at wedding

Today was a ‘same day edit’ occasion. Fot me that’s not every image, that would be impossible; it’s a selection of photographs that may then be shown on a screen during the evening reception. Logistically it takes me the time of the wedding breakfast to sort, edit and ready the pictures for display.

First floor at Notley Abbey

If I were to create a mood board of shots I hoped would feature in a wedding, this kind of scene would feature pretty much at the top of that wish list. The rain fell outside, and the resultant light equally fell to provide me with an opportunity to gently capture this scene.

Civil ceremony Notley Abbey

Notley Abbey at 2.50pm this afternoon.

Notley Abbey photographer

There is no doubt in my mind that you retrieve from life’s experiences what you invest. If you’re of a sunnier disposition, generally speaking, you shall surround yourself quite naturally with friends who share that feeling.

Notley Abbey wedding venue

I’ve been experimenting of late with warm toned pictures inspired by some of the greats of street and even conflict photography. There’s a definite character to the tonality of a slightly warmer toned photograph.

A groom's speech at Notley Abbey

Today’s musical interludes during the speeches. A piece from Rachmaninoff, the piece that was played by Victoria at a concert when James purports to have first realised his true affections. And then, James brings the house down by singing Your Song, the tune where Victoria returned the compliment. James and Victoria are both accomplished musicians.

Notley Abbey wedding speeches

It’s midnight as I close, and I imagine right now guests are bidding their farewells to James and Victoria. I’m at the end of a large glass of cognac. I can retire to bed warmed by the real thing, in terms of cognac yes, but more over in terms of the day I have just witnessed.

Botleys Mansion Weddings | Executive Chef

During the 10 years we’ve been part of the wedding industry, we’ve been privileged enough to work with many fabulously talented people, from florists to musicians, chauffeurs to chefs, and it’s the last in this list that’s focused on in the latest of our Spotlight Series.

Simon Denton is Executive Chef for Bijou Wedding Venues, overseeing the service at the magnificent Botleys Mansion in Surrey.

Images of the exterior of Botleys Mansion

Simon is also tasked with co-ordinating the food and beverages across each of the Bijou venues to deliver an exceptional dining experience.

We asked Simon, in-between busily creating new dishes, a little bit more about what his role within Bijou entails, and why it means the culinary experience at a Bijou wedding is truly first class.

Outdoor ceremony at Botleys Mansion

How do you come up with new dishes for wedding breakfasts? 

Research is key and a lot of time is spent assessing our methods, customer feedback and spending time in test kitchens – we constantly strive for perfection and innovation.

How do couples decide on their menu for a wedding breakfast? 

Traditionally, couples have ‘played it safe’ by choosing dishes that are crowd pleasers. However as Bijou’s reputation for delivering a high standard of food is building, it is becoming far more common for the Bride & Groom to trust us and choose a menu that is a ‘statement of their taste’, which is very exciting.

Civil ceremony at Botleys Mansion

If you were choosing a 3 course wedding breakfast at a Bijou venue, what would be on the menu?

Watercress veloute with Scottish smoked salmon & fromage blanc

Fillet of Venison with Anna potato carrots and celeriac puree

Chocolate pot with Jack Daniels Ice cream

Delicious food from the wedding menu at Botleys Mansion

Do you have a culinary hero and, if so, what do you like about them and their cooking style?

Rick Stein and Richard Corrigan; both come from very different backgrounds and have different skills but both celebrate high quality, British produce and let the produce do the talking.

Various images of the Orangery, food, wine and flowers at a Botleys Mansion wedding

If you could eat in any restaurant in the world, which would it be? 

To me, the best restaurants are sometimes the unsung and so I love stumbling across small eateries that use fresh produce and adjust their menu according to what is available on a daily basis.  A chef who is able to produce a beautiful, honest, seasonal dish with the ingredients he or she is given on the day is a true chef in my book.

Mouthwatering food from Botleys Mansion

You can see a selection of Simon’s mouthwatering menu ideas and even download one of his exclusive recipe’s by visiting the Bijou Weddings website. If you’re planning your wedding at Botleys Mansion, or any of the four UK based Bijou wedding venues, or indeed if you’ve already enjoyed your wedding at one of these venues, please do share your menu, thoughts and feedback with other couples still trying to decide what to choose!

Jewish dancing at Botleys Mansion

Notley Abbey Wedding | Rain, rain go away…

It’s not often I get the chance to meet wedding clients these days, but when James & Victoria came to visit Neale for the first time to discuss their Notley Abbey wedding around this time last year, I instantly liked them both.

They’re one of those couples who have smiles on their faces and a spring in their step. They’re interested, as well as interesting, friendly, engaging, and completely in love.  Since I met them, I’ve had my fingers crossed, hoping with all my superstitious might that not putting new shoes on tables or walking under ladders or letting black cats cross my path will bring them luck. And I don’t mean serious luck, in the sense of a lifetime of happiness together (although I do of course wish them this!) but moreover the little luck.

The luck that brings a few rays of sunshine for them to enjoy their fairytale wedding of an outside ceremony at Notley Abbey tomorrow.

They’ve both had so much input into the planning of this wedding, with so many wonderful personal touches their Pinterest board must be pinned to capacity! Taking inspiration from their love of music and Whitstable Bay (although I’m still not convinced of the idea of using Oysters as ring bearers…) it really does sound like my kind of wedding.

So, given that I’ve just checked the weather forecast and it says the sunshine may well appear for just a couple of hours tomorrow, I’m asking you all to collectively cash in all your favour tokens and stockpile all your good fortune so that this most lovely couple can enjoy the most perfect day.

With my thanks in advance for your help and good wishes,

Sam (aka Mrs. James) xx

A pre-wedding photoshoot for a couple to wed at Notley Abbey

To see more of Neale’s work at Notley Abbey, please click here or type ‘Notley Abbey’ in the search area at the top of this blog.

Science Fiction | Aviator Weddings

I’ve never been a fan of Science Fiction, not disliking it as such, simply not selecting it as I scroll through the endless TV channels.

That said, I have read a few of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, although I believe the sticklers amongst you will probably claim they’re officially Fantasy novels, not Sci-Fi.

Anyway, I digress, as oft I’m known to do, as the reason I mentioned Sci-Fi in the first place was simply as the below image, taken at The Aviator Hotel in Farnborough, struck me as one that could have been captured on board the starship USS Enterprise.

Indeed should Spock ever require a wedding venue, I’d suggest Aviator weddings may well be the place to start.

Personally, I’ve never seen another venue quite this unique and contemporary in architectural design terms. Have you?

Live long and prosper all,

Sam x (aka Mrs. James)

Aviator Hotel Weddings

Spotlight on Rivervale Barn Weddings | Hayley Baker, Senior Events Manager

In the second part of our ‘Spotlight’ series, I have the pleasure of introducing another member of the amazing Galloping Gourmet team, namely Hayley Baker, Senior Events Manager at Hampshire wedding venue, Rivervale Barn.

Having been a wedding manager for over 7 years, Hayley has vast experience and invaluable knowledge, both key to the successful organisation and running of a wedding day. Prior to this role, I discovered that Hayley is a fine dining trained chef, and has worked alongside some great chefs in many prestigious locations such as Penny Hill Park & Fox Hills Golf Club. However, a great opportunity saw Hayley step out from behind the pass, to front-of-house roles and wedding management. This additional culinary knowledge means Hayley is able to turn her hand to cover most areas at Rivervale which gives her great confidence in running a wedding – it must come in handy when it comes to advising couples on menu choices for their wedding breakfast too!

Rivervale Barn

Speaking of her role at Rivervale, Hayley says “I love the buzz, the challenges that come each day. Our job at Galloping Gourmet is to exceed expectations and create the most seamlessly perfect day. We take the time to get to know our brides so we can offer a personalised service to ensure their day is unique. We are simply the “glue” that brings wonderful ideas together. It’s great to be able to use your knowledge and experiences to guide couples from the initial show round at Rivervale, through the planning stage and finally being wedding manager on the day. You cannot explain the true feeling of satisfaction and warmth when you leave on a wedding day knowing that is perfect in every way.

I often have a little smile to myself driving home”.

In the next part of our Spotlight series, Hayley’s going to give us her thoughts on the colour schemes she believes work well at Rivervale Barn weddings plus the three dishes she’d choose for a wedding breakfast, although with so many mouthwatering dishes from Head Chef Nick Price and his team, it’s going to be a difficult choice!

So while Hayley decides, I’ll leave you with one of my favourite images of Rivervale Barn.

Absolutely beautiful hey?

Sam x (aka Mrs. James)

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