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)

The post Science Fiction | Aviator Weddings appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.

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!

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)

The post Spotlight on Rivervale Barn Weddings | Hayley Baker, Senior Events Manager appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.

And I don’t mean in the material sense, or even the running of the day. I mean where the bride & groom and all their guests have the most perfect day with love and laughter in bucketloads.

Yesterday’s wedding at the picturesque Rivervale Barn was undoubtedbly one of those extra special weddings where I found myself slipping into a mantra of ‘oooh, I love that image, oooh I love that image, oooh I love that image’ ad infinitum.

I genuinely wanted to grab myself a box of Kleenex and snuggle in-between the bridesmaids to witness the marriage ceremony of two people, so wonderfully in love.

So while the images are being edited, I’ll leave you with one of my favourites from the bridal preparations.

You’ve gotta love that window light.

Sam x (aka Mrs. James)

The post Window light appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.

Therefore I thought I’d dedicate today’s blog post to just one ‘sneaky peek’ image from Beth & Aaron’s beautiful wedding at Wasing Park.

I’ve talked before about tangible images, a photograph that transports you straight back to the moment it was taken, and, for me, this is one of them.

Final stages of bridal preparations, the concentration in putting on the veil and the slightly nervous excitement and anticipation of a stunning bride is almost palpable.

Have a great weekend all, Sam x (aka Mrs. James)

The post Bridal preparations at Wasing Park appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.

Having said that, prior to spending several years in Cardiff, I too would have sat firmly in the “what on earth is a Cwtch?” camp.

For those of you still in that camp, Cwtch is not an phobia of vowels, but simply the Welsh word for an affectionate hug, or cuddle, and when I saw the Welsh wedding blog ‘Cwtch the Bride‘ pop up in our Twitter feed, a gallery of past images flashed through my mind as I recalled those first embraces. Those “we’re married” Cwtches.

So in honour of a wonderful Welsh word, I thought I’d share with you a couple of images. The first of Jay & Katy at Wasing Park, and the second of Matt & Melissa at Notley Abbey. Both relatively back catalogue in terms of when they were taken – 2009 & 2007 respectively – but both firmly imprinted in my memory as two of my favourite cwtches of all time.

Happy cwtching all, Sam x (aka Mrs. James)

The post The ‘Cwtch’ appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.

The unsung heroes of the wedding world.

In a new series of posts, while Neale continues to focus on photography, I’ve decided to dedicate a series of ‘spotlight blogs’ to the bar staff, chefs, event managers and waiting staff who transform so many Excel spreadsheets in to ‘The perfect wedding day’.

First up is someone who ensures Wasing Park weddings run smoothly, namely Jemma Garland, Senior Events Manager at Wasing Park.

How long have you been an events manager / working in the events team at Wasing Park?

I’ve been working for Galloping Gourmet at Wasing Park for a little over 5 years, working for 4 months before the venue opened in July 2008.

What did you do prior to working in this role?

I worked as a Special Events Co-ordinator at The Vineyard at Stockcross for 3 years

Do you have a most memorable moment of a wedding at Wasing?

There are so many! Each wedding stands out in its own way and the guests create such varied atmospheres. I’d have to be biased though and say that attending my brother Nick’s wedding at Wasing Park was simply magical!

Why do you think couples choose Wasing as their wedding venue?

Wasing is incredibly different to many other venues. There’s the stunning approach through Wasing Estate up the long driveway through the cow field, and the beautiful Castle Barn is like no other. As a whole we offer something truly English and gorgeous!

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

The barn is at its best when the colour scheme is natural feeling; green is lovely and so fitting with the brickwork and chairs. If I were to say my favourite brighter colour, it would have to be purple, it works so well with the brick.

Which three dishes would you choose if you had your wedding breakfast at Wasing Park?

Crispy Duck Salad or Scallops, Lamb Two Ways or Fillet of Beef followed by Chocolate Brownie or Cheesecake! Yum.

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

Book your favourite suppliers as soon as you can, as the best get booked up well in advance, don’t rush the planning process and most of all, enjoy the lead up and make the most of it!

If Jemma helped to make your wedding a ‘perfect day’, please do leave a comment and share your thoughts on the unsung heroes of the wedding world!

My thanks to Jemma for speaking to me, and look forward to speaking with another member of the Wasing Park weddings team very soon.

Sam x (aka Mrs. James)

For more photographs from Wasing Park, you can visit our Berkshire Wedding Venues gallery or for more information on Wasing Park, visit www.wasing-weddings.co.uk

The post Spotlight on Wasing Park Weddings | Jemma Garland, Senior Events Manager appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.

As the wife of a very successful documentary wedding photographer, most of my Saturday nights are spent in the company of a glass of red wine watching the latest Ant ‘n’ Dec jungle-talent-takeaway show. That is until Neale returns home, usually around 9.30pm, and starts to download all the images and audio from the wedding, at which point I’ll often glance over his shoulder to see what he’s captured from the day. Having watched him refine his style during the last 10 years, I believe I can now spot what I think of as a ‘signature’ image, and although it will require a degree of skilled re-touching, many of these shots you’ll spot straight from camera. There’s an intensity. A tangible sense of mood. Something which transports me, the viewer, to that moment during the wedding day. So, for my first blog post, of which many more will follow, I’d like to share one of those very shots; a first dance at The Elvetham Hotel, Hampshire. Neale James’ Style.

The post Neale James’ Style | The Elvetham Hotel, Hampshire appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.

I’ve been asked across the years to photographically cover weddings for venue owners, wedding organisers and other wedding photographers and whilst every event retains an importance befitting a truly one off occasion, there is no doubt on a day where wedding professionals are the key focus, there is a mind shift in terms of how I experience their photography. Because as a documentary wedding photographer I choose to envelop myself in a day and truly experience the event rather than work from a shot list, perhaps it’s that in the back of my mind, there’s a heightened intrigue as to how they are seeing their day unfold from the other side of the counter.

And so I bring you Angus and Verity’s Wasing Park Wedding Photofilm, a real journey of emotion with an inevitable focus on food at one stage, as the groom is a director of the catering organisation driving this venue. And with each Photofilm presented there seems to be an enhanced documentary feel; the film breaking from musical score on a couple of occasions to experience simply the sounds and atmosphere recorded.

The post Angus and Verity | Wasing Wedding Photofilm appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.

A clean break is not a term you may necessarily associate with subject matter relating to a wedding. Yet, when you’ve been planning a wedding for two years, looking forward to the date, the occasion and everything to do with this one big day, think of one of the most difficult phone calls you could make, exactly four weeks to the day of the marriage itself when you have to announce; “Darling, I’ve just broken my ankle.”

This wedding saw many a twist and turn (if you’ll forgive the gratuitous pun Tony) in terms of the tales of a day, including a professional comic as one of the best men. So, here’s a love story, actually, here’s a whole bunch of stories, in a Photofilm called ‘Stories to tell’.

The post Sam and Tony | Wedding Photofilm appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.

It’s a wedding venue I know well, Wasing Park; under fifteen minutes from my front door, I’ve shot over 70 weddings at this one venue alone. Yet every day is different, and I genuinely feel that. We talk a lot in this industry about story telling, narrative building through wedding photography. By setting the images from a day to sounds recorded as the tale unfolds in real time, I really believe it’s a strong way to capture another dimension in terms of narrative. Here’s Duncan and Erica’s story as a Wedding Photofilm.

The post Duncan and Erica | Wedding Photofilm appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.

I was in an art shop, weekend just gone. I was chatting with the staff, and somehow we got on to the subject of photographic capture and how rapid frame burst meant that you missed nothing as a photographer; the automatic way to guarantee that you’ve caught something worth printing out. There are many industry terms used for operating this way; spray and pray being one of them. There is no doubt that the ability to capture frames quickly in succession is a feature heralded by say sports photographers, and you can see why. But in wedding work and many portrait scenarios, I prefer a somewhat calmer approach – that way you truly drink the atmosphere of what is building before your eyes.

In technical terms, comprehending how your subjects are or may just about to be lit, is an important process in the art of seeing – and for me, slowing your frame by frame workflow helps you develop an eye for light; arguably the most important facet of any overall composition. A very good friend of mine has just returned from Bosnia capturing a photographic suffix to a story he witnessed twenty years ago in the country when photographing within the military. He shot film, he shot considered. At the time of writing, one week on from capture, he was still awaiting the return of his films from processing. I am sure the results will be worth the wait.

The post Window light appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.

As a dad to two boys, I imagine I’ll never understand the emotional journey a father takes as he traditionally accepts the offer to; ‘Give his daughter’s hand in marriage.’ I know this though; the adventure of raising little-uns, for me, has been one where I simply want my children to have the best opportunities they can, for all time.

This picture for me is a kind of clarity image. I see the bride’s father looking toward the man marrying his daughter, and I see this peaceful expression envelop his face as vows are exchanged. It’s an; ‘All is well,” announcement.

The post That look appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.

It rained. Oh, it rained. And then it rained some more. But you know what? Late November, Christmas rapping on the door with a reminder to check your behaviour for the naughty and nice list; there’s a romance to winter weddings that dispels any thought from your mind that mild weather is the only accompaniment to saying “I do.” Here’s a new Photofilm edit from Chris and Nicola’s Windsor wedding, with reception at Bijou Weddings’ Botleys Mansion.

The post Chris and Nicola’s Wedding Photofilm appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.

Never forget that wedding preparations involve a cast of bridal VIPs. I see many portfolios that centre in on the bride, rightly so you may moot, yet forget that there are other key family or friends to photograph. Don’t ever underestimate how important it is for others to be considered within your collection of final images. We spend so long as photographers ‘shooting for the angle’ when it comes to creative representation of bridal preparations, that it’s easy to sideline the same artistic consideration for those playing a supportive role. In this frame for example, I’ve silhouetted the bride’s mother as she is readied for ‘the off.’

The post What about mum? appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.

I was never entirely sure what was truly meant by the term ‘find your own style,’ a suggestion often mooted by photographic seniors I aspired to. It seemed to me that everything stylistically had been tried, tested, ripped apart, examined, re-examined, reinvented, copied and then more recently actioned again, but this time with some kind of vintage filter wash. So presenting something truly original would surely be like discovering a photographic holy grail.

But many years on, I now think I understand this style term, finally I do. It’s not as I once thought a challenge to be the pictorial mother of invention, but to be true to how you enjoy creatively working. There’s nothing wrong with being inspired by others then replicating that technique to a degree. After all, unless you really do intend to set up the same shot, in the same place, with the same lens, working the same combination of shutter speed and aperture, there’ll always be a difference to how you interpret somebody else’s character in their work.

I quite enjoy the immediacy and grit of street photography for instance. I’m quite driven by the brashness of the likes of New York’s Bruce Gilden. There is certainly an inspired element of that in my close up reportage work. I was delighted when downloading this image from the camera cards weekend just gone, that looking over my shoulder, my wife commented; “That’s very you, that’s one of your photographs.”

If by that she means the vignetting of an image by people within the scene, or my two stops under technical approach, then maybe I’ve found that style thing everyone in the photographic course talked so enthusiastically about as I started out. If she simply said it because she saw me removing cards from my cameras and it was a natural deduction who they belonged to, then the hunt for the holy grail is back on!

The post Finding your style appeared first on Wedding photographer Berkshire, London, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Cotswolds.