There are few things to enjoy more than a quintessentially English wedding. It’s what we do best surely? There has to be a reason cousins global visit us to take vows or bless nuptials recorded elsewhere. Saturday’s wedding was the encapsulate of precisely that. An historical church in a beautiful village, followed by a themed Midsummer Night’s Dream wedding reception in a marquee set upon the lawns of the family home. If I spoke more than ten minutes to guests I’d be surprised as Nick and Katie entrusted me to record their day in a mostly documentary style.

Oh! the ring is dropped by the vicar, mid prayer!

Darker skies and strengthening winds, oh, it must be June. Not so inclement as to prevent any outdoor photography, dramatic skies were the order of the day at Richard and Laura’s Wasing Park wedding. Some super imagery prevailed and spirits remained high as the sun seemed to appear during our requested moments. Also (edited August 2011) a hearty congratulations to Wasing Park upon their recent award of Best Venue in The Perfect Wedding Awards 2011. Cracking result and well deserved.

Often the stories unfolding immediately beyond the bride and groom are as focally apposite as those directly in front of one’s nose. They narrate much about the occasion and key ‘cast members’ within it. Melding into a homely reception room with low beamed ceilings and roaring fire, a few of my favourites from Chris and Ginnie’s Cain Manor celebrations. Beginning with a bridal prep moment; you’ve got to love that cool winter window light.

Some people are just destined to be together surely? They look so good with one another that you can’t imagine they could possibly have ever not been that way. My World on a wedding day, my viewpoint if you like, presents itself through an eyepiece merely a couple of cm squared. Yet what often unfolds before me projects itself into cinematic proportions. If this were indeed a movie, the classic albeit overused prose to accompany scenes from today’s wedding at Rivervale would be something along the lines of; “You complete me.” Unashamedly used in this context, it’s little more than my passing thoughts to bride and groom as I departed following the fabulous ‘fire show.’ Enjoy the Maldives, I am insanely envious!

Photographing for photographers is somewhat of a ‘focusing’ prospect and I’ll admit to a jangle of anticipation when proposed by an associate in this industry to shoot his nephew’s wedding. Here are some posted results as I go head to head with the full edit. Thanks Fran, thanks Andy for giving me the artistic licence to be documentary led, with an emphasis on monochrome. Nottinghamshire isn’t a county I photographically visit often, but I’m glad I topped up a few more Nectar miles to visit Thrumpton; what a venue!

Weather forecasters are like TV talent show anchors; “You’d better make sure you vote for your favourite act, as this is the closest vote we’ve ever had, since the last closest vote ever, and the one before that where we told you it had never been closer than this and would never be as close again. Pick up the phone and vote, it’s just too close to call.” The night previous to Richard and Kitty’s Rivervale Barn celebrations I had watched the weather forecaster get almost as animated about the forthcoming weekend being the hottest on record since, well – he couldn’t remember when. After a handful of further suggestions that this would be a hot one, I packed factor 50 for the forehead, and a spare shirt; Egyptian cotton. Sun flare is good for the photographer’s soul, and you know you’ll find at least one such image in the following set.

Some may say rain on your wedding day is less than favourable luck. Being late to depart for the church at vintage speed carries a certain degree of fashionable attachment of course. If that wedding car breaks down, we’re back to less than favourable luck. The replacement car breaking down, certainly less than favourable. I blame myself of course. I think it’s because I commented upon how relaxed everything felt when arriving at the family home in the morning, that rain was sent along with mechanical mischief. But you know what? We all had a bloody good time!

Few briefs make me happier than the one received from Alex and Jill; ‘Follow the day Neale, the way you see, as a story.’ Marvelous. And so, armed with a short list of group portraits we’d agreed pre-wedding, I was Cotswolds bound to Dumbleton Hall Hotel near Evesham. A brief so open gives me an opportunity to stand back, think composition and really watch the day unfold around me.

A handful of images from one of my more recent Wasing Park weddings from Catherine and Liam’s fabulous big day. I’m a huge fan of black and whites and ‘large’ real moments, as is reasonably transparent from many of my blog entries. Filling the frame with emotion is an important facet of my work. So whilst uploading these images, I am reminded of a client meeting I had tail end of last week, where discovering I was in the ‘pitching pot’ against a number of photographers, I was asked if I did ‘enhancements?’ I assumed at first this to be blemish removal, but no. Ostensibly the meaning proffered by my oppo was somewhat different. “The other company can make an overcast rainy day, bright and sunny,” it was proudly exclaimed. I appreciated what they were trying to achieve, but for me, I declined the opportunity. Yes I tint pictures, and I’m appreciative of other photographers’ highly stylised imagery, but to a point. It’s subjective, of course it is, and for me, the day is as the day is. Embrace the weather. Embrace the emotions. Embrace reality. We work in a digital age and I think it’s true that the romance of pulling a print from the fix under a red light will never be replaced by slotting a card into a downloader, but by-the-by, I still receive a thrill when a larger LCD reveals the emotion I believed I captured at the time of depressing the shutter on the day, minus requirement for an Arora Borealis.

Jamie, Beth, inspired idea to feature your late Grandparents within photo frames as the table names and decorations for your Wasing Park wedding.Photographically, there is a documentary moment at most weddings when a father’s eyes will meet those of his daughter’s for the first time as she stands before him in her wedding gown. The intensity differs from father to father of course and even those dads with the most obdurate courage find this to be one moment more than any other during the day, where a myriad of emotions flatten any wall of masculine parental steely resolve they thought they possessed. It’s fabulous. Professional platitudes abound on the web, so I’ll cautiously express a somewhat overused term; privilege. As a documentary maker, albeit in stills, that’s what makes this job so important, he says, hearing the opening bars of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ fading up behind this blog entry. Listen, I can swill beer, crack beer nuts and talk sport with the best of ‘em at any bar in this land where spit and sawdust define the landlord’s choice of decor. But I’ll also experience and hopefully always will, a lump in the throat when I witness the sincere pride liberated by a father with momentary tunnel vision, who can see no further than his ‘little girl’ on the morning of her wedding. Phew, that’s said. Okay, big hearty Haka lads and let’s get back to talking rugby.

The estate agent introducing Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh to Notley Abbey must have known he’d secured the sale even before Sir Larry turned the medieval key in the gothic door of this historic pile. Now THIS, is what I call a driveway. If the travellers come knocking offering to tarmac it, it would only be marginally cheaper to rework the stretch between 8/9 and 10 on the M4.In venue terms, I know you’re not supposed to have them or at least moot the subject, but this remains one of my firm favourites when it comes to photographing weddings. Congratulations to ‘Englishman in New York’ Matt and Niki. Looking forward to presenting you with your photographs when you come back from your secret honeymoon destination! Not sure if they have broadband where you’re going, but if they do, a handful of images to whet the appetite.

I don’t usually (and by the way this isn’t a hint) get included within the ‘thank yous’ during wedding speeches. Subtlety and discretion being a stylistic key to how I like to operate as a photographer, I fade into the background pretty well during speeches, even though I’m not a Zara mens clothes waist size 30 anymore. So messages of thanks and testimonials are events that occur long after the wedding cake crumbs have been hoovered from the banquet suite floor. That in mind, a few thank yous of my own, to Alexis and Karlene. Thank you for inviting me to Audleys Wood; superb venue, amazing food, endless photo oppotunities. Thank you for inviting guests that laughed at my jokes during the group shot; always a bonus. Thank you for choosing a vicar who embraced photography as an important aide memoire. Now THAT, was one fabulous special day. Hope you enjoy your photographs in the review area.

Quite a story on this one. If I had a penny (etc etc), the most popular question asked about wedding photography is; “What happens if it rains?” Seeing that we don’t seem to be constantly bathed in sunshine in the UK, it does present an issue a few times during the year, though my ‘It can’t rain forever’ mantra rarely bites me on the proverbial. And so the Saturday just gone I was Thame bound to photograph Sean and Laura’s wedding at Notley Abbey. Despite the weather forecast not being the kindest, I thought we’d entered Sunshine valley as I drove up the impressive tree lined drive that leads to Notley’s front door.You know me, sucker for a window lit shot. And there was plenty of sunshine around during the morning to provide it.We had a lot of fun on the prewedding shoot, the ceremony followed the same line. The reason for their smiles? It was an outdoor ceremony and as one of the ushers started his reading, a horse started to join in in the background.And then, the clouds started to gather!We got through the ceremony before the heavens opened. This is probably one of my favourite shots from the day and it shows something very important. If you accept the rain as part of your day, embrace it and enjoy the occasion, you get magic all day long.Being a headlining dancer on the Take That tour, the evening studio brought a few surprises…”Greatest Day” the first dance.

“After our gorgeous day at Orchardleigh, we had the most amazing honeymoon in two different destinations. Steve surprised me with a four night stay at the Chedi Hotel in Oman, I was thoroughly spoilt and waited upon. We then flew back home to collect Brooke and headed out to Orlando for ten days with Micky Mouse and Tinkerbell. A completely different honeymoon but such fun. We’re already looking forward to going back. The new year brought lots more changes; I fell pregnant! Whoopee, time to eat cakes and get fat again. October 1st saw the arrival of our lovely baby girl, Sienna Maria, weighing 5lb 12 oz. She’s adorable, the image of her dad and big sister. How unfair is that?! We moved into a new house in December and with hard work, lots of labouring and no social life, we’re nearly there with all the improvements. You never know, next year we may be able to sit back, relax and enjoy it all.”