Where do we start planning our wedding?Many recently engaged people I meet at wedding fairs are in the early stages of planning their perfect day. Some are often unsure where to start. Based on my experience meeting many couples each year and capturing their special days I have put together this wedding planning guide.
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Collect ideas at wedding fairs Wedding fairs are great way to get inspiration from sample wedding albums and viewing dresses, jewellery, shoes, cakes, stationary, flowers and venue decorations. Some suppliers including myself often have promotions for wedding fair visitors. My offers given out always have no expiry date as everyone is in different stages of planning. If you've met me before, mention the fair you attended when enquiring. |
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Choosing a venue The first thing to book is your venue. We are fortunate to have many lovely places in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey. Having a look through examples of weddings at a variety of venues including barns, churches (historic or modern buildings), country houses, golf clubs, town centre hotels, town halls, register offices and village halls will give you ideas to narrow down your search. My personal favourites are those with ponds, lakes or by rivers because of the creativity provided by reflections. |
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Choosing a date Weddings tend to take place all year round these days. Photographically there are benefits for all seasons. In the summer the light will be longer, higher, brighter, and of a warmer colour temperature providing bold and contrasty outdoor colours. In winter you can pop outside briefly for some portraits before and after your ceremony which could include stunning sunsets on a clear crisp day. The bold colours of daffodils and blossom in spring and autumnal leaves are always beautiful. |
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Booking your ceremony If you're having your ceremony at a licensed venue you'll need to book your registrar. I have worked with many registrars in the area on a regular basis including those from Aldershot, Beaconsfield Old Town, Bracknell Forest, Reading, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, and Wokingham. All of them are relaxed about discreet photography during your ceremony these days. |
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Save the date Once the ceremony time is confirmed it is advisable to invite your family and friends to save the date to ensure they can all share your special day. Official invitations are often sent out a few months before. |
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Book your photographer Choosing your photographer should be next on the list once you have your date confirmed to guarantee a qualified, experienced professional of a high standard. If you choose me to capture your special day it doesn't matter if you don't have your ceremony time booked as I'll only attend one wedding a day. For that reason I have made my packages flexible for you to customise as you plan your perfect wedding. Only a £150 deposit is required and will be put towards your choice of coverage with all times and requests confirmed nearer your wedding date. |
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Book your other suppliers There are a variety of suppliers available to help you plan for your perfect day. You'll find a list of those I've met and worked with on my supplier links webpage. Everything from dresses, shoes, jewellery, suits, rings, hair and make-up, flowers, decorations, stationary, cakes, to food and entertainment. |
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Confirm the details and timings All your suppliers including your venue and officiant will advise you of the necessarily meetings you need to attend and details you need to confirm. Rely on their experience to allow your wedding planning to run smoothly. I always arrange to meet with the Bride and Groom at their venue for engagement portraits and a coffee to run through their timings and discuss their requests. |
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Final Preparation Based on my experience capturing many wedding days over the years I have put together a list of helpful tips which can help to make your day run smoothly and add impact to your photographs.
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If you are interested in me capturing your day or have already booked me and would like to find out more details about any of the topics in the wedding planning guide please contact me. |
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Kind Words |
"On Behalf of my wife and I, we would like to thank you for all your hard work yesterday. You personally ensured we captured every set piece photo we wanted along with dozens more of our family and friends enjoying our special day. Quite a few of our guests commented on how approachable you were and at ease with having their photo taken, which quite a few of them are camera shy!"
"Diane was a consummate professional who took wonderful photos at our wedding. She took amazing coverage of the whole day, without ever being intrusive. Thank you so much!"
"My Brother and I recommended Diane to our friend back in 2010 for his Wedding, we have since had Diane capture our family photos on many occasions, all the photos have been amazing!"
"Just wanted to say a big thank you for all the hard work you did at our Wedding. We appreciate everything you did for us and I’m sure they will make wonderful memories. "
"Diane was fantastic. From our first meeting to discuss our requirements, to the engagement shoot and all communication leading up to the wedding was professional, efficient and prompt. We had confidence that Diane could deliver exactly what we wanted. The photos we have received are amazing and the day has been captured beautifully for us to reminisce for years to come. We are absolutely delighted with the way it all turned out."
"Diane did the photography for our wedding. She was professional from start to finish and the photos were great. After the wedding our guests commented how non-intrusive she was and we got lots of natural shots of everyone at their best. Thank you Diane!"
"Diane, thank you for helping to make our wedding day special! Thank you for all your help throughout our preparations and on the day. We really appreciate your friendliness and patience - particularly putting up with our lack of organisation and many questions!"
"Just wanted to say a massive thank you, you were fantastic. Thank you for being a part of our [wedding] day and for all the beautiful pictures you took."
"Thank you for doing our wedding for us. The photos they are amazing and we love them! We could not have had a better person doing the photos for our special day. We can't thank you enough."
"Thank you Diane for the wonderful photos, we felt very comfortable with you on the day and you were always very professional and organised. Thank you again."
"Diane, you were amazing at our wedding yesterday. We really couldn't fault you. It was perfect from start to finish. xx "
"Diane has attended many of our wedding fairs. Her stand is always well presented showing a selection of weddings she has photographed. Being the preferred supplier at several of the venues we work with enables Diane to bring advice and knowledge to a couples celebrations which go beyond the role of 'just' wedding photographer."
"Diane was amazing at our wedding earlier this year. We felt at ease with her from the first meeting and she took so much time to understand the photos we wanted. On the day she was so friendly and professional, and worked so hard! The photos are fantastic and captured every part of the day perfectly. Thank you for everything!"
"Our wedding photos are by far better than we could have ever imagined & that's down to the hard work and professionalism you showed. We will be recommending you to anyone who needs photographs taking! Many thanks again Diane."
"Diane is a brilliant photographer and captured our wedding with all the professionalism but in a very relaxed way. We'll always recommend her to all family and friends when they get married."
"Thank you for making our big day even more special by capturing it for us to remember in the years to come. We have heard praise from friends and family on how professional you were on the day as well as how well the photos have turned out. We felt you got very good coverage of the day whilst remaining discreet throughout."
"Diane is an amazing wedding photographer. She captured our day brilliantly and gave us the most perfect memories to look back over, forever. From our very first meeting of Diane, we knew she was the photographer we wanted for our special day. Diane's photography fitted perfectly with our vision. Every tiny detail that we had worked on was included in our photos and so many great natural shots were captured. Everything went to plan. We couldn't have asked for better."
"Dear Diane, thank you so much for all your hard work, advice and expertise in producing our wedding photography. Best Wishes."
