Gate Street Barn Bramley Surrey Wedding Photography - Kate and Jack: Surrey Wedding Photographers

Good Afternoon Folks,

On a cold, crisp morning where one could see one's breath and the skies were a vibrant blue, it was off to Gate Street Barn Bramley Surrey to meet Kate and Jack for their pre-wedding shoot.

We all had an early start as this venue is chocca block with bookings right through the winter season.  I was not disappointed as this venue has many beautiful features inside with lots of lovely scenery outside if the weather behaves itself on the day.  No matter because we will have fun whatever it decides to do.

I do love wandering around the venues with my Brides and Grooms because it gives me the chance to have a good chat about their photography, and it is often at these shoots where the seeds of some of my more avant garde shots are born!

Today I am posting five images; the first is a shot I always love, just wandering through our British lanes, the next two are portraits of Kate and Jack and I love these as they are really starting to relax in front of the camera.  Kate's parents also popped along for the shoot as they wanted to see the venue again, and yes I insisted they be in a shot ahead of the day.  Last but not least a moment looking at the wonderful countryside and I just love the richness of this image that is a combination of vibrancy in the sky, a winter landscape with a magical winter light.

I am nearly ready for Christmas, which probably explains the infrequency of my blog posts!  This time of year also has lots of deadlines within the business so I have been making sure that all those Christmas orders will be here in readiness for the big day.

Enjoy the last few days before eating, drinking and being generally merry...hick!

Claire :)

If you would like to see more of my work pop along to my website Woodland Hill Photography

Cliveden House, Berkshire - Annabel and Matthew: Berkshire and Surrey Wedding Photographers

Good Evening Folks,

Twice in one day; that's it for this week, I promise!

I had a lovely day with Annabel and Matthew and the weather was very kind to us for their wedding.  The day started off with Matthew to capture a few images then it was a quick hop and a skip up the road to Annabel's parents to capture some lovely moments before leaving to be married.  Weybridge Registry office is a lovely building and the marriage room had very nice decor and great light.  We then headed back for champers and fun at Annabel and Matthew's home before going to Cliveden House, Taplow, Berkshire where the reception continued.  This was a beautiful and intimate wedding, and was enjoyed by all.

I am posting four images today.  The first is of Annabel just having a moment before leaving, the next shot is of Annabel in magnificent Christian Louboutin heels; when Annabel said she was wearing killer heels she meant it!  I have used a very subtle selective colour for this shot; I wanted a black and white image, but when one is wearing Louboutin darling we have to show the red!  This is followed by Matthew in that fabulous bedroom     The final image is one from the amazing Cliveden House, when you reach the fountain and take the left turn that sight is awe inspiring.  I love this image with the arches and subtle light highlighting a shared moment alone together.

Have a fab weekend folks; no weddings for me this week but I do have client viewings, some clients for a wedding in 2103 and the studio; just enough to keep me out of trouble....or is it?!

Claire

Cliveden House, Berkshire - Annabel and Matthew: Surrey Wedding Photographers

Good Afternoon,

I recently met up with Matthew and Annabel to chat through the plans for their intimate wedding and it all sounds just lovely.  Part of their reception is going to be in their house and then we will be making our way to Cliveden House, Taplow, Berkshire to capture some imagery in this magnificent venue.

We had great fun around the house and gardens and I think I am being quite spoiled as you can see from the imagery I am posting today.  The first is of Annabel is their bedroom with a lovely bit of window light, the second is of Matthew by their front door; the house has just been completed and I think I can just make out a look of satisfaction and excitement in anticipation of the many happy years they have ahead of them.  The third image was taken in the grounds and last but not at all least their amazing bedroom.  This is truly a space that will make your jaw drop and I have all sorts of plans for imagery in there on the big day, it really is a photographer's dream!

Have a great week everyone, I am just loving this weather; the air smells lovely, all the windows have been thrown open and isn't it just great to be in short sleeves at along last.

Claire

Surrey Wedding Photographers - Dawn and Michael: Surrey Hills Hotel Dorking

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I recently photographed the wedding of Dawn and Michael, we started the wedding photography in Leatherhead, Surrey and then it was on to St Mary & St Nicholas Church in Leatherhead, Surrey for a really lovely service.

Their son Joshua had a really important job on the day as the ring bearer and he was responsible for the official handover of the rings to the vicar, which I might add, he did superbly.  Remi, Chloe and Olivia; Dawn and Michael's three girls were bridesmaids along with Dawn's Sister and Michael's Sister; so Dawn had plenty of moral support as she made her way up the aisle to marry Michael.

 After the service it was off to the Surrey Hills Hotel, Dorking, Surrey for a party.  As Dawn and Michael have four of their own children they wanted the reception to be lots of fun for all the children attending so they opted for a less formal approach to ensure everyone was happy.  I was mightily impressed with the sweet table and sneaked a few sweeties (with permission) and I cannot remember the last time I had parma violets...yummy!

I have posted three images of Dawn and Michael today, one tender moment, one of them sitting on the wall (one of the reasons that attracted them to the hotel) and another of Dawn looking gorgeous on the stairs.

The sun was shining on them both that day, as it was for this Saturday's wedding.  Have a great week everyone and if the weatherman is to be believed we might be having a sneak peek at summer!  Thinking I might hold off on that car/boat part exchange I was considering last week!!

Claire

Painshill Park Wedding Photography Cobham Surrey - Katie and Tim: Surrey Wedding Photographers

Good Morning Everyone,

I recently had a fun pre-wedding shoot with Katie, Tim and their beautiful children Charlie and Ellie.  We brought the time of the  shoot forward as this weather has been so changeable of late we rather wanted to be able to explore the grounds if we could.  As it turned out the day was balmy!


Painshill Park is the most gorgeous venue and the grounds seem to go on forever.  In order for us to make the most of everything it has to offer we have a golf buggy to drive us around more quickly on the day.  If we do have some of our great British weather then the purpose bilt marquee will definitely not disappoint!

I have posted four images today to show the variety that this venue has to offer.  I just love the symmetry on the bridge and have some drama planned on there for Katie on the big day.  I have also posted one of Ellie.  I am going to introduce you all to Charlie when I post some images of the wedding day, it is always nice to keep something back!

Have a great day all and my life seems to be ruled by when I can get the washing out during the brief respite in the weather.  I really must try and get some sort of life!!!!

Looking forward to catching up with you all later in the week.

Claire

Surrey Hills Hotel, Dorking, Surrey - Dawn and Michael: Surrey Wedding Photographers

Good Evening Folks,

I had a great pre-wedding shoot with Dawn, Michael and their lovely family at the Surrey Hills Hotel, Dorking. We were very lucky with the weather and managed to have some fun both inside and out.

Dawn was very nervous at first but we soon had her laughing and Michael needed to have his smile eeked out, but again once he relaxed it was as though he had been a model in a past life!

The children are just adorable; Joshua was a very able assistant and was holding my lights for me. He wants to help me out on the day and I think he will make a brilliant second assistant. His Dad reminded him of the all important ring bearer duties that he has to perform first, so make sure you listen to Dad Joshua as I don't want to get into trouble!!

I hope you are all having a brilliant weekend and if you are out and about tonight have loads of fun.

It has been a busy time for me, which is why I am still working on a Saturday night but I think I will treat myself to a nice cup of tea now.... I know how to live on the wild side!

Claire

Nutfield Priory, Redhill, Surrey - Jan and Alan: Surrey Wedding Photographers

Good Afternoon Folks,

I recently photographed the Surrey wedding of Jan and Alan at the gorgeous Nutfield Priory in Redhill, Surrey. The day was just beautiful and it was a pleasure to photograph. Jan and Alan looked so happy together and in love, I am a silly old fool, it always brings a tear to my eye as it is so lovely to see. The wedding was a mixture of vintage and boutique and was beauifully put together; Jan and Alan you have exceptional taste. Once the wedding breakfast was over there was some mingling then the Bride and Groom departed in a rare vintage continental phantom Rolls Royce to Gravetye Manor in East Grinstead, West Sussex, and we finished the day with a smidgen of West Sussex Wedding Photography!

I have chosen three images to post, one from Gravetye Manor, one from Nutfield Priory and this brilliant cake topper that I just loved.

I hope you enjoy the images and I am looking forward to our viewing session next week when we sit down to see the whole collection together; I love that bit :)

Have a great weekend folks.

Claire

No10 Bridal Launch Party

Good Afternoon Folks,

Well here we are at the end of another week and I have loved being able to smell the freshly cut grass.

On Wednesday I attended the No10 launch party with the amazing Emma Tindley. The boutique is arranged over three floors and is beautifully presented. We walked into the ground floor reception area to be greeted with pink champagne and it was then up to the middle floor to see the dresses on show. No 10 are the latest stockists of Emma's collection and it was really good to see them in their new environment. No10 had showcased one of Emma's blush pink designs too.

The third floor was amazing; it had a candy bar! Oh dear what a thing to put in front of me! Apart from being a mecca for sweet lovers on the night, the third floor is dedicated to the bride. It is her area to try on dresses with sumptuous furnishings for her guests to sit on whilst they wait for the grand unveiling.

There were beautiful canapes on offer, lots of wonderful champagne but it that wasn't enough we were all given a goody bag and a posy of flowers beautifully arranged by Evelyn Cole Flowers.

I had a lovely chat with the most wonderful fudge maker and you really must give her fudge a try, it is sublime. Liz, you are really talented so pop along and see her website Mummy makes Fudge.

I am still eating sweeties and marvelling at the goodies we were given; how lucky am I.

So this weekend sees me at both The Spa Hotel Wedding Fayre and Lansdowne Place Wedding Fayre. I will be on the stand at The Spa and my lovely assistant Lorraine will be at Lansdowne Place. Both are amazing venues and if you want a wedding in beautiful surroundings you cannot go wrong with these venues that have fantastic coordinators; Ula at The Spa and Jo at the Lansdowne. I love popping in to Brighton to have a Choccywoccydodah with Jo from Elegant Stationery and Jo from the Lansdowne....yummy :)

Have a great weekend all.

Claire

Jan and Alan - Nutfield Priory, Redhill, Surrey: Surrey Wedding Photography

Good Morning All,

Well it's official my wedding season has started with the first pre-wedding shoot of the year! Jan and Alan are having a boutique wedding the beautiful setting of Nutfield Priory in Surrey. This venue has some amazing windows, which I am hoping to use on the day. As you can see from the imagery it was crisp to say the least, but proved to be a very beautiful backdrop for the imagery.

Jan was very nervous to begin with and this is not uncommon for for a lot of couples at the thought of being the photographed and the centre of attention at their wedding. This is one of the reasons why a pre-wedding shoot is an important part of the photographic coverage for me. It was not long before we were all giggling and laughing like naughty school children and I think the last shot says it all. I now know that Jan will be much more relaxed as she marries the man of her dreams; as for Alan he was great and so relaxed from the off, and I think they make a splendid couple.

I am really looking forward to capturing the story of your wedding, and to see all the plans you have been making come to life on the big day.

I think is due to warm up a little this week folks and for all you secret valentines out there, have a wonderful day tomorrow.

Claire

Jane and Nick, Copthorne Gatwick Hotel, Copthorne, West Sussex: West Sussex Wedding Photographers

Good Morning,

Recently I photographed the wedding of Jane and Nick. We started off at the most gorgeous St Bartholomew's Church in Burstow then the fun ensued at the Copthorne Hotel London Gatwick. We had loads of fun on the day and I was laughing so much my sides began to ache! Nick has a close group of friends who really looked after them both on the day, so thank you lads for all your help. I have chosen two images of Nick and Jane for this post, but the third one was with the lads. I saw this location and immediately thought of Star Trek, so we did a 'beam me up Scotty' inspired shot; much to the amusement of people walking by! You really do not want to know where we went next but the looks got even stranger; ahhh happy days!

I hope you are all having a productive week, I have been busy editing, designing albums and yesterday I had a great test shoot for a commission coming up in Spring 2012.

Live long and prosper :)

Claire

Another lovely Album!: West Sussex Wedding Photographers

Good Morning,

Wow, what amazing weather we are having, and I am particularly excited as I am having two whole days off this weekend!

I thought I would post another album image today; this album is a very simple, elegant design and I really like the metal engraving with the Bride and Groom's names.

The whole experience surrounding these albums is just lovely, they come in beautiful boxes and they are contained in fabric bags, just what you would expect when buying something exclusive. It is the album equivalent of Jimmy Choo's!!

Have a great day and I think we should all meander in the sun eating ice cream!

Claire

Jane and Nick, Copthorne Gatwick Hotel, Copthorne, West Sussex

Good Morning,

I hope you all had a brilliant weekend; I had a great time in the studio on Saturday and tried out something completely new so looking forward to editing that session! It was great to meet potential wedding clients and chat about the plans they have for their special day and then to have a wedding viewing to reminisce about how lovely their day was. It is always pleasing when they say "wow I forgot about that, ooh is that what happened before I arrived".

Recently I had a great pre-wedding session with Jane and Nick at the Copthorne Gatwick Hotel. This is another venue with some beautiful grounds to stroll around, we have so many in area I do feel a little spoilt. Their young son Harry had a brilliant time running around and it made for some funny moments during the shoot.

Looking forward to seeing you soon and yes Harry I will try and bring some chocolate rolls!

Have a great week,

Claire

Nicola and Chris Yew Lodge East Grinstead West Sussex: West Sussex Location Photographer

Good Morning,

Happy and a slightly less windy Tuesday everyone.

I recently photographed the wedding of Nicola and Chris and we were so lucky with the weather just the odd shower here and there. The day started off at the Selsdon Park Hotel a most magnificent building and Nicola organises many events for them so she had the run of one of their wonderful suites. The next step was the most gorgeous St Mary's Church in Farleigh tucked away down a beautiful lane and surrounded by fields and inside it twinkled delightfully with lots of candles. Next stop was the wonderful Yew Lodge in East Grinstead and this venue never fails to delight with its many photographic opportunities; I am sure was a feast for Chris' eyes as he is a landscape gardener (and a very good one too).

It was a lovely day and I really enjoyed photographing you all, Nicola wanted lots of Bride and Groom portraiture and it was such a joy, and I even think Chris enjoyed it a bit too!

Looking forward to seeing you soon you two.

Claire