Apologies that I’m a little behind on posting recent weddings – there’s a bit of a waiting list forming but I promise to get there in the end!!

Katie & Saj’s wedding was just gorgeous and I’ve really struggled to pick out a shortlist of favourites.  They got married at St Margaret’s church in Horsforth, Leeds and then traveled onto Hazlewood Castle near Tadcaster for their reception.  Saj’s family are from Sri Lanka so a 2nd ceremony was organised for later in the afternoon – a Poruwa Ceremony – a Sri Lankan Wedding Blessing.  This was held outdoors under the blossom trees and it was an absolute pleasure to photograph.  Images and some more info to follow below.  Katie and her fab team of bridesmaids all had dresses handmade by the very talented Debbie at Paradise Grove in Horsforth and the attention to detail through the day was fab.  Enjoy !!

So – a little bit more about the Poruwa Siritha – the Sri Lankan blessing.  The ceremony has existed since the 3rd Century BC and is a blend of social and cultural elements.  The Poruwa is actually the canopied structure on which the ceremony takes place.   A key part of the ceremony is when the bride’s father places the right hand of the bride onto the right hand of the groom as symbolic gesture of handing over his daughter to the groom.  Their fingers are then tied together and blessed water is poured over them to symbolise unity.  The couple are also serenaded by relatives who sing to wish them a happy and prosperous future.   Seven Betal leaves are placed on the Poruwa by the couple to bring them blessings from seven generations of relatives in each of their families.  Once they step down from the Poruwa the first act as husband and wife is to light the brass lamp with is traditionally associated with auspicious events.  Oh – and I mustn’t forget the amazing family processions led by drummers and Katie’s stunning Sari….

Had a fantastic time on Tuesday night at a Forward Ladies event at Bibis Italianissimo Restaurant in Leeds.  It was a v.glam affair with a Sex in the City theme – check out those fab Dawn Stretton dresses!  Guests enjoyed Cosmo cocktails, music, goody bags, jewellery and shoe shopping and some very yummy food.  The evening was in aid of Radio Aire’s Cash for Kids Charity and there was an amazing raffle with girly prizes galore.  As well as get to know the very lovely hospitality manager at Bibis Mandy Barwick (aka Carrie Bradshaw!) it was really good to catch up with some fellow wedding suppliers including Fiona from Firenza Floral Design, Laurra from One Life Ceremonies, Kelly from Boho Weddings, Nikki from I Do Designer Weddings and Christine from Horticouture Flowers – phew – quite an impressive turn out!

Miranda, Carrie, Samantha & Charlotte !

Beautiful flowers by Firenza Floral Design

Spring had most definitely sprung for Clare & Pete’s lovely wedding day at The Red Lion in Burnsall.  In fact compared to recent days it actually felt like summer and Burnsall was packed with families enjoying the sun – I’ve even included evidence of BBQ’s by the river to prove how good it was!  There were lots of lovely Spring touches to the day including seasonal flowers and daffodil themed table stationary (from Cherry Gorgeous).  I absolutely loved Clare’s dress – so individual and it suited her beautifully.  I’m finding it harder and harder to edit out my favourites from weddings so apologies that there are a few to enjoy !

Enjoyed another lovely newborn baby portrait session last week.  Matilda was very very sleepy and although there were glimmers of her awakening she was very happy just chilling out!  This led to some very cute shots and some amazing facial expressions.

Matilda’s Mum was really chuffed with the images and sent a lovely e-mail after viewing them – “I LOVE them – you are very clever! Even though she is still so new to the world you have managed to capture her personality. I will never be able to choose!”

At home newborn sessions are so fantastic – there’s no pressure on time and I love the challenge of using available light and backgrounds in the home environment.  To view some more baby portfolio images please do drop by my website gallery – PORTRAIT PORTFOLIO

My very favourite wedding stationery company Cherry Gorgeous recently asked me to write a few words of advice to help couples find their perfect wedding photographer.  I really enjoyed the challenge as it made me really think about the process my clients go through before deciding I’m the one for them and some of the dilemmas they can encounter on the way.  As the article describes, there are three main different schools of wedding photography – traditional, contemporary and documentary, so as well as making decisions on your photography style there are then countless other choices to make along the way including location, gender and personality of your photographer as well as album and display options.

I hope you find a few words of wisdom in there – I did try to keep it short but found once I started I couldn’t stop!!

HOW TO FIND YOUR PERFECT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

If you haven’t come across Cherry Gorgeous before I thorougly recommend a visit to their website – it’s packed full to the rafters of good wedding planning tips as well of course showcasing their lovely stationery products.  Everything they offer made with the environment in mind which is fab and fits perfectly with my own green ethos.

I can’t believe how quickly the weeks are flying by at the moment and that it’s already time for The Wedding Affair’s Wedding Show at Gray’s Court in York this Sunday 25th April.  The day runs from 11-4 and admission is free.  Gray’s Court is a fantastic new venue on the wedding scene in York and is in such an amazing location adjacent to The Minster.  I’ll be showcasing some of my favourite wedding albums and on hand throughout the day to help with any photography planning questions.  I’ll also be exhibiting a small selection of lovely vintage china from The Vintage China Cupboard which offers antique china and prop hire across Yorkshire.

Hope to see you there!

x

Had a fantastic time with Katie & Aidan on Easter Saturday for their pre-wedding shoot.  As they both live in London but are coming home to good old Yorkshire to tie the knot we agreed on the very lovely Brimham Rocks which is situated near Harrogate as a location.  I loved the contrast of the rugged rocks against Katie & Aidan’s very funky outfits – love love love the polka dot dress !!

As well as spend a bit of time in front of the camera in preparation for the big day, Katie & Aidan were also keen to capture an image to use for their wedding invitations.  We were so so lucky with the weather and although wellies and umbrellas were needed from time to time we were rewarded with some stunning light to work with.  Other hazards included Easter egg hunters as it was full on Easter Action across the park!

Katie & Aidan’s big day is in September and I can’t wait – it’s going to be a lovely marquee reception with tons of personal touches.  I’m also looking forward to meeting Aidan’s sister – the very talented Sinead Jenkins who lives in New Zealand.  I’m very honoured that Sinead has trusted her little bro’s big day to me!  I’m going to have the same issue next September when my brother-in-law will be tieing the knot – it’ll be really hard to not have camera in hand but sometimes the experience of being there and taking part is just all too important….

The final choice for the invitation!…..

Wanted to share a handful of my favourite images from a recent newborn baby portrait shoot with the very very cute Charlie….   He was a star with the camera!  I absolutely love at home shoots – beautiful natural light and the ability to just shadow everyday routines and capture gorgeous moments.

Really chuffed that the brilliant Rock my Wedding blog has just posted one of my favourite weddings from last year taking a fab angle on all things eco.  Lizzie & Matt tied the knot in Hull last year and bought tons of personal and eco friendly touches to their lovely day.  You can read lots more about their wedding on the post and of course enjoy some of my favourite images:

Natural L.O.V.E

I was delighted to be asked back by Ros Raine, Fundraising Manager for Radio Aire’s Cash for Kids Charity to photograph their annual charity golf day at the very beautiful Oulton Hall in Leeds.  We weren’t quite as lucky with the weather as last year (I can remember boiling sunshine, sunglasses and drinks on the terrace!!) but it was still a fantastic day that raised tons of cash (£4050 and counting!) for the charity.  Lots of Yorkshire businesses got involved including a team entry by Emmerdale – action shots of Tom Lister who plays Carl King & Chris Bisson who plays Jai Sharma below…

Just in case you haven’t come across the charity before it raises funds to benefit sick, disabled or underprivileged children in West Yorkshire.  Key campaigns are the Toy Appeal at Christmas and Ros and the team are currently raising funds for The Leeds Children’s Hospital.  Ros is also looking for runners for the Leeds 1/2 Marathon in May and there are other challenges to follow including The Three Peaks (eek!) – do get in touch via the Radio Aire website if you want to get involved.