Firstly, you drop me an email – tell me where and when you’re getting married. Often hotels in particular will try to preach the benefits of having a ‘package’ photographer included and, you know what, that’s absolutely fine if that’s what you want. I get it – it is convenient and often cheaper. However, there are a few things to bear in mind with this. Firstly, you would rarely get to meet the photographer until the day before. When you consider that after the cake has been eaten, the flowers have died, and the chair covers have been ironed for their next wedding outing, the only thing left is what has been captured by your photographer and/or videographer. For that reason, I think it’s pretty important to at the very least be able to have a chat with whoever is creating those memories of your day to make sure a) you like them and are happy to spend the best part of 12 hours with them, and b) you get exactly what you want – is there a guest there who you’d particularly like a photograph with, for example. Or is there something rather special happening during the day that you’d really like documented? Aside from actually getting married, obviously!
Secondly, there is the issue of language barrier. This is a tricky one for me as I don’t feel wholly comfortable bleating on about the good ol’ English language, but I also think it’s a pretty big deal. Sometimes, photographers local to where you’re getting married will have limited English skills save for blunt direction. I believe it’s so important to have a rapport not only with the couple but also your guests that being able to communicate effectively, confidently and sympathetically is absolutely imperative. If you think so too, then that’s another tick for the ‘taking a photographer with you’ box.
Logistics
Once you’ve established that I am free and are aware of my prices/packages, then you simply pay your deposit and you’re good to go. The way I work it is that I take a non-refundable booking fee (£500) out of a set price (£1,795 for Europe; £1,995 for Rest of the World). The deposit allows me to book my travel and accommodation well in advance and take care of all of the logistical side of things. You do not have to worry about Googling travel or finding me an Air BNB or anything like that. I make sure that I book a flight out at least a day before your wedding and I always book accommodation within a reasonable travel distance of your wedding. I also incorporate the costs of travel to/from the UK airport (parking, fuel, etc.) in that price so you simply don’t pay any additional extras.
In the meantime, we meet on UK soil to do a pre-wedding shoot at a location of your choice (free within 100 miles of SA2, 45p a mile return journey extra for anything beyond this.) You don’t have to have the pre-wedding shoot, of course, it’s entirely up to you. We can Skype, FaceTime, meet, etc. as many times as you like in the lead up to your wedding.
30 days before the wedding – as is the case with UK weddings – you pay the remaining balance.
I turn up and photograph your wedding as I would any wedding in the UK with the added bonus of also covering any event the day before your wedding too (e.g. pre-wedding party/dinner, which is also a good opportunity for me to meet any of your guests beforehand too.
So, some other benefits that don’t quite fit as well into a paragraph are:
Travel
I head to the most convenient UK airport with all of the equipment I’d use at a UK wedding (apart from fewer snacks, I suppose)
I arrange all of the travel, parking, and all that shizz. I’m pretty au fait with airport security by now so know exactly what to bring and how best to pack it. When I get to your wedding country, nine out of ten times I will hire a car. I have driven in so many countries throughout the world that it’s pretty second nature for me. Often, you’ll read that some photographers will want transport/taxis sorted – they’re not for me. I far prefer the convenience and ease of driving myself from A to B (and C and D and everywhere in between) – that’s also something I arrange and cover in the overall cost
Accommodation
Similar to the above, I too arrange all of the accommodation (normally around 3 nights for European destinations; longer for further afield.) I use my common sense and book one that's pretty close to where I need to be on the morning of the wedding. You don't have to worry about anything.
So, while this isn't the most exciting piece of writing I've ever done, I hope it helps highlight the logistics of overseas weddings and the benefits of taking a UK-based (hopefully me!) photographer with you.
Now to break it up, here are some of my recent overseas wedding photographs. Enjoy!
So, as ever, drop me an email if you're interested in chatting further [email protected]
]]>Meg and James had a church ceremony before heading to Fairyhill for the reception. The day was honestly the wettest day I have ever, ever experienced in over ten years of photographing weddings but it honestly did not affect the celebrations one bit! Meg and James were true troopers and donned their wellies and umbrellas to head down to the lake in Fairyhill and get some gorgeous shots in the forest.
The next day, we decided to head out to Cefn Bryn for some extra photographs in the morning light - this is something that I offer to all couples who may be concerned about the weather on the day of their wedding and who fancy some 'dry' shots as well as rainy ones.
Congratulations again, both!
Shout outs:
Venue - Fairyhill, Gower
Second Shooter - Angharad Thomas Photography
Videographer - Steve Ratcliffe Films with Karl Partridge seconding
MUA - Jody Amner Make Up Artist
Hair - Hair Kandi
Florist - Ruth Milton Jones
Band - The Hat & Fiddle Band
Dress - Eva Ashley Bridal
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The Ice Hotel is situated in Kiruna, Sweden - a 2-hour flight north of Stockholm. Amazingly, it is rebuilt every winter as in the spring time it melts into the nearby river. The level of effort that goes into creating the hotel and its surrounding buildings is absolutely incredible. The ice church has insanely detailed 'windows' carved deep into the ice blocks; the seats are large blocks of ice with reindeer hide, with the whole place 'cooled' to around minus 6 to ensure that the structure stays.
The morning of the wedding saw Vikki and Anthony get ready in nearby cabins before walking down to the ice church. There were so many challenges to face for me that day - not least photographing in minus 23 outdoor temperatures with no gloves on (!), as well as praying that my equipment was up to the challenge of freezing conditions and limited light. Thankfully, everything went swimmingly and, as well as the gorgeous white and blue hues from the ice church and surrounding snow fields, we were lucky enough to be treated to a beautiful sunset.
Take a look at some of the highlights from the wedding below and, if like Vikki and Anthony, you're tempted to head to colder climes then please do drop me a message! [email protected]
Venue - Ice Hotel Kiruna
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As I chatted to Sarah, I soon learnt more about her and Rich's vision for the day - a unique 1920s approach that included a handmade wedding dress, incredible floral decorations and bouquets, and the best playlist. All the guests were encouraged to reflect the style of the day and this allowed for some perfect candid images. Take a look...
Venue - Great Fosters, Surrey
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Amy and Rhys chose to get married in the gorgeous Cloisters in the centre of Sorrento. I'd never been to Cloisters before but had heard so much about it and it absolutely did not disappoint. Situated in the centre of Sorrento, right on the coastline, it offered the perfect opportunity for photographs around the quaint Italian streets along with spectacular views of Vesuvius across the turquoise waters. Congratulations again, both, and thank you so, so much for choosing me.
Check out some highlights below.
Venue - Cloisters, Sorrento
Wedding Planner - Cheryl at Bella Sposa, Sorrento
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I decided to stay in the same hotel that the wedding was being held - the beautiful Secret Silversands Resort - this meant I had the opportunity to get to know Emma, Simon and all of their guests well in advance of the big day! In the lead-up to the wedding, the weather was pretty touch-and-go, to the point where the wedding the day before had to be held indoors; something we definitely didn't want! Thankfully on the day itself the blue skies returned and the venue came to life - from a gorgeous over-the-water ceremony to mariachi bands on the sand and pretty intense dance offs - Mexico was easily one of my wedding highlights of 2017.
Some highlights below for you to enjoy!
Venue - Secret Silversands Resort, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Second shooter - Angharad Thomas Photography
For more information on overseas wedding photography, click here
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The venue was the beautiful Le Ceil - a venue overlooking the turquoise waters of Santorini's caldera. The day was absolutely beautiful from start to finish, with heartfelt vows, a walk along the cliffs atop Santorini's famous blue topped roofs, INCREDIBLE Greek food and wine and plenty of dancing!
Congratulations again, guys, and thank you for choosing me!
Venue - Le Ceil, Santorini
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It was my first time at Lyde Court and I really, really hope it won't be my last. The place is utterly gorgeous with the most incredible converted barn and backdrops. Surrounded by fields (including a cornfield, woop!) and country lanes, it was the perfect place to photograph and we celebrated well into the night...
Thank you again, Mr and Mrs Poultney! And thank you to the lovely Angharad Thomas Photography for being my second shooter.
Shout outs:
Venue - Lyde Court, Hereford
MUA - Farhana Ali
Second Shooter - Angharad Thomas Photography
Videography - John Mark Films
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I also absolutely love the opportunity to visit new venues, particularly when they're quite different to the ones that I am used to! Devonshire Terrace did not disappoint in this respect - located in the heart of central London, it is an incredible, imposing venue with the most amazing glass roof which means that even in inclement weather, it really does feel like you're outdoors! This was definitely the case with Frankie and Matt's day when - even when the most torrential rain started - everyone still dined, wined and enjoyed the 'outdoors'. It's a pretty special place and I am yet to find another venue similar to it.
The day was so unique from start to finish. I loved having the chance to photograph deep in the city and the backdrop of the local pubs in the streets nearby made for some pretty quirky shots. Anyway, that's enough from me - take a look yourself...
Venue - Devonshire Terrace, London
Music/Drumming - Drumline
It started off with Rebecca and her bridesmaids getting ready at her parents' house in Llansamlet, Swansea. The amazing MUA Farhana Ali was on hand to make everyone look spectacular. I headed there for 3 hours before the ceremony to get all of the details (dress, shoes, flowers, etc.) and document the morning before making my way down Gower to Oldwalls, one of my favourite venues to shoot at.
After the ceremony, Nathan, Rebecca and I headed to Weobley Castle where despite some ongoing restoration work (see below!) we were so lucky to have bright blue skies and pretty much the place to ourselves.
The afternoon was spent mooching around capturing all of the happenings, which is easily my favourite part of a wedding day. I love to just walk around and document what is happening; after all, it's those moments that make your wedding yours.
Guests were treated to Oldwalls' finest three course wedding breakfasts, before a series of heartfelt - and hilarious - speeches. The evening ended with a male v. female dance off (standard) and some spectacular fireworks over the lake. As always, I stayed until the party was at its peak.
Anyway, that's enough from me - check out some highlights below!
Venue - Oldwalls, Gower
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After flying from Seattle to London, I had a few hours to myself before jumping on a plane to Paphos. Despite having been to Paphos a few times before, this was my first time in Coral Bay, which is where Crystal and Dan hired a villa for both their holiday and the wedding reception.
Crystal and Dan's wedding plans were very unique - they were having a secret 'official' ceremony at a private beach in Coral Bay before celebrating with their (oblivious!) family the next day. While guests knew that the afternoon villa ceremony and reception was not legally binding, they assumed that Crystal and Dan would be having an official wedding back in the UK, and not the night before! Under the guise of it being a pre-wedding shoot, I headed off to the private beach where a simple pagoda overlooked the mediterranean sea - the only people there being the Officiant, Crystal, Dan and me!
The next day there was a small ceremony at the villa with an afternoon barbecue reception in the courtyard. The evening saw us all head off to Paphos Harbour in a double decker London bus before going on a private yacht where I was treated to easily one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen.
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I flew into Pisa, a few hours' drive from the gorgeous Casa Della Quercia where Jenny and Iain were both staying and having their ceremony. To date, this is one of the smallest weddings I've photographed, with just over 20 close friends and family guests; the majority of whom were also staying at the wedding villa.
I've been to a lot of places in the world - not just for weddings - but Italy truly has some of the most spectacular landscape I've ever witnessed. The notorious winding Tuscan roads convince you you're heading in completely the wrong direction and when you're right on the verge of turning round and crying at the side of the road, you suddenly happen upon the most quaint, beautiful village that seems to appear out of nowhere. This trip was no different, and despite a rather hairy drive around winding mountain roads (avoiding many a fox, cat and Fiat Punto), I eventually arrived at the gorgeous Fivizzano village a few miles away from the final destination.
On the day of the wedding, the weather was glorious - comfortable mid-twenties temperatures and bright blue skies made for the perfect conditions. Jenny and Iain had a late afternoon ceremony in the courtyard of the villa before going for a walk around the village for some photographs against the backdrop of rustic cottage houses and winding roads. The reception was held a short walk down the road in Spino Fiorito restaurant, where guests dined on seemingly endless food and celebrated until the early hours.
Take a look at some of the images below, and if you've not yet had the chance to go to Tuscany, definitely get there soon!
Shout outs:
Venue - Casa Della Quercia
Evening venue - Spino Fiorito Restaurant
Flowers/flower crown - Sophie and Luna London
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It hadn't stopped raining all week - literally day after day of endless (Welsh!) rain. I spoke to Carys a few days before the wedding and received the ominous (yet exciting!) text advising me to 'bring wellies...'
After a gorgeous ceremony in Lamphey Church, Carys and Dai's 'Cariadfest' was held in a field in Pembrokeshire overlooking the beautiful Carew Castle. The afternoon and evening were spent in a marquee which had been decorated from top to bottom by Carys herself.
Check it out.
Big shout out to the spectacular Angharad Thomas Photography who was my wonderful second shooter for the day.
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The end of October is always meant to be miserable, gloomy, dark and, well, wintry, right? Wrong! Well, if the weather on Morgan and Sam's wedding is anything to go by...
The wedding date was Halloween - 31st October - and I knew from the moment I first spoke to Morgan that the day was going to be very, very different. The ceremony - an early one at 11am - was in Swansea Registry Office, mainly to get the formalities done and dusted before heading to one of my favourite places, Three Cliffs, with none other than Ludo and Poppy - Morgan and Sam's dogs - for some photographs overlooking the beach at a spot that was once voted Britain's Best View.
After that, we hotfooted it to Reynoldston Village Hall where there was a beautiful humanist ceremony complete with handbinding. The venue was decorated amazingly with the majority of things actually made by Morgan and her (incredibly talented!) mum - including over 30 pumpkins!
Anyway, that's enough from me - check it out for yourself and do keep an eye out on the amazing Rock My Wedding blog as it'll be featured on there very soon!
Shout outs:
Venue: Reynoldston Village Hall
Make Up: Farhana Ali
Flowers: Blooming Belles
Band: The Real Goners
Cake: Heavenly Exquisite
Jenny and Stacey have booked me to cover their wedding in Hereford - August 2017. I was then contacted by Jenny a few months back who explained that her and Stacey would be bringing the ceremony (official) part of their wedding forward, unfortunately due to an illness in the family. I was honoured to be invited to be part of the new date (November, 2016), which was such a unique, intimate day with only 14 close family guests.
There was a church ceremony in Port Talbot, South Wales, prior to family photographs at Margam Park, which is easily one of my favourite places to photograph in the area.
We were so lucky with the weather - the days leading up had been pretty inclement and, at best, unpredictable, so we were delighted to be welcomed with bright blue skies which made the autumn colours of the trees so much brighter.
It was such a special afternoon and I cannot wait to catch up with Jenny, Stacey and their lovely families in August.
Shout outs:
Venue - Margam Country Park
Make Up - Farhana Ali
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When I first received an email from Beth saying she and Sam were planning a French wedding in an entire village I couldn't quite believe my luck. The gorgeous Castelnau des Fieumarcon just outside of Toulouse is easily one of the most beautiful locations I have shot at. To call it simply a 'venue' is to do it a disservice as this place simply has to be seen to be believed. Rows of 13th century stone houses surround a village square and huge gateway. The views over the vineyards and countryside are simply breathtaking.
I flew out to Toulouse from Bristol on the day before and was a little concerned about finding my chaperone at the airport - that was, however, until I discovered they were sat right next to me on the plane! We were pretty much friends by the time we landed and had a great drive through the winding French country lanes before arriving at the village.
Castelnau des Fieumarcon allows you to hire out the entire village for days at a time, so Beth and Sam did just that and planned various activities, from a pizza party the night before to an open air cinema the evening after.
Beth's sister was on hand to 'check in' all of the guests and take them to their houses (myself included!)
There was quite a relaxing start to the wedding day, largely as the ceremony was not until 5:30pm (understandable when the temperature was 30 degrees+!) Beth got ready in one of the larger houses and I spent the morning flitting around capturing the buzz of the set up.
The ceremony was held in the large grass area overlooking the countryside below. It was simply decorated with the ceremony including songs sung by Beth's sisters and a rather lovely exit to 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' by Andy Williams.
After the ceremony, Beth, Sam and I went for a walk to the bottom of the main village street. The village is so perfect for photographs, from its cobbled streets, bunting and multicoloured doors to the gorgeous long grass fields at the bottom of winding stone steps. We were absolutely spoilt for choice.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in the gorgeous area at the main gateway to the town. Beth and Sam had decorated it beautifully with string multicoloured lights, wildflower centre displays and banquet style tables overlooking the vineyards. Speeches were held at sunset with the party carrying on until the early hours.
This honestly was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been to, let alone photographed, and I am so grateful for Beth and Sam for inviting me to document it and spend time with their lovely friends and family. Congratulations again, both, and I do hope we get to bump into each other soon!
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Shout outs:
Venue - Castelnau des Fieumarcon
Dress - Rachel Burgess Bridal Boutique
If you are interested in overseas wedding photography then please email me: [email protected] for a chat about your plans!
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Up until 2016, the only place I'd been to in Italy was Venice. I was always desperate to go back and explore more so was so fortunate to have weddings booked for Lake Como and Tuscany earlier in the year. Without a doubt Italy is home to my favourite cuisine, the most incredible landscape and the friendliest people, so when I received an enquiry to cover a wedding in Positano, on the beautiful Amalfi Coast, I was just a tad excited!
Misha and Adam are both from the States, so when I flew out in early November I'd actually never met them and only ever had a few Skype conversations here and there. Because of the distance, etc. we decided to combine the pre-wedding shoot with the wedding, so I went to meet them both the evening before the wedding to have a mooch around Positano and explore the beach.
Positano is a photographer's dream - the beautiful mountain-side town overlooks the famous turquoise Amalfi seas. Despite being November, the days were glorious with gorgeous winter light, spectacularly blue skies and some of the most dramatic evening electrical storms that I had ever witnessed.
The next day, the wedding took place at the spectacular Villa San Giacomo; a beautiful terracotta-coloured villa high up the mountain blessed with the most breathtaking views of the town and coastline below. Both the ceremony and the reception were here and it provided the most intimate, unique setting. The ceremony was held on the lawn with the reception afternoon and evening taking place in the banquet area against the backdrop of the lights of Positano.
Anyway, that's enough from me - take a look at the images below. If you would like to find out more about overseas weddings then please do email: [email protected] and take a look at the overseas weddings section of the website.
Shout outs:
Videography - Marco Caputo Films
Hair and Make Up - Mack Stylist
Venue - Villa San Giacomo
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To begin, Cerys started getting ready at home in Gowerton. It was a busy morning, filled with car-ribbon making, champagne drinking and plenty of croissants. I loved Cerys' attention to detail, such as the lovely different coloured flat shoes for the bridesmaids and the gorgeous personalised hand mirrors.
Meanwhile, the menfolk got ready at Stouthall (the reception venue), which has a quirky range of bunk bedded rooms that made for some great photo' opportunities. The men were joined by my wonderful second shooter for the day, Richard Savage, who captured the morning perfectly, including the rain-sodden sign quest!
After the house, it was off to St John's Church in Gowerton, which was only a few minutes down the road. The church is beautiful and I'd like to give a big shout out to the vicar who was beyond accommodating and even took his own photograph of Cerys and Sam in the vestry!
One of my favourite parts of a wedding is just after the ceremony when all the guests are desperate to congratulate the couple. I love just milling around and capturing this as it happens and even though the weather wasn't playing ball, it really didn't matter.
What followed was possibly my favourite part of the day. I'd spoken to Cerys and Sam about different places we could go for photographs en route to Stouthall, however we all decided to play it by ear and see where we felt like going on the day! This meant that I drove behind Cerys and Sam in their wedding car waiting to find out where they were going to pull over, which was pretty exciting! First stop was Penclawdd overlooking the marsh...
Before heading to the top of Cefn Bryn...
Often people can be concerned about wedding day weather, which is completely understandable, however I can't help but love the dramatic skies and gorgeous lighting that a good ol' drizzly Welsh day gives you. It's always good to have some umbrellas to hand for dashing in and out of the car, but a bit of rain never hurt anyone (and certainly doesn't affect my equipment!)
It was then off to Stouthall - an 18th century mansion in Reynoldston which also has the most gorgeous teepees in its grounds.
By this point, the sun had started coming out and it really was like an entirely different day.
Sam had told me that he had a surprise for Cerys that he was going to give to her in the bridal suite, so I duly followed them upstairs to see what he had in store and, as well as a massive cardboard cut out of Harry Potter (!), Sam had secretly arranged their mini-moon; a trip to Barcelona!
The rest of the afternoon was spent doing a mixture of group shots and capturing the laughter of friends and family in the gorgeous surroundings of Stouthall.
Before a group photograph inside the gorgeous main hall and some confetti on the steps...
What I particularly loved about Cerys and Sam's day was all the personalised, home-made details and contributions from friends and family. The teepee was decorated beautifully with all of the tables reflecting Cerys and Sam's favourite places; the library was adorned with polaroid pictures captured on the day; there was a fingerprint tree canvas; memories of American vacations throughout all of the different rooms; and - my personal favourite - The Great Wedding Bake Off, where friends all contributed to the dessert table by making a cake (or cakes!) that were shared after the wedding breakfast.
I spent the rest of the evening capturing the incredible speeches held in the teepee, including a rather impromptu decorating of the groom!
And after a few more pictures of the new Mr and Mrs and Mrs Collier as the sun was setting, the only thing left was to capture the guests as they partied into the early hours.
Thank you again, Cerys and Sam, for letting me and Rich capture your day. Wishing you every ounce of happiness for the future.
Pippa x
Mentions:
Richard Savage Photography - my wonderful second shooter (and friend), Rich, - do check out his website if you're looking for a Swansea wedding photographer and don't want me, hah. We also work together to cover both bride(s) and groom(s) getting ready if you want us as an inimitable double-act.
Carreg Adventure - the awesome Stouthall venue
St John's Church - the ceremony venue in Gowerton, Swansea
The Villagers - the band that facilitated the dancing!
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