The weather!
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Hello. I know I havn’t said anything for awhile, but that’s because I have been so busy taking pictures.
Most of the time I capture the day candidly but the bride and groom are seldom on their own during the day so I always ask my couples if they are happy to be whisked away for a short time to capture a few natural shots. It’s time for moment of calm, to talk about the ceremony and morning preparations whilst I stay in the background with my big lens! (Canon 70 – 200 IS USM for any of you Techies out there) We have walked around the venue at our previous visit and discussed suitable locations and my couples have told me all their favourite spots, so I casually walk them around a suitable route on the day. We have also already spoken abit about different poses, so it is rare that I need to say much at this time. So everything prepared. The only thing we don’t know about until the day is the weather.
Today I thought I’d sat alittle bit about the weather and weddings!
Most of the time I capture the day candidly but the bride and groom are seldom on their own during the day so I always ask my couples if they are happy to be whisked away for a short time to capture a few natural shots. It’s time for moment of calm, to talk about the ceremony and morning preparations whilst I stay in the background with my big lens! (Canon 70 – 200 IS USM for any of you Techies out there) We have walked around the venue at our previous visit and discussed suitable locations and my couples have told me all their favourite spots, so I casually walk them around a suitable route on the day. We have also already spoken abit about different poses, so it is rare that I need to say much at this time. So everything prepared. The only thing we don’t know about until the day is the weather.I am always game for taking photos in light rain, I think umbrellas look amazing in photos (Always ready to work on removing the advertising logos from assorted brollies that the guests had brought), but I appreciate that for my bride especially, walking around in less than perfect weather may not be desirable, length of wedding dress and height of shoes are of course all factors that have to be considered as well how wet they are prepared to get to have some photos by their favourite tree, or bridge or walking through woodland. So I always have a plan B and look for suitable locations indoors.
Looking out of my window today at the gorgeous sunshine and bright yellow daffodils, it seems like Christmas was such a long time ago. Infact winter seemed to come and go so quickly and I don’t remember it being too glum, or is that just my selective memory. No, don’t think so, probably because I have photographed some amazing weddings over the past few weeks.
Georgeous Christmas wedding at Fanhams Hall. Such a wonderful day despite the rain. Moving ceremony, lovely guests, stunning bride and groom so much in love…. and Christmas, what more could you want.
Lovely and warm and festive inside. Not so geat outside, but still managed to take some pictures.
When I took this one it was pouring with rain and dark.
This is what it really looked like!
There is often a doorway or archway where the bide and groom can shelter whilst I stand in the rain.
It doesn’t matter if I get wet.
A good photographer should be ready for all types of weather.
I have a brolley fro the bride and groom, something waterproof to put on seats or benches for my couples to sit on and wellies! I also bring raincoats for my cameras. ( I have one for me but it usually stays in the car- no time to put it on.) Photographers who take more posed photographs will also have lights. Because of the way I work, spontaneous, fast, capturing the moment I don’t have much time for setting up much equipment and so prefer to rely on my wonderful Canon 5D camera and an array of lenses that will let me work quickly in low light. (Although I do have a waterproof light with me if necessary).
Then came February.
I was ready. Car full of winter equipment. Extra waterproofs, extra brollies, extra wellies. Clothes to dry equipment and my ladder. I even had gloves to stop my hands from freezing solid (although I find it very difficult to take pictures with gloves on, so they often stay in my pockets and my hands turn blue.) I had met with all my couples at their venues and we had discussed how bad it needed to be before we abandoned photos outside. At South Farm they have a stunning lounge and hallway with fireplace, so plan B would be no problem.
Well the sun shone. It was too bright infact. Too much sun and you can get nasty shadows and everyone is squinting. Photographers are a fussy lot.
The lovely South Farm near Royston in Hertfordshire http://www.south-farm.co.uk/ looked beautiful with the crocuses in bloom and Hannah and Richard and their guests had drinks in the farm yard.
Even the white Peacock was on top form.
Tewin Bury Farm was just as lovely. Outside again for champagne reception, then inside for casino.
And the barn looked gorgeous decorated with beautiful flowers by The Secret Garden. http://www.thesecretgdn.co.uk/
Onto March.
Surely this weather can’t hold. Packed the car again with all things weather proof.
Hitchin Priory was a little cold. It didn’t rain, but Paula turned blue.
So after a couple of minutes we went inside.
Paula and Stuart had said that they loved this corridor. Perfect.
I was so happy when Kath and Kav booked me to photograph their day at the Grims Dyke. http://www.grimsdyke.com/. I had never shot a wedding there before and my husband and I had our own wedding reception there (many years ago) so I was really looking forward to going back.
Very grey day and very cold. Only one group shot was required of everyone, which we managed to take before guests decided to go inside. But Kath was determined to have some pictures outside. We needed to speed things up abit so a piggy back was in order!
It didn’t dampen their spirits at all.
Back at Tewin Bury at th end of March and the sun shone again for Nicola and Robin so that they could have their ceremony outside. Glorious.
Beautiful March weddings.
And another ceremony outside at Theobalds Park.
On my own wedding day I had planned photos amongst the bluebells. (Always a bad idea to have an image already inside your head). It was the middle of May. The sun would be shining and we’d have drinks on the lawn. No it was grey skies and pouring with rain. Silly me. But I vividly remember being determined to have photos in the garden. Out came the big golf umbrellies and off we went. A few group shots were taken- and some of my husband and I on our own. (That’s all that really happened back then). When we returned to the lounge for the champagne reception (where most of our guests had sensibly stayed all the time) I was soaked through. My dress had a huge bow on the back. I mean enormous… and it was dripping wet. One of my lasting memories from my wedding day is of my Auntie Sylv (No longer with us, miss her terribly) propping me up in front of the hand dryer in the toilets drying my bottom!
My favourite picture from the day… My husband and I standing on the steps in the garden at the Grims Dyke under a huge coloured umbrella behind the tulips, in the pouring rain, laughing.
Conclusion. The important thing is that you are marrying the person you love and celebrating this fact with all your family and friends. Don’t worry about the weather on your wedding day. Don’t even think about it. It’s the one thing you can’t book. Let your photographer know (or if he or she is good they will ask you beforehand) whether you want to try for shots in the rain, snow, sleet etc or not.
Book a winter or early spring wedding, they are wonderful and you will have no expectations about the weather. Some of the worst weather I have experienced at weddings has been in July. (My apologies to all my July Brides and Grooms, I’m sure it will be lovely this year!)
Your photographer should always have a plan B if outside needs to be abandoned and lots of suitable equipment both technical and waterproofing devices to cope with all eventualities. Let your photographer worry about the weather so that you can get on with enjoying your day and all that it brings you. Karen.
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