To kick start this plan I’ve now put up a new Gallery page showing some of my wedding work. This shows weddings in some of the many venues I’ve worked in including Alexander House, Buxted Park, Pelham House and many more.

Mark and Mandi got married in early July at the lovely Barnsgate Manor in East Sussex, with Mandi getting ready at the Ashdown Park Hotel.

The wedding was huge fun from start to finish with a very close knit atmosphere, such that the toastmaster commented it was one of the happiest and most enjoyable weddings he’d ever officiated at.

I started the photography with Mandi getting ready, before following the bridesmaids to Barnsgate Manor for the ceremony and reception. After a succession of great speeches a fantastic band that had come down from Wales for the night played the first dance and set up what was undoubtedly a fantastic night. A few photos below, after a testimonial from Mark and Mandi that might just be one of my favourites ever!

While we were on our honeymoon we both obviously discussed the events of the wedding day and we were sad that it was now over. We were so impressed with how you had helped out on the day and how polite and patient you were with all of the guests, but we couldn’t remember you taking that many photos apart from the organised formal photographs. As previously discussed, we were hoping to get random spur of the moment photos which reflected the spirit of the occasion and we were slightly disappointed that you hadn’t taken that many.

However, upon viewing the photographs, we were absolutely dumbfounded at how much you had caught and the quality of all photos taken. You literally didn’t miss a thing. As stated previously we can’t remember you taking that many, but somehow you caught everything and obviously didn’t make your presence felt and were certainly unobtrusive.

The formal photographs are outstanding. How you managed to round up 100 people without once raising your voice or being rude remains a mystery. Mandi’s father Neal echoed this pont, as well as mentioning your patience when taking photos during the period prior to the wedding when Mandi and her family and friends were getting ready.

We can only again thank you for everything that you did on the day. You also assisted with a lot of tasks which didn’t form part of your remit and helped me personally on
many occasions. The evening shots are also excellent and it was a great
suggestion as the photos were incredible but, as you advised, this gave us a
minutes peace together away from the crowd.

Many thanks again for capturing every aspect of the entire day with absolutely top quality
photographs.

All the very best for the future.

Mandi & Mark

I like it because it was taken in a split-second with no pre-planning and turned out to be one of the favourites of the bride and the groom. It’s in my book I show prospective clients and always proves to be popular. It’s something I find time and again, that however many formal, posed shots a couple requests it is almost always these moments they prefer.

A quiet moment

I chose this photo for several reasons: I like it as a photograph of a bride, and I like it both standalone and in the sequence of photographs that surround it which show a lot of the emotions that surround bridal preparation – the happiness, the contemplation, the excitement and the anticipation. I think it also shows how as a photographer being unobtrusive and allowing events to unfold rather than directing events leads to an honesty and accuracy in telling the story of the day that wouldn’t be possible any other way.

James and Amanda’s wedding was an amazing day for two lovely people – you can read more about it and see more of their photographs here.

Their preshoot at Greenwich Park had been very enjoyable and a real opportunity to get to know them better, and I knew the day would be full of their personal touches and great fun for all. Starting the day with photographs of Hannah getting ready this was immediately apparent – the bridesmaids, Hannah herself, the make-up and hair ladies…everyone there very relaxed and having a great time.

Then I met up with Rob, the best men and ushers for the walk from their hotel to the church. The ceremony was lovely, the church stunning, then it was out into the sun for the drive in a vintage Rolls Royce to Highley Manor, a venue that really does go out of its way to make the couple feel special.

The guests enjoyed the gardens while we did the formal group photographs then it was inside for a fantastic meal, some hilarious speeches and a great first dance. The whole day had an atmosphere of real happiness and it’s obvious that Hannah and Rob have found their soulmates in each other and that their guests were all proud to know them.

A few of their photographs are in the gallery below. Hannah was kind enough to write the following to me after:

“You were the perfect mix of being available when we wanted you to be and blending in the rest of the time – there are a lot of shots of us that I had no idea you were taking!  I think this enabled you to really capture the atmosphere of the day in your shots, which is really important to us.

I was really grateful for your calm presence in the morning when I was getting ready and for telling me that I looked nice, along with the fact that you congratulated us when we left the church, this added a really nice personal touch.  From the moment we saw your website we knew you were a fantastic photographer, and the preshoot and wedding photos didn’t fall short of our expectations.

We are very happy that we chose you as our photographer… from the contact we had from you, the flexibility and enthusiasm, the organisation which meant that we knew we
didn’t have to worry about anything on the day, the opportunity for a preshoot to get to know you which gave us so really lovely shots of us in one of our favourite places, to your commitment on the day staying until a lot later than expected, and of course the photos themselves – we couldn’t have asked for any more and are very grateful for the part you played in our special day.

Thank you for capturing so beautifully so many moments for us to keep forever.”

Bride entering St Etheldreda's Church, London

Catherine and Steve’s ceremony was early evening the week before Christmas, a really special, romantic and personal winter wedding. Everything about it spoke of their personalities and there is a great deal from the day that sticks with me.

With the ceremony starting long after it was dark there were of course photographic challenges but winter weddings being something I particularly enjoy and in some respects specialise in they are the kind of challenges I look forward to. One of the biggest challenges however was the weather.

Three days before the wedding I’d gone for a countryside walk with a good friend who was videoing the wedding. We’d finished in the pub and had a quiet pint watching the snow fall slowly outside…but within an hour there were big, heavy flakes of snow and it was settling too.

The next day the South East was at a standstill – several inches of snow had closed roads, closed the railways and while it was fun in many ways and beautiful to look at alarm bells started ringing about the wedding, at this point still two days away. A few phone calls reassured me the roads should be open the next day and failing that I should be able to at least get a train to London where I’d arranged to stay over the night before the wedding…

…as the Friday dawned however nothing had changed. Cue several hours digging my car out, then a very hairy drive with Jason the videographer, following a gritting truck for some of the route, up to the hotel in London. As I say to couples, something pretty immensely drastic and severe would have to happen in order for me not to make their wedding day!

The day of the wedding itself there was no snow in London and as far as I know every guest managed to make it. It was a truly memorable and special day.

One of Catherine’s bridesmaids wrote afterwards: “Wow wow wow guys these pics are absolutely gorgeous!! Steve has done a brilliant job of capturing a fantastic day and so lovely to see you both full of smiles and beaming with wedded bliss! Love them, totally love them!”

Catherine and Steve were kind enough to then write the following to a magazine:

“In addition to being an amazing and talented photographer with an eye for great artistic pictures Steve is also the most genuine and friendly person you could ever meet. A natural art for putting everyone at ease Steve clearly loves his work and gets everyone really looking at their best. We are thrilled with our photographs – you really cannot emphasise how important it is to have a good photographer.

Steve was wonderful company on the day – totally unobtrusive and an absolute pleasure to share such a special occasion with. Words can’t explain the emotions we felt when we saw his photographs for the first time – he has truly captured the essence and the story of the day. For years and years to come we can look back on the pictures and relive the spirit and emotion captured in the stunning photographs.”

I offer a preshoot with all my packages and I think every couple that has had one has been pleased with the resutls – Emma and Darren included! I’m really excited about their impending wedding – they are a lovely couple and I know it’s going to be fantastic!

There’s a handful of their photos below.

Katherine and David at Newick Park

I’ve chosen it because a 12×8 print of it is in my portfolio I show prospective clients and it often generates an emotional reaction from those who view it. For me wedding photography has to be more than about just showing what people look like, it has to be showing, and producing, that emotional engagement. That’s the biggest challenge wedding photographers face. Anyone can take a thousand photographs at a wedding and end up with a dozen half-decent shots that illustrate the day, but as a professional you should be able to produce something different and something better. People talk about “capturing the moment” and one client commented they felt I’d had a sixth sense for doing this on their day but there is nothing mysterious about it, it all comes down to having empathy with the couple.

Empathy with the couple allows the photographer to anticipate what is going to happen and when, it allows you to spot and capture reactions, those glances or easy relaxed moments that may be over in 1/125th of a second but which tell a story of a relationship. This is one of my main aims as a wedding photographer: to capture the couple as they are, on the happiest day of their lives, so future generations will look at their wedding album and see their personalities come through the story of their wedding day.

Often at a wedding the key moments occur betweeen the big events and I think that’s a theme I’ll be returning to as I choose a new photo each week. For example, while there is undeniably emotion during the first dance it is often immediately after it that it is most apparent. That is when this photograph was taken. When Katherine and David finished their first dance the guests put away their cameras and all went onto the dancefloor to join in with the next song. At that moment Katherine hugged David in a spontaneous expression of love and happiness and though surrounded by their friends and family on the dancefloor they were an island of their own.

Brides and grooms often write very kind testimonials when they have received their wedding photos and every single one means a huge deal to me when I receive it because I care hugely about providing my clients with quality work. One of the other “stand out” features of Katherine and David’s lovely wedding was that Katherine took the time over two years after her wedding to write to me again, saying the following:

Dear Steve,

Way back in September 2008 you took photos of my wedding in Portslade and at Newick Park,

I know I thanked you at the time but I have to admit not really having anything to compare them with at the time as we hadn’t had any close friends or family get married for a whole 8 years and I didn’t really know what to expect of my wedding photographer. I knew the pictures you took were great but I didn’t really appreciate how good until recently. This year we have attended 3 weddings (with 1 to go!) and I have scrutinised the photos as you can only after your own wedding and it has made me appreciate the quality of your photos and service so much more, your ability to capture the whole day was amazing when you were only one man (both my brother and friends have had 2 photographers attend) and the effort you made staying late for the fireworks and then even longer when David picked up his guitar was something that I hadn’t really appreciated until I realised how much was missed by these other photographers despite their superior numbers and, in most cases, higher cost, and none of them snapped the groom getting ready and I am so pleased you did despite the dash required from one side of Brighton to the other because it really completed the day for me.

Also, one of my best friends has just had to wade through 3000 photos provided by her photographer whereas you just chose the best for us and I thank you for that!

Anyway, thank you once again and I hope all is going well for yourself and your family. One day David and I must have a ‘do’ to employ you again.

Best regards,
Kate
(who has to change the pictures in her wedding frames around regularly because she has so many good ones!)

Nick getting ready, one of his Best Men in the background

Greeting guests in the bar before heading to Rivervale Barn

Katie looking out at guests before the ceremony

Same moment as above but different lens - part of why I always use two cameras but think you don't need two photographers

The ring exchange

During the ceremony

Katie in the Rivervale Barn courtyard

First dance...

...and from the balcony

Sarah and Nathan had their ceremony and wedding breakfast at Shelleys hotel before heading to the Crown for the evening reception. En route we walked down the iconic Keere Street and into Southover Grange for a handful of photographs, most of which such as the Keere Street photograph below were unposed. I often find it is the most natural photographs that look the best.

I remember the day well - Sarah and Nathan are a lovely couple and much about the day was memorable. When I told Sarah the photograph was going to be used in the magazine she said “I love that picture as well and it seems everything on the day came together to give the best wedding pics we have ever seen.”

If you’re getting married in Lewes there are a great many options – Pelham House, Lewes Castle, The Shelleys, Southover Grange and more – all of them great venues. If you’d like to discuss wedding photography in Lewes or hire an experienced wedding photographer for your big day then you can call me on 07771 984984 or email steve@stevegeorgephotography.co.uk .

Photograph copyright (c) Steve George www.stevegeorgephotography.co.uk

Sarah and Nathan on Keere Street, Lewes