Zoe and Alan - 23 February 2008

I have been so busy recently that I have neglected by blog dreadfully so I am going to try and catch up!

On Saturday 23rd February, I drove down to Orchardleigh House, for Alan and Zoe's wedding. Zoe and Alan have been a great couple to get to know and I know how much hard work went into to planning their day. A zingy purple was the main colour scheme and I thought it worked really well for the time of year. Zoe was having a relaxing time upstairs getting ready with some champange when I arrived so it was nice to spend some time with her and her family. Alan and his best man and usher were also quite relaxed so we nipped outside for a few shots before the ceremony. By the time we came in. everything was set up in the dining room and it looked spectacular.

The open fires provided a cosy and welcoming site for guests coming in from the cold and by the time everyone was sat down it was quite toasty!

Afterwards, we used Orchardleigh's beautiful grounds for some photographs before Zoe and Alan and their guests sat down for their meal.

For anyone looking for a wedding planner, I would thoroughly recommend Kate at Wedding Dreams (http://www.wedding-dreams.co.uk/) who did a great job.

Here are a few shots from their day:

Family Portraits al fresco

On Thursday I had a great time photographing the Wexler family in their beautiful home in Amesbury, near Paulton. Despite the day being very windy, we made the most of the lovely setting and soft light and took some shots in a few different spots in their garden.

Here is a nice shot we took in the back of the garden using the steps as a background:

A Very Special Portrait Shoot

I was delighted to take some pictures of little baby Joshua on Wednesday last week. Only 13 days old, Joshua was a fantastic model and it was a real pleasure to see such a tiny baby very happily in the arms of his new parents, Annie and Julian. They are a lovely little family and it was a real privilege for me to spend some time with them.

Here is a collection of some of my favourite shots:

A very well behaved cat and a lot of leg wax! - Friday 8th February

Friday was quite a busy (and varied!) day for me - starting with a pet portrait in the morning of Mrs H - a lovely cat who seemed to love posing for her picture!



I then spent a couple of hours at the Jessie May Trust's HQ photographing a number of very brave men (including Jamie my husband and his colleaague Huw) bearing their legs for a thorough leg waxing.

Alex Lovell from Points West was on hand to reassure nervous participants and several of the Jessie May team couldn't wait to get stuck in (literally!) with their wax strips.

The amount raised was still rising as I left but it looked likely to be at least £1,200, which is fantastic. Thank you to Jane and the rest of the team for a lot of laughs and a lovely lunch.

Here are a few pictures from the morning:

Vicky and Duncan

My first wedding of the year, Saturday dawned a bright, crisp day for Vicky and Duncan's wedding in Axebridge. I had kept my fingers crossed that the promised snow wouldn't arrive and fortunately it didn't!

Axebridge is a lovely setting for a wedding as the church sits on the hillside above the old market square. It was a great spot to meet up with Duncan, his best man and ushers for some photographs while we were waiting for the guests to arrive.

The ceremony was a real highlight for me - the church has beautiful lighting and a gorgeous archway, which was a natural frame for many of the images I took during the service. Weddings can be emotional (even for photographers!) and there wasn't dry in the church when Duncan's Grandfather sang to the congregation, while Vicky and Duncan signed the registers.

Afterwards we travelled down to Lympsham for the reception at the Batch Country Hotel. Vicky and Duncan had used a lovely deep red theme throughout the day, which was a great choice for this time of year. They carried the scheme through from the bridesmaids' dresses, flowers and other details at the church to the stationary and table details at the reception. It was obvious that the wedding planners, Nicky and Robbie at Amazing Events, had been hard at work as the hotel looked spectacular (www.amazingweddings.co.uk).

Here are a few shots from the day: