Siobhan & Matt - A New Hope

Engagement Shoot

Siobhan & Matt Blog – A New Hope

When I first met Siobhan and Matt back in July last year I clicked with them immediately. I then learnt that Matt owns nearly every games console ever made, and they’re both big Star Wars fans, so the reason for that feeling became cleare

They’re wedding plans for a May wedding were right up my street. A rural village pub with a barn, relaxed atmosphere with close friends and family, perfect!

We had planned to do our engagement shoot in April, but when the snow came down in January I sent Siobhan an email to see if they fancied getting some photos in the snow instead, which they were totally up for and brought little Frodo along to as well!

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Venue

The rural pub in question is The Fleece in Bretforton Evesham. A bit of a hidden gem and made a great setting for what Siobhan and Matt had planned.

The Reveal

Siobhan and Matt decided to do what is known as a reveal just prior to the ceremony. This is simply where the bride and groom get to see each other for the first time privately, with me capturing it. They were happy to leave it to me to set up, so on my research trip this was something to work out. There’s a bit to consider because you need somewhere discrete, but also ideally that will look pretty to the camera. It also can’t be a huge distance away or via any public spaces as you don’t want any of the guests seeing the bride at this stage. Fortunately The Fleece has the perfect spot, and after finding a quiet entrance for Siobhan the plan was set! Once you’ve read this blog, watch my video diary at the end of this post for the video!

I loved it!

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Ceremony & Reception

The ceremony was a happy and emotional one. It never stops feeling like such an honour to be invited to capture moments like these.

With the early summer sun in full force the outdoor drinks reception was just perfect.

One of my priorities for capturing couples portraits is to not take the couple away from their party for more than 10-15 mins, ideally less. It’s for me to work efficiently and not for you to spend ages playing the model! So Siobhan, Matt and I spent 5 minutes during the reception to bag these, then later in the day at sunset got a few more with the beautiful evening light. More on that later!

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A brilliant hog roast buffet followed, along with some great speeches.

Planning a Hero Shot

To capture certain moments in a wedding needs planning. Snapping a sunset pic tends not to happen by chance, so during our consultation before the wedding we planned out the timings of the first dance so we could then nip out for 15 minutes down the lane to catch the last of the sun. And man did it not disappoint!

And as a little surprise I created this for Siobhan and Matt who are both big Star Wars fans.

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Let’s Dance

All that was left then was to cut the cake, and cut some shapes on the dance floor!

Such a wonderful day, and proof that weddings don’t always have to be enormously extravagant. Everyone has a different vision for their wedding, and Siobhan and Matts charming, relaxed and characterful one was perfectly realised. I loved shooting it.

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Video Diary

Take a look behind the scenes

Would 100% recommend

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I would absolutely recommend Lee to anyone as their wedding photographer – he met with us a couple of time prior to the wedding to chat through things with us, and prompt us to think about a few things that we hadn’t thought about ourselves! Lee checked out the venue and did a lot of research for good photo spots and didn’t hesitate to help us figure out how best to do the wedding reveal when we decided on that at the last minute! We had a lovely impromptu pre-wedding shoot in the snow, and on the actual day Lee was both helpful, there when you needed him and yet also managed to be unobtrusive and blend in. Many of our guests commented on this too. The wedding photos themselves are fantastic and really capture the moments of the day, a few people who weren’t there said they made them feel like they had been. The wedding diary video blog was also a nice extra. Would 100% recommend.

Siobhan & Matt

Suppliers and people of note in creating Siobhan & Matt’s day:

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Photography As Unique As You Are

This is not formal wedding photography

I tell your wedding story naturally and creatively. No awkward poses, no saying cheese. My goal is for you to feel like you have a friend as your photographer, and by doing that I capture you at your most you.

I truly invest in my couples, spending time to understand what makes you tick. Even if you don’t really know what you want, in a brief chat over coffee I will understand how best to approach your day, resulting in you being relaxed and able to enjoy your wedding and resulting in a set of images tailored to you.

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Posted by Lee Hawley