Rachel and Viv

This is the year for breaking records! In the 4-500 weddings I’ve covered this has been the year when we’ve had our most laid-back wedding ever, our most nervous Best Man ever, our latest Bride ever and now we come to Rachel – our most excited Bride ever! On the morning of her wedding Rachel wasn’t actually jumping up and down, whilst clapping her hands with excitement – but she wasn’t far from it!

And it was fantastic. A couple’s emotions on their wedding day are infectious. Where couples never fully relax but maintain the traditional British stiff upper lip, the guests too are more reserved and the wedding atmosphere is noticeably cooler. No chance of that at Rachel’s wedding! There was life, emotion and warmth in abundance here.

Rachel had simply done everything she could to ensure that everything went smoothly and without stress. Instead of the  terror, tears and tantrums we sometimes encounter at the bride’s house before the wedding – here everything was calm and chilled-out. Everything ran to time and all the preparations went without hitch. Bliss!!

And the same went for the rest of the day. After a delightful service at Alford Church it was off to the reception at Kenwick Park. And with that rarest of commodities this year – decent weather -  all the guests were able to mill out on the lawns in the classic English Wedding fashion. The atmosphere was superb and I can’t imagine that Rachel or Viv would want anything changed if they had the chance all over again. It’s weddings like these, with genuinely lovely people, no stress, a nice venue and charming guests that really makes us appreciate our job. It’s hard to believe we actually get paid for doing what we enjoy so much!

The main body of the picturers will go live on the main Aurora Studio website once Rachel and Viv have seen them all, but here’s a taster anyway.

Videographers

People often ask whether they should hire a videographer in addition to their stills photographer. Obviously this is a hugely personal decision but it’s worth bearing in mind the following points:

The old proverb ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’ is never more true than for wedding photography. There is only ever one perfect spot to stand, one perfect angle from which to view an event. If you hire two videographers plus two photographers then there will be inevitable frictions. Each wants to do the best job possible – and that means getting in the right spot before the next person! Sometimes the presence of one has a hugely detrimental effect on the work the other is able to produce.

Perhaps these images of videographers at work will clarify what we mean. In each case the videographer would have obtained superb footage, but at the expense of the stills photography.

It is vital that before the wedding the roles of each are carefully delineated, so that each knows who has priority at any given stage of the wedding. If possible get both videographer and stills photographer to sign a contract saying who has priority at each of the key points of the day. At Aurora Studio we always ask that this be done. We would hate that there be any misunderstanding which could cause the bride and groom not to get the photography or the video they wish.

Just as there are different styles of stills photography, so too there are of videography. DO check both out carefully and ensure that each is giving you exactly the type of coverage you require – and that each is compatible with the other. Let me give an example.

At Aurora Studio we don’t do stress – we work incredibly quickly and with huge passion and enthusiasm for what we do. Our formal group photographs rarely take longer than five minutes and our romantic photography looks such fun because it is. The couple feed off our enthusiasm, become very relaxed and act completely naturally with each other. It is their emotion towards each other which we capture.

That’s great. It’s what our style is all about and it’s what our clients book us to do. But very occasionally we encounter  some videographers  who simply can not work with this more modern and creative approach. They insist that the photographer’s role is to create tableau after tableau of group poses. After each is set up they demand that the photographer step aside so that they can video what he has just photographed. So too, with the romantic shots.

Can you see how this creates problems? If we have priority then the videographer can not do his job, because videoing set tableau is what he believes his job to be. If the videographer has priority then ‘our’ photography is destroyed. Instead of the movement, life and captured emotion that epitomises our work, our images becomes on a par with that of much more traditional photographers and are guaranteed to disappoint the bride and groom.

So, if you do decide to have both media covering your wedding then for your own happiness DO check that there is no clash in their styles of working. If there is then decide which media has priority and ask them to advise on companies they can work with easily. I’m afraid I can’t recommend videographers to support traditional photography but if your style of photography is more relaxed and contemporary then I can definitely recommend  two good guys on the Lincolnshire videography scene – Dreamscene of  Grimsby and Raw Liquid Media of Lincoln. These companies are both thoroughly professional and reliable with operators who believe in putting the bride first and carrying out her wishes exactly.

Jennie and Phil

I think the lesson we’ve learned this year is that weddings and sport don’t mix. A few weeks ago we had Claire bravely hobbling down the aisle in trainers after breaking her ankle whilst playing badminton: here Phil was still on crutches after breaking his leg playing football. So who says playing sport is supposed to be good for you?

But did the broken limbs affect the enjoyment of the day? Not at all. Phil had his two Best Men to help him and he was even up to going to the grounds of the delightful Scawby Hall for some photographs. Everything ran super-smoothly and without hitch thanks to the organisation of Jennie’s Mum ( though I dread to think what her phone bill must be after all the checking and double-checking she’s been doing in the run-up to the wedding!)

And Jennie and Phil had made sure that there was enough time in their day. I always say that time is the most precious commodity on a wedding day. If a bride is late at the start of the day, or if a minor hitch occurs (and they usually do) which takes a little time then stress builds up unless a contingency has been built in to allow for it. But Jennie had superb hair and make-up artists who not only did a great job – they did it on time! So instead of the strained atmosphere we often witness at home as the bride realises she is getting further and further behind schedule, at Jennie’s Mum’s house all was quiet, smooth and stress-free. We got some super shots of Jennie looking fantastic at home – look at the second picture on our homepage, for instance – and then later the couple had plenty of time to relax with their guests at Forest Pines before the Wedding Breakfast. Simply perfect!

The full selection of their wedding pictures will be avaialable for viewing on our main site once they return from Mexico.