Dear bride to be…
When my gorgeous Matt and I decided to finally get married, he wanted low key and I wanted us to tie the knot in my dream venue that I’d found years previously whilst flicking through a local magazine.
We visited said dream venue, but were scared by the costs and how we would ever be able to afford it. Everything had to fit within a set budget.
Our mums also had their idea about what would make the perfect day for us. “No Nicola you can’t possibly walk down the aisle in fuschia pink shoes!” I’m still to this day gutted that I ran out of budget for that one! “And no you really shouldn’t walk down the aisle by yourself. It’s not in line with tradition!” I won on that one, and met my dad at the end of the aisle (he couldn’t walk next to me as he was too ill and could hardly stand at the time).
What you need to remember is that above all else, this is YOUR wedding day, and you and your partner should have the day that you want. From the cake topper to the flowers and entertainment – this is the one time you should where possible and without causing World War Three, put your foot down.
Sure, there was a lot of eye-rolling and “I wouldn’t have done it like that”, but none of it matters. It’s about the two of you and the amazing journey you’re about to embark on together in married life. A celebration, however you would like to mark it, with your friends and family.
At the end of the day, everyone (mums included) had an amazing day and lots of our guests said it was the best wedding they’d ever been to. And we wouldn’t have changed a single thing – except the photographer.
That was the one thing we didn’t invest enough in – and we learnt a valuable lesson that day as our photographs are the only lasting memory we have. We wished we had invested more.
Since then, I’ve trained with some of the best wedding photographers in the business. I’ve been a second shooter for many of them and have shot at some of the most incredible places over my three years as a wedding photographer in my own right. From castles to marques overlooking estuaries, back garden celebrations to stunning stately homes to riverboat cruises to dancing with cocktails in museums.
Each celebration is as perfect as the couples who chose to show “their” love in “their” own unique way. And I’ve loved being a part of every single one of them.
I photograph your wedding just as it is, without any fuss or hours of formals.
Beautiful, bespoke pictures, some amazing portraits of the two of you and just enough formality to stop the mums being unhappy…
If this sounds like what you’re after… we need to talk… x
PS These images were taken at the gorgeous Leez Priory wedding venue near Chelmsford, Essex where Matt and I tied the knot six years ago. This is Debbie and James, whose wedding I was lucky enough to capture last year. This is what they had to say about their photography with me…
“Nicola was a wonderful asset to our wedding. I’m so pleased she was recommended to me. Her shots are amazing and she showed a real interest in us and our family – including encouraging a weeping child down the aisle! Truly amazing – I thoroughly recommend her. *****”