When I photographed this Silchester Farm wedding it was very difficult not to smile. Sian and Hannah’s energy and love was so infectious.  It was hard not to get caught up with the emotions. The couple got married on a mild-ish November day. Luckily the venue lends itself to that perfect hygge style cosy feeling for a winter wedding. They each got ready on the morning with their friends and family members, and opted for a first look before the ceremony. This is always a marvellous idea in my eyes! You are almost spoiled for choice in this Hampshire wedding photography location with a Silchester Farm wedding. But in no way am I complaining!

I ADORE A FIRST LOOK 

Sian waited for Hannah in the big outdoor barn on the grounds of the venue. Surrounded by festoon lights and rustic corrugated iron. First look meetings before a ceremony are always (in my opinion) a wonderful event to structure into your wedding day. You get to see each other for the first time without a hundred eyes upon you. It is extremely special and intimate. You get to have a moment with each other before anyone else sees you. Plus, you get your couples portraits out of the way so that you can have an uninterrupted wedding reception! That is why I think that they are always a winner.

Getting Married at A Silchester Farm Wedding 

Is always a special moment. The venue is relatively new so there is a mix of old and new elements. This is a Hampshire wedding photography dream! The barns have been restored but with modern elements and unique touches. The vegetable garden is a gorgeous addition in the grounds and there is even a lake (Sian and Hannah didn’t make the journey there) which is one of the two places you can get married outside.

After Sian and Hannah’s gorgeous first look, they met each other in the barn for their ceremony. With lots of laughter they were wed and stepped outside for confetti and canapés. During the day you could see how much this Silchester Farm wedding meant to the couple and their closest friends and family. After a pandemic is is wonderful to be able to be together again. With some heartfelt and wonderful speeches, this crowd really lent into the party – with dancing, shots and tons more fun!

Thank You so Much to The Wedding Suppliers

Venue: Silchester Farm

Outfits: Rembo Styling (from Still White) and Whistles

Hair and MUA: Katy Djokic

Flowers: Ruby and Grace

Cake: Relish Vegan

Rings: Nicholas Wylde

Catering: Goose and Berry

Entertainment: Chiqas Music

Stationary: Rachel Gannon

If like Sian and Hannah you are looking for Hampshire wedding photography then please do contact me. I love photographing weddings all over Hampshire and the UK – take a look at Sarah and Anthony’s Cain Manor Wedding.

Perhaps you are looking for an LGBTQ+ friendly wedding photographer to capture your day?

If so you have come to the right place. I am an LGBTQ+ ally and believe that all love is the same. Having been bought up with two mothers I love photographing families like mine. If you would like some more inspiration take a look at Amy and Ruth’s Inkersall Grange Farm Wedding or Shelley and Rosi’s gorgeous back garden reception. 

It was my great pleasure to capture Rosi and Shelley’s relaxed LGBT wedding photography at Rosi’s Surrey family home.  This wedding was destined to fall by the dreaded COVID guidelines, until it was not. For which I am so grateful. When Shelley and Rosi contacted me to let me know their wedding was back on it was thrilling! They were now planning a small wedding and found that it suited them much more than their first grand plan.  With far too many postponed COVID weddings in 2020 …

… 2021 was a chance to celebrate, and party they did! 

Being an LGBTQ friendly wedding photographer is very important to me. Shelley and Rosi’s love is so wonderful and pure. They are so joyous and I knew they were going to have a wonderful wedding day. I knew this from our meetings and on their Winkworth Arboretum couples shoot. Providing relaxed LGBT wedding photography to their day was integral to my ethics and photographic style.

Back Garden Relaxed LGBT Wedding Photography 

There is something to be said about planning a small wedding which has been born out of this pandemic. I am absolutely in love with the micro wedding format. Don’t get me wrong big weddings are great but smaller weddings have a different vibe completely. Everyone knows everyone and there is an unspoken closeness to the atmosphere of the day. Shelley and Rosi arrived at their wedding reception in style, met by their closest family and friends. Shelley wore the most amazing suit from Marks and Spencer and Rosi was like a Disney princess in her Elia by Aire Barcelona gown.

With a laid back drinks reception and formal dinner adjacent to the family home, this back garden wedding was bliss. Rosi’s mum had the most wonderful garden for couples portraits – including a pool! Which I had to have them dancing in front of. Later in the night there were the most moving speeches and then lots of fun dancing. All in all it was the most wonderful laid back garden wedding reception.

If you are also interested in relaxed LGBT wedding photography please get in contact. If you need some more examples of my LGBTQ wedding photography take a look at Amy and Ruth’s Inkersall Grange Farm festival wedding or Kristy and Gabbie’s rainy beach Suffolk engagement shoot. Or perhaps you need inspiration for a smaller scale wedding?

Looking for an LGBTQ+ family photographer? 

Then look no further and come check out why we should book a shoot in together.

With Real Couple Jay and Sam’s First Hand Advice on Postponed Covid Weddings

In a year like no other, so many couples have had to start planning a small wedding when the pandemic changed their celebration ambitions. With postponed Covid weddings being the norm over the last year, many couples have had to re-think their day and start planning a small intimate wedding instead of their original ideas.  It goes without saying that many engaged couples intend on planning a small wedding from the very start.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN PLANNING A SMALL WEDDING

However, this year with micro weddings becoming more prominent, accommodating pandemic weddings have had to take priority. Recently I wrote about What Schitt’s Creek Can Teach Us About Postponed Covid Weddings in the hopes of inspiring couples to make the most out of their ever changing situation.  If you find yourself in the circumstance where you have not initially intended on planning a micro wedding, then the prospect can be daunting.

SOME QUICK TIPS FOR PLANNING A SMALL INTIMATE WEDDING

Think About a Weekday Wedding.

Venues can be very accommodating and most have reduced rates for mid-week celebrations. This can be helpful with reducing cost, but also helping with the smaller guest list.

Maximise The Experience You Have

Just because you are planning a smaller celebration, this does not mean that certain elements are exempt from the festivities. If you are having to plan a micro wedding this does not mean that you don’t deserve the outfit that you had planned for your ‘big wedding’. Have the flower arch, book the photographer and amend the wedding cake. Just because your celebration is smaller this dose not mean it is less important.

Look at Non-Traditional Wedding Venues

Smaller venues or ‘non-traditional’ places for getting hitched are usually a little more equipped for intimate wedding numbers. This can open up a huge possibility for your reception and ceremony that you may had never considered.

Jay, Sam andTheir Advice on Postponed Covid Weddings

I met Jay and Sam at a wedding workshop and we got on really well.  When speaking to them they discussed how their wedding had changed form so many times due to Covid-19. The images in this blog are not of their own wonderful micro wedding, but from the workshop day. However the advice they are divulging is all down to personal experience. Some couples, like Jay and Sam have had to re-plan their wedding day aspirations. From a guest list of 150, down to 15, to a wedding without dancing or singing. They have been kind enough to answer some questions surrounding how they managed to planning a small intimate wedding from a grand affair. This blog is here to help you with some decisions that you might have to be choosing between.

Tell Us a Little About The ideas You Had For Your Wedding – Theme, Colours, Aesthetic?

Jay and Sam: “Our wedding was always planned to be on Halloween. This is because every Halloween before our wedding, (that’s nine including the wedding now) we have always played host to a fancy dress party and people expect it from us now every year. We love being social and as we both work in the arts; we have some incredibly fun and creative friends who all love the chance to dress up. Jay’s nan and grandad also got married on Halloween and Jay’s great grandparents got married on bonfire night, so we really did want to follow tradition.

Our colour palette was always an autumnal one: burnt oranges, dark greens and lavender. We always wanted to have a pumpkin centre piece. One that was not obviously representing Halloween but white and with a very beautiful flower arrangement. White and purple hessian and purple lavender was what we went for and followed this theme into our bouquets too. Our bridesmaids were always meant to be split – Sam’s wearing burnt orange and Jay’s dark green, but when the numbers were reduced from 150 to 15 because of Covid -19, we ended up reducing the bridal party too. We felt because of this that it would be better if they all had the same colours. We ended up choosing a beautiful shade of green and incorporated the burnt orange into the bouquet ribbons and Covid face masks, which worked out perfectly.”

How Much Did Planning Your Wedding Change Due to The Current Pandemic Situation?

Then Covid happened and everything had to be cancelled. We started again.

When Searching For a Photographer, Was it Important to You That They Were a LGBTQ+ Friendly Wedding Photographer?

Thank you Jay and Sam for your wonderful insight

Here are some images from the workshop where we met – also did I mention that there was a HORSE?

If you have found this interview beneficial for accommodating your new plans then check out Your Micro Wedding Guide with even more information on planning a small intimate wedding day. If like Jay and Sam you are an LGBTQ+ couple embarking on planning a wedding together check out my blog all about being an LGBTQ friendly wedding photographer . If perhaps you are a photographer and have stumbled upon this blog and are looking to learn and be a more inclusive LGBTQ+ photographer then find more information on LGBTQ+ wedding photography here.

Wedding Workshop Supplier Instagram Handles

Planning, Styling, furniture and props: @locatetocreate

Workshop: @rebeccacarpenterphotography

Videography: @rixweddings

Venue: @ourbeautifulglasshouse

Dresses: @Shikobabride

Florist: @beverley_wilson_london

Cake: @malarkeycakes

Stationery: @wonderland_invites

Hair and Makeup: @beyouweddings

Tableware Plates: @hmhome

Tableware Cutlery & Glasses: @atouchofvintageuk

Jewellery: @ashleywildbridal

Models: @her.heart.his.soul @pulse.is.racing

When Steph (from Love For All) curated this LGBTQ+ wedding photography styled shoot workshop I was very excited. No only because it was an opportunity to feel creative again (COVID-19 has sucked a lot of business away from wedding professionals) but also it would be a chance to further my education as an LGBTQ friendly photographer.  Having grown up and raised by two mothers, I have always understood the importance of love and acceptance. I have written about the importance of being an LGBTQ+ ally in the wedding industry before.  But from my parents I grew up with the knowledge that love between two people is exactly that. Love.

That no matter who you love, it is the same love.  

Although I have been raised by lesbian parents and the lessons they taught me about inclusion, it is still important to keep learning. Which is why what Steph and Tania produced – an LGBTQ+ wedding photography workshop with a course before hand – is so wonderful. Usually with a wedding workshop, you arrive, say hello and then jostle for the best perspective of the couple in styled situations.  With this workshop, the learning was an amazing addition. It is what drew me to the workshop.  Being an active LGBTQ+ supporter, it is always good practise to learn and utilise new information.

Being an LGBTQ+ friendly wedding photographer is about showing up

Actively learning new things and then implementing them. For example, during the course at the beginning of the workshop there was a module on pronouns. These words are so important to make people feel inclusive. Having your pronouns visible for other people to see is an importance that I had naively over looked. The use of our language is so paramount. These pronouns on your Instagram biographies, email signatures and website are such an asset to let others feel included and supported.  I thought that by having an open dialogue about my upbringing and practises that it was obvious. However, having my pronouns displayed is an invitation for someone to feel embraced and safe. Which is why as soon as the course was over you bet I changed my Instagram biography to include my pronouns. They are She/Her.

Apart from housing the workshop in brilliant Brighton and letting the photographers roam free on an East Sussex wedding photography spree. The course talked about inclusion within the wedding industry. About how important it was to use real same-sex, queer, trans couples for styled shoots, rather than ‘actors’. This is hurtful and not representative. We had on the shoot two AMAZINGLY gorgeous real life couples who were fantastic models. Steph and Tania talked about the way that supporting charities are so vital. How to educate others in an respectful manner. Over all the course was very insightful and the biggest take away I learned was that of my pronoun language. For which I am grateful.

So for now, feast your eyes on these gorgeous set ups and wonderful models, announce your pronouns and keep doing the work. I hope that there will come to a place where there is no longer such a thing as a ‘gay wedding’ or LGBTQ+ wedding photography – but just a wedding between two people in love. But until then I am here, as a supporter, as an ally and I am determined to keep showing up for as long as it takes.

Thank you to all the suppliers involved

Workshop: Love For All

Mid Century Modern Styled Set Up

Florist: The Bloominati Florist

Real Couple: Greg and Wes

Suits: Gresham Blake

Stationary: Paper Swan Stationery

Wedding Cake: Kasserina Cakes

Venue: Harbour Hotel

Vases: Retro Green

Alternative Rock Styled Set Up

Styling and Props: To Have and To Hire Weddings

Florist: The Vase

Real Couple: Tash and Marthe

Dresses: Dandelions and Pearls

Veil: Rebecca Anne Designs

Stationary: Amy Verse

Wedding Cake: Cake Gallery London

Hair: Occasion Hair By Megan

Jackets: Be WIlderly 

Venue: Harbour Hotel

thank you for looking through this gorgeous LGBTQ+ wedding photography shoot

If you would like to further your commitment to being an LGBTQ+ friendly photographer, I do believe that there will be more workshops happening. I would very much advise you to take part! If you are getting married and are looking for East Sussex wedding photography then please do get in contact. 

If you would like to feast your eyes on more gorgeousness take a look at Amy and Ruth’s colourful festival themed wedding at Inkersall Grange Farm. Or perhaps Anoushka and Laurie’s South Farm wedding. Fancy reading more about postponed Covid weddings and tips for planning a small wedding? Head on over to the blog where real life couple Jay and Sam give advice on planning a micro wedding in a pandemic.

What does it mean to announce that you are an LGBTQ+ friendly wedding photographer? It is announcing that you support and are an ally to this community.  I get the same rush of adrenaline with every shutter click of my camera with every wedding that I photograph. However, with these weddings there was a huge importance that was sitting on my shoulders.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME TO SAY I AM A LGBTQ+ FRIENDLY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER?

Although I will never feel the importance of such a momentous occasion for LGBTQ+ couples when they marry, having lesbian parents I can understand the magnitude of what the experience represents to LGBTQ+ couples. Growing up with two mums I was aware that they were not allowed to be married like my friends parents were. I understood the injustice very clearly.

When the day came that I was able to stand next to my mother as she married the woman she loved, the feeling was complete and utter elation. When I set out in my career of wedding photography, I knew that in the heart of my business I wanted to celebrate LGBTQ+ marriages. Not only that, but within my photography business I wanted to state and project my commitment to working with diverse couples of all faiths, gender identity and sexual orientation.

You Shouldn’t Have To Ask About Whether Someone Is An LGBTQ+ Friendly Wedding Photographer

This should not have to be a question that as a couple you would ask. However, in this social climate where Trump is allowed to run an entire country on a sexist-bigoted-homophobic tirade. To where the wedding industry outputs a heavily heteronormative image into the world. It is not surprising that some couples may feel the need to ask these types of questions. I am here to tell you that you do not need to ask those questions here.

As a professional I set out to photograph you. Wonderful, creative, quirky, one of a kind – you.

I treat everyone as an individual. My objective as a wedding photographer is to capture your essence and the originality of your wedding day.   Within this ethic, I do not impose any preconception or opinions about any couples who I work with or the purpose of their wedding days. I learned from an early age that love is love. It is a pure form and it does not manifest in only one specific way.

I hold space for everyone.

Hopefully you can see through my gender mutual use of language and images on my website that this is a safe space. Through this blog post I wanted to reiterate my passion and commitment for providing and working with amazing couples, however they identify themselves as well as age, race and physical ability status. I want to photograph it all and stand by brave, amazing, courageous and beautiful people.

You should not have to ask if someone is an LGBTQ+ friendly wedding photographer – this should not have to be asked anywhere.  I am here to create beautiful imagery and capture gorgeous straight weddings, gay weddings, lavish weddings, registry office weddings, religious weddings, outdoor weddings and everything else that fits the bill. As a photographer I am here to celebrate with you and capture your identity and essence on your wedding day. If you are not into the traditional wedding set up – that is totally fine by me.

Take it from a child of lesbian parents who was Christened in her back garden to atheist parents by a gay vicar wearing Bermuda shorts that there is no judgement here

As I have said before, I hold space for everyone – no matter what wedding or life you have designed. If you still need some convincing take a look at my Five Reasons Why We Should Work Together .

SOME OF MY FAVOURITE INCLUSIVE BLOGS: 

Dancing with her

REBEL LOVE DIRECTORY

Thank you for being present in my honest conversation about what is means to be a LGBTQ friendly wedding photographer

Here in my latest blog I focus on the continual learning on how to be a more inclusive wedding supplier. I attended an LGBTQ wedding photography workshop with Love For All weddings so please do take a look at my East Sussex wedding photography experience.

Alternatively if you would like to see more of my work please feast your eyes on Jess and Katie’s gorgeous outdoor barn wedding or Sophie and Karly’s summer East Quay wedding and if you are hungry for more Kirsty and Gabbie’s Chaucer Barn Wedding and last but not least Sian and Hannah’s Winter Silchester Farm wedding.

FIVE REASONS WHY WE SHOULD WORK TOGETHER

Are you currently searching and wondering how to choose a wedding photographer? It is baffling isn’t it.  With so many people to choose from with different approaches, aesthetics, practises and prices. This blog is hopefully going to make things a little easier for you. With five helpful and insightful points, this blog is going to give you a summary of why I believe we should work together. Hopefully some of the conversation surrounding my natural wedding photography style will resonate somewhere within you. If you wanted to scope out the lay of the land before we continue then here are some words on my photographic approach. Otherwise, lets get cracking with my five reasons why we should work together!

FIVE reasons why YOU should book ME to photograph your WEDDING in SURREY, Kent,

DENMARK and virtually anywhere across the UK and ABROAD

REASON ONE: YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH THE IMAGES

You have been squirrelling away on the web and came across my wedding website. Perhaps in your search bar you typed in “Natural Wedding Photography Surrey” and up popped my name. Scrolling though the pages you fell in love with my documentary style and approach to wedding photography.  If you are craving natural and relaxed portraits and fun wedding photography then this is the place for you. It is also probably why you stumbled onto this page. As a couple you want your wedding photography to hold a space and to tell the authentic story of your day.

Capturing a story is my favourite part of being a wedding photographer. I will be there to document your day just as it is. From every smile and heartfelt tear to every kiss and every spontaneous moment in between.  You are wonderful, beautiful and perfect just as you are and as your wedding photographer I will be present through all of it. No photographic gimmicks and glitter required, just the portrayal of how fabulous and amazing you are together.

REASON TWO:  EXPERIENCE IS IMPORTANT TO YOU

As a couple you want to know that you have entrusted your wedding to a professional with enough experience to withstand the heat. By heat I do not mean weather (although if last years heat wave was anything to go by I can safely say that I am well equipped). I have photographed over 50 weddings since beginning this journey in 2014. Rest assured I have encountered most types of weddings.

I have been present and photographed pub weddings, festival weddings, intimate weddings and over 200 attendee weddings, barn weddings, destination weddings, Surrey weddings, Christian weddings, Hindu weddings, Winter weddings, Summer and Spring weddings, LGBTQ weddings, registry office weddings, humanist weddings,  beach weddings, traditional weddings, alternative weddings, and stately home weddings.

The experience gained from all of these types of wedding days are extensive. I have photographed in the torrential rain, in the blistering sunshine and in the lowest light you can capture. All of these weddings have brought me to where I am today and I could not be more grateful. Providing the upmost VIP treatment for my clients is incredibly important to me. By taking a selected number of weddings per year means that I can give the most amount of dedicated time to each of my couples.

REASON THREE: YOU WANT PHOTOGRAPHS THAT STAND THE TEST OF TIME

When you wondered how to choose a wedding photographer the main issue is whether you believe wedding photographs to be important. If, as a couple, you value wedding photography with the upmost importance then you are in the right place. You are not interested in the latest trends or fads (seriously does anyone say fad anymore?) Anyway. Together you are not looking for heavily staged and photoshopped images, but rather natural wedding photography. Within your wedding album thou shalt not apply an Instagram style filter.  You are interested and yearn for images that are a testament to the day that you both created together.  Wedding photographs that gain importance the more that you look at them over time. A visual reminder of the essence of the day with relaxed, candid and creative wedding photographs.

As your photographer I offer all of these important things to you. I will be there to give this all to you. From documentary wedding photography coverage to guided family portraits. There will be candid images of your guests enjoying your wedding reception as well as beautiful detailed room and decor images. Not to mention awesome and relaxed portraits of the both of you together. Taken in a relaxed manner with no formal ‘prom’ style portraits. Just images where you feel comfortable together and enjoying one an others company.

REASON FOUR: YOU WANT A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO FEELS LIKE A FRIEND

Having your photograph take is a scary thing, believe me I have endured it. Those images of my smiling in this blog were taken by a lovely fellow wedding photographer and may I say being on the other side of the lens was nerve wracking. So I appreciate what a funny and momentous thing that this is for you. Choosing the right wedding photographer can make all the difference. Still left wondering how to choose a wedding photographer? I wrote about how you could ask an actual friend to photograph your wedding, but the consensus was not a necessarily positive one.

The alternative being, why not book a wedding photographer who feels like a friend? DING DING DING! Good news – I am not bossy, shouty, argumentative or set in my ways. My job as a wedding photographer is to listen to the both of you to find out what is important. I spend a lot of time getting to know my couples and always meet up before any serious paper work is filled out. Being open and honest with your clients is utterly important to me and getting on is my number one priority.

REASON FIVE: THE REVIEWS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

A lot of my business comes through referrals from past couples who have worked with me. Now if this is not the biggest compliment, then I do not know what is. When someone has valued your time together enough to pass on your details to a loved one getting married it brings the biggest smile to my face. Being part of a wedding day it is important to do just that. Be part of the day. This is not insinuating that I steal the lime light, but rather I blend in to the surroundings. It is a huge acclamation when a wedding guest asks me how I know the couple getting married. I am fun and friendly to be around, yet still remaining professional and responsible enough to keep a time check. If you don’t believe me take a look at these rave reviews from my couples. If it makes any difference my mums are pretty proud of me too so they could provide you with a glowing reflection!

TA DA! MY FIVE REASONS WHY WE SHOULD WORK TOGETHER

So there you have it, tips on how to choose a wedding photographer in a nutshell. It is so important to me that I connect with people who love what I do.  If you have made it to the end and have no desire to send me an email, this is the beauty of this industry. We are not the right fit and that is okay to acknowledge that. Ultimately you want a wedding photographer who cares about you and your wedding day.

If however you have reached this point and feel that we would bond very well over our love of natural wedding photography and a cold margarita or flat white coffee then do get in touch. We can have a conversation over Facetime or Zoom and I can send you my brochures with additional information. I work predominantly as a Surrey wedding photographer but this does not discourage my LOVE of weddings elsewhere, including Kent, London and destination weddings. Come and say hello because every wedding excites my creativity.

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Images of Jesse were captured by Rebecca Douglas Photography