Choosing your wedding photographer is about more than finding photographs you like. You are also choosing someone who will be around for a big part of your wedding day, so knowing what it is actually like to work with them matters too.

My approach is relaxed and natural, but that does not mean I simply turn up with a camera and leave you to work everything out.

There are times when I will quietly document what is happening, and others when I will step in with some guidance, organise people or help work out the best way to photograph something.

From the first enquiry through to receiving your finished gallery, here is what you can expect when working with me.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

When you first get in touch, I will ask for a few details about your wedding, including your date, venue if you have one and a little about what you are planning.

From there, I can let you know whether I am available and answer any questions you have about my photography or the different coverage options.

I know choosing a photographer can feel like a big decision, so have a proper look through my work and get a feel for the way I photograph weddings. If my approach feels right for you and you would like to go ahead, a signed contract and 30% booking payment secures your date.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR PLANS

As your wedding gets closer, we will go through the details of the day together.

I will want to know things like where you are getting ready, when the ceremony starts, how the day is expected to run, which family photographs you would like and whether there is anything in particular you would like me to know about.

This also gives us a chance to look at the photography timings.

If I think something might feel rushed or there is a better point in the day for family photographs or couple photos, I can help you work through it. The idea is not to build your wedding around photography, but to make sure photography fits comfortably around the wedding you have planned.

For Full Day weddings, a pre wedding shoot is included too. It gives us a chance to spend some time together before the wedding and lets you experience how I photograph couples before the day itself.

ON THE WEDDING DAY

For most of the wedding, I am documenting what is happening around me rather than constantly directing things.

That means looking out for the obvious moments, but also everything happening around them. Your guests seeing you for the first time, someone laughing during the speeches, friends catching up over a drink or a reaction happening on the other side of the room.

I want the photographs to show what your wedding actually felt like, not just what the main events looked like.

I will step in when it is useful though. If something needs organising, the light is better somewhere else or you need a little guidance during your couple photos, I will help.

You are not expected to know where to stand, what to do with your hands or how to organise a big group of relatives for a photograph. That's part of my job.

GETTING READY

If your coverage includes the preparations, I will usually spend some time photographing what is happening naturally as everyone gets ready.

That might include hair and makeup, people helping each other get dressed, details you have chosen for the day and all the conversations and little moments happening around you.

I do not need everything to be perfectly arranged before I arrive. I will photograph the preparations naturally, while still giving you a little guidance if it is useful.

If you are getting ready in separate places and would like both sides covered at the same time, we can discuss whether bringing a second photographer would make sense for your plans.

THE CEREMONY

During the ceremony, I keep things as unobtrusive as possible while making sure the important moments are covered.

Exactly what I am able to do will depend on the ceremony and venue. Churches, registry offices and other ceremony spaces can all vary in size and have different rules about where photographers are allowed to stand or move.

I will work with whatever restrictions are in place and photograph the ceremony as it happens, including the reactions and smaller moments around the two of you.

FAMILY AND GROUP PHOTOS

Family photographs are one of the times when I take a more active role.

Before the wedding, I will ask you for the groups you would like photographed so we are not trying to work everything out on the day.

I also recommend having somebody who knows your families help gather people when we need them. It makes everything much quicker than me trying to work out who Dave and Margaret are while half of your guests disappear towards the bar.

Once everyone is together, I will organise the groups and keep things moving so you can get back to enjoying the wedding.

You do not need an enormous list either. We can concentrate on the combinations that are genuinely important to you.

 COUPLE PHOTOS

This is the part couples often tell me they are most nervous about.

You do not need to know how to pose or arrive with a list of things you are supposed to do. I will give you guidance when you need it and keep things relaxed.

Depending on the wedding, we might take a short walk around the venue, find somewhere with good light or spend a little time away from everyone else.

We can keep this part of the day relaxed and make the most of the time we have, so you still have plenty of time to enjoy the wedding with your guests.

IF THINGS DO NOT GO EXACTLY TO PLAN

Wedding days move around.

A ceremony might start late, the weather might change, getting ready could take longer than expected or something planned for outside might suddenly need to happen indoors. That is normal.

If something changes, we adapt. We might move photographs to another part of the day, find somewhere indoors, wait for a break in the weather or change the plan completely.

The important thing is that we work with how the day is unfolding rather than trying to force everything back onto the original plan.

DURING THE RECEPTION

Once everyone settles into the reception, I go back to documenting what is happening around me.

That could include speeches, reactions from your guests, details around the venue, the cake cutting, the first dance and whatever else you have planned.

There is usually plenty happening outside the scheduled moments too, and those photographs can end up being some of my favourites.

One thing I generally do not photograph is people eating. Once the meal begins, I use that time to take a break, back up photographs and get ready for whatever is happening afterwards.

AFTER YOUR WEDDING

After the wedding, I will carefully go through everything I have photographed, select the strongest images and edit them individually in my usual style.

I will send you a small selection of previews shortly after the wedding, giving you something to enjoy while I work on your complete gallery.

Your finished wedding gallery will normally be ready within 8 to 10 weeks. You will be able to view and download your photographs through your private online gallery, and Full Day and Half Day packages also include a keepsake USB.

I always recommend downloading your photographs and keeping another backup somewhere safe too.