While smartphones allow wedding guests to take decent portrait snaps, relying on them instead of a professional photographer leaves significant gaps in quality and storytelling: Professional photographers know how to use light and composition to transform ordinary moments into artful photos. Phone cameras rely on computational solutions to their limitations with minimal creative control. Whilst guest phone photos look fine on small screens, only a professional photographer can deliver sharp, high-quality prints and capture the true candid story of the day.

Gemma and Dan’s wedding took place at the Doubletree Hilton in Chester, featuring an outdoor ceremony and group photographs in the hotel’s scenic grounds. Highlights included a witty and animated speech by the bridesman David and an outstanding performance by a singing waiter, an increasingly common form of entertainment at such events.

The right light can turn a good image into a great  one. It is an essential  ingredient for any good  photograph. It lends atmosphere, emotion, mood and focus. In documentary  photography, and weddings in  particular, it is unfortunate that  this important component of any image is one of the hardest  to  control, you must  learn to  work-with and get the best  out of any  ambient light. So, it’s all about understanding how to  use take advantage of this light and position yourself to  capture the best and most meaningful  images.

This. Wedding. Rocked. Literally.

Angie and Paul are Macclesfield born and bred. Everything  was kept as local as possible and incorporated old and new traditions. Music is really important to of them – woven intro their lives and that  of their friends. All guests were asked to come as they were to  show their personalities in what they wore.  Angie and Paul had bucked tradition. They were given away by their children.  It included a circle of and the wedding rings being passed to their Celebrant by the children. Instead of readings were poems and instead of hymns, everybody sang along to rock anthems. The couple and their guests walked through Macclesfield to their reception at Macclesfield Masonic Hall.

This was definitely a fun-filled Anglo-Scottish union, with Mairi’s family coming from Scotland (of course) so  plenty  of kilts were on  show as well as examples of Scottish  dancing and the drinking of the wee drams.

To  me this image beautifully captures the energy and joy their wedding celebration. An unscripted genuine snapshot of the joy and love that abounded on that occasion.

Here I discuss the role of children and how they enrich and liven up all weddings they are a part of - Paying attention to this as a photographer makes some priceless moments……

Sweet soul music and dazzling fireworks. Imagine this  - top hat, tails, a bountiful  provision  of live music, a dazzling fireworks display in  stunning surroundings of the Shrigley hall Hotel  and Spa.

This is the story of Jake and Rhian, married at a lovely ceremony in St. George’s Hall, Liverpool followed by an open-air reception full of fun and games on the Wirral.

With documentary photography, telling a compelling story is always paramount in the way I go about shooting and editing your wedding. I’ve highlighted some images from a recent ceremony highlighting how I accomplished this.…..

Family celebration of the evening dance at Alderley Edge Hotel Wedding