Hidden gems | a few unseen favourites from 2010

I was planning to put together a selection of favourite images from 2011 and although there are some stunning images to show off (he said ever so modestly!) a few images from each wedding stuck out as real hidden gems that haven’t had much of a showing. These images just stood out from the obvious, some made me laugh out loud, others brought back happy memories of some great couples, touching moments that were very fleeting and others that are just mighty fine pics!

Boys will be boys and from an early age have never really understood the whole girls wearing pretty dresses thing. From Jess and Robert’s wedding photography at South Farm, Cambridgeshire.

A quiet moment after all the formal photographs for Helen & Tom as part of their Loseley Park wedding photography.

Jess being greeted by her bridesmaid at her wedding to Owen at Magdalen College, Oxford. This was the second attempt as they had forgotten the bouquet the first time they arrived and had to go back and get it.

The romance of this image belies the fact that I was up to my ankles in mud and cow pats and was getting the evil-eye from a few curious cows as to why I was in their field for Kate and Paul’s wedding at Nether Winchendon House in Bucks.

Beautiful wedding bouquets for bridesmaids are best used for …well, singing your favourite songs whilst waiting for the bride to turn up. All those pre-teen years practising with a hairbrush in front of a mirror paid off for Anna and Alex’s wedding at Denbies Wine Estate.

There’s nothing like a good laugh to take the edge off things during the wedding preparations but I don’t think Annabel was expecting such ham-dramatics from her father!

You can rely on your kids to make the most of being asked to write and read a poem for their parent’s wedding – Jane and Elliott just had to smile politely throughout for their wedding at Warren House!

Warm nervous hands tend to swell up and make putting on a wedding ring very difficult and you have to give it some oomph.

A touching moment during the speeches of Joey and Mark’s vintage themed wedding in the Wirral.

This is an autumn wedding in one – fantastic golden reds and a very smiley wedding guest.

David and Lara decided that they were going to see each other before their wedding ceremony at the beautiful chapel in Jesus College, Cambridge wedding and this was the first few anxious seconds before they met up.

Lucy and Rory are two highly enthusiastic and energetic people and although the weather for their day was less than perfect, they were constantly on the go, talking to everyone, getting involved in everything. I like this shot as it’s a quiet moment which to me really sums them up.

I hear a lot of couples get anxious before their ceremonies because of the formalities of the marriage but although Father John at Bailiffscourt Hotel is a solemn and sincere officiate, he knows exactly how to make the wedding ceremony relevant, meaningful and sometimes very entertaining.

That first hug after the bride and groom walk out of the church is usually the biggest release of tension after the ceremony and Mel from Mel and Rob’s wedding at Maidens Barn, Essex really sums that up.

There’s a magical hour in this country, around about dusk just after the sun has gone down where the sky goes a very deep blue – perfect for shots of venues but even better on the hillsides of Clyro for a Pippa and Alex’s wedding in Herefordshire.

Not directly from the conventional book of how to celebrate being married but perfect for Rosie and Jamie’s wedding at Woodhall Manor, Suffolk.

Sarah was ready in plenty of time for her wedding to Joe at Hengrave Hall. It did mean however that she had a nervous wait whilst everyone else got into place – this was a touching little moment when her father joined here ready to go, nerves done with just excitement now.

I love the warmth and symmetry of this shot from Sophie and James’s wedding at Priory Hall.

Val looked so demure and together as she walked down the stunning staircase at Brocket Hall for her wedding to Andy but the emotions only held for so long as her father was waiting for her a the bottom of the stairs.

There’s a moment when a bride gets ready, everything is done and in place and all that’s left is leave for the ceremony, there’s a quiet moment of calm. Then it gets very busy all of a sudden and things start to happen.

Now, I love the colours and the expression of this shot from the bridesmaid at Wendy & Clarke’s wedding at Gosfield House, Essex. To me, she was quietly confident and very excited.

Yeah – that’s how to celebrate a first kiss!

The speeches start and you’re never quiet sure which way they are going to go. Usually the father of the brides speech is dangerously long and sentimental, a rare opportunity for the father show how proud he is of his daughter, and the last true opportunity he’s going to get to embarrass her with stories of her childhood! At Catherine and Ian’s wedding at Maunsel House in Somerset, Catherine’s father gave one of the most heartfelt speeches I’ve heard and, as an ex-Royal Marine Commando and not keen on public displays of emotion, made it all the more powerful.

It was cold for Anne-Louise and Dominic’s wedding photography at Stoke Park. Really cold! Even the wedding organiser brought out a hot water bottle for in between the shots. But this shot was just an excuse for Dominic to hold his new bride as close as he could.

A very big thank you to all my fantastic bride and grooms this year!