I thought I'd share just one image from their very hot wedding. They got married outside and had an amazing day.
I've got so much to share with you all on my blog, so you'll see their engagement shoot long before their wedding.

This picture was taken in the morning just as Kat's mum was helping her with the dress.
The curtain was closed because the view outside, along with the rolling Devonshire landscape, was of the wedding guests sitting outside soaking up the sun and waiting for Kat to arrive.
The only light source in the room was just enough to highlight the figures of some of the most important people in Kat's life at a very important moment.

This really was a brilliant and beautiful wedding in a stunning location that I would love to shoot at again.
Look out for their wedding pictures in about 20 years time when I catch up with blogging.
Meanwhile, enjoy this one!
Thanks for reading.

Joseph

As promised, here is James and Kirstie's wedding.
Without sounding arrogant, this wedding was easy to cover thanks to James and Kirstie really making things very easy with their fantastic friends and family as well as their choice of venues.
Venues don't get much better than Westonbirt Arboretum, and when you've got snow thrown into the equation then you're laughing. If you're ever in this part of the world, please make sure that you visit this amazing piece of Royal territory.
Along with their guests, James and Kirstie left for Hinton Grange Hotel,  another beautiful venue that would do their reception the justice it deserved.
The hotel is in a little village outside Bath and the whole place just oozes charm!
I did however face one small issue that I've faced before; the wedding breakfast and speeches were held in quite a magnificent conservatory with a pond in the middle (no, I didn't fall in). At first, I couldn't believe how bright it was in this room, it was perfect for me. Soft and flattering light just filled the room. That was of course, whilst the sun was still up.
By the time the sun had set, that was the end of my precious light and the start of some very interesting artificial light, I really enjoyed the way the whole mood of the place changed. It quickly turned into one of my favourite venues to shoot in.
The staff and food only enhanced my smile throughout the day.

As you'll notice, James and Kirstie chose to have Chrissy Marshall, an artist creating caricatures of the guests throughout the day. He was very popular, so I don't know if he managed to get round to insulting all of the guests! I loved the series of "pie pictures"...

I hope you enjoy the pictures. As you'll notice, my blogging is starting to speed up now as I start to panic with the amount of work I have to show you all.
Also, you'll see that the vast majority of the pictures are of people, not details. I feel that details are important for making your wedding personal to you, I just personally find more enjoyment showing you my pictures of guests. I'd love to know what you think though.
 Thanks.

Just a quick little post to show off my next couple who were married a few months back in Westonbirt.
James and Kirstie are a fine example of a really fun couple who were a little uncomfortable in front of the camera.

My engagement shoots are rarely anything stuffy or formal. We'll usually start off with a coffee or beer or two and chat about pretty much anything apart from pictures.
A couple of weeks ago I was considering not offering engagement shoots anymore as I felt as though they weren't particularly conducive to my photojournalistic style.
I would always advertise these shoots as a good way to get used to posing and having your picture taken.
Then I remembered that actually, these shoots aren't about pictures but instead about building up a rapport with my couples.

Yes, my couples get a few nice pictures at the end of the day and often they'll appear at the wedding in the form of a guestbook or whatever, but what is more satisfying to me is that by the end of the shoot and in time for their wedding my Mr and Mrs can totally relax with me on their big day.
Can you imagine having a stranger with a camera at your wedding all day? No, nor me.

So, James and Kirstie. Thank you for being a text book couple. You did just fine, honest.
I'll post their wedding in the next couple of days and yes, it's another snowy wedding.

With all this hot weather we've been enjoying recently, this shoot might be a slightly odd sight as it took place when we had all that snow.
Snow is all well and good for making a city look all romantic and festive but I lost count of the amount of times I almost slipped and broke my back. It was so dangerous. But hey, if my pain provides people with a temporary smile then it was worth it...Please don't quote me on that.

We live only about 30 minutes away from Bath so we're there very often and we always manage to find some new corner.
In fact, at the weekend we cycled there and back. Our legs are still aching!

Ian and Lucy used to live in Bath so they knew the city very well and we ended up in some corners of the city that I've never even seen before.
When we found a little book shop called Bath Old Books, I had to pop in and ask the owner if we could take some pictures inside. Lucy, being an English teacher was in her own absolute heaven!
Afterwards, we found a bakery called The Bertinet Kitchen that we could smell at least a block away, we popped in and bought some very tasty scones. (for photography purposes only of course!)

Please enjoy the pictures. Look out for their wedding on here very soon and have a look at the picture of their invite that I was given and that was designed by Lucy. It was a great taste of things to come!

Because so many of my couples love the city, I imagine that I've shot more engagement shoots in Bath than in Bristol.
Here are a couple of them:

Jimmy and Louise
Ed and Lucy
I've got one more to blog soon and one more shoot coming soon. That's definitely not a complaint!

See you soon!
 Joseph

I met up with Dave and Jen before the wedding just to confirm a couple of things. Everything seemed to be in perfect order, that made me happy.
What made me smile is that Jen expressed a desire for something, anything to go wrong on her day. Everything seemed to be going so smooth that just the slightest bit of drama would of added a sense of normality to their day. I liked that!

Dave and Jen chose the Bristol Marriott Royal for their ceremony and reception. If you know Bristol, you'll know this building, sitting at the bottom of Bristol's Park Street, home to my favourite coffee shop and Banksy artwork. The hotel stands with a buxom bronze Queen Victoria outside keeping the draft out.
I had never been inside before, but I loved it. I can't wait to shoot there again. It really was a pleasure.
So, congratulations Dave and Jen, you're both incredible. You deserve each other. Enjoy your life together.

*Live music provided by my favourite wedding band to work with ever, "Sound Awake"

Neil and Kat got married up in Liverpool back near the end of last year, there were still leaves on the trees, bright golden they were.
I had never visited Liverpool before so for me it was quite exciting. Everywhere you turn has some reference to the fab four, (no, not the Backstreet Boys).
Neil and Kat held their reception at the incredible Sefton Park Palm House, a conservatory palm house built in 1896. It was beautiful inside and out, with a huge variation of exotic plants.
At a few times throughout the day I looked out of the window...the whole building is basically a big window to be honest...and noticed 3 or 4 wedding cars drive up to the front gate, brides were getting out of the cars to have their picture taken with the house in the background. I felt quite lucky to be inside a building that obviously was a popular landmark that meant a lot to local people.
During the evening reception I was talking to one of the guests, she said that when she was a little girl she used to come to the palm house on a Sunday with her parents and read the newspaper. It was much warmer in the Palm house than what it was at home. Apparently, it was quite common for everybody to do this, it saved on heating costs!
Now the Palm house has been beautifully restored and it's a pleasure to be inside.

Neil and Kat didn't have the best day weather-wise, It was a typically chilly northern late-Autumn day with lots of showers. Personally, I can't stand the rain, but I do like how rain makes people huddle closer together to try and stay warm and dry under one umbrella. It makes for great pictures. That panic that hits people when the heavens first opens is quite a funny site to record through photographs. Californians might have a steady supply of golden and lush light, but we've got the rain and atmosphere!
I'll keep on telling myself that's how I like it.

Regular readers might recognise Neil here, he's appeared on the blog before along with another couple which I'm very sure you'll recognise.

Enjoy the pictures and please leave a comment at the bottom of the page!

I was recently asked to second shoot for a good friend of mine. A photographic friend at that! Cue, the second half of Taylor Barnes Photography.
Early on in this little blogosphere,  I showed you a wedding that I helped to cover of Ben and Selena, I've always viewed their wedding as a groundbreaking one for me, photographically speaking. So helping the very talented Selena out at a Bristol wedding by being her second shooter was a pleasure. It was also great to just take a back seat and cover the little moments from Richard and Victoria's wedding without the pressure. Lovely!
Another thing to make me smile was that this was my first wedding with my new camera. (Ben and Amy's wedding was the day after this wedding)
Lets just say I was in my element!

The ceremony was held at a church in Long Ashton, and it was certainly one of the most bright and photogenic churches around but unfortunately it wasn't much of surprise when I was told that there would to be no pictures during the wedding ceremony.
I won't rant...this isn't the place, but I'm sure you know how I felt about that, you know, with it being called "wedding photography"

Still, whatever.
We then went on to cover their ceremony at Berwick Lodge where the staff kindly allowed us to take pictures.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my vision of the day.

In case you're interested, the two winning images can be seen here.
If you were considering having your wedding here, don't hold back from booking. It's in such a great location and it's so convenient because there is often no driving from Bridal prep-house to church to reception venue. Everything under one roof!
Just make sure they light the fire for you. The smell is so relaxing!

Unfortunately, the first time I met up with Samuel & Kayleigh was on their wedding day. Due to some worrying family health, the date had been pushed forward and it seemed like everybody helped out to make everything run smooth. And it did!

I wish I had time to of met up with them before their bit day as they're a cracking couple.
Still, never mind. I always try my hardest to really get to know my couples before their wedding day so that they can feel comfortable around me.
It is always beneficial.

Kayleigh got her hair and make up ready in the keepers cottage before escaping to the Bridal suite to get into her dress without anyone spotting her. All good fun I thought!
Whilst everybody was in the cottage getting ready, I went out the backdoor to have a little explore.
Long story short: door closed behind me, locked shut, spent 10 minutes shouting for help. Of course, everybody found it hilarious! Good times.

On with the pictures then.
Just a little note about these fabric bouquets; Kayleigh made them herself and was very modest about them. Well done Kayleigh, we all think they're amazing!

The ceremony itself was a pleasure to cover. Real emphasis was put on making the marriage strong by making their God come first and by supporting each other and working as a real team. Often I find that church ceremonies aren't personal to the couple which is a real shame as it is such a personal day.
On many occasions, the priest/vicar/officiant has got the couple's name wrong and it's so embarrassing!
To save their own embarrassment, I've often been asked if I know the couples name.
"Sure, I'll tell you if you pay me real good money!"
Of course, there was no shame or mess-ups. Perhaps because my very own brother was best-man. It was very strange having him around, as I'm sure anybody will tell you!

It was a great wedding full of friends, old and new. Many of them previous clients of mine (a term that I hate using) 

Please enjoy the pictures, I know a lot of you have been looking forward to this wedding so if you've seen the pictures, please leave a comment and spread the word!

Thank you as always.

Joseph