Friday afternoon LOVE confessionals.......turned in to Sunday night love vibes

AMY & JOHN - Sept 21st, 2019

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Soooo. I have been trying to post this for days, literally since last Wednesday. Poor Amy she must be going crazy wondering where her lovely post is - well, here’s the thing - I have re-arranged, reshuffled, edited, added, taken away + NOTHING seemed to give (to me) adequate justice to just how much emotion and feelings were in John + Amy’s wedding. + esp The Romance, the Light!! + The love, until now.

Amy gave me so many beautiful compliments for her wedding photography I wanted to include this too as I had to re-read her lovely message a couple of times and sit down and read it over again. I always strive to do my best on each wedding day + each wedding day is a live event so anything can happen at any given moment and so to touch or make someone smile by capturing their day makes my heart burst x

“Oh my god Jackie,

I have been on an emotional rollercoaster this evening! I can't believe how BEAUTIFUL they all are!

I couldn't be happier, you captured the emotions, the atmosphere, the fun and made everything look soft and romantic and just stunning!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

The ones of my dad's speech are so emotive and his face when I'm walking down the steps to him and I can't get over how beautiful the golden hour ones at the little fox are, you've made me look beautiful and John looks so handsome and they're such romantic pictures!

You're totally awesome as a photographer and a friend! You are such a positive ray of sunshine and it was so great to share all of my plans with you and for you to be a part of our day xxxxxx xxxx xxxx”

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Getting ready, those fun and sometimes frantic moments of preparation and then THOSE moments when you’re in your dress + your brother arrives + you take his breath away. Matthew + their Dad shared duties of giving Amy away + they both did such an amazing job!!

In the stunning outdoor setting of Ness Gardens, Amy’s older brother walked her to their Dad and he walked Amy up the remainder of the Aisle towards John.

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Open Air ‘I do’s’ + a very sophisticated bridal party!!

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NOW THESE DETAILS!!!! Hello, rocking the blue, the wedding favours which were packets of seeds (epic) the cake topper and the flowers…so much romance interlaced.

THIS PICTURE! I get as a viewer of this blog you’re only seeing snippets of the entire day but I hope it conveys the romance and happiness + the feeling of family centred love and the speeches always hold a lot of pressure for those delivering them and cross the spectrum on funny, crazy, embarrassing + loaded so THIS picture makes me tear up every time .

Unsure if he would be able to deliver a speech, Amy’s dad has been a little poorly so he and her older brother shared the moment - a moment arrived when Dad felt he was able + there was not a dry eye in the house, the sentiment + love radiated from him + I need another tissue again now……..

As day merges in to evening, the light (AMAZING LIGHT!!) changes and guests mingle, chuckle, have fun and catch up I was able to scoot around + capture some family fun and THEN Amy + John took themselves off for a little walk……..so divine + a peaceful breather before dancing, cake cutting and evening guests arrived……

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First Dances can be soft r dramatic and I love how the blue lights capture these two perfectly and match their colour scheme!!!

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5 TOP TIPS for helping create beautiful memories of your gorgeous day….

1.Breathe…..Breathe…Breathe……

Easy right?? Wrong…when we’re stressed or in different situations our breathe can get laboured and irregular – a mix of excitement and anticipation can make our breathe shallower so 3 super deep fill up your lungs breathes to start enabling a calming effect and clearing our mind REALLY helps

2.Schedule an engagement session or pre wedding photo shoot with your photographer

This is really helpful to get used to being in front of the camera and being directed by your photographer or just understanding how to move and laugh and relax 

(a lot of people stop breathing or hold their breathe when a camera is pointed at them so this is super useful to cross this off the list – see 1. above) it’s really popular now and well worth it, it also is a great opportunity to really fine tune with your photographer the images you’d like captured on your wedding day.

3.you want to look your sparkling best...

If you’re planning a dinner or meal the night before your wedding with guests or family and you’re planning on starting the celebrations then – why wouldn’t you right? Well, be mindful if you want to look your sparkling best on your wedding day the bubbles/beer/cocktails will show from the night before – have cucumber, cold spoons and plenty of water ready to reduce puffy eyes, swollen cheeks and dehydration

4.Enjoy...

This leads wonderfully on to my next point…..ENJOY your wedding day, I LOVE bubbles as much as the next person and part of the prosecco shortage was I’m afraid to say possibly down to me (not a lush just love a bubble) HOWEVER..I am not being a party pooper but alcohol is a relaxer….it will relax your facial muscles (awesome b’cos of all the smiling you’ll be doing) BUT keep it fresh, the more you drink, the more your face will start to fall off your chin and that I’m afraid is not a good look for photos (unless it’s midnight + the last shot of the evening celebrations) you've worked super hard at perfecting your day so just go easy until after your couple shots are captured :-)

5.Be sassy!

Finally, Flirt with the camera, be sassy, playful, silly and enjoy every second!

The Knot – Great Questions to ask your Photographer

There are lots of great questions to ask your photographer when you meet with them in order to decide whether you’re a great fit and you have THE ONE who will capture your day. 

The following questions were posted on 'The Knot' and I think are brilliant so I am sharing them here – along with my answers

  • Do you have an album I can look through? Yes, I have several I am more than happy to share with you
  • How many weddings do you shoot a year? This varies year to year but generally between 12 – 15
  • How long have you been in the business? I’ve been working professionally for over 10 years and started with wedding photography when I lived in Dublin in 2002 and photographed a gorgeous wedding at The Shelbourne Hotel on St Stephens Green.
  • Will you be photographing the wedding solo or will there be more than one photographer? (A second shooter can capture spontaneous moments while your main shooter works to get the shots on your must-get list.) This depends on the package you choose, for larger weddings I always recommend a second shooter, for smaller, more intimate weddings I will capture them myself and bring along an assistant
  • What’s your backup plan in case of equipment failure or if you get sick? I carry a double of everything in my camera bag to cover all bases and ensure I am firing on all cylinders, so if I felt even slightly sick the week of your wedding I rest up to ensure I’ll be fit and ready for action on your wedding day, (as an extra back up I am also a member of the BIPP (British Institute of Professional Photography) and have access to a huge network of photographers)
  • What are our options regarding packages? In my “Wedding” page I give an idea of price points but it really depends on what you are looking for to fit in to your day, my couple tend to begin around £1795 - £2225 and go upwards
  • Does the price include an engagement shoot? My full day packages include an engagement shoot, if you have selected a half day package this will be an additional fee
  • What’s the process after the wedding? Within 72 hours a small selection of images from your day will be viewable in your online gallery and 10 days after that your whole gallery will be ready to view.
  • Will I get digital files? If these are included in your package, yes.
  • How long before the files are available to me? 6-8 weeks
  • How much do prints cost? I have a large selection of print and image finishes available, including framed prints and gorgeous acrylics which really create amazing fine art pieces, these range in price from £10 to £1500 depending on size and finish  
  • How much do albums cost? Albums start at £325
  • What’s the turnaround for proofs and final albums? I can send you a proof book within 14 days and once you have chosen your album images there is a 6 week turnaround time once you have signed off on the final design, on average allow about 8-10 weeks incase of any tweaks you'd like to make
  • What sort of touch-ups do you do? I tidy up all prints and images for your album and for an additional fee of £25 per hour I can offer skin touch ups and further editing.
  • Do you offer mini albums? Yes, I have a gorgeous selection for you to have a look at
  • Do you offer online proofing albums so that my guests can buy prints without going through me? Yes, I offer an online gallery which is password protected and I personally give each of your guests a password card with the login details on
  • What’s the payment policy? I require a deposit of £150 to secure your date and then full payment 30 days prior to your wedding, we can also split the remaining balance so you can pay in two or three parts before your big day
  • Will there be additional fees for travel and lodging? For all weddings outside of the UK, travel and accommodation will be an additional fee, for weddings outside of London and the Home Counties this will also be an additional fee
  • Is there a cancellation policy? Yes, you may cancel at any time and you will be liable to pay to me compensation based on a percentage of the Package fee depending upon when the notice is received: 121 days or more – Booking fee only, 91-121 days – 50%, 61-90 days – 60%, 31-60 days – 75% and 0-30s prior to your wedding – 100%

Jon & Juliet's wedding featured in Wedding Magazine

WHAT A WEEK!! :-)

So I celebrated my birthday and two days later picked up a copy (or two) of 'Wedding Magazine' which featured Jon & Juliet's September wedding I photographed in Suffolk. Beautiful weekend, gorgeous stunning setting and full of amazing unique details - apple place names, delicious wedding cakes.......

Spread over three pages it's in the 'Real Life' section of the magazine and I'm so delighted for Jon & Juliet and just totally stoked! Do check it out in all newsagents!! The new look Wedding magazine is full of inspiration :-) xx

I've got a lot of catching up to do...

sooo..........I have no excuses, I should have been posting a couple times a week and keeping up with my blog.....I haven't and I feel like a naughty school girl (which completely goes against my 'head girl' status, I'm shinning my halo furiously right now lol)...sooo...

.I've been photographing the most beautiful weddings all over the country and being asked to submit work to magazines, I've done fun mini-sessions and received amazing compliments from my clients :-) I've had ex students get in touch out of the blue and it's been so fantastic to catch up on where they're at AND I've been capturing Bachelorette parties and engagement proposals...which has been such an honour and a real blessing and over the next week I'm going to write about all of them...for now....here are some pictures from these wonderful occasions <3 xx

Marissa & Kyle, Maine 2013 Getting Married Today 19/07/1

Last October I visited (home, well my second home) Maine and had the pleasure to join my esteemed friend Leah Martin on an engagement session with Marissa &amp; Kyle, these guys were super adorable and we had so much fun, 3 outfit changes, a handful…

Last October I visited (home, well my second home) Maine and had the pleasure to join my esteemed friend Leah Martin on an engagement session with Marissa & Kyle, these guys were super adorable and we had so much fun, 3 outfit changes, a handful of fab different locations within the same area and hey presto Fall Trees aswell!

Today, July 19th 2014 these guys are getting married and I want to wish them all the very best for their day and life ahead together xx There have been an unexpected challenge or two with their ceremony venue as the one they had booked burnt down at the beginning of the year and they've had to re-arrange a few of the details BUT despite this they have a new wonderful location and venue and are going to a truly fantastic day!! 

Very Best of Luck M&K xxxxxx