Katie and Stephen, Wedding Photography, Palms Hill, Shropshire

It's august! I'm making a little change this month from my usual schedule. I tend to, if I can, post one wedding per month and post them in chronological order. The thing is, I'm attending a considerable amount more weddings than I can post at the moment and most of the weddings I blog each month are almost exactly a year old! Yep, I'm an entire year behind with my wedding blog :(
A lot happens in a year. I play with different equipment, I learn new things, tastes change, so I wanted to show where I am at right now. The style has changed quite subtly from this time last year. The images are a little more warm, the posing is different now and I use a lot less flash.
Katie and Stephen married last month. They blessed me with the opportunity to photograph their wedding ceremony at Palms Hill in Shropshire - a beautiful and exclusive wedding ceremony venue which only caters for a select few weddings per year.
These guys are pretty awesome. I first met them on their engagement shoot. They were so easy going and brilliant to photograph I knew their wedding was going to be brilliant. They had some great ideas and made their wedding ceremony very personal to them.
We had lots of laughter on the day and produced some great images together without using a single flash, a feat I've been trying to achieve for a few months now.
So this is hot off the press! As I'm writing, Katie and Stephen have only seen the slideshow and we're still waiting for the full package to be finished off. I won't be actually posting the blog until they've received it though. I just wanted to show off, right now, what my wedding photography looks like. I've posted this one alongside Mary and Tom's wedding which you can find by clicking here.
Next month, I think I've got one of my favourite weddings ever to show off. For now, here's what I think is the best wedding I've ever photographed. I've also included a slideshow at the bottom of every image from my camera at Katie and Stephens wedding in a film strip style timelapse :)
It's got everything in there, heavily over exposed, under exposed and even some of the outtakes if you can spot them!
Enjoy!

Laura and Mark, Wedding photography, Compton Verney

I'd never heard of Compton Verney before Laura and Mark invited me along for their engagement shoot and I was absolutely blown away. Considering it's located only a few miles from my home town and contains some of Britain's most expensive and historical art pieces I figured I should know about it. Either way, the visit made me ridiculously excited to shoot this wedding. Laura and Mark informed me there would be only 11 of their nearest and dearest attending in a room, surrounded by art, which has never been used as a wedding venue until their date. In a word, honoured.
On the day, the conditions couldn't have been more perfect and it produced some my favourite, ever, wedding photographs. An absolutely memorable day for me with a wonderful couple.

Priti and Chris, Staffordshire wedding photography, Heath House, Tean

Whoo hoo! We've moved into September of last year and what a wedding I've got for you today!
Priti and Chris had their wedding day at Heath House in Tean on a beautiful sunny day, perfect for wedding photography. Personally, the image above is one of my favourite EVER. I love the chairs and how they were stacked out. Sometimes it just comes down to a little bit of luck and, boom, an awesome wedding photograph.
A very very long day, I think I had to catch a flight that evening to a wedding in Spain too. But it was well worth sticking around until the end to get some crazy party shots, and a pretty spectacular first (and second) dance.
Thanks so much for the Heath house, their staff and catering for being so helpful on the day. Also, a huge shout goes to Wayne The Staffordshire toastmaster, I've seen many toastmasters in my short career but none as good and helpful as this guy.
Remember, we're still booking for 2015, lots of couples have taken up our new wedding photography offer - We now have at least one wedding booked for each month next year! This is quite unbelievable to have this level of booking a year ahead and thank you so much to all of the couples who have been to the studio recently :)

Rachel and John, Keele Hall Wedding photography

Whew! it is hot!!! We've been lucky over the past weekend where I had my first two rain free weddings of the year! It's taken until July, but it's finally happened. Hopefully this amazing weather keeps up for the next weddings this month!
We also had amazing weather for Rachel and John's wedding last year! I'm going to start wishing all the brides and grooms a happy anniversary when I post because I seem to be getting round to posting weddings to the blog almost exactly a year behind now, so Happy anniversary John and Rachel!
It was a beautiful day at Keele Hall, one of my more regular wedding photography venues with both John and Rachel looking absolutely awesome! These guys really thought about their guests with the sweet cart, and casino keeping everything going but also, check out the retro arcade games which seemed to be as entertaining for the adults as it was for the kids!
I've had lots of bookings for 2016 coming in over the past few days, even a couple for 2017. For more information on booking wedding photography for 2016 click the link, and to take a look at my rather out of date wedding photography portfolio click the link too. Hopefully, when I find some time between the weddings and the studio I'll be able to up load all of my new stuff!
There's about 70 pics below, take a look!

Kerrie and Richard, Wedding photography Staffordshire

To April (yes 2014!) with the wedding of Kerrie and Richard at Ardencote Manor. This wedding signaled the beginning of the 2014 wedding season for me. I'm still in the thick of it with 4 weddings last week and 2 this week before I head off for a weeks rest. It's been a tough season, my toughest yet, but I wouldn't change it. I appreciate all of the customers who have booked weddings, photographers in the studio and also my studio customers who are helping the dream become a reality :)
I remember vividly travelling down to Warwick the day before and being blown away by the view and very excited by the prospect of shooting the longest group shot I've ever taken, I was very excited about it on instagram as you can see...

Alex and Kim, The Moat House, Staffordshire Wedding photography

July's wedding of the month is Kim and Alex who held their day at The Moat house in Acton Trussel, Staffordshire. This month I wanted to focus on candids!
Documentary, reportage, journalistic wedding photography, whatever you want to call it - it's a standard practice here at Briscoe photography. I'll take hundreds of candid shots at a wedding and if their two of us we'll take thousands! In between all the setups, hiding in corners trying to be as covert as possible to create interesting, natural wedding photography.
Kim and Alex's day wasn't the absolute ideal day for documentary style photography. It was a very challenging environment with a low lit church and the weather not giving anything away as to what it was going to do. Conditions have never been a problem for me at weddings because I use high quality - highly sensitive equipment which allows me to pick up great images in darker than usual places.
Another great example of my candids can be found here, at Andrew and Nicole's wedding where I compiled all of my candids into a full film reel showing every image I took that day! It made for a really interesting version of the day. I may even create another one of these soon!
For now, check out the highlights from Alex and Kim's wedding :)

Emma and Luke, Wedding photography, Oxford

When you take a couple outside in the rain onto one of the busiest high streets in the country, stop traffic, stop pedestrians and actually include pedestrians as actors in your shot... it better come out.
This is officially my favourite wedding image at the moment (the monochrome version further down this blog may actually be my fave) just because I know there's 4 ushers on either side of this picture trying to create a little walkway for thousands of weekend shoppers. This is actually the corner where the two met after chatting on the internet. I knew exactly what I wanted the image to turn out like and this must be one of the few times the image has ended up exactly how I imagined it, including the bike and taxi.
We only took a couple of shots outside, due to the rain and busy streets but I was so lucky the town hall had such a beautiful interior. A great challenge, a crazy couple who I've gotten to know much more as the year has gone by and a slight change to my normal wedding photographs.

Gavin and Rebecca, Wychwood Park, Wedding photography staffordshire

I was supposed to post this on #weddingwednesday! But life got in the way a little and I've only just been able to write everything up :)
With the few days of lovely sun I thought I'd post another sunny wedding blog with Gaving and Rebecca at Wychwood Park. Wychwood Park is a very modern wedding venue within a vast golf club. Gavin and Rebecca had their marriage ceremony outside, perfect for wedding photography, making life ridiculously easy for me and increasing the candid count tenfold!
Have a look at what we got up to :)

Louise and Richard, Wedding photography, Park Hall Farm, Leigh

My body is still in January, my head in March and my blog is still back in August! It's coming up to that stressful time of year again and this year it's longer than ever! WEDDING SEASON.

I'm currently taking a few days off in Norway before the commotion starts but I'm still planning everything for my first wedding of the year which is only days away now!

However, while I pre-plan my future events let's take a look back at a lovely wedding from last year. A golden couple, so lovely, who made a brilliant day happen at Park Hall Farm, Leigh. So here's Louise and Richard :)

Laura and Gary, Three horseshoes Inn, Leek, Wedding photography

A friend once told me the reason so many mills were built in Leek was because of the guaranteed wet climate. It seems they were correct. I've photographed quite a few weddings at the Three Horseshoes Inn, Leek. It's quickly becoming my most photographed wedding venues. The staff are brilliant, the way they set out their wedding ceremonies are brilliant and the reception room they turn it into afterwards is large and ideal for a party!
Outside, they have an amazing view of the Staffordshire Moorlands with wonderful areas to sit underneath "The Roaches". If it rains, it's not so easy to do these things but the Three Horseshoes has a lovely, low lit, interior to compensate. As a photographer it's not so easy to come in from the rain when there's such an amazing landscape outside. So you have to get a little bit creative.
For me, this is the reason why you get yourself an experienced professional photographer to cover those important events. A photographer who's in it for the pay cheque or hasn't pushed themselves to adapt to certain unfavourable situations might not be able to cope with something as simple as a rainy day in a low lit venue and might have to rely on luck alone.
There's nothing wrong with luck. Most of my images are 'lucky'. Often, an image I've been imagining comes out very different in reality. Other times I'm just in the right place at the right time and capture that little bit of emotion where if I'd been less experienced, I might not have had the right exposure or focus or even equipment.
The photograph above was a mix of luck, equipment and training. I had no idea the rain was going to fall onto my camera this way but I did know that this couple were going to look awesome in this light. The mix of luck and experience created one of the best shots I've ever taken in what was one of the most challenging weddings, photographically, I've had in a while. Pardon for preaching a little here but when I photographed Laura and Gary's wedding it made me think about why I should be chosen to photograph a couples wedding over another photographer who may not have dedicated themselves as much to the trade - or, a topic for another day, why your uncle probably shouldn't photograph your wedding.
I can't capture every single moment. When Chris comes with me to a wedding we both couldn't possibly capture every single thing that happens. But when you have a well trained, well backed up photographer you increase your chances of capturing as many of these opportunities as possible.
Certain factors must come into alignment at the right time, light, angle, space, emotion, background and finally... the moment has to happen. 
I'm often shown some amazing pictures by aunties and uncles at weddings where fortune has gifted them with a great photograph that I had no chance of getting because one of these things wasn't in line for me at that time. The thoughts I had about my own photography at Laura and Gary's wedding was that I was able to find these alignments quite often. My knowledge of photography allowed me to increase the probability of me capturing more amazing moments on their special day.
That's why you should hire a photographer who has dedicated themselves to learning their trade. Because they will get lucky more often.
Ok, essay over.... who wants to see how lucky I got?

Lauren and Geoff, Wedding photography, Somerset

Wedding season has finally come to a close, end of October. Just a few weddings left to edit (and one or two dotted wedding dates up until Christmas) then I'll be ready to concentrate on the studio for the winter!
I'll be starting my wedding campaign again in January with the wedding photography season set to recommence in March next year! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all 25 brides and grooms who are already booked in for 2014 and I can't wait to see all of your wonderful and unique wedding days!
For today's blog we continue with the Summer! I was so humbled when Lauren and Geoff asked me to travel down to Somerset, right onto the fields of the infamous Glastonbury festival to photograph their truly amazing rustic wedding. Bunting and pastel colours galore AND SUN!!! 
I'm starting to miss the sun now we're in Autumn. Unlike last year, I've been very lucky with a lot of sunny weddings along with stunning couples making it so easy to photograph weddings. Lauren and Geoff's stunning farm location just made it that more special.
A wonderful day, for a wonderful couple

Rebecca and James, Engagement shoot, Derbyshire wedding photography

I had to get this one out there because Rebecca and James are getting married in October! I recently traveled to Loughborough to visit this really funny couple and get some nice engagement photographs. As usual, the weather was against us but we found some gaps in the rain to get out to a local park for some pics!
I(Paul) have a very intense couple of weeks coming up squeezing around 5 weddings into the next 2 weeks around the country (and even one in Spain) so I may not be as contactable as usual and I ask for your patience if you leave me a voicemail or email over the next week or so :)
Chris is back from his holidays now, however, and is free to take any calls at our photography studio. He's there most days, when we aren't shooting on location, so feel free to pop in for a cuppa and ask about our up coming portrait deals for Christmas!
Thanks very much! Here's a few more from todays shoot under the cut :)

Natalie and David, Wedding photography, Ramsdale Golf Club, Nottingham

WHEW!  This time of year is really tough. I've had non-stop weddings now since May and it doesn't end until November. Please don't take that the wrong way. I'm so grateful to be doing a job that I love and am very passionate about but when you're exhausted all you can do is have a little moan about it :p
Thank you so much to all of the couples so far this year. Every wedding has been amazing with something unique happening at each one and many of you have seen mine and Chris' excited faces when we've got a shot we really liked. Thank you so much.
I'm here to bring you a wedding from MAY! So long ago, but Natalie and Davids wedding I will always remember for their hilarious antics and my general exhaustion on what was a super sunny day in Nottingham.
After a wonderful church wedding we headed to Ramsdale Golf club, Nottingham for a brilliant party and some great group shots on a wide open golf course. It was a wonderful day and I can't wait to see their book.

Ness and Matt, Wedding photography, Kelham House, Nottinghamshire

Want some awesome ideas for your wedding decorations? Check out this wedding. Ness and Matt tied the knot at Kelham House in Nottinghamshire. I loved the rooms at this place, lots of light coming in from the window like you would get with a traditional country manor but decorated in a modern and very stylish way, perfect for wedding photography.
So many weddings to blog. I think I'm going to be blogging some of my May/June weddings as late as September! Thank you to everyone for the support and kind words and hello to all of the new customers that have booked recently :)

Laura and Mark, Engagement, Compton Verney

A bit of an impromptu post here. I've had this for a while but I've never been able to get around to editing. I headed down to the tremendous art gallery Compton Verney in the West Midlands a few weeks to meet with Laura and Mark for a chat about their wedding in July.

It was a beautiful day and I was truly blown away by the location so we thought we might as well have a little engagement shoot for a bit of fun :)

To make it more fun, I'd only brought along an 85mm lens. I set myself the targets of getting the art work and interiors in and we took the shots in as short time as possible :)

Here's what we came up with :)

Luke and Jo, Hawkstone Park hotel, Shropshire wedding photography

I went a little bit hipster at Luke and Jo's wedding. The sun had a beautiful warm glow to it all day and with the exterior of the Hawkstone park hotel being completely white it makes life so easy for reportage style wedding photography.
As always it was a beautiful ceremony with a few surprises thrown in to make life a little bit of a challenge but the highlight for me is the cool place names on the reception tables. Luke and Jo went through the facebook images of every single one of their guests and printed their pic on to card which they pegged to every glass on the tables - a brilliant little touch which the guests found really fun!
Beware when you click through to the images today. There are MANY. I think around 95 pics made it into today's blog post, I feel sorry for your internet connection :p

Amy and Brett, Wedding photography, Swindon Golf Club

Morning! I've just come off a double wedding weekend and still feeling the physical effects and soreness from it. But before I get back to editing I wanted to pop up another wedding. Amy and Brett had their wedding reception at Swindon Golf club in the West Midlands, the first truly sunny wedding of the year!
It's also become a running theme this year of riding golf buggies everywhere, a huge perk of the job :P
Another beautiful church, beautiful venue, beautiful bride, beautiful groom, beautiful guests, beautiful day :D

Joanne and Kevin, Wedding Photography, Park House Hotel, Shifnal

Oooooh it's been a tough March. Very cold, very snowy. It was no different for Jo and Kev's wedding at the Park house hotel in Shifnal. It didn't stop an amazing and creative wedding from going ahead though. With Kevin serenading Joanne down the aisle, a brilliant photo-cake and an excellent best mans song there was plenty to photograph despite the entire wedding being indoors :)
Props go out to the Park house hotel for up lighting the coves of the venue. It's a simple, and inexpensive way venues can make their events more atmospheric and makes low lit rooms a dream to photograph (check out the first dance for a good example).
Congrats Jo and Kev :D More pics under the cut!

Fiona and Steven, Wedding photography, Ringwood Hall, Sheffield.

I'm back from a mini break in Norway before my life goes into the intense work phase. My Wedding season intensifies this weekend until October so there may be less blog activity with time taken up by editing and deliveries. To all my brides and grooms booked in, I'm still contactable at all the same places including briscoe@briscoephotography.co.uk.
I've held on to this one for quite a while now. No reason why, I just haven't found the right time to show it off. It was a chilly December day at Ringwood hall. I've photographed weddings quite a few times at Ringwood hall, the last time I was here with Emily and Anthony (you may recognize a few faces from this wedding).
It was very different from Emily and Anthony's wedding. Their's was on a bright, sunny day with lots of time spent out doors where Fiona and Steven's was much colder and spent indoors in closer quarters, a much more challenging situation. It was a still beautiful as Ringwood hall has an amazing interior with large function rooms and beautiful, low lit decor. The staff are also brilliant and helpful allowing me to wander while they continued their great service.
I won't jabber on, have a look at the pics :)

Karena and Peter, Staffordshire wedding photography

From the large, vibrant wedding of Nerissa and Travis to the refined, intimate wedding or Karena and Peter. Another wonderful couple in their own way with a violin, Harry Potter readings and only a handful of guest at the Lords of the Manor hotel.
It was an honour that Karena and Peter hired me to photograph such an intimate day.