I’ll avoid the usual blurb, but instead post the contents of a recent Thank You card I received from Vanessa and Tom:

“We’re not really sure where all of the time has gone but we are still meeting up with friends now who are talking about the amazing photos that you took for our wedding in October last year. You really captured the feeling of the day perfectly. We had such an amazing time and when we look back at the photos it brings it all back straight away.

I don’t think either of us expected you to capture so many perfect moments from the day whilst also being the on-hand ‘wedding expert’! Some are personal, some are beautiful photos in their own right, but all of them exceeded our expectations. You have given us an amazing photo journal of our day that we will keep forever.

Thanks so much again.”

The observant ones amongst you will spot that it was also my second wedding in three weeks to feature the same Jenny Packham dress. BLING!

After the ceremony at St. Peter’s church, the bride and groom departed under an arch of hurleys, then everyone jumped on a Routemaster bus to return to The Bonham hotel. As she had travelled over from Ireland too, Tatum’s hair and make-up artist had stuck around all day, and so was able to retouch her earlier work before the meal. A luxury many brides would kill for!

The day was rounded off by some very energetic shape-throwing, particularly when the band played ’500 Miles’ by the Proclaimers (see last shot). Should be a staple at every wedding.

Following a ceremony that I watched from afar (being asked to stay at the back of the church is an increasingly common request) everyone ventured out under brollies, and after a few greetings we all returned to Wentbridge House for bubbles and nibbles. The band prompted the odd early-afternoon dance from the livelier guests before everyone took their seats for the wedding breakfast, followed by the usual speeches.

Another rainy wedding passes off with hardly any interruption or inconvenience. I don’t know what people worry about!

First up are a couple of images from the speeches at Rebecca & Tim’s Ingestre Hall wedding and Clare & Francis’ Great Fosters wedding, both from last May.

The rest included a couple from Marion & Heinz’s Highclere Castle wedding, Sam air-guitaring the night away at his and Andi’s Suffolk wedding, and Jake getting a smacker from his gran at his and Sophia’s High Road House wedding last April.

I’m off to London on Thursday for more award-based fun at the Professional Photographer of the Year awards where I picked up a runner-up prize in the Reportage Weddings category, so look out for an image or two on my Facebook page later in the week!

After the ceremony, featuring tear-inducing readings, guests were treated to canapés and a wedding breakfast by caterers from local Michelin-starred restaurant The Box Tree. Speeches featured both dads, all the bridesmaids and a taped musical performance by a very young Dave courtesy of the best man. Cringeworthy stuff, especially for Dave.

You can see more of Lou & Dave’s wedding in my new galleries.

Following a short walk (with umbrellas) past the abbey itself, the guests found themselves in the marquee for food, speeches and dancing. There was much rejoicing.

The workshop involves each of the 20 participants being given a documentary photography brief (this year each subject was a person) and then going out for a day to shoot a story. When the participants return they show all of their images (no deleting in camera is allowed) to their team and team leader, and then they’re furnished with feedback and things to do differently, etc. Then the next day they get to go and shoot the same person again taking on board all of the feedback, followed by another late-night critique. On the third day each participant puts together a slideshow of their best 30 images from the two days, and after a slap up meal all the slideshows are watched on a big screen by everybody there.

Assignments given to my team members this year ranged from an accountant to a policeman, and the participants only found out what they were doing about 15-30 mins before their first day of shooting got underway. This year the ante was upped as the participants were given a warm-up, team assignment within minutes of stepping off the plane, hence the worried expressions in the first couple of photographs!

It’s a demanding few days, both physically and emotionally, but the end result is a group of photographers with a refined eye for a story. If you’d like to read more about the workshop, and see some of the resulting images, visit the MyVision blog.

Following preparations (and great bacon sandwiches) at Lucy’s parents’ home we all headed into the nearby village of Hambleden to meet up with Evan and his kilted ushers (Welsh ones these, kilt fans) at St Mary the Virgin church. Time for some mingling and a spot of confetti throwing, then everyone followed the bride and groom to a secret location where the surprise mode of transport awaited.

An hour or so floating up and down the river came to an end at the mooring at the end of Lucy’s parents’ garden. It had been cleaned of silt from years of flooding and was looking very grand for the occasion. Time for another drink or two, then it was into the marquee for the usual meal, speeches and haka. Yes, big rugby fans these Welsh folk.

You can see more of this wedding in my new galleries!

After getting ready at the Manor House Hotel the bride and her bridesmaids walked over to St Andrew’s Church for the ceremony. After the marriage they collected their young daughter from the babysitters on the front row, and headed outside for meeting and greeting. Then they jumped in their car for the short drive up the hill to the reception.

Afternoon tea was followed by a wander over to the marquee for the wedding breakfast, a full set of speeches and then some crazy dancing complete with dressing up!