Beautiful chidren....beautiful words.....

I had the pleasure a month ago to photograph a family portrait in Bristol for Martin & Leanne & their four gorgeous children, Jade, Kayleigh, Jasmine & Max. As Max was 6 months old Leanne & Martin wanted to document this important stage in his development & I suggested to her that it was a perfect opportunity to capture the whole family.

They decided to purchase a hi resolution DVD from me so that they were able to print off pictures for themselves and their family and this was her recent e-mail to me:

"Venetia,
Just to let you know I received my disc this morning........they are absolutely FANTASTIC, I could cry. I can't stop looking at them. You really captured all of thier personalities......I am so pleased I chose you to do the photos and if the wedding ones turn out like them, well let's say I will be more than over the moon.
Thank you so much again,
Leanne"

She was so pleased with the results of the family portrait that she has asked me to photograph Martin & her destination wedding in Cyprus later this year...I can't wait to get some more pictures of their beautiful children in natural light!

Here are a few pictures from the family portrait:

The girls hanging out.....





It's important when children to make them feel at ease & let them have some fun....this makes their personalities shine through.....we had such fun this afternoon.



A beautiful baby portrait of the main man......





Whilst we were there I suggest we do some individual portraits of each of the girls too.....







All the children together will make a lovely present for their grandparents.....



Martin & Leanne looking proud......



The whole family....



It was a wondeful, fun afternoon guys & I can't wait do your destination wedding photography in Cyprus!!

Venetia x

A very personal wedding to me.....

I had the great pleasure last month to photograph the wedding of someone very special to me. June & I have known each other since I was a baby as her mum was my mum's best friend & my god-mother. I have to say that although it was a great honour to be asked it was one of the most difficult weddings I've ever had to do as my emotional side kept taking over & I kept wanting to cry...oh I am so soppy!

Here are a few of the beautiful pictures we created:

The Arnos Manor Hotel makes a gorgeous, very gothic looking venue.....



June looked so beautiful I was really battling back the tears.....



Jon appeared very at ease & not at all nervous (a sign he knew he was making the right decision!)



The ceremony was beautiful, made me cry again....!



After the ceremony I took June & Jon off to Arnos Vale Cemetery for some beautiful pictures of the two of them. It seem a strange choice for a Bristol wedding photographer but the architecture is so amazing & June's mum is buried there so it seemed appropriate.....









Jon, you are a wonderful man & just you make sure you look after my Juney-Pooney!

I wish you both all the happinest in the world & I hope you have a fantastic honeymoon in New Zealand.

Love, Venetia xxx

Emma & Jason - Coed-y-Mwstwr

As a wedding photographer summers tend to be the busiest time and this June is no exception! It's been a whirlwind of weddings and pre-wedding shoots and I promise to try and post as many as possible.

I recently travelled to South Wales to photograph the wedding of Emma & Jason. The forecast was rain but both Emma & I had our fingers firmly crossed and someone must have been looking favourable on us as the rain held off until we were firmly inside for the wedding breakfast!

Emma's shoes were gorgeous....

....as was her hand-made Swarovski jewellery....

The flowers & buttons-holes were stunning....

The wedding rings were little & large....!!

Jason was very handsome & surprisingly relaxed....

And Emma was nervous, excited & had a few tears (especially when she saw her dasing dad in his military uniform!!)....



After the ceremony & time with their guests I took Emma & Jason off around the beautiful grounds & got some gorgeous pictures of the two of them....







In the right hands even the oddest backgrounds (like this garden shed) can make an amazing backdrop....





A last initmate moment.....



Guys, thank you for making me so welcome, have fun on your honeymoon and I look forward to seeing you when you get back.

Venetia xx

Claire & Paul - Guyers House

I had the pleasure on Saturday to phototograph the wedding of Claire & Paul at Guyers House, Corsham. Living in London Claire & Paul wanted to 'get away from it all' with an English country feel for their wedding and chose the charming Guyers House to hold their ceremony & reception.

Guyers House is a dream with beautiful landscaped gardens, stunning herbacous borders, rose & jasmine archways, a small lake & lots of tucked away places to get some stunning photographs. Coupled with the beautiful weather, a stunning bride and a very handsome groom, Melanie & I were able to get some gorgeous pictures.

Claire & Paul, I hope you both had a the day you wished for and thank you for your kind words.

Here are a few images from the day.

Venetia x

Adam & Claire's destination wedding

I had the pleasure last month to fly to North Cyprus to photograph the wedding of Adam & Claire. Adam & Claire chose a destination wedding as they wanted a beautiful, relaxed wedding in a goregous setting and that's exactly what they got.

They took their vows in a gorgeous ceremony in the grounds of the boutique style hotel the Bella View, set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Five Finger Mountains and overlooking the beautiful mediterranean sea.

After a relazing drinks reception, complete with Mojito's and canapes, we took Adam & Claire to the historic Bellapais Abbey for their photographs. The beautiful ruined monastery was a perfect location for some goregous pictures of the two of them and a part of the day that Claire particularly loved.

After a champagne reception and a delicious 8 course hot & cold mezze they boogied the night away to a local jazz band in the grounds of the floodlit Abbey which provided a stunning backdrop. Here are a few pictures...more to follow.

It was a fantastic day.....thank you for inviting us to be part of it. Here are a few pictures.....more to follow.

Venetia xx

P.S Adam & Claire's wedding was organised by Zeckye Yucel from The Discovery Collection who specialise in tailor-made weddings, honeymoons & holidays. Thank you to her and her team on the day for certainly making our jobs easier!

Destination wedding photography

Each year many Bride & Groom's are attracted by the idea of a destination wedding. Whether on the beach in a hot & exotic country or a stunning hotel set in beautiful countryside it can be for a variety of reasons. It might be for personal or family reasons, the thought of the mammoth organisational task ahead or simply the lure of guaranteed sunshine.

Years ago 'running away' abroad to get married was frowned upon but more and more people are discovering the appeal of a destination wedding. There are a number of companies out there offering either hassle-free 'packages' including the basics like the venue, flowers, photography, transport etc or a totally bespoke service where couples can tailor a beautiful, lavish wedding to their individual requirements with all the gorgeous details and thought that would go into any English wedding.

A few times a year I'm lucky enough to be asked to photograph one of these gorgeous destination weddings and have been to France, Spain, Italy, Greece, South Cyprus, North Cyprus and am currently talking to a couple about their wedding in the Maldives. Location weddings tend to be quite intimate affairs and it's always a great honour to be asked to accompany the wedding party as a destination wedding photographer.

Although I have known some brides fly out their own hairdresser most of the other 'suppliers' like florists etc, tend to be local. However, for many, photography is a different 'ball-game' and something they place far too much importance on to be left to someone else to choose and organise and I think there are many reasons for this.

Firstly, style and service. The majority of local photographers have a very formal style focusing heavily on set up shots of individuals and groups and not really much in the way of reportage style photography. However, many clients are looking for more than this and a mixture of photography; informal, candid shots, pictures capturing the details of the day such as flowers, the wedding dress etc, a few groups & some beautiful, semi-directed portraits of the two of them.

Also there is the level and breadth of service. On a recent trip to Cyprus the wedding coordinator was amazed at the coverage provided on the day and the planning and detail that went into the photography. Her local photographers tend to meet the couple on the day and simply cover the ceremony and an hour afterwards. She was amazed to hear about pre-wedding meetings, location visits the day before and the fact we were shooting from the bridal preparations right through to the fireworks capturing the story of the day and the essence of the location.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, as a wedding photographer I invest a lot of time building up relationships with my clients and I always tell people to choose their wedding photographer not only because of the beautiful pictures they take in the style they like but also because they like and feel comfortable with that person. If your using an overseas supplier you might not get to do that or even meet them before the day.

Lastly and very basically, distance and language. The actual photography on the day is only a relatively small part of the whole process and once the photographs have been processed then comes the fun part of choosing & producing albums, DVD, frames etc. The process tends to work over the Internet and by e-mail when using a local photographer but many couples prefer a face to face meeting to view their photographs and choose which ones are beautifully presented in the products of their choice.

It sounds like a perfect option but surely it's too expensive and only for the rich & famous?! Actually, no. If possible I combine my destination wedding photography with a holiday & therefore you do not pay the full travel cost. It obviously works out slightly more expensive than a English wedding but many couples feel that the benefits and the standard of photography that they get makes this a worthwhile investment.

To view my full portfolio of destination wedding photography, discuss your requirements and for a quotation please do not hesitate to contact me. It is within your reach.

Venetia x

A very near miss....!!

A couple of months ago I had the pleasure to do a pregnancy portrait for Emma & Tom. Emma booked her pregnancy photoshoot quite late & only had a couple of weeks until her due date when we did our session in the studio. We got some beautiful pictures and they left promising to let me know when their bundle of joy arrived. We all thought it might be a few weeks, as many first babies are late, but the very next day there were rumblings afoot and gorgeous William was born on Valentines Day! Wow......that was a close call!! Here are a few pictures of their beautiful new addition.....











Although newborn babies can be photographed in the studio I prefer to photograph young babies in the comfort of your own home using natural light. This ensures eveyone is as relaxed as possible & I dedicate as much time as is needed, stopping for as many feeds & nappy changes as is necessary! Contact me for more information.

Venetia x