Harrogate wedding photographer

My first time as a Harrogate wedding photographer

Planning a smaller wedding? By ‘smaller’ I am talking about, let’s say, under 40 guests. Well I am going to give you some photography advice you probably hadn’t even considered.

Lewis and Beth chose to have their wedding at The Harrogate Registry Office followed by a reception at the historic Crown Hotel Harrogate. This hotel has a really nice mix between a history filled spa town yet has Montpellier Gardens right across the road. We couldn’t actually make it to the gardens as it rained all morning but we’ll get to that later!

I have know Lewis and his family for quite a while and even worked along side him when he was a wedding videographer. Already knowing many of their friends and as they had 40 guests this meant I was familiar with many of the guests already. I think Lewis and Beth’s wedding was the first time I realised something so important about photographers and smaller weddings.

The right photographer for the right wedding?

At a larger wedding it is really easy to blend in to the background. Casually float about hunting out the candid moments that make a really good wedding story. There is always a good amount of people to hide behind as I ‘leopard like’ stalk uncle Frank as he does the chicken dance.

When you are photographing a smaller wedding however people really notice you! There is no hiding! This takes a severely different approach to the day, it’s almost the total opposite. I have to immediately to get to know people, put them at ease, have a chat etc. I think it’s about building trust and when you do that everyone begins to let down their guard and then you can start capturing those nice moments.

Some photographers have big personalities, command attention and entertain whilst others quietly capture more natural moments but my massive piece of advice is to find a photographer that you think will fit in with your guests first above everything. How comfortable your guests are with your photographer will be a reflection of results you will receive.

Harrogate wedding photographer

Suppliers:

http://www.bespokehotels.com/thecrownhotel/pages/weddings

Sam williams flowers

https://www.facebook.com/francescaprofessionalmakeupartist/

Make-up https://www.facebook.com/francescaprofessionalmakeupartist/

Watch:

As I mentioned before, The Crown Hotel is really close to the centre of Harrogate and Montpellier Gardens but the wet weather forced me in to getting a little more creative. I had been for a quick scout of the nearby streets looking for sheltered spots when coming back in to the hotel saw how well lit and colour balanced the entrance doorway was. These doorway shots were done in 2/3 minutes as people were coming and going but I love how they came out.

You can find out more about my approach here.

Pricing and packages here