Every now and then you discover a product and think “ how clever” , “how simple” and “wish I’d thought of it!”

I was contacted recently by Rollasole about their pumps that roll up for your handbag but in particular the range of ‘wedding boxes’ for guests who simply can’t dance in their heels a moment longer! anyone that knows me will appreciate I am not a lover of heels, I really wish I could wear them for hours but the honest truth is, I travel to meetings in my boots then change into my heels! Not very trendy is it but hey that’s me! So, when I found out about this company I thought how clever.

Who are Rollasole?

Rollasole was founded in 2008 when Matt Horan decided there had to be an alternative to the obligatory “piggy back” home after a night out with his lady. From that point Matt developed and patented the unique roll-up shoe.

The Wedding Box

The wedding boxes contain 6 small, 12 medium and 6 large Rollasoles all in a classic pewter colour to match any dress and are perfect as either a wedding favour or even just to add another special touch to make the day even more memorable. Each Rollasole comes individually rolled up with their own high-heel carry bag and tied with a white ribbon.

The Cost

A box of 24 pairs of Rollasole shoes for 24 guests is £144.95 (about £6 per rollasole)

A special discount

Rollasole have been incredibly generous and are offering a 20% discount to my readers, to quality go t their website and enter the following code at checkout RLLAWED

Recently I met with the lovely Lloyd Dobbie for a catch up before the season gets too wild! We started talking about wedding trends and how they have evolved.  I know my readers always like to learn about new trends so I asked him to put it down on paper! Thanks for doing this Lloyd, I hope to bring you more trends over the coming weeks, if you haven’t read it already, don’t forget to read my predictions for wedding colours this year.

Classic Black and White
Increasingly couples are requesting that at least half (sometimes more) of their images are in black and white. The sepia look that has been part of the Vintage trend and so popular in the last few years is now being replaced by a more classic monochrome black and white finish. Listening to my clients, I realise that they are sufficiently ‘visually aware’ to appreciate that some images benefit from being displayed in black and white.

Second Photographer
Once an option confined to weddings with a larger guest lists, a second photographer is now frequently being requested by the grooms to capture the boys preparation (those cravats don’t tie themselves, ladies!) and pre-wedding lunch. Couples also seem to appreciate the increased flexibility offered by the option; for instance during the wedding ceremony at the church (less moving around means happier priest!) and at the wedding reception where more the formal shots can be captured in less time.

Album Renaissance
The easy availability of ‘do it yourself’ books via online publishing means that many newlyweds will buy the files from their photographer to create their own storybook after the wedding.
However, photographers who offer high quality, handmade albums are also finding that there is a resurgence in demand for these from couples who desire a professionally designed display of their wedding photographs.
It looks as though we are heading towards the final presentation of wedding photography being in a far more tactile form than can be offered by a computer monitor alone.

I’ve just discovered one of my fabulous caterers, Chimneys Catering are offering cookery demonstrations in the New Year.  Those interested can email Treena at info@chimneyslongmelford.co.uk

Recently I had the privilege of listening to the wonderfully modern ‘The Sound Collective’ I have been using Gospel Choirs for many years and whenever I have tried to find a modern choir for a client, I have failed miserably! Therefore I was delighted to discover The Sound Collective and even more thrilled that they are on my doorstep.

When I heard them sing ‘Chasing Cars’ (Snowpatrol) I was ready to move them in with me as this is one of my favourite songs! They refused my invitation to become a houseguest but instead proceeded to tell me a little about the choir. I then discovered it is a small world as they are managed by Tim at Essence Music Agency  who I know very well. Sadly I don’t have a clip of ‘Chasing Cars’ but instead have one of my favourite songs to use when I have a choir – yes you’ve guessed it – ‘Signed Sealed Delivered’ perfect for either signing the register or recessional.

 signed-sealed-delivered - audio clip

I think a choir lifts the atmosphere of any occasion but having a modern soul choir – perfection! Like with most choirs you can use them anywhere between a 4 to 10 piece with a mix of female and male vocals. They also have a female soloist which I tend to use for the processional or a solo during the signing of the register.

Their varied set list includes love songs, gospel hymns and old soul classics and if you prefer something more current they can blend Motown favourites with retro sounding current chart hits for an ‘old meets new’ set. The set list is too long for me to post here but if you contact their management they can send you one. Another favourite of mine is “Aint no mountain higher enough” so please find audio clip below.

aint-no-mountain-high-enough - audio clip

When I spoke to choir manager Emma she said ” please note that we are very flexible and open to your ideas on each individual booking to give you and your brides what they want.  
Whether we sing as a choir only in the church, mix it up using our soloist, are in place to sing for guests as they arrive for welcome drinks or deliver “The Love Actually” Experience and are disguised as guests or staff to surprise at the church or reception – we’ll bespoke our service.“

Now just what wedding can I book them for hmmmm

I am so excited this morning to introduce you to ‘With Love Wedding Invitations’ I first started using Nicky in about 2005, we met via her sister in law whose stationery she was designing and whose wedding I was co-ordinating. That seems a lifetime ago now! When my client said her sister in law was making the stationery I stifled a groan and apparently my face reflected what I was thinking ‘oh dear god not awful home made stationery with bits falling off, tacky tacky’. Well I was thankfully proved wrong; the design was named after my client (Nuala) and is still one of the best sellers. Just proves you can never judge…. After a maternity break Nicky is back and boy am I glad to see her again!

Nuala

It’s interesting that we were doing vintage years ago before it became so popular, you can see past weddings we have worked on together via her gallery. I found the quality of the stationery was wonderful, I never had to worry an invitation wasn’t up to standard.  Nicky has done a brief description on some of her designs below but do pop on over to her website for further information.

The Rose Garden

This NEW collection of wedding stationery is perfect for a vintage styled wedding, this gorgeous shabby chic design was inspired by a dusty roll of forgotten French wallpaper. The base of the image is a pretty pistachio green which compliments the cerise and dusky pink cabbage roses.

Rose Garden

Chic Café

A stunning NEW wedding stationery collection, using crisp contrasting vintage style typefaces paired with bold contemporary colour combinations. This range is printed on a flat white card using colours to match your wedding theme. Pictured here is tiffany blue with red but working for a softer feel would be combinations such as pistachio and pale pink.

Chic Cafe

The Vintage Rose Collection

Evoking thoughts of a fragrant English cottage garden. The Vintage Rose wedding stationery collection is perfect for a relaxed summer wedding! Available to match your wedding colours on a softly textured ivory card. The stationery can be decorated with a 3mm satin ribbon.

Vintage Rose Table Plan

Paris

“The choice for a beautiful, stylish wedding.” The Paris wedding stationery collection uses a sophisticated combination of fonts and classic styling. The invitation ties at the bottom with a soft satin ribbon and is printed on a pale ivory textured card. The ribbon colour can be changed to match the scheme of your wedding. Selected pieces of the coordinating stationery are also decorated with the ribbon.

Paris

So if your wedding is beautiful, romantic, vintage, country….. please do visit With Love to see if there is stationery to suit your wedding.

You may remember some of the beautiful shots from Sarah & Tom wedding in July and their twilight style engagement shoot.  The photographer used was the gorgeous, talented Kerry Morgan, someone I have worked with for 5 years and whose work just keeps getting better and better. Sarah & Tom wanted to create some romantic shots again so Kerry was happy to take them off on their own, the videographer also created some wonderful footage which I cant wait to show you at some point. Ok onto the pictures, I’m not going to comment, more let you enjoy the scene set by Kerry.

Recently I met with the wonderful Mark Bothwell to discuss weddings, my new portfolio but then started talking about wedding guests and how they can really change the atmosphere of a wedding. We both love ‘people watching’ seeing the laughing, flirting and sometimes tears. I asked Mark to write a post capturing some of the emotions present from guests at a wedding.

There are so many high points to a wedding day that it’s tricky to choose a favourite part, but as a photographer with a background in portraits I always love to roam during the drinks reception.

By this point in the day it usually means a few formal shots are already in the bag, the couple in question are relaxed having completed the service (married, at last!) and that social hour or so is brilliant for me to pick off relaxed shots of people chatting and laughing.

Incredible strides in digital camera technology have made obtaining photographs in poor indoor light much easier than in the old days of film. Most importantly it means no need for intrusive on-camera flash because you can shoot away quietly, circling the room on the lookout for that little moment or reaction without really being seen. I tend to favour a very fast 85mm lens for this purpose as the nature of the focal length blurs out foreground and background, leaving the middle ground sharp and leaving the viewers eye no choice but to go straight to the person/people in the frame.

Of course the other reason these shots work so well within an overall selection is they represent sections of their wedding day the happy couple don’t see. I’m recording proof, in effect : she spoke to him, they had a giggle with them – and sometimes he is getting told off by her! In commissioning a photographer a couple are renting a pair of eyes which will hopefully see things others eyes may not. These are unique moments, they will never happen again and while you can’t capture everything a good photographer should obtain more than enough material to recreate the atmosphere of the gathering when the photography is viewed later.

A similar time for this nature of coverage is during formal speeches. Amusingly, I’m the only guy in the room who loves the speeches to overrun and last far, far too long – because it means I have more time to record portraits as people listen and react to the speakers. Tears, laughter, respect and often poignant moments all surface during speeches, so keeping a watchful eye is a great challenge which pays dividends if you can get it right.

The bottom line is that it’s great when things are totally natural, which is always when the best pictures appear. A guest once suggested that I’m an assassin without a gun, picking the moment and firing the rigger… amazing how insightful an 80 year old uncle can be!

Photo credits: Mark Bothwell

Q: I’m getting really worried about to choose the best supplier, how do I know if they are experienced and suitable?
Ok a few simple rules that should put you on the right road. Firstly never, ever pay for a consultation with a supplier – if they want to charge walk away, you shouldn’t have to pay for the privilege of them selling to you! Secondly ask for references, can you contact some independently? Ask if they belong to any trade associations as this can help prove their professionalism. Ask to see samples of work, if photographer/videographer ask to see a complete wedding not just a show reel. Also trust your instincts, if something doesn’t feel right walk away. And finally don’t be pushed around, all very well supplier/venues giving opinions but it is YOUR wedding.

By Appointment Only Designwill be launching their bouquet service via their online shop very soon, the designs are gorgeous so I thought I’d give you a taster. Now why cant my husband remember to buy me gorgeous flowers?

My friends and family will find this a strange blog post for me to write, why? I absolutely cannot eat cheese, even fromage frais turns my stomach! But, I do appreciate I’m the minority and most of the population adore cheese. For this reason I could anticipate many of you loving the wedding cakes available from the English cheesecake company . Even to me a non cheese eater, they look very tempting.The prices range from £325 (3 tier) to £575 (5 tier) so the cost compared to traditional cake makers is very reasonable. Sigh, really wish I liked cheese …….