When Veronika and Mark first contacted me about photographing their wedding I was fully booked and had promised (for the third year running) my husband that I was in no way going to be tempted to take on any more work. Then I met these guys. I instantly knew that their day was going to be something special and I was also looking forward to the challenge of helping Veronika to overcome her nervousness in front of the camera.
Since the beginning of 2018 I have been offering pre-wedding shoots as a complimentary inclusion in all of my wedding packages. Veronika and Mark are a classic example of why these shoots are such a great idea. We got to know each other so much better over the course of the shoot, starting at their home and moving onto some beautiful areas in Brewood, and ending with me lying flat on my stomach in the middle of a hay field surrounded by fairy lights - a scene which unbeknown to me I would be reminded of a few weeks later when Mark sent me the lovely photo he had taken of all three of us! Veronika was a completely different person in front of the camera by the end of the shoot and also seemed much more at ease about being photographed and about the wedding day itself.
Onto the wedding day! It was quite a strange (but fun) start actually because I found myself on the opposite end of the camera for this wedding. I have been working with a videographer to produce some promotional films for my website and social media in 2019 (exciting things to come very soon!) so before the bride and groom arrived we got stuck into some video work of me doing my thing!
From the moment Veronika arrived at the church and walked down the aisle to meet Mark, they could not take their eyes off each other. To see two people so obviously and unconditionally in love was just amazing and their connection was captured beautifully on camera. After some emotional readings and a brilliant personalised song played and performed on piano by one of the groomsmen, the vows were said, the first kiss kissed and the register signed.
It's safe to say I will now be packing confetti cannons into my kit bag for every wedding I attend - I've not come across them before so I was unsure what we were going to get and how the photographs would turn out, but wow! These things make some seriously epic confetti! Veronika and Mark's reactions just made it though - they are very expressive people and their day was just filled to the brim with laughter and fun, and this is possibly the most evident during the confetti shots.
One thing I wasn't expecting was for the bride and groom to announce, once the confetti had landed, that they were going to RUN to their reception venue! Granted, it was only at the top of the road from the church, but this is a first. I should probably explain that Veronika and Mark are both marathon runners so this was a little personal touch to their day and a bit of fun for them and the guests...they even went on to run the New York Marathon together on their HONEYMOON! So, yeah, wow!
The Mount Hotel was the reception venue of choice and the grounds made a beautiful autumnal backdrop for some portraits before the wedding breakfast. I experimented with a few smoke grenades for the first time which was a lot of fun...if unpredictable! I love the shots where you really don't know what you're going to get until you get them...it's kinda scary to think it might all go completely wrong but when you get something good at the end it's SO satisfying.
I loved every second of this wedding and I could go on for quite a lot longer, but I'm sure you'd rather see some images! So here they are - Veronika and Mark's best bits. Congratulations Mr and Mrs Foster :)