Well…he returns to the land of the living.  Not entirely.  Since our last instalment I’ve managed to miss my dear wife’s birthday.  Basically, I laid around all day Monday….lather, rinse, repeat for Tuesday.   To say that I was public enemy number one on Tuesday night would be an understatement.  I don’t think Nicola really quite grasped how I was feeling.

Day broke on Wednesday (27th — the wife’s birthday) and I found myself in the spare bed again for something like the 8th day running.  We had decided to go back to the doctor and this time see someone different.  We didn’t get a massively different viewpoint but we did get a different set of anti-biotics…but as this was supposedly a viral infection I wasn’t entirely sure why.  Call it magic, but by 5 I was starting to feel almost normal.  My in-laws saved the day by coming and taking Evan and Nicola out for the afternoon and giving Nic a proper birthday.  Once again I laid around saving energy.

I knew that I had weddings on Friday and Saturday.  What’s more, they were in Dorset and Somerset and we were heading off to Honiton (Devon) to stay with friends on Thursday.  So Thursday again became largely a ‘rest’ day until we left at 4:30.  I had a simple plan…hire a second shooter for Friday (as Dorchester is mostly accessible to my referral network), let him/her take on some of the running around, shoot well and be ready to go it alone on Saturday.  I was fortunate to find my old mate Simon Kemp available and willing to travel to Dorset.  I can’t tell you how comforting it was to know he was there.  I could amble from the car to the church after bridal prep knowing someone would be there to take the slack.  Simon did a fantastic job and on Friday night I was feeling quite good.  One more day.

Saturday was a different experience.  The weather was hot, humid and sunny.  But with a few litres of water, a can of Red Bull and some great hospitality from the family and guests I made it.  It was great to see Helen and Dan (AGAIN!).  Perhaps the strangest bit was having a couple come up and say “we know you”.  Easy reply, “of course you do, I shot Helen and Dan’s wedding”.  “No…don’t know them.”  “OK…I also shot Seonaid and Lex’s wedding and Helen and Dan referred them.”  “No..don’t know them either — say, do you ever work in Hampshire.”  “Um…yes, that’s where I’m from.”  “Got it…Rupes and Jenny.”  That whole six degrees of Kevin Bacon thing was really taking its toll.

Thankfully, on Sunday, ‘Uncle Paul’ continued his role as unofficial Dad.  He ambled through the softplay with Evan.  I, meanwhile, slept (yes, slept on a couch at softplay) whilst the world spun around me.

I still have a cough (and man my back hurts as a result).  But I’m on the mend!

A big THANK YOU (again) to Simon for helping out and to all my clients who have waited patiently as I attempt to get back from 5 weddings behind.  Hence, why this week’s blog entry is coming to you today and not Monday.

A Day at The Kite Festival (Bank Holiday Saturday)
(Ironically, this is probably what totally killed me off…I wanted to spend time with the family…perhaps this wasn’t the best idea)

This year, it didn’t take too much effort to get the kites in the sky

An Evan-eyes view

Well chuffed with himself

Soon after he would remember his picnic

Nicola (now flying our super stunt kite) is in that in between stage so wants everyone to know she pregnant and not enjoying the doughnuts

A different perspective

It just about sums him up really

Caroline and Andrew — Stinsford Church and Kingston Maurward, Friday August 29, 2008

Who knew a dress had some many uses…

“All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, Vera, Wang”

Left, do you take right, to be your sole mate? (I’m dyin’ here!)

Using the dress for a game of tug o’war had disastrous consequences

The Bridal Suite at the Old Manor

When the bride chucks you out to get dressed (why do they do that?), you get a little time to snoop.  Here, a photo of her mum and dad on their wedding day

Something about it I just really like

Sometimes, they really do make it all too easy for me

I know…I was totally surprised myself

I was hot…I was a bit sweaty…but c’mon, this is taking it a bit far, don’t you think

Dad refines his speech…remember not only the size, but the attentional to detail for later

It was a judgement call…do I follow Dad in or wait for him to arrive.  I reckon it paid off

A last minute bit of advice

A bit different…the signing of the register took place at the front of the church…right in amongst the congregation.  BTW, this is the first shot of Andrew as I let Simon take care of the boys at the church.  Also, we were forbidden :( from shooting during the service.

I spy with my little eye something beginning with ‘S’

With every means of escape the cake only lacked the courage to make the final jump

I do love a bit o’contrast

Tick!

Andrew (aka Heppie) admits the using a hair straightener (for once, I’m not making that up)

See Simon!  I win!

The girlies insisted on a trip down to the lake…

The table jesters start so early these days

Just your average cutting of the cake shot

Bride escapes to loo…bride gets collared on way back.  Easy pickin’s

Like Mother, like Son

FOBs speech is on 30 3×5 cards, immaculately presented and pointers for emphasis…the Groom’s conversely was more reminiscent to a cheat sheet after an all-nighter

Andrew listens to item 14.2 on the list of things you must do to keep his daughter happy

Oh man…there are so many jokes I could make about this one.  Sadly, I don’t even know why she was doing it.

Caroline gets a call from the Queen shortly before the first dance

Light’m up

Crooner!

My good friend, colleague and general saviour for Friday, Simon Kemp, has also posted a few images on his blog.  Click here to view.

Amy and Matthew — Enmore Church and Halswell House (Somerset) — Saturday, August 30, 2008

The bridesmaids dresses hang on the wardrobe…luckily the one who opted to wear the floral pattern dress  at the end never showed

Knowing I wasn’t my usual self, Amy took to giving everyone labels for my assistance

I thought we’d already covered the kite flying images

I did say I get up to no good when kicked out the room

Amy’s mum in deep “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire” concentration

Finally…a few smiles from our very nervous Bride

FYI…this is how it all starts!

Not really sure what compelled me to take this one.  I mean, why cut off the brides head?  Its got something mysterious about it that I quite like.

I can get quite compulsive around mirrors

I have nothing useful to say apart from “that’s what I’m talkin’ about” (said in the way that dude from The Apprentice would say it)

Y-M-C-A

New from Blamo…VIGNETTE…When getting your feet out of the shot is just too darn difficult

Chum chum chum chum chin cher-e (its all Mary Poppins round our house at the moment)

Amy’s mum

Matthew gets his first glimpse

Something I hadn’t seen before…the congregation were asked to light candles throughout the church.

Amy’s uncle does a reading

Just to clarify…YES, that is a Disney Bumper Activity book the vicar is holding — its a long story!

I knew I had 2 shafts of light to get this…cha-ching!

No two of these shots are ever the same

Back at Halswell, they can, if asked, fly a special flag over the house.  In this case both Amy and Matt and die hard Gunners fans.  I was asked by Matt “please get a shot of the flag over the house”.  Without hesitation, I honoured his request…does this work for you Sir? :)

Photographer foams at mouth

Once married, she spent pretty much the rest of the day with this expression

This was one of the fortunate accidents.  Not at all the shot I was going for but what I decided fate wanted me to shoot (groan)

Shortly after the who place went nuclear

A balloon message release

Travelling all the way over from South America he also made for a decent bouncer

I can hear my Father-in-Law now!

I only love this shot because I never looked through the camera…right down to the bubble soap dripping off the bottom.

If you zoom in, you can read why she got all emotional (you didn’t think I was going to give it away did you)

The BM (well, one of them) is stumped when he realised that using the phrase “up the Arsenal on a Saturday” can be easily misunderstood when folks hear the phrase but can’t see the capitalisation

Matt’s mum, a bit teary, watches a photo slideshow of Matt growing up.  TBH, I was welling up as well.  I AM a Dad after all.

Safe shot…does it exactly what it says on the tin…but I do love the figurine on the mantle.  So very English.

The whole dance-lighting took a change of direction owing to the configuration of the room

The wonderful Halswell House

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