Hampshire Wedding Photographer, Surrey Wedding Photographer

Nikki and Brett – Caephilly Castle Wedding Photographer

rob_burress — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:02:08 +0000

Why is that I went to a wedding in Surrey at the end of March and there were more Welsh there than my wedding in Caephilly Castle…which, is actually IN Wales. Maybe I’m being too much of a stereotype and deciding that in order to be Welsh you have to have an accent. Which is wrong as one of my best mates is from Wales and has a Surrey accent. I digress.

So. It was time to shoot Nikki and Brett’s wedding. Loyal blog followers will now that I mentioned this wedding last week. Brett marries Nikki. Nikki is Mark’s sister. Mark marries Donna. Donna is Ben’s sister. Ben marries Helen. Helen is Laura’s Bridemaid. Laura marries Leigh. I was there for all of it. You need a full on forensic mapping to work this all out. Keep at it…it will all come to you.

So Wales. Yes, I do have familial connection being of Welsh blood myself. I do love it there. The hills, the sea, the M4. In the classic words of Gavin and Stacey….its ‘tidy’. Newport (location for the preparations at the luxurious Celtic Manor Hotel) is just across the bridge with Caephilly a few miles further on. This was easily the closest Welsh wedding I’ve shot. Let’s be honest, its a 5 iron from England. But enough dribble. This is all about Brett and Nikki. I first met Brett a few years ago when I did full on family shoot Nikki’s family in London. Somehow I was convinced his name was Greg. After screwing that up too many times I opted for ‘Gret’. It stuck. It was early enough in their relationship to never know if I’d see him again. So last March when I got the call from Nikki about booking me for the wedding I was delighted for them both. Nikki for finding Mr Right and ‘Gret’ for enduring the endless one liners dished out by me, Kieron (Nikki’s Dad) and Mark (Nikki’s brother). Who knew that the reason he could take the pressure was the fact that ‘Gret’s own Dad was the king of one liners, slapstick and just about every comedy paradigm going. It did take me half the day to realise that the Best Man was actually Brett’s father. That’s a compliment BTW.

My the sun did shine. The castle was just lovely. A real delight to work in and to be a part of.

Not exactly rugby boots

Family heirloom

Just like my curls…honest

Those damn PPI calls

Not a typical guest arrival!

Dad’s to the left of me, Dad’s to the right (Brett’s best man was his Dad)

The triangle of doom!

Photo by Darren

I just love those village hall venues

Bros and Sos

Photo by Darren

Eventually it all got a bit mushy!

If you want to see a few more go to my Facebook Business page to see more from Nikki and Brett’s Caephilly Castle wedding

Lindsay and Jonny – Amazing Wedding at Lulworth Castle

rob_burress — Fri, 10 May 2013 17:16:29 +0000

One of the principles I’ve always worked on was that every wedding gets blogged. Its my job as a professional to bring every wedding to life for both the couple and you, the viewer (obvious exceptions are those couples that don’t want it and I always respect their wishes). However, sometimes life gets in the way and for a whole host of reasons I missed out a few. You have to believe me when I say that it was never a personal thing. Never could this be more true than in the case of Lindsay and Jonny. The fact that they have already taken delivery of their album should help show you how late I am with this. But this was (and still is) one of the most special weddings I’ve ever shot.

It has nothing to do with the amazing weather, the absolutely gorgeous Bride, the tremendous location or the fact there was free ice cream. It does, however, have to do with the Circle of Life style connection I have with Lindsay’s sister Laura. We start with Laura and Leigh. Laura’s Bridesmaid Helen and Ben. Ben’s sister Donna and Mark. Mark’s sister Nikki and Brett (a wedding I shot a few weeks ago). But let’s not forget Helen’s friend Emma and David. Or Laura’s friend Amy and Miles. Then Amy’s friend Beth and Stefan (a wedding I’ll shoot later this year). I have this really uneasy feeling there is another one in there somewhere its just sometimes hard to remember the forensic lines that draw it all together. So to be honoured enough to shoot Laura’s sister Lindsay and Jonny’s wedding. Well, what a delight.

As such this is going to be a mammoth post. Enjoy it. I did.

I shot his wedding…the one on the left that is

“She’s once…twice….thre–no just twice…a lady”

LausieB

First time seeing the dress!

Still loving it…

and still

I shot their wedding…the parents that is

oh yeah…shot their wedding too

That me…there in black. These are my some of my delightful customers!

Caroline and Adam – Barnet Hill Wedding Photography

rob_burress — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:04:58 +0000

Sweet Caroline!!!! Dat dah duh (now I dare you to get that song out of your head .. bahahahahaha)

Gosh it seems so long ago. I mean, back then it was cold, damp and the threat of Spring was nowhere to be found. Wait a minute!

So it wasn’t that long ago I guess. This is Caroline (dat dah duh) and Adam (no clever song reference available) at Barnett Hill, a delightful venue on the edge of the Surrey Hills (which will mean quite a lot to mountain bikers in the South). This wedding will be famous for me as being one of only a handful of weddings where I had to do family groups inside. Yes, it was that cold. But as rooms go for indoor formals I’ll take it.

These guys are a delightful couple who are perfectly suited. Caroline and Adam’s vows, written by themselves, were truly inspiring. I can’t say I didn’t get a little bit humid in the eye line listening to them. It was refreshing to hear something unique. This coming after a Humanist ceremony the day before where the same thing happened. Its nice to see a bit of the couple in there and not just the legal bits.

They also had a first and you know I love firsts. Sadly the Best Man couldn’t be there. Living in Cyprus it became impossible for him to travel during the financial crisis affecting withdrawals and other day to day activities. But in this modern world he was able to record his speech (inclusive of balloon faces of Caroline and Adam) and have it shipped over via the interweb for viewing by the rest of the wedding. Genius!

I also got the pleasure of working with Oli (and Chris) from Storybook Films. A delightful duo who, for videographers, smell rather nice. I do recommend a gander at the website.

There will be more images on my Facebook Business Page. Have a gander down there and at the end you will find the link. Happy viewing!

Cup-a-soup…lunch for nervous Bride!

An interesting place for your first married barney

The consequences of playing Mambo Number 5 on the guest led iPod DJ!

And A Few From Darren

As promised there are more images on my Facebook Business Page….you can find it here

Jen and Anjohn – The Prequel and The Sequel

rob_burress — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:21:11 +0000

It was the best of times. It was the..well..best of times. It was just two times on different days. To make it even more interesting, it ain’t done yet. Yes, this is the many weddings of Jen and Anjohn. So it is that if you want to get married on Good Friday then you’re a wee bit stuffed. Solution. Get married at the registry office on Thursday then have a humanist ceremony on Friday. And if your family is from Bangladesh why not have another ceremony in 6 weeks time. If you’re not following as close as you should then let me spell it out to you. That is exactly what we did and will do.

So last Thursday I made my way to the registry office just outside of Guildford town centre. Its actually a place that has some meaning to me. It was there that I shot my very first wedding back in 2004. Last week just like in 2004 it was a straight forward affair. This time 15 guests made their way into the small ceremony room to complete to legal bits before we all made our way to Cote in Guildford for a family meal. One potential pitfall of this plan is that you may find yourself having such a good time that you fail to notice your watch and discover you are an hour late for your Humanist ceremony rehearsal (which, I have to say is lovely, personal and wholesome but in my humble opinion not in need of a rehearsal). Its all something to tell the grandkids.

Waking up the day after the, well, afternoon before is all bit peculiar. Turning up and not only knowing the couple in your viewfinder but also knowing you just shot a wedding with them the day before is a unique prospect. It was great. Like old times I tell you. The good part is that this day would be a completely different set of parameters. A joint bridal and groom(al) prep at Jen and Anjohns in Guildford then off to Gate Street Barn. Being a) married and b) not one to have the world staring at you as you enter a room meant that the start of this ceremony would be very different. A bit of meet and greet before the ceremony was a delightful difference for me. I loved it. Of course the ceremony was unique (as in a Humanist ceremony its all about the couple – yay!) but also I saw something I hadn’t seen before. I’m not sure if its a tradition of the Humanist or Anjohn’s Bangladeshi heritage or simple somerhing they thought of themselves, but the weddings rings, which the day before were given to form the legal part of their marriage, were today taken off, bound together and at a point in the ceremony passed around to every guest to hold, see, rub and if so inclined pray. It was interesting to see how some simply passed it on, some were delighted by the shine and a few seemed to pass on good vibes in both secular and non secular ways.

The last surprise for everyone was the table layout. Two long tables split the barn bringing a village festival feel to an amazing day. I can’t wait until May for the last part of wedding trio!

Normally I post a link to even more images on my Facebook business page. An error in logistics (IOW I’m a bonehead) means that I won’t be able to upload that until Monday. So, enjoy this longer than usual blog post and I’ll will fill you in on the fuller Facebook upload next week!

First – Guildford Registry Wedding

Lookie here

“no seriously…I’ve met a real live Hobbit. It was THIS tall”

I’m sure I’ve seen that guy on The West Wing

On reflection this is a black and white shot. Love the Registrar.

Storytelling at 0.3 of a meter

I have no idea who that is…but she kept jumping over a parking post so I photographed it

Part 2 – Good Friday

It would later be revealed why the chair I used to photograph the shoes was so important

The A-Team’s Hannibal would have proud…and even more pleased as it all came together

Again…I didn’t know at the time but when the light shone almost exclusively on the necklace I was drawn. It turned out to be the last Christmas gift Jen’s mum gave her. You tell me there’s no such thing as karma or the universe

Apparently earrings are more difficult than first thought

This was just happenstance…

Jen in the chair her mother made

The benefit of getting ready together….actually I lied a bit. A big reveal comes later but I will do a whole blog post on that later.

That was just the coolest thing…

She loves that jacket…honest

Passing around the rings

I mean REALLY loves that jacket!

Don’t deny Jen…it worked didn’t it! :)

Wow!….and more wow!

I couldn’t seem to get ‘Cab’ to smile despite he’d spent the last two days laughing away!

Big appetite

Checking the job dossier from Jen

Alleged product found in Anjohn’s medicine cabinet

As I mentioned…a link to more Facebook images on Monday.

Sarah and Steven – A Big Freeze at Gate Street Barn

rob_burress — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 21:29:02 +0000

Holy cow…its Spring. Thing is someone forgot to tell Mother Nature. Quite honestly, I happily did family groups outside in February. No one complained. It was fresh not cold. Now that its the end of March you would think we would optimistic for warmer weather. Apparently on the same day last year it was 21 degrees (that’s Celsius). So quite how a year passes and the high was around 2. Seriously. I guess on the plus side it was dry even if it was too cold for anyone to really enjoy the outside. On the plus side I still the family groups outside and it took about 30% less time than normal. Amazing what freezing your dewberries off will do to inspire folks to get a move on.

Yes, this was Saturday’s wedding of Steven and Sarah at the glorious, beautiful and internally warm Gate Street Barn (quite frankly one of Surrey’s finest wedding venues). Despite working at Gate Street many many times it was still a first in staying with the Bride (aka Sarah) in the Bride’s room. Small yet functional. But it meant no traveling and no getting cold outside. Sarah and Steven are a delightfully sweet couple. Calm yet spirited, thoughtful yet spontaneous. A delightful combination of charm, personality and wit that makes for such an enjoyable day for me (and Darren). We really do enjoy being part of something so sincere and honest. It makes you feel like a part of something real not fabricated. Thank you to Sarah and Steven for having us along.

Below is a selection of images. Afterwards I’ll be posting a link to more images which you can view on my Facebook business page. So gander, read, enjoy and at the end is a link for more.

Seriously…how gorgeous is that

The main perk of getting ready in the barn

CurlyWurly

Mum’s broach

Small mirror, big image

Here comes the … Dad

Glasses on my head…cool don’t you think

Today’s doppleganger is the Best Man and Brother of Steven…I give you Mark Wahlberg (or Dirk as I called him)

…in a veiled way of carrying on the Dirk reference

Marky Mark is enjoying it as well!

7pts

That kid is adorable!

Its true…country roads really do take you home!

Gravity is no match!

A big warm bun and huge hunk of meat (although this isn’t a Cheeseburger in Paradise)

Chris from Chess has some new LED lights. Me like.

I have no idea

I love the couple in the middle…I’m don’t read minds but I’m guessing it went something like this “W….T….F”

Time for me to stick to my word and give you that link to the book of Faces and my business page where you can find about 100 images from Steven and Sarah’s Gate Street Barn wedding on Facebook.

Julia and Matt – Gate Street Barn

rob_burress — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 20:36:49 +0000

So…carrying on from my last wedding in February I seem to have found yet another delightful couple. I guess its a vibe you give off. Be delightful attract delightful. How very rude of me to describe myself in that way (mind you that just proves my point). Saturday I got the extreme luxury of spending the day with Julia and Matt at Holy Trinity in Bramley and Gate Street Barn in .. well .. Gate Street. Of course I spent the whole day thinking I was shooting the wedding of my cousin Angie as her and Julia were surely separated at birth (and a few years if I can say that and not offend my cousin). The good thing about a March wedding is you expect it to rain. So when it does you’re not bothered. But more importantly if you get a window of dry you’re over the moon. However, you’d probably be over the moon at all the wonderful bits you put into the wedding. The jars of Tomato and Apple Chutney for guests (I did not have snack relations with that chutney…..OK OK I admit it I did…and it was GREAT), the decoration of the barn, hiring one of the finest florists in the land in Kate Avery and picking some incredible venues. It was all quite daunting. In fact, upon entering for the wedding breakfast Julia took a moment to look out over her guests, the barn…everything…then got a wee bit emotional. Rightfully so.

There will be more images on my Facebook Business page. The link to this can be found at the end of this post. So gander here, scroll and click for more.

Shut it

Different shutters actually

The rarely know first draft of Motley Crue’s “Girls, Girls, Girls”

A first look at the stunning work of Kate Avery Flowers

So happy she was literally beside herself

It seemed an interesting time to revive her skills at stair diving

…a fellow stair diver

Old and blue…multi tasking

Trust…its a wonderful thing

I love that look!

Despite being 4, she had already been selected for the junior school netball team…and who could blame them

Litter bugs

Making confetti a whole lot more tasty!

Discovering why salt and vinegar crisps as confetti might have been a less than satisfactory solution

Happy

Nice bald head…whoever is that…oh wait!

We’ve all done…lemonade out the nose….tough

I love her!

I asked the wind to blow…and it did…impressive

Wrap her up

Inside the barn

…and I did…and it was AWESOME!

Everyone had a photo of themselves as their placecard…great idea and loads of laughs

Suddenly, looking out at everyone, and the barn…it was all too much

A second copy of the place cards so everyone can enjoy

As promised, here is a link to more images from Matt and Julia’s Gate Street Barn wedding on Facebook

Hyun and Pete at The Elvetham – A Winter Wedding

rob_burress — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:32:37 +0000

After the hubbub known as Christmas and the New Year its often a time of catching up for a wedding photographer. You start to think about the downtime and eventually it gets to you. Can you simply drop back into the groove you had a few weeks ago? There’s no question you hope for something unique for your first of a new season. Something that will tickle your insides and make you feel right at ease. I feel rather lucky that this is exactly what I found when I arrived at The Elvetham last Friday. I knew when I met Hyun and Pete a while back that this would be a relaxed affair. Any wedding where the groom picks out the wedding dress is going to be special. I wasn’t left wanting. Hyun’s smile, Pete’s smile. The warmth of the room cancelled out all the cold outside. Simply put. I was in heaven. I’ve become a little of a seasoned veteran at ceremonies. I don’t really get emotional or nostalgic. But on Friday I did. I was sitting in the front row after shooting the signing of the register as the guests took theirs. I was watching Hyun and Pete and their guests crowded around with their cameras. I looked back to Hyun and Pete and I noticed her staring at Pete from all of 6 inches away. I was stuck by just how much she adored him. At that moment, nothing else mattered to her. The people, the cameras, the Registrars. Nothing. She was totally encapsulated in him. At that moment I was taken with emotion. It took me a minute or so to compose myself. Pete is a very lucky man. You will see the image I took just as it dawned on me later on. Also, there will be a link to more images on my Facebook Business Page. This will appear at the end of this post.

Cuppa

Weeds (no…not really…Pete’s mum did an amazing job with the flowers)

Pete scores major brownie points

Honorary Hen!

Oh yeah…that’s what I’m talking about!

I see where she gets it from!

Facetime Korea!

It seemed an odd time to do the Macarena

Never leave anything to chance!

Just before Dr Who arrived

Are you sensing a theme here?

Doppleganger 2013 begins with … Bradley Cooper!

2 seconds later and I’m a blubbing mess!

High fives are not just reserved for injury time winners!

Dress him up…but really…should you have let him out?

Horton hears a hoo and a blue tree!

Nice guns

I’m dead…

I promised you more…and here you go. Pete and Hyun’s Elvetham Wedding Photography on my Facebook Business Page.

Sarah and Wayne – Godalming and Gate Street Wedding Photography

rob_burress — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:53:02 +0000

Sarah and Wayne. My goodness me. What a laugh. From the madness of Wayne and his mates, to the boob touching of the Bridemaids, to the sour faced Sambuca shots. This day was a real gem. In some ways blogging months after the fact gives you a chance to reflect on the day and remember what it was so special. Not only for them but also for me. I do take each day personally. I want it all to be perfect for the couple. A partly selfish position as if its perfect for them, its perfect for me too. Calm heads makes for calm faces. To be honest it was never really going to be a problem with these guys. Their familes and friends are just like them. Serious when it matters and keen to let their hair down when it doesn’t.

The first great decision was the ceremony at St Peter and St Paul in Godalming. Its simply one of the best churches in Surrey. Great light, great space, room for me to move just a little bit and never been noticed. Of course you need to ensure that you carry that wisdom through and they certainly did. Gate Street Barn is just the most fantastic venue around. It all starts with the top and the staff. Just excellent. It was a great day I won’t forget. Thank you both for making me feel so welcome and part of the family.

Have a gander at these images and at the end there will be a link to loads more on Facebook.

Shoe fetish

Why yes…this necklace was photographed on top of a bin…thanks for asking

How to engineer your own death as a photographer

Three ladies and a breast obsession. Result!

She’s living in a box — not a cardboard box .. thankfully

Sisters — are doing it for themselves

Tasty indeed!

It was so nice for Kenneth Brannaugh to pop in for the ceremony

Concentration

A little less concentration

I love the The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul in Godalming…lovely light

Even after 330 weddings I still see things that simply blow me away…love it!

Gate Street Barn — one of Surrey’s (heck the country’s) finest wedding venues

No bottoms were squeezed in the creation of this photo

What a smile

Porchful of Honeys

Porchful of .. well .. guys .. bring back the honeys

Someone is buying his story hook, line and sinker

Wayne…what a laugh!

Camera angle raised to save the dignity to all those involved — you know who you are!

And so….it begins!

11m 40s — get real! No chance

TOUCHDOWN!

There’s no need to ask…he really is a smooth operator

I’m 40…no time for peek-a-boo

No…really…its not a game for adults

I love symmetry

Its only a cake!

…one eyes, purple people eater…sometimes I really hate DJ lights

Exhibiting a Michael Schumacher level of confidence

You’ve made it into three images on the blog…That takes some doing

Office Poncherello phoned…wants his glasses back

Charlie had been wondering what happened to all his angels

I’m guessing the ideal wedding present wasn’t a years supply of Sambuca then?

As I promised, here is a link to more images on my Facebook Business page for Sarah and Wayne’s Godalming and Gate Street wedding.

Sophie and David – A Kew Gardens Fall Wedding

rob_burress — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 12:19:13 +0000

Sophie and David are the kind of clients you love to get. Recently engaged as they attended the fantastic wedding of a Natalie and Alex in 2011 they were suddenly more aware of the finer details of organising a wedding. As Sophie was a Bridesmaid it was even more ‘real’ being on the inside. As Robert De Niro’s character in ‘Meet the Parents’ would say…inside the ‘Circle of Trust’. Well, I know you can’t milk anything with a nipple (unlike Ben Stiller) but I did know that I had a great opportunity to not impress Nat and Alex but also these guys. I’m guessing it worked as it was only a couple of months or so until the phone rang and I was over the moon.

I had photographer two different weddings at Kew Gardens before. Both times in Cambridge Cottage. So this was going to be new ground for me. The Princess of Wales Conservatory remains the common bond but being able to shoot both in the Orangery and The Nash Conservatory was just magnificent. As London venues go, Kew Gardens has so much to offer. I really love working there. Their day was filled with unique features perfectly suited for them. Its nice to get something unique for me too. For that I got to photograph the Bride and Groom exit. Pitch black on a cool September night its the kind of photography I don’t often do. Revert to old school. Direct flash. But even direct flash, when seen the right way can be evocative.

What a wonderful day…and if you want to see more after viewing the images below the find the link at the end to a good walloping on Facebook.

David schools one of the Grooms(wo)men.

“Nessun DOOOOORRRRRMMMMMAAAA’

Pin sharp dresser

Proof that there is never a wrong time for a fruit smoothie

One of my favourite shoe photos — EVER

Proof that this job does deserve danger pay

I was rather pleased with this one…mind you Mum did try on the same two pair earrings about 9 times :0)

The gorgeous…and slightly pregnant…Natalie!

The Men In Black visit David one last time just to be sure

Driving Ms Sophie

Quite honestly…this was the toughest lightening scenario I faced in all of 2012 — I’m rather pleased in hindsight with how it turned out.

David never missed an opportunity to practice his imaginary juggling

looks like chocolate cake…feels like chocolate cake…I wonder if it tastes like chocolate cake

The best gag ever…just walk up to a group and shout “Blue Steel”

Geometry baffled me in school

Just what ever is he measuring…the mind boggles

As Dave Grohl would say “its times like these you wish you had your 17-35″….but I love the look on the cake holder

At least she got the Foo Fighters joke

Honestly…I have no idea!

Everyone knows that red ties are better for air guitar

Some people just can’t take a break from their Davina McCall exercise DVD

..see what I mean

Direct flash never looked so … well … interesting

As mentioned above….here is a link to more images from the Kew Gardens wedding of Sophie and David on Facebook

Nikki and Ross – Teddington and Hampton Court House Wedding

rob_burress — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:27:00 +0000

OK…I know its nearly Christmas and this is a wedding from the first week of September. But you have to trust me here. I sort of had to drop the blog posting for a bit. It killed me to do so, but in the end it was the only way to get out the summer and fall madness. Surely I get something for posting now. And for that matter, in a time when not a lot is going on anyway it will nice to take ourselves back to warmer times and see some happy faces. So that’s what is going to happen over the next few months. Eventually we’ll get all caught up just in time for the season. So think of this as ‘on demand’.

Our first ‘Back to the Future’ post is from Nikki and Ross’ wedding. Starting at the Richmond Gate Hotel, then moving to Teddington (which was fun because it appeared that my SatNav was stuck in Olympic cycle race mode and showed ALL roads as closed) and finally to the chic Hampton Court House. I will also post the Facebook gallery that was posted at the time at the end of these images. So if you haven’t seen the extended set, do take the time to have a look.

(photo by Darren)

missed a bit… (photo by Darren)

Weetabix — a staple of the Bridesmaid’s diet

Nikki…our gorgeous Bride

Roger Wilco

Like many Brides, Nikki was keen to prove she could put in her earrings with one hand…RESULT!

Proud Dad

Suspicious minds

Just like one of those fancy Japanese steak houses

Confetti death hand

BOLT!

….AND a gentleman

window seat

I love a good receiving line

Champagne is the great equaliser

It seemed an odd time for a game of Bingo

As promised, there are more images on my Facebook business page…to view them go to Nikki and Ross’ Hampton Court Wedding on Facebook.