Michelle's little helpers ..

There was no shortage of help at the Wedding yesterday at Hollin Hall Hotel. The bride's pals were only too happy to dive in and shift lights or straighten veils for me. Thank you, ladies. I just wonder if I should expect to receive an invoice! Many congrats to Michelle and Ben, and check out their page on my website ..

Getting my fix ..

I've had a fantastic weekend, with a Wedding on Saturday and a Wedding Fayre on Sunday. I actually had to leave a photograph of myself on the sideboard so that Lesley would remember what I looked like ..

Saturday was fab, with the Wedding of Jane and Christian in Winsford and a reception at the delicious Willington Hall near Chester. I love this intimate little moment as the newly-weds emerged from the church. Many congrats, you two ..

Sunday was spent at Hollin Hall, where I had a stand at their Wedding Fayre. I spoke to lots of lovely new brides and have my fingers crossed I'll be shooting for at least a couple of them very soon ..

There's now a break in my bookings until next month, so it's just as well I got a good Wedding 'fix' when I could ..

Time for a coffee ..

I had a great meeting this morning with the owner of the Hollin Hall Country House Hotel, and we've arranged that I'll be shooting an advertising video for them later this Spring. They had some nice things to say about my work, and it's very flattering that I'm the only photographer they recommend to new brides ..

Coffee and a chat by their roaring log fire was more than welcome after I'd spent the first part of the day in a chilly, wet depot, shooting PR portraits of a Transport Manager for an industrial magazine ..

More coffee now. I've earned it ..

On show ..

The whole point of being a photographer is to have your work seen by other people, so it's particularly pleasing that there are two of my shots currently being used on Facebook by Wedding venues that I work at. Willington Hall and Hollin Hall are both featuring my photography to promote events - a Wedding Open Day at Willington and a Sunday Lunch. I've been invited to take part in the Wedding event as one of Willington Hall's recommended photographers, and I'm being featured by Hollin Hall because I'm the only Wedding photographer they recommend. How's that for a showing?..

News Flash ..

I was in Photography Heaven yesterday. I'd just received a fantastic message from last Saturday's bride when I got an email saying I'd been nominated in a Wedding Industry competition. Then, just as I'm basking in all of that, the local news comes on and I get a name-check and two of Monday's PR shots shown on telly ...

To fill you in on the detail ..

Emma, pictured here with her cheeky kilt-wearing hubby Tom at their Wedding at Willington Hall, sent me a brilliant message saying they were "amazed" by their photographs - yes, of course they're already edited and online for them - and that they 'couldn't have asked for anything more". How lovely ..

Then .. Hollin Hall Hotel sent me an email to say they'd nominated me in the 2016 UK Wedding Awards. In the photography section I hope. Ha ha ..

Then .. A PR job I shot for the Intu Trafford Centre on Monday got featured on North West Tonight, replete with tasty byline. Stonking ..

Word of mouth ..

An old pal of mine is setting up as a 'Bespoke' Wedding celebrant, and asked me for a quote to put into her first blog. My heady advice was that couples planning a Wedding shouldn't get "too worked up" and  .. oh, you can read the rest yerself! Very pleased that she thought of me, though, and I wish her well in her new venture ..

Maybe I'll get to recommend her in return when I do my next Wedding Fayre. On Sunday I'll be at Hollin Hall, near Macclesfield, for my last event of the year. I'm now the only photographer that the hotel recommends, and very much hope that brings in the bookings for next year. There's nothing better than good old 'word of mouth' ..

And relax ..

Well, that's another 2,500 frames in the bag! Two great Weddings and a 'works do' in Salford. What a busy weekend. Just got to edit everything now ..

At least I've learnt one thing about photographing Wedding ceremonies in a Mormon Church ..
You can't ..

I was rather disappointed to be told that I wasn't allowed into Friday's ceremony at a 'Latter-Day Saints' Church in Macclesfield. That's only the second ever time I've been told not to take photographs in a church. So, not a lot I could do other than wait for the ceremony to end and head on to Hollin Hall with the couple to start my work. Many congrats to Lucianne and John ..

Sunday's Wedding was as fun as Friday's was formal. Check out Rachel and Brian, hamming it up in the funky stand-alone bath-tubs in the cool Didsbury House Hotel, in South Manchester. What a scream ..

In between the Weddings, a big party at the Imperial War Museum North.
Man, I just love being busy ..