Sara and Ben – a fabulous short coverage wedding in Canterbury

I met Sara and Ben a few months ago at a wedding fair and they asked if I was available to cover their ceremony … I was already booked to photograph a wedding from 1pm on the same day … but they were getting married in the morning … and local to me and so we agreed that we could make it work … and we did!

I love this littlie shot … photography isn’t for everyone, you know!!! But I love that Sara joined in with the little ones too!

The registry office in Canterbury, in Wellington House, is an intimate venue and so I had the chance to capture the entire ceremony from very close in …

Such a cute little helper who handed the bride and groom their rings!

The weather, which had been beautiful on arrival, was starting to threaten rain so we got all the “formal” shots that we needed and then had a few minutes to get some bride and groom portraits.

Sara, you looked amazing!

And all too soon, my bride and groom were being whisked off to their reception and I had to pack up my equipment and speed off to photograph my second wedding in one day!

Congratulations to Sara and Ben and it was great to see you again and meet your families and friends. And I’m so glad to have been a tiny part of your day! xxx

Catherine and Andrew’s wedding at The Guildhall in Sandwich … and Logan … {sneak peek}

Logan is four. He is super cute. And he knows it.  He was such a huge part of Catherine and Andrew’s fabulous wedding at The Guildhall in Sandwich and was cheeky and cute and well behaved throughout!

I first met Catherine with her parents at a wedding fair and was complemented on my work, particularly by Catherine’s father.  I learned further that Catherine’s parents are keen photographers and was so pleased that Catherine and Andrew decided to book with me so that I could capture their day in the style that they liked so much.

And it didn’t disappoint – Catherine and Andrew gave me so much portrait time with them and it really was worth every minute – a huge thank you also to best man, Daniel, who walked the streets of Sandwich with us, stopping traffic when required and holding reflectors too!

Can you spot cheeky Logan?

Sandwich is a beautiful town with many medieval houses still remaining. It was one of the Cinque Ports but is now located around two miles inland from the sea.

And seems to be popular with cyclists …

It has so many great places in which to photograph a bride and groom …

And can be a little windy at times!

The weather was perfect, warm enough to stroll along the river and for guests to enjoy the views.

There are so many great photographs from this lovely couple’s wedding and I’m looking forward to working through and editing them to share on their return from their “family moon”.

Thank you both again for giving me so much time with you and for being such fun to work with … much love xxx

Crown Lodge – a beautiful wedding venue in the Wye Valley

In my job as a wedding photographer, I get to photograph beautiful weddings at beautiful venues. And I get to meet the owners, the co-ordinators, those “behind the scenes” people that make every wedding run like clockwork. And I am also lucky enough to be invited to see revitalised venues and reintroduced venues … such as the gem which is Crown Lodge.

Ceremonies can be held in the tranquil outside area or, should showers threaten, in the light and bright venue itself.

The views are spectacular …

And the locals are very friendly too!

If you are planning a wedding in 2016 or 2017, why not give the fabulous team at Crown Lodge a call.  You will be smitten, as I was. And, of course, if you are looking for a wedding photographer who doesn’t mind mixing with the locals, drop me an email sam@samanthajonesphotography.co.uk and we can chat further!

A lovely testimonial from a lovely family

I had the pleasure of photographing Charlotte and Jon’s wedding at Oakwood House last March.  And we met up with much warmer weather back at their wedding venue to catch up and for some family photographs.

And I was delighted to receive such lovely words from a proud mum …

It was an absolute pleasure xxx

First anniversary (plus a couple of months)

I can’t believe it’s been a year since Judy and Dave’s wedding at Pines Calyx. But when we met up again, it was far, far warmer, we were by the seaside (again) and Poppy came too.  Of course, she had lots of time to give love to Judy and Dave during the shoot …

The meadows are in full bloom and Judy and Dave are working hard to create a wonderful environment for local wildlife to thrive.

Judy also blogs about her experiences and I have found it quite fascinating to read more about their work:

https://walmermeadows.wordpress.com/2016/06/10/walmermeadows-tree-sparrow-project/

It was so lovely to spend time with you both again, and to meet Poppy, who is an incredibly agile Collie and certainly showed off her skills whilst I was there!

I look forward to sharing the rest of your first anniversary photoshoot and hope to join you all many times in the years to come!

A festival of colour – Teresa and Allan at The Dover Marina Hotel

I was delighted to join Teresa and Allan for their seaside wedding last June.  It really was a fiesta of colour and the room was most beautifully set up with pom poms and butterflies galore.

We were so lucky to be beside the seaside because the weather had turned quite humid but there were cooling sea breezes (and air conditioning in the ceremony room!)

Teresa and Allan seemed just so relaxed and Teresa even had time to pose briefly with her brother at the door of the hotel …

We decided to have the formal shots on the grand steps in front of the ceremony room … for two reasons, one, ease of access and two, because the sun was out and incredibly warm!

Teresa and Allan were just a joy to photography, happy and relaxed the whole time. And they also received lots of congratulations from other people enjoying the seaside too!

In the UK, with hot weather often come thunderstorms and this was the case but we had just a few minutes to dash outside and get a few more portraits on the beach.

I so very much enjoyed photographing this colourful wedding with such a lovely couple and also had great fun working with them on producing their album.  I am sure that our paths will cross again in the future and I wish you both all the very best of luck in your future lives together and keep smiling xxx

Your Kent Wedding of the Year competition – Sian and Jason

I was delighted to hear from editor Ivana at the Your Kent Wedding magazine that one of my lovely couples, Sian and Jason, who were married at Howfield Manor on 31 December last year, have been shortlisted in this round of the Your Kent Wedding of the Year competition.

Voting is now live and it would be amazing if you could take just a few minutes and pop over to vote for them:

Your Kent Wedding – vote for Sian and Jason

But hurry, voting finishes on 20 May … and I would love to see their wedding featured in the magazine!

Decia and Nick married at Winters Barns {part 2}

Following on from part one, we had the chance to take our bride and groom into the gardens at Winters Barns which were just showing the first signs of spring colour …

This following image was taken by my second shooter, Sarah and I love the composition.

All of the speeches got huge reactions …

Especially with the boys bringing in Nick’s outfits from his stag weekend …

We rarely see bouquet tosses at weddings but this was an exception …

And was just great to capture from two different angles … now, now girls!

All too soon it was time for cake cutting …

And the first dance …

Such an amazing day from start to finish. Sarah and I had a great day capturing the emotions and fun of this Winters Barns wedding and I very much enjoyed designing and delivering Decia and Nick’s wedding album, along with two parents albums as gifts and thank you’s.

If you are planning a wedding at Winters Barns, I’m delighted to be on the list of recommended photographers and am only about 15 minutes drive away so do drop me a line and we can meet up and chat over coffee: sam@samanthajonesphotography.co.uk

Decia and Nick – the story of their wedding at Winters Barns {part one}

So many images. Such a great day. A gorgeous couple. A fabulous venue. Great weather. Amazing guests.

Oh I love my job.

Let’s start at the beginning …

A Maggie Sottero bridal gown … what’s not to love!

The boys were a challenge to photograph … but we managed it!

Nick, you were just so relaxed. And handsome …

I don’t set up shots like this. Honestly, I don’t. But the boys insisted. And rolled up their trouser legs …

I love this shot. Absolutely to bits. The young lady on the left is being lifted by her man … almost rugby style!

So many images and we are only as far as the confetti.  You’ll have to come back to see part two of Decia and Nick’s celebrations … oh and the speeches, from the three best men, were pretty fun …

Bridal Boutique at Chilham {sparkles}

As I was driving home from one of my newborn clients, I noticed, tucked discretely away, a bridal boutique in Chilham. So, of course, I had to find out more … and made an appointment to visit Carly, who runs this bijou boutique along with her sister Tiffany.

You could find the bridal gown of your dreams here …

Carly explained that the bridal gowns at the boutique are either pre-owned, from sample sales or are new designer wedding dresses. The prices range from £500 – £1,000 and you could possibly own a Maggie Sottero or Amanda Wyatt for 60% of the original price.  The dresses are in excellent condition, less than three years old and have been professionally dry-cleaned.

The boutique is run on an appointment only basis and you can find their website here: www.chilhambridal.co.uk

If you are looking to find your perfect bridal gown, then it might be worth giving the girls a call.  You just never know what awaits you in this beautiful boutique!