Sparkly wedding shoes

It's not often I start a wedding blog post with a detail shot, but Nikki's sparkly wedding shoes are the perfect bling that every girl needs on her wedding day :-)

Nikki and David got married at Kingscote Barn on a bright January day with crisp white frost blanketing the valley surrounding the barn.   Or at least it was earlier in the day (and still in the shady parts), but little remained by my arrival around midday.



Hand crafted wedding details........do you see those frames.......can you tell it's chicken wire???  These frames were covered in family photos and had this great post card of two wedding rings engraved with the bride & grooms names in the center.  


Ahh the wedding dress.....and the wedding dress smile.  Only a bride on her wedding day knows of this special love!






Bridal preps took place inside the new accommodation at Kingscote Barn which has a beautiful light and airy feel.  Perfect for us photographer too.


Mum was being discreet when it came to taking photos. 


Totally love this look the bridesmaids gave David as they walked down the aisle before Nikki.




Yikes!


Ta na :-)




Mr & Mrs - Just Married




Although bright & pretty warm outside (for January) most guests enjoyed the wedding drinks reception inside at Kingscote Barn.


Sweet huh?


More bling shoes - this time not the bride or the bridesmaid either!


A few couple portraits around Kingscoet Barn as the sun was setting.




Ah ha....this is a new one for me.  The wedding breakfast at Kingscote Barn was laid out as two long tables.  This looked great and was a really sociable way for guests to chat to each other.


A few more wedding details around the barn.


Speeches were brief and not during the wedding breakfast, but instead prior during the drinks reception.




* Chink *




And what better way than to finish with a great dusk sky over Kingscote Barn as the guests settled down for some food.

Don't forget you can see more over on my Facebook page.  Hop on over, 'like' it, get tagging your mates and share some wedding love. There are even more photos of sparkly wedding shoes too!

Winter wedding Photographer - Kingscote Barn

It's becoming more common place nowadays for couples to have weddings in the winter months, which as a winter wedding photographer presents me with a completely diferent set of conditions.  Yep, this week lots of sunshine.....compared to a typical summer wedding when we now appear to have overcast skies & rain!  Good old England.

Anyhow, here's a cheeky peak at one from the weekend whilst I work on the rest for later in the week.  You'll notice a theme again too - it's smiley bride syndrome.  Gotta love it!

Don't foregt.....dash over and 'like' my Facebook business page, and you'll be the first to see more fantastic photos from this winter wedding at Kingscote Barn.

Better still, be the absolute first person ever to +1 me on Google (does that link work??).
Apparently it's the next big thing.....I just need to understand it now and remember to populate it too!

When did social media become so complicated......I'm fast starting to sound like my parents when they used to ask me 'how to set the video recored'.

Anyone wanna give me a SEO master class?  I'll tell you what, I'll show you how to take photos in return......can't say fairer than that!

Back on track though, if you'd like to see more winter weddings at Kingscote Barn then take a look at this blog post on my website www.mattdavisphotography.co.uk
  

Photography Course in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

You own a camera (it's a good one right.....a digital SLR), but for some reason the photos that come out aren't quite as good as you'd like.  You hit Google and start searching for a photography evening class, but you soon realise they're not really your scene.  They're full of weirdos right, people who don't actually want to take better photos, but instead are looking to meet new friends, or photograph nude models ;-)   More like a social club, rather than a fast track way to teach you how to take better photos.

If that's you, then a Photography Course in Cheltenham (with the one and only Matt Davis Photography) may be just what you're looking for! :-)

If you're wondering what digital camera to buy next, which lens is right for you, or how professional photographers take such good photos (surely they have better light, prettier models, better cameras etc.)  well now's the time to find out.

I'll talk you through some photography basics, and walk you though some real shooting in a one-to-one photography class.  And when I say photography class, forget the days of a blackboard and you needing to keep notes, this is about spending time one-to-one (or up to a max of two participants) for an intense time, learning with an actual camera in your hand!

Last weekend I held a photography one to one session with Colin and his Father In Law.  This was taken before his 'lightbulb moment'.....back in the darker days when he used to look at the back of his camera and wonder what an earth was going on?!?!


Steve had bags of creative flair, but needed a little more 'technical know how'.  With a few helpful pointers and some understanding of the basic photography rules, I'm sure his sunset shots will now improve leaps and bounds.


So, you've got a dog (or any pet for that mater) and want to take better photos of them.  Look no further, photography master classes by me don't just mean people portraits, sunsets & landscapes.  Ohh no......welcome to the world of pets & wildlife photography (albeit my interpretation of what makes an interesting wildlife shot!)




Last but not least with any photography course, it's important to put into practice what you've been taught.  So if you're looking to improve your portraits, holiday snaps, or family photos then drop me a line for more details and get booked onto my Photography Course in Cheltenham.   
Places are limited to one or two participants per photography class, and can be half or full day sessions.  Tuition is suitable for complete beginners to more experienced hobbyists.  We all have varying degrees of ability, so tailoring the time spent with me is essential.  Don't be afraid therefore to ask a little more about what you're looking to achieve and I can build a photography class around your needs (whether it's technical know how, the art of taking better photos, or post processing and making your images look wow). 
If you are considering purchasing a Digital Camera I have for sale my used Canon 5D Mark II, so please take a look.

Gloucestershire Wedding Photographer - Dumbleton Hall

Adam & Julie had their Gloucestershire Wedding at Dumbleton Hall in the Christmas holiday between Santa's visit & the New Years celebrations.   Speaking with the venue it's in fact a really popular week to get married as they had five consecutive weddings booked in that week!

Adam & Julie arranged their wedding with fairly short notice (by some couples standards)...although it was probably best to move quickly once Adam proposed as that part of their relationship had taken some time to get around to!  The wedding day all came together really well, albeit that Julie's request for snow & sheep in the grounds of Dumbleton Hall didn't materialise :-(  Still, you can't have everything, after all it was an exceptionally mild December instead........handy for photos outside right?

So, here's a few photos from the wedding day with many more on my Facebook page.

So which bouquet is biggest - the biggest one is the bride bouquet right?


Wedding necklace with real bling.  Yep real diamonds, but alas not Julie's own, in fact rented for the occasion.




The much deliberate 'flower in the brides hair'.  Should it even go in her hair, does it look right, how far up should it go, is that the right angle, what about the clip.....can you see the clip!?   I could go on :-)


Yep the flower in your hair looks great.


All cool before the brides entrance.....


.....but a little biting of the bottom lip just to show a few nerves!






I'm not a fan of taking fake 'signing of the register' photos....preferring to shoot the real thing.  It's nearly always expected though and on this occasion it does look nice.....compared to many other occasions when we're squeezed into the back room of a church, with a notice board and fire extinguisher in the background for real wow factor!






Reception drinks were held in the lobby at Dumbleton Hall.










Inside at Dumbteton Hall set for the wedding breakfast.

Wedding details with a christmas theme.  Frosted baubles, candles & sparkly diamonds.   










What's going on....I hear you ask?  This is drinking games to play during the speeches.  Select a chosen word (say Love, Today, Brides name, Grooms name, etc), write it on a post-it note and stick it to a guests forehead. Then during the speeches when that word is said you need to drink one finger - simple.  Hopefully by the time it comes around to the best mans speech, guests will be properly drunk and laugh at just about anything. 






Props were produce during the best mans speech. 






If you're looking for a wedding photographer specialising in Winter weddings at Dumbleton Hall please contact Gloucestershire Wedding Photographer Matt Davis for a chat.

Other examples of weddings at Dumbleton Hall can also be seen on my new blog.

Wedding Photographer Recommendation - Tuscany, Italy

I really enjoyed the wedding of Darren & Suzi that I photographed last May in Tuscany (who wouldn't hey!).  It certainly sticks with me as a memorable moment for a wedding photographer and always brings a smile to my face when one of their photos passes across my screen saver.

It was lovely therefore to get this wedding photographer recommendation from them.  Not only did it remind me of their fabulous wedding in Tuscany, but Darren pretty much nailed why I like taking wedding photos.  It's not 'really' about the details, the hype, the extravaganza, but the real people who make up your day. :-)

"You can only truly appreciate the value in somebody’s skill and passion in their results. For Matt this is never more true.

Suzi and I are forever grateful for how Matt has managed to capture our amazing wedding day. His energy and effort to understand the finer points of why you spend so much time in planning and coordinating a perfect day is rewarded by his results. He takes time to understand what a wedding is all about. The people."

To see the full wedding blog post take a peak here - it's a two part post with a slideshow too!

Wedding photos Tuscany Part 1

Wedding photos Tuscany Part 2

Wedding photography in Tuscany slideshow

Winter wedding at Dumbleton Hall

Just one from my recent winter wedding at Dumbleton Hall.  Not quite the chill of last years Christmas Wedding, but a great festive atmosphere.....if not missing the snow & sheep!

Come back soon for the full wedding post from Adam & Julie's wedding at Dumbleton Hall.

In the interim you can see more Dumbleton Hall winter wedding photos on my new blog.