Back in September of 2021, I had the privilege of shooting Jessie and Adam’s country chic wedding at Valley Croft Barn, Coldwater. In fact, Jessie and Adam got the complete Queen experience, with me as their photographer and videographer. The day was made all the more special because it was my then fiancé Mark's birthday too, and we were both able to fulfill his tradition of working on his birthday. We really do it all, and I’m so glad we were able to pull it off the way they wanted. As someone who loves weddings and knows how important they are, it’s really important to me that your wedding goes off without a hitch (so to speak). So when I found out that they had already been to two engagement shoots with two other photographers before me (both of whom had cancelled), I knew it was important that their third photographer was just right. Luckily we instantly clicked at the engagement shoot, and had an amazing time on the actual day! If you want to hear more about their wedding day, check out Jessie and Adam's review!
This experience helped clarify in my mind what my role is in capturing your wedding. As an experience based photographer, I don’t just want to show up on your wedding day, take a few shots, and leave you with a some pictures to remember your big day by. I want to get to know you and your story. If you don’t have a personal connection with your photographer, can you really be yourself around them? Can you trust them to capture who you actually are? If your photographer is just showing up on the day to take some pictures, then what are you really paying for? In the case of Jessie and Adam it was easy to get to know each other personally, since they were having a traditional Scottish wedding and so were we. Mark immediately wanted to know where Adam got his kilt from, and things just got better from there. As an experience based photographer, I help make the whole adventure of getting married more fun.
You can see below how I documented the day, from having fun with the girls and their mimosa's, the kilt dancing, and especially the intimate moments between each parent. Capturing these photos in one day is something, but having these photos forever is priceless.
Think about that next time you're looking for a photographer and what their values are.
We also got some time with them and their guests on the dance floor, and have since had some great opportunities to work alongside their friends and family on their landmark shoots. I help with aspects like your wedding planning by speaking from experience, and helping you to figure out your schedule.
But being experience based doesn’t just mean that I help you plan your wedding. It means I focus on your experience as a whole. I put your wedding day at the center, rather than make it the whole experience. I love sending my couples welcome packages and getting to know you in our initial consultation. Doing what Jessie and Adam did in having an initial engagement shoot is also always a good idea. It’ll help you get to know my style, and what kind of moments I focus on. Basically, it’ll give you a chance to glimpse what the shoot will be like on your wedding day while getting comfortable in front of the camera. That way, you can just be yourselves and have fun with your family and friends at your wedding. As both Jessie and Adam will tell you, there’s a lot that goes into making sure your big day doesn’t just look good in the pictures but is fun for both you and your guests!
