I’m a Bride – Should I make a Speech?! In 2015 research found that 1 in 5 Brides were planning to make a speech at their wedding. The feminist in me absolutely LOVES it when a bride makes a speech. I actually gave a speech at my own wedding and am so pleased I did. So if you’re thinking “I’m a bride – should I make a speech?!” the answer is – yes! Find out why I think more Brides should consider giving a speech…   Equality Weddings are filled with ancient traditions which aren’t relevant to modern day life, one of which is that only men give a speech. These days men and women are...

Should I be “given away” at my wedding? For many women, the idea of being given away by their father on their wedding day fills them with joy and love. It can be a very tender moment between you and your beloved Dad. But what if the thought of this antiquated tradition makes you feel uncomfortable? What if excluding your Mum or Step-parents makes you feel sad? What if you don’t even get along that well with your Dad or your Dad isn’t able to walk you down the aisle? There are so many alternatives to the tradition of being “given away”, even for religious ceremonies. For the modern woman...

Fizzy, Poppy Sparklers to Wave Your Wedding Day Farewell   Sparkler exits are ever popular at weddings and I love them! Getting all your guests together for one final celebratory moment can be a really awesome way to end your day! It’s also a great opportunity for an awesome closing photograph but does take a little forethought to get it right. Below are my Top Tips for an Epic Sparkler Exit:   Check With Your Venue Check out if, and where your venue will allow you to use sparklers. Not every venue will allow for this and if they do there may be restrictions or fire safety...

How to cope without your Mum on your wedding day   The idea of not only getting married but planning your wedding without your Mum is one that can seem like an enormous hurdle within the journey of your grief. With Mother’s Day approaching, this painful experience can be highlighted even more and so I decided to reach out to any brides and grooms who might be going through this and offer some of my experience, advice and support. It’s not an exaggeration to say that within the first 5 minutes of finding out that my Mum had died, the thought crossed my mind – when I get married, she...

Planning and Delivering the Best Wedding Speech If you’re not a public speaker then your wedding speech can be a bit of a stressful moment. As a wedding photographer I’ve seen my fair share of speeches, below are some of my top tips for nailing it! Practice Practice, practice and practice again! If you’ve rehearsed your speech, you’ll know which bits are coming next, improving the flow of the speech overall. Feeling confident in knowing what you’re saying will really show in the way you present yourself – there’s nothing worse than a speech read in monotone, directly from a page, with no...

What to do if it rains on your Wedding Day   If you’re getting married in the UK, even in the summer, the reality is there’s a chance it could rain. Rain on your wedding day is definitely not the end of the world. In fact, it’s meant to be good luck! Rain can lead to incredibly romantic images and also means there’s no risk of overheating – nobody wants to be a sweaty mess on their wedding day! My Rainy-Day Top Tips:   Don’t obsess There’s no point checking the weather way in advance. Long range forecasts are rarely accurate and stressing for weeks about what the weather is...

How to get the best out of your Wedding Confetti Confetti walks are a wonderful thing. Filled with love, joy and that We-Did-It feeling, I absolutely LOVE ‘em! Here are my top tips for getting the best photographs during your confetti throw:   Check your Location The first thing to do when planning where and when to do your confetti is to find out whether your church / venue will allow you to throw confetti on-site. Find out whether there are any restrictions. For example, some venues have rules about only using natural, biodegradable confetti. We’ll need a spot where we can line...

How to Choose Your Wedding Venue You’ve just got engaged – woohoo! But now everyone’s asking where and when you’ll have the wedding and you’ve no idea where to even begin! The best place to start is always your venue. You can’t plan anything without a wedding date and you’ll never know what date you can even book your wedding until you’ve found your dream venue. So, here are my top tips for choosing the wedding venue that’s perfect for you.   Size One of the most important factors to consider is the size of your venue and how many guests it can hold. Without finalising your wedding...