Glamorous wedding day memories

Years of wedding day photography leave me in no doubt that sunny skies and fabulous seascapes  provide a wonderful setting for any wedding. If your budget runs into the tens of thousands and you can afford to bring the entire family and many of your friends to a top end resort in Antigua or the Costa del Sol your photographs will be fabulous and you will have a day to remember all your life.

Galleon Bay in romantic Antigua in the Caribbean

     Wonderful Hotels with beautiful grounds proliferate in the high end, jet setters paradise venues of Caribbean Islands, Marbella on the Spanish Costa del Sol, and the French Riviera. If money is no object what better way to spend it, than to bring all your family and friends on a holiday of a lifetime to celebrate your wedding. 

       The warm turquoise seas and white sandy beaches of the Caribbean live up to and exceed expectations while the life style of T-shirts and flip flops is relaxed and simple, however the mosquitoes at certain times of year are ferocious, so brides to be should pack anti-hystemine tablets and repellents to be on the safe side.

        The French Riviera is well known for it's sophisticated locations, boutiques and yachts and Marbella on the Costa del Sol has a similiar vibe with wonderful churches and old town scenery.                      

Probably the only downside to both are the hideous coastal motorways and the constant roar of traffic.

  

        On their wedding day the bridal pair stroll in the grounds of their Spanish Hotel

    The gorgeous grounds of King Arthur's Hotel in Wales are not very different, the lake is a little smaller but the green countryside surrounding it seems to go on forever. Bring your own swans and, yes of course, an umbrella, just in case.  

King Arthur's Hotel Reynoldston on the Gower peninsula, not so different



For  more pictures of King Arthur's Hotel, Margam Park, and Swansea venues click here

Marquee surrounded by beautiful grounds

      However, much nearer to home are some outstanding wedding locations in South Wales: 
 the Castle Hotel Brecon, Margam Park in Glamorganshire near Bridgend and many scenic areas on the Gower peninsula and Swansea Bay.

Margam Park historic wedding venue in West Glamorganshire Wales

The weather is cooler and the historic stones are older.

Hot enough for a barefoot walk in the grass above Swansea Bay in Wales

Gower peninsula Wedding proves Cakewalk for photographer

       Probably the only easy 'bride and groom with wedding cake' moment I ever had was in Reynoldston on the Gower. So delightful were the couple with each other over the tricky job of cutting the cake that they provided an entire page of pictures for their album. 

Gower Peninsula, Swansea. A piece of cake.

     In theory it should be easy, you the bride should wave the knife around foolishly (as if you'd never cut a cake before) until your new husband steps forward in manly fashion to help you cut the wedding cake, this should produce a charming image and make your photographer very happy.

       Estepona on the Costa del Sol provided another great moment with a wedding cake, not that this couple showed any interest in cutting it.

Wedding on the Costa del Sol, Estepona

Not the cake anyway.

Wedding at the Gower golf club in Swansea Beccie and Simon cut their cake

         This pic is really what as a photographer I'd rather didn't happen. I don't encourage couples to look straight at me when they cut their cake but I don't want to be posing everything up and telling them what to do either. In the end, as I hadn't seen the groom look this happy and relaxed all day, it seemed to be one to go with.

          To look at more Swansea weddings and more of my pictures click here

             

Photo-journalistic Wedding Photography

      Looking at wedding websites on line, both in Wales and in Spain, I see that for many wedding photographers, the current buzz word is photo-journalism. I imagine that the suggestion is that the photographer shoots what he sees and not the line-ups of family and friends so dear to the hearts of brides and their families the world over.

      For somebody who was a photo-journalist for 25 years (ie: earned my living as a photographer and occasionally wrote articles for newspapers) it’s irritating because it’s incorrect. Anything except hard news, war zones (and even here, history relates, a slightly singed teddy bear has been known to be strategically placed in scenes of devastation to increase the pathos) and sports photography, were totally posed and controlled by the photographer.

Wimbledon 1986 we were not disappointed

   A slice of photo-journalism specifically for everybody who knocks Andy Murray 

      In the late eighties, Andrew Castle, shared two things with Britain's current number one tennis player. His christian name and the fact that he was the British white hope and number one. His highest singles ranking was 80 and in doubles he made it once to the third round of a grand slam tournament but as far as I remember he was never vilified the way our current number one is. In fact he was never vilified at all, he was charming, good looking and we all knew that, "it wasn't the winning that mattered, it was the taking part", after all we were British and that was the British way. Ooh how we've changed.

Andrew Castle down and out in 1986

     In this era of vastly higher tennis ability and achievement Andy Murray has committed only one crime: he has allowed the British public to hope! And so far he has not quite delivered what they want. 

        How greedy and impatient we are!

        Nobody can doubt how talented and committed our gravel voiced Scot is. 

       Don't give up folks, remember Ivanesovic, always there or thereabouts until his last and final slam.




And for a photo-journalistic style of wedding photographs
Go to: patsyfaganphotography.co.uk

Choosing your Wedding Photographer

   You have your dress (or you have at least fallen in love with a dress or several!) You have chosen your accessories:

Margam Park between Bridgend and Cardiff a beautiful wedding venue

 You have booked your dream wedding venue, and now it’s time to choose your wedding photographer…

http://patsyfaganphotography.co.uk

A beautiful bouquet and a happy bride

    It is a big decision because your wedding lasts but one day, and your photographs will last  a lifetime.

  So I thought I would share a couple of tips with you:

1. It is really important to meet your potential wedding photographer.

Try to schedule a meeting as early as possible with your preferred wedding photographer. There may be several within your price range whose style of work you like. You may not personally like him/her (the first one you meet), so time to choose another one. It is perfectly acceptable to see several photographers. Not only to look at albums, but to see that you get on really well (after all, this person is going to be with you in some of the most amazing moments of your life!) (However think twice about the young and beautiful! You may get wonderful pictures! Flirting with the man/woman behind the camera definitely adds a sparkle to your eyes but too much flirting on the day may well annoy your other half, unless he/she is super tolerant).

2. Picture Perfect.

Many photographers nowadays offer an engagement shoot. For those of you who love being photographed, this needs no explanation! It is an opportunity to have a gorgeous image of the two of you on your wall in the year building up to the wedding. But, for the majority of the world, who are camera shy, perhaps I should explain… An engagement or “pre-wedding” photo shoot will help you feel more comfortable on the day: there will no longer be a stranger behind the camera but someone who feels like a friend. It also gives your photographer a chance to see what angles flatter your face (and those of your other half). Unless you are both professional models some angles will flatter you more than others.

  Your wedding photographer can create magic that you might not have thought of

Crop Rotation

At PatsyFaganPhotography we believe our job is to make every bride look and feel like a star on her wedding day. So that is what we do.

    But like every other photographer once we get into post production there are issues that arise.
  "To crop or not to crop, that is the question?"

The bride pauses to see the Costa del Sol below her. The shot as taken on the day

For more wedding photographs see my website

http://patsyfaganphotography.co.uk

Nerja on the Costa del Sol, beautiful Christina on her way to the roof of  the Castle Hotel.

A headshot portrait of lovely bride Christina

   There is a theory adhered to by many purist photographers that the only acceptable image is the one framed in the camera on the day. I beg to differ.
      I imagine, in this case, the hotel might like the top one, the bride the second one and the bridegroom the bottom one.
     In the 1st one, the bride adds to the charm of the staircase, with its rustic tiles and lamps.
     In the 2nd one the bride can see how delightful her dress looks and in the 3rd one the bridegroom can clearly see the beautiful face of his new wife.
      Guess what, the photographer likes all three versions!
To choose your wedding photographer click here

http://patsyfaganphotography.co.uk

Weddings photographed against seascapes

Swansea Bay beautiful whatever the weather

Against the background of the beautiful Spanish coastline Mario lifts his featherweight bride

More sea views  Mario and Christina on their  Wedding day.

In this case the decision is not so obvious. Somehow I probably do prefer the original which demonstrates the delight of the groom in his enchanting new wife, but the crop has charm too with it's greater emphasis on the beauty of the Spanish Coastline.

Wales or Spain find your perfect wedding photographer

http://patsyfaganphotography.co.uk

Wedding Day Transports of Delight

Margam Park, in sunny South Wales, bride Hayley's arrival makes an impact 

How you arrive at your Wedding Ceremony is going to be very important. Whether your wedding venue is in Wales or Antigua and you choose to arrive by helicopter or Camper Van this is the moment when you the bride makes your first impression on your guests.

Marbella, Spain and beautiful bride Raquel arrives at the church

 Horse power in any vehicle is not really necessary. If you arrive in a vintage car, make sure it is not too special, you want it to frame your beauty, not compete with you for attention.

Wedding photography suspended in Killorgan, Eire

This is the kind of horse power that will get you into trouble on your wedding day!
        What matters on this special occasion is how you look and feel, no extra horse power and don't try a helicopter unless you've been in one before, ( this photographer goes a great shade of green in any small form of air transport).  Despite your Jimmy Choo shoes there is something to be said for just being comfortable.
For beautiful wedding photographs

http://patsyfaganphotography.co.uk

Coity Castle and the Costa del Sol

Bridal couple leaving Coity castle after their wedding in historic South Wales

         Arriving at Coity Castle in dramatic South Wales or stepping from your hire car, in Nerja on the stunning Costa del Sol in Spain be sure you will rise up to meet your expectant public as if you were a flower opening in the sunshine.

Beautiful bride Christina arriving in Nerja on the Costa del Sol