Sarah & Jason's Wedding Day

Congratulations to Sarah and Jason who were married last weekend. The ceremony took place in the local church in Dunton, near Whitchurch and the reception was held at the Villiers Hotel in Buckingham - my second wedding there in under two months.

It was a lovely day, full of good humour and wonderful details. Sarah chose to carry a single red rose instead of a bouquet and it was truly beautiful. Here's a close-up of her engagement ring tucked into the petals, a favourite shot of mine that I capture as the bride is getting ready:




Sarah wore the most exquisite dress. It was a very ornate gown with lots of intricate detail and Sarah looked absolutely stunning in it:



Jason was a really great groom to work with. He had lots of fun all day, which is a big priority for him if the speeches are anything to go by. We had plenty of laughs while taking the photos, even the serious ones like this:



After the ceremony, the ground was a little damp outside, so we chose to take some of our bride-and-groom portraits back in the church. Here's our happy couple in the background, enjoying a private moment while I shoot the order of service and Sarah's rose:



At the Villiers Hotel, I took a series of shots of Sarah with her sister and bridesmaid Rachel who looked radiant on the day, too:



Now, there's nothing like lining up a row of people against a wall and shooting them, even if it's only with a camera. I had a bunch of the guys alongside me as this was taken. The general consensus was that the girls should flash a bit of leg. Here's the result - I reckon they could have done a bit better, don't you:



The guys then had their turn. No leg-flashing at all here. The girls had fled inside (it was a little chilly, after all) and I wasn't confident of getting an image I could display if I'd dared to ask them to flash something at me!



As day gave way to night, the party got going with the traditional first dance, and Sarah and Jason whirled and twirled in a passionate and fun-filled embrace. And that summed up their day, really. As their dance ended, they took their applause with a big snog. Not the first of the day, and I suspect it wasn't their last either.



It was a great day and I'm sure Sarah and Jason will enjoy a wonderful life together for many, many years to come. Congratulations to you both!

David

Edgy + Urban = A New Adventure in Makeover Portraits

Recently I posted a selection of images from a makeover shoot with Charlotte. We were so pleased with our photos that we've decided to launch a new line: Edgy + Urban. It's edgy because we're taking makeover portraiture in a new direction, and it's urban because, well, that's where we're going to shoot.

Makeovers have a bit of a cheesy reputation, and cheese is not something that David Lester Photography is all about. Give me cheese on my pizza by all means but not in my photographs. So the idea behind Edgy + Urban is to lift makeover portraiture out of its traditional studio home and put it down outside its comfort zone. Using gritty urban settings, we'll create a range of edgy fashionable portraits that'll make you feel great about yourself.

Some of you will probably have avoided professional photographers because you just can't stand those awful childhood portraits taken every year at school. We all have them, stored away in our parents' attic or in a suitcase under the bed. They're were dull to look at then and they're dull to look at now. The experience of having them taken was pretty dull, too. Edgy + Urban will change your perception of being photographed forever. It's funky and fun, exciting and exhilarating, it's stylish and stupendous - OK, I'm getting carried away, I know. What I'm trying to say is that you WILL enjoy it and, what's more, you'll love your images.

Drop me a line soon to ask about Edgy + Urban. I look forward to hearing from you,
David

Rachel & Kevin's Ashridge Wedding

If you've never been to Ashridge in Hertfordshire, you don't know what you're missing. A National Trust-managed ancient woodland that's a great place for family walks, picnics, cycling and much, much more. And in the heart of the woods, you'll find the internationally-renowned Ashridge Business School. At the weekend, it transforms itself from a place of economic education into the most astonishingly beautiful wedding venue (www.ashridgeweddings.co.uk).

Rachel and Kevin chose Ashridge for their wedding and they had a wonderful day. The staff are simply fantastic, looking after your every need with a genuine smile and calmly efficient manner. I found this out personally as I was feeling a little under the weather on Saturday, but Lisa and Sally looked after me in fine style - thank you ladies, you made all the difference!

The first part of my wedding coverage is usually devoted to the bride, and Rachel was a dream of a subject. Beautiful and elegant, she was also a very willing sitter and we took lots of stunning portraits. Here's one taken in the chalet at Ashridge where Rachel had stayed the night before the wedding:



And one from the portrait session in the main house, taken before Kevin arrived:



Kevin's pictures show a groom in his element. This one was captured in the grounds:



And this one in the library:



The ceremony was held on the staircase in the main hall. It's difficult to imagine a setting much grander than this:

The dining room at Ashridge is a wonderfully elegant place. It befits the delicious food served there - I've rarely tasted better. This shot has the cake as its focus but also shows off the top table to great effect:

The receiving line is a good opportunity to catch some wonderful expressions. Here's Rachel responding to one of the guests, while Kevin is in animated mode as he shares a word or two with a friend, and Kevin's father shakes the hand of one of the younger family members:

It was a truly romantic day, as the last two images show. This one was taken during my bride-and-groom portrait session, and shows Rachel looking very contented to have got her man:

While this shot was taken as the happy couple enjoyed their first dance, Rachel enjoying a slightly cheeky smile (makes you wonder what Kevin had just whispered in her ear):

Congratulations Rachel and Kevin. I hope you are enjoying your honeymoon and very much look forward to seeing you both again when you get back.

David

Franci & Mark's Emotional Day

On Friday last week, Franci and Mark tied the knot in what turned out to be a very emotional service. I met Franci and Mark at the wedding fair in Central Milton Keynes where I exhibit my work twice a year. We seemed to hit it off together straight away, not least because they were both extremely complimentary about my work. Flattery works wonders, you know!

On the day of the wedding, the house was full to bursting point, everyone in a frenzy of activity. The excitement was tangible. To escape for a moment of calm before the service, Franci went next door to get changed and that's where we took the bridal portraits, including this lovely shot:



Did you ever see a happier-looking bride? Mark was also in great form, and proud (as this image shows) to be marrying such a beautiful bride:



The bridesmaids were all stunning, too. Not surprising really, as they're Franci and Mark's daughters. Obvious where they get their good looks from, don't you think?



And so to the ceremony. Just look at the love in Franci's eyes. If ever two people were cut out for one another, it's these two. There were tears and tears and tears during this ceremony, all of them happy ones. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I shed one or two myself - it was impossible not to get caught up in the proceedings:



A little later, we shot a series of wonderful images of the newly weds. Here's just one from that collection:



Congratulations Franci and Mark! What a wonderful day you had and I hope you have a beautiful life together.

David

Charlotte's Makeover Shoot

A couple of weeks back I did an amazing makeover shoot with Charlotte. The day started with the all-important makeover session by my favourite make-up artist Laura James (www.ljmake-up.co.uk). As the images below reveal, Laura did a wonderful job - as ever - and off we set for the shoot with Charlotte looking absolutely stunning.

My aim was to create a series of images in a gritty urban setting but we were in for a shock when we arrived at my first choice of location. We'd been there for all of two minutes when a lady walking her dog approached an informed me that we were trespassing on her land. I was pretty embarrassed, to say the least, and apologised profusely for my error as we departed in quite a hurry.

Shortly afterwards, though, we arrived at my fallback location and had a fantastic time taking some great shots. Laura came along, too, and applied extra lip gloss when needed as well as doing an excellent job with the reflector. And Charlotte was a complete natural, very relaxed in front of camera and had a great time posing:











I can't wait to show the rest of the images to Charlotte when she gets back from her holidays. If you're reading this, Charlotte, I hope you're having a great time away and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

David

Joanne & Daniel's Wonderful Wedding Day

Last weekend I paid my second visit of the month to the Kingfisher Country Club where Joanne and Daniel celebrated their wedding. Rain had threatened all week long and, as it had been a wet wet wet occasion on my last shoot there, I was beginning to think I might be jinxing the place. But when the big day arrived, the sun was high in the sky, everyone heaved a sigh of relief, and a fabulous day was had by all.

It all began at the bride's home. One of my favourite morning shots is of the bride's shoes arranged on the train of her gown:



Joanne was a very relaxed bride. We created some great portraits thanks to the stunning light that showed off her beautiful eyes:


Daniel was looking pretty good too, as this shot shows taken just moments before Joanne arrived at the Kingfisher:



I love this image from the ceremony. Daniel is so focussed on his bride, and his groomsmen are equally engrossed in the proceedings:




The elaborate bird table in the background adds an interesting element to this portrait:



If the previous image is a little on the traditional side, here's a more modern take on the wedding car shot. A long lens ensured I stayed out of the reflection in the beautiful chrome headlight panel. Angled so the front of the country club was visible, all I needed to do then was position my bride and groom, ask them to have a big kiss, and shoot away!



After eating, we strayed out for some fun group shots with Daniel and his friends. This is inspired by the cinema images we've grown accustomed to in recent years. The long shadows are formed by the sun setting behind the guys. This is one of those shots the guests just can't get with their compacts - you need a top-of-the-range fast lens to focus accurately and stacks of exposure compensation to deal with the strong backlighting. The effect is great:



And so ended another amazing wedding day:



Well done, Joanne and Daniel. I hope you really enjoyed your day - I know I did. See you both again soon,
David

Fan & Martin's Horwood House Wedding

It was a wonderful sunny day when Fan and Martin tied the knot in June. Fan and Martin were great fun to work with a we took lots of photographs. Here's just a small selection from their very special day.

First, a scene-setter. The elegant Horwood House is a splendid wedding venue. Friendly staff, excellent food and a beautiful setting for photographs, both inside and outside:



Fan's Swarovski jewellery was stunning. Here's her necklace, set against her choice of fragrance, Coco by Chanel:



Fan and her matron of honour posed happily for photographs just before the ceremony:



Meanwhile, Martin and his best man were looking very relaxed too:



And so to the ceremony, where the exchange of rings is the key symbolic act. This shot catches the action in close detail, but also conveys the happiness of the moment by including Fan's smile:




After the formalities, we had a lot of fun around the gardens capturing a mix of relaxed group shots. Here's one of my favourites:



Fan and Martin took a stroll around the grounds together after the wedding breakfast. In the summer months, it's always good to have a few shots in the late evening sunlight. Just before sunfall, the light has a very romantic feel about it. This image was taken along the tree-lined avenue that leads up to the house:



And finally, here's Fan and Martin stepping out together in their new life as a married couple:



What a wonderful wedding it was. Congratulations to you both, Fan and Martin. May you enjoy a long a happy life together!

David

Kate and Steve's Wedding Party

Kate and Steve were married in sunny Mauritius and celebrated on their return with friends and family at the Kingfisher Country Club in Deanshanger. Their tans looked a little out of place as a steady drizzle fell throughout the evening. But that didn't dampen anyone's spirits and a great time was had by all their guests.

Fitting in the photos was tricky as time was extremely short, but we did manage to capture a good range of images:


Kate was absolutely radiant in her beautiful wedding gown:



And here's Steve in a momentary pensive mood. It's not unusal to have to ask the groom to smile every now and then. Not Steve - he simply couldn't stop beaming. As I like to capture a range of expressions, I consider myself lucky to have grabbed this shot:



And here's the happy couple together, sheltering from the rain along the walkway that leads to the Kingfisher's bedrooms:



Nice to see that the rain didn't spoil their evening. Congratulations to you both. I wish you a long and happy marriage.

David

The Fabulous Fulcher Family

June has been such a busy month, with lots of album design to do as well as a considerable amount of shooting. The blog has taken a back seat but it's time now to post some fresh images.

The first pair are from a portrait session I did over a couple of weeks ago at the Fulcher family home. Mum and Dad are moving to Geneva shortly, so it was a good opportunity to update their family portraits, examples of which from down the years adorn the walls in their home. It's always good to work with people who really value their photographs. The first image shows Mum, Dad, their two daughters Sammy and Becky and their respective partners, together with little Chase:

And this shot is a gem of the little man himself:

Chase was a star. His big blue eyes shone like sapphires. He popped his hand on his knee as if he'd been posing for a living for a lifetime - he's clearly destined for the catwalk!

Family portraits taken in the home are generally stress-free if you have tiny children, they feel comfortable and relaxed in their own surroundings. But if you're considering having a portrait session for your family, it's also great to use an outdoor setting as this offers a more diverse range of backgrounds. Either way, the main aim is to have some fun, and that's how it was with the Fulchers.

David

Sue-Gwen and James Tie the Knot at Stowe Landscape Gardens

It was my privilege on Saturday to photograph Sue-Gwen and James' wedding. The ceremony was held at the National Trust's Stowe Landscape Gardens, just outside Buckingham. If you haven't been to the gardens at Stowe I would strongly urge you to pay a visit - they are simply stunning. Sue-Gwen and James could hardly have chosen a better venue.

The day started with the bridal preparations, at the end of which Sue-Gwen looked absolutley fantastic:



James, too, was looking very dapper:



After the ceremony, the happy couple were quick to toast their day with a glass of champagne:



A wedding at Stowe includes a tour around the gardens on a golf buggy (which was splendidly chauffered by the National Trust's very own Lewis-Hamilton wannabee Issy). First stop was the Temple of Ancient Virtue which is bursting with photographic possibilities. Here's a favourite of mine from the day, taking advantage of the frame created for Sue-Gwen by the extraordinary architecture:



No wedding at Stowe would be complete without a series of shots around the Palladian Bridge. Here's one in which the architecture again forms a wonderful frame around the bride and groom as they indulge in a little kiss and cuddle. No posing in this shot, you know - well, almost none!



After a while, we retired to the nearby Villiers Hotel in the heart of Buckingham where wedding co-ordinator, Ellie, made sure everything ran smoothly. Here is James complimenting his new bride as he makes his speech:



And just to show that Villiers offers great photo opportunities, too, here's one of the shots taken towards the end of the day, this time using the staircase as a frame:



I hope you enjoyed your wedding day, Sue-Gwen and James. I had a lot of fun working with you and your guests (especially with your sisters, Sue-Gwen - they can give me a call if they ever feel like having a go at being a photographers' assistant again)! I look forward to seeing you on your return from honeymoon, and to showing you more of your pictures.

David