Tomorrow is Shellby and Ryan’s wedding day at the beautiful White hart inn, Lydgate. Its such a gorgeous venue and one that I absolutely love returning to.
A couple of months ago we met for a walk, chat and a squeezed in some photos along the way. I love getting to know my couples throughout their wedding planning and getting to know all about their back story and plans for their big day on the pre wedding shoot.
Here’s a little bit of what we got up to…
I met Duane and Ellie last week at their home before heading to one of their favourite spots for a walk with dog Trevor. We were lucky to dodge the thunderstorms and be graced with some very rare but welcomed sunshine! I always love heading to places that are personal to a couple for pre wedding shoots.
When we reached the top there was the most amazing view out to Manchester and I was so glad we had a clear day to see the view. Not wanting to be left out Trevor did a quick lap to be centre frame in some of Duane and Ellie's images.
After our walk we headed back to Duane and Ellie's house to chat through plans for their wedding and I CANNOT WAIT! In August I'll be heading down to Cornwall for the pairs festival themed wedding! Every single thing about this wedding sounds incredible and I am so so excited to be photographing their big day.
If you'd like to meet to discuss booking me for your own wedding or booking in a couples shoot drop me a message to see what I can do for you.
Olivia x
When Charlotte suggested meeting at Fountain's Abbey for her and Jame's pre wedding shoot ahead of their wedding at Barton Grange this summer I was over the moon, when she then asked if Millie the dog could be involved I was even more excited! After previously visiting the incredible beauty of this National Trust site years ago I was more than a little excited to return. Despite the typically British April showers we walked around the preserved site of the Abbeys ruins with dog Millie and managed to dodge all rain showers that came on the drive from Lancashire to beautiful North Yorkshire. Although after recent snow, rain, sunshine and all other elements a little bit of dry was welcome weather!
After meeting in the cafe in the courtyard we made our way down the hill and explored the various ruins (which are the largest monastic ruins in the country) set alongside the river in Ripon and chatted all things weddings and pets! There was plenty of beautiful archways and stunning scenery for backdrops for their pre wedding photos. Here’s a little bit of what we got up to….
If you’re thinking of a pre wedding shoot its a great way to warm up in front of the camera and see how I work. Don’t worry its not hours of standing in one spot saying cheese, I want to see how you react with one another so heading to a spot you love to simply have a walk and a chat about your plans is the perfect place to start! For more information on pre wedding shoots drop me a message :)
Olivia x
Today I'm heading to the beautiful Sweeney Hall in Oswestry for Carwen and Matt's wedding. Coming from the North west and previously living in Wales for 3 years I love any opportunity to head back and explore the many beautiful towns, cities and villages Wales has to offer and last week was no different. I headed to the ridiculously stunning town of Llangollen situated in North East Wales to meet with Matt, Carwen and children Cai, Bella and Oscar.
Right on the edge of the Berwyn mountains situated on the River Dee Llangollen was full of idyllic spots for photos. Bright and early on Saturday morning after meeting outside the Corn Mill, where Matt and Carwen had their first date, we headed down beside the river to get some family photos and images of the two of them together in preparation for their wedding. Prior to the shoot Carwen had told me she was nervous but she didn't need to be as the whole family were naturals and I absolutely loved having the opportunity to spend the morning with them all.
Following a morning walking along the river taking photos we headed to a local cafe to chat all things weddings, I absolutely loved hearing all about their upcoming wedding. And just as we did the typical British weather arrived and the rain came down!
Here's a small snippet of what we got up to...
Pre wedding shoots are not only a fab opportunity for you to get a selection of photos together other than the selfies on your phone its a brilliant opportunity for us to meet. I love meeting couples before the wedding and often couples agree experiencing having their photo taken before the wedding puts their mind at ease on the day. If you would like to book in for a meeting or couples shoot drop me a message :)
Olivia x
Next week I will be heading back to the incredibly beautiful and grand Carlton Towers in Yorkshire to document Sam and Pranesh's big day. Back in the autumn I headed up crossing the Lancashire to Yorkshire border to meet the pair for a pre wedding shoot. We had a relaxed walk round the venue and discussed all things weddings and wedding plans.
The building was covered in the most amazing red ivy and we had the whole place to ourselves to explore! A beautiful mix of large state rooms dressed in gold and ornate fireplaces and intimate cosy rooms perfect to snuggle on the sofa in and surrounded by 250 acres of estate parkland there was plenty to explore.
We had such a lovely morning full of love and laughter and it made me so so excited for their big day! After a quick tour of the venue we started in the state rooms and worked our way through the house and into the gardens for some pictures.
Pre wedding shoots are not only a great opportunity to get some photos of you as a couple but they are a fab opportunity to chat all about your big day, not to mention understand a little bit about how I work and what you’ll be doing on your wedding. Aside from this I LOVE shooting couples, if you’d like some photos of you and your partner (engaged or not) pop me a message and see what I can do for you!
2017 was such an amazing year for me. I met the most amazing couples sharing their big days documenting the tears, the laughter and the incredible parties that followed! I am so grateful to each and every couple that chose me to document their day.
I've been lucky enough to work at some amazing new venues, tick some off my bucket list and return to some favourites from previous years. I've travelled up and down the country working with the BEST couples. I have second shot for some incredible photographers and undergone training from some of the best.
The year kicked off at The Victoria hotel in Oldham and ended at beautiful Mitton Hall. In between I travelled to Kinross, Scotland, Swansea, Fawley Hill and Bristol and so many other incredible places.
I can't wait to see what 2018 holds, I'm nearly fully booked with just a couple of dates remaining and now taking bookings for 2019. I'll be travelling across Manchester, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Wales and further afield. If you're still looking for your photographer drop me a message to see what I can do for you.
Happy New Year!
Olivia
Last month on a very sunny Saturday I headed to Chester Zoo (yay!) to meet up with Michaela, Ken and daughters Annabelle & Taliah to chat all about their wedding plans, stroll around the zoo and sneak in a few pictures ahead of their wedding day.
I am so excited for this one and know its going to be an absolutely amazing wedding full of fun, love and incredible animals.
Here's a little look at what we got up to when we met.
This weekend is a little throwback to my favourite time of year when the leaves have fallen and the ground is scattered with the perfect shade of orange. I met Shai and James down by the boating lake in beautiful Heaton Park in Manchester. Full of beautiful spots spanning over 600 acres in the grounds of an 18th century country house there was plenty of amazing photo spots.
We walked around chatting about all my favourite things- weddings and animals! We even befriended some of the squirrels that occupy the park.
There was plenty of laughs, cuddles and pictures to show off how perfect these two are for each other!
Heaton park made the perfect setting for photos. With a stunning backdrop of autumnal colours and animals it is an idyllic haven from the busy centre of Manchester.
One of the things I get asked most is "What do we do if it rain's on our day?" The short answer is we grab an umbrella and carry on. Don't be afraid of a little (or a lot) rain and never underestimate how beautiful the rain can and will look on your pictures.
I kicked off what is turning out to be a very wet April here in Lancashire meeting with Sarah and Dave on one of the wettest days of the year, for what was undoubtedly the soggiest shoot I have ever done. But lucky for us that also meant the Botanic gardens in Southport were empty for us to get some lovely pictures in the spot Sarah's parents had their own wedding photographs.
We sheltered from the rain with Charlie the puppy before digging out the umbrellas and heading out and walking round the botanical gardens talking about their wedding and getting some snaps. These guys were awesome full of love and laughter and I cannot wait for their wedding!
A couple of weeks ago I headed to Knutsford to spend a very rare day of sun with Hannah & Matt at Gauntlet birds of prey centre for their pre wedding shoot. With their wedding just a few weeks away this was a great chance to hear a little bit more about their big day and their plans.
From the moment Hannah emailed me to tell me about her surprise engagement shoot handling birds for fiancé Matt I was super excited. I absolutely adore animals and LOVE owls so combining this with a couples shoot was my idea of heaven!
After walking around to have a little look at all the beautiful birds and meerkats that are kept at the centre we were greeted by Shelley one of the handlers at the centre. Throughout the shoot Matt and Hannah handled 5 different types of bird including Slick Sid the harris hawk, a vulture and a beautiful owl while learning a little bit about each of the birds.
