While the wedding industry tries to determine how weddings in 2021 will look I will share a few thoughts regarding the advantages of hosting the smaller and micro wedding.
The wedding industry has been hit particularly badly by Covid-19. This time last year my wedding season was fully booked for what looked to be a spectacular year ahead for my business. I had a few early season weddings in February, but by late March it became clear that a dark cloud would hang over the spring and summer ahead. Little by little my couples moved their wedding dates to 2021 in order that they could go ahead with the large event they had dreamed of.
Here we are, one year later and we are all back in ‘lockdown’. We face severe restrictions on weddings and talk of these restrictions not being lifted until much later in the year. I fear some of those postponed weddings may still choose to move their wedding once again to a date sometime in the future. However, for those of you willing to adopt a little flexibility to your plans and rise to new challenges, weddings will still take place this year, just as they did last year.
What is the smaller and micro wedding?
Micro weddings and smaller celebrations are currently growing in popularity. As a wedding photographer I have witnessed a move in this direction over the last few years. With couples wanting to move away from a ‘traditional’ wedding day in favour of a more relaxed and intimate occasion. So what exactly is the difference between a small and micro wedding? The main difference is size. A small wedding is typically for couples wanting to invite only 30 to 60 guests, usually immediate family and close friends only. Small weddings most often take on the usual components of the day such as a cake cutting and first dance. A micro wedding will have less than 20 guests and will have a ceremony and reception but often in a less traditional format. A micro wedding might include an outdoor ceremony, a woodland picnic, or perhaps a private setting in a restaurant or hotel.
For the predicted 36% of couples who will go ahead with their wedding this year let me assure you it will still be a truly amazing day although perhaps in a different format to the day you originally planned. We now know that it is safer for us to be in outdoor open spaces to help prevent the spread of infection. Outdoor weddings are expected to grow in popularity as couples adopt social distancing measures to help keep their guests safe.
My weddings last summer were a wonderful example of this. I photographed ceremonies under homemade garden gazebos, enjoyed lakeside champagne receptions and roamed Castle grounds. Luckily the weather was kind. We can’t always rely on the great British climate but I do anticipate a moving trend towards outdoor weddings.
What to expect?
Small and micro weddings are personal and intimate. There is nothing to stop you having the day you always dreamed of and planned for even with an exclusive guest list. By cutting down the guest list your ‘nearest and dearest’ will feel like VIP’s and you will eliminate the distant relatives you rarely see and the fair-weather friends. This is an ideal opportunity to get creative with your planning. After all, your budget may go much further with fewer guests.
Make sure to prioritise the ‘must-haves’ for your day, whether that is the dream dress, amazing flowers or that extra-special venue. Smaller weddings allow for the personal touch from venues and catering to cakes and favours. Whatever the size of your wedding make sure your day is documented by your wedding photographer. Capture your day and share your photos with those family and friends who were not able to attend.
Photography at small and micro weddings
As a wedding photographer I love that a smaller wedding allows me more time with a Bride and Groom to capture those wonderful ‘just married’ shots. A small group of guests eliminates much of the pressure of herding large groups of guests between locations and endless large group photographs.
Each of my weddings last summer was drastically reduced in guest numbers. This allowed me considerably more time with each couple to capture those important Bride and Groom portraits. This is always my favourite part of the day and that extra time meant more opportunity for creative couple shots. I also found that these smaller gatherings made for some great documentary style images. Somehow guests seem more relaxed in these settings.
Latest trends indicate that micros weddings, elopements and smaller, intimate gatherings are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Weddings will continue to take place, just as they have through time, after all you can’t ‘lockdown’ love! So come on folks, embrace the idea of a smaller celebration, get creative and make it spectacular.
If you are planning a small or micro wedding and would like me to document your day then please get in touch, I would love to hear your plans.
This morning Dominic Cotter invited me onto his Radio Gloucestershire show. He ran a feature yesterday on families with a newborn baby at home during the current Coronavirus crisis. I came on to encourage his listeners to photograph their babies while professional photo shoots are not taking place. This got me thinking… why not share a few thoughts and tips on photographing your newborn.
Early days with your new baby are precious. These are wonderful days to document so grab a camera or a phone and get snapping.
It is always a privilege when a family asks me to capture their new arrival. The first step for me is to do my homework. I find out the style of shots the parents want to capture during their photography session. I ask if there are any special outfits, blankets or props they want to use on the shoot, and I offer a few ideas of my own. Pinterest is a great place to begin, it is full of ideas for you to recreate. So set up a mood board and gather up some props from around your home.
The key for a newborn shoot is to keep it natural and simple. Work with natural window light for soft shadows and highlights. Choose neutral backgrounds where possible, perhaps a plain white sheet or blanket, or a sheepskin, if you have one. If you are working with props be sure that your set up is safe for your baby. I photograph babies in their ‘birthday suits’ if parents allow, but babies look equally adorable swaddled in a blanket or a special outfit. It is important to keep your baby happy and warm during your photo session. I always recommend that baby has a full tummy and the heating is cranked up high.
Capture all the little details of your newborn, from the top of their heads to their teeny toes. Don’t worry if you don’t have a fancy camera with a macro lens for this, phone cameras do a fantastic job these days. Don’t forget a few shots that include yourself, your partner and siblings. These are priceless memories that you will treasure for years to come.
Take your time, don’t rush! These are special moments you are capturing with your baby. You don’t have to book a professional photo shoot in order to document these first few weeks with your newborn. One advantage of capturing these images for yourself is that you can record these early stages of your your baby’s development over a period of time. This is something that a ‘one off’ professional photo shoot does not allow for.
Once you have created these wonderful images of your little bundle why not choose a few of your favourite photos and make some special gifts for family and friends. I offer a range of gorgeous frames in my online shop or you can contact me at sarah@sarahcookphotography.co.uk to ask about details of my photo book design service.
Heena and Elliot chose the beautiful St Tewdrics House near Chepstow for their dream wedding day. This venue offers an ideal backdrop with it’s colourful gardens and views over the Severn estuary. This was to be my first assignment at this nineteenth century Italian style villa and it most certainly didn’t disappoint.
Everything about Heena and Elliot’s wedding day at St Tewdrics House was perfect! We had warm sunshine on tap all day. There were kilts for the boys while the girls adorned their henna creations from the previous days celebrations. First of all my coverage began with photos of the Bridal party in the main house. This was then followed by pictures with the Groomsmen in the gardens. Both the Bride and Groom looked fantastic! It was clear to see how special this day was to them both.
After the ceremony itself in the Courtyard, the couple were led away by two pipers. With the help of the Best Man and the Ushers, we quickly had the guests form a walkway to shower the Heena and Elliot in rose petal confetti as they left the house.
After some lovely shots with the newlyweds and photos with family and friends there was plenty of time to mingle with the guests on the lawn and play mini golf.
The celebrations continued with the wedding breakfast, speeches and plenty of time to relax and enjoy the lovely summers evening.
St Tewdrics House provided a stunning backdrop for Heena and Elliot’s wedding.
Here is the story of their day…
A huge congratulations Mr and Mrs Moss! Thank you for a wonderful day and for inviting me to capture it with you both …
- Venue at St TewdricsHouse, Chepstow
- Make-up by Lauren Jamie
- Flowers by Catherine Gray
If you are planning a wedding at St Tewdrics House? If so, please do get in touch with us at Sarah Cook Photography. We would love to chat with you and see if we can capture your wedding day.
To pin or not to pin? That is the question… What a fantastic wedding planning tool Pinterest is! In this social media savvy world in which we live, every Bride should be signed up and pinning her thoughts and ideas. No longer is it necessary to be filling folders and files with cuttings from Bridal magazines and post-it notes.
Pinterest is an amazing FREE resource when it comes to planning your wedding day. Literally thousands upon thousands of gorgeous pictures and ideas at your fingertips. All the inspiration you could possibly need to make your day special. There are Wedding boards with flowers, dresses, hair and make-up, venue details… the list just goes on!
All these images can be very overwhelming when you first start out on Pinterest. My advise is to set up several ‘boards’ for each area of your wedding planning. For example, one named “Dress Inspiration’, one for ‘Wedding Photography Ideas’, or perhaps ‘Rustic Barn Decorations’. Then gradually add your pins to build your wedding dream. If you just pin to one Wedding board you will end up with an unruly array of pins. By setting up individual boards you can also then share ideas with your suppliers and anyone else involved in your wedding planning.
I always encourage my couples to set up a Wedding Photography Board on Pinterest. This is the place where we may both pin our ideas. We look at inspiration for backgrounds, poses, props, settings, etc. for their Bride and Groom’s wedding day pictures. It helps give me a clear understanding of the style of photography they like and the feel of how they want their own photos to look. By the time we meet up for the wedding planning meeting a month before the big day I already have a great insight into who the couple are are what they want to achieve. As a photographer this is invaluable.
It is very easy to get carried away with your pins. One useful tip is to write a little description of why you chose to pin an idea or what you like about something each time you pin. This can be a very useful reference especially if your wedding planning takes a year or so. I love it when my Bride’s pin a photography idea and write a little note. It helps me understand why they like a particular shot or idea, it gives me a little peak into their world before our wedding day photo shoot.
On a personal level I love Pinterest because it gives me so many ideas to try out at a wedding or on a lifestyle photo shoot. It helps me stay current. I love to see what is on trend for this year’s wedding season and in photography generally. It offers me an opportunity to embrace new ideas.
So for me… it’s a PIN every time!
Kirsty and Ryan had previously told me that they wanted a rustic and relaxed feel for their wedding day, which is why they chose this gorgeous venue at Old Luxters Barn. Located in Oxfordshire, in the heart of the English countryside, this venue is part of the Chiltern Valley Winery and Brewery. I had been on a visit back in January when I was charmed by this stunning location covered in a light dusting of snow and the aroma of hops fermenting. So I couldn’t wait to be back for Kirsty and Ryan’s big day.
It seems that Kirsty and Ryan are the masters of clever wedding planning! I arrived early to find the marquee set up with some lovely touches for the day ahead. This Included an Instagram Frame Photo Booth, a scrumptious naked cake, personalised ‘message in a bottle’, sweeties galore, to name but a few. The clever wedding planning extended beyond the marquee. The barn looked lovely. Everyone was busy putting table settings and room decorations together.
Taking advantage of the lovely surroundings at Old Luxters Barn I took Ryan and his Best Man, Jamie, for a few photos in the woods before the bridal party arrived. Kirsty looked amazing in her lace gown. The colourful bridal party wore flowers in their hair and carried handmade bouquets. When asked about her dress and the flowers Kirsty let me in on her secret. Just goes to show girls what you can put together to make your day special without spending a fortune.
The ceremony was short and sweet. Kirsty and Ryan beamed from ear to ear throughout. Following the “I do’s”, I whisked the new Mr and Mrs Kent away from their guests for some photos in the vineyard and then in the woods. This is always my favourite part of the day. A chance to get those perfect shots with the newlyweds. Working with these two was a dream… not only did they look terrific they knew exactly what they wanted from their photos.
Finally, there was just enough time for a few family pics, some documentary style shots of the drinks reception in the marquee and a group photo before leaving this couple to their guests and an evening of celebration.
As I was only staying a few hours I knew the time would fly. I wanted to make sure I had plenty or photographs that captured the flavour of Kirsty and Ryan’s wedding day at Old Luxters Barn.
Here are a few of my favourites ….
If you are planning a wedding at Old Luxters Barn wedding, please get in touch as we would love to photograph your day.