Megan & Tom

With seven bridesmaids, the house was full of activity as Megan got ready at her parents.

 Gasps of astonishment as Megan appeared in her dress...

 My wife, Karen, photographed Tom and his groomsmen as they prepared for the day.

 No nerves here, as Tom leads from the front as they go to the ceremony.

Having the ceremony in the garden made things very convenient, just a short walk from the back of the house.

 Jayne White was the celebrant for the ceremony.

 A very fleeting moment that I just managed to capture, a good example of when the automated functions on a modern camera won't get things right.

 People didn't have to go far to form the confetti aisle, then there was plenty of time to gather for drinks and chat with friends on the lawn.

Lots of emotional moments after the ceremony.

 Somehow the forecast rain and drizzle held off until we were just about ready to go to the reception at Castle Cornet, excellent timing!

 The drizzle here was surprisingly heavy, yet it still is possible for beautiful pictures.

 A grey view, but the marquee was lovely inside and the weather was fine for those who wanted to gather outside.

 More emotional moments when the speeches took place.

 Youthe played in the first dance before continuing for a couple of great sets.  They are well worth seeking out.

 The drizzle didn't stop us taking some amazing pictures outside later that night.

 Then back to the dancing.  Once the band had finished, the DJ equipment was pulled forward and things became even wilder!

 This thing has more buttons than my cameras!

 I'd heard Tom was a keen DJ, he couldn't resist the mixer.  The atmosphere was incredible.  Great music played skilfully by the DJs and everyone having a fantastic time, all in a good natured fashion.

 Megan & Tom appeared to be such a quiet couple earlier in the day!

Wow, what a night that was!

Royal Photographic Society - Guernsey Assessment Day

Some of you may know that I am a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and am honoured to sit on one of their distinctions panels.  Last Sunday I was a panel member with Steve Le Prevost FRPS at a Royal Photographic Society Assessment Day.

We were lucky to have this take place in Guernsey, all organised by Eric Ferbrache.

It was a great day, where we advised potential applicants going for their distinctions and also viewed previously successful panels sent over by the Society.

In addition we were treated to a viewing of 2 panels from Steve Le Prevost, where he had recently gained a second Fellowship and also one from the Irish Photographic Federation.  Congratulations Steve, absolutely fantastic work.

The day was full of interest, I had no problems concentrating, even though I had only about 3 hours sleep after photographing a wedding the day before, more on that on my next post!

Thanks to Eric for organising the day and for the picture below:-

Rosemary's photography

Our eldest daughter, Rosemary, is quite an accomplished photographer already.  She has her final year to go of her Fine Art degree and has done a lot of photography for her years.

Just the other weekend she was in Dinard, France to photograph a wedding all by herself.

Pop along to her blog to have a look at what she took, some quite beautiful pictures of what was a charming event.

https://www.rosemarydespres.com/single-post/2017/06/24/French-Wedding

Aimee & James

This wedding took place under the richest blue skies that Guernsey can produce, and a blazing sun.  Luckily the ceremony and reception took place in a location perfectly suited to the occasion, in a hidden corner of the parish of St. Peter's.

There was quite a crowd in the cottage where Aimee got ready.  Baby Harry was a little star and never short of willing helpers.

 Another willing helper for Aimee's make-up.

 Aimee's dad, Peter, had his van all ready to drive Aimee a short distance up the road.  A very sweet vehicle for the bride.

 At the marquee James and his groomsmen finished off a few things then greeted the guests as they arrived for the ceremony.

 A great entrance!

 As they say, location, location, location!

 Caryn, from White Dove, conducted the humanist ceremony.  Everyone was in great humour, even if a bit hot!

 It's not often in Guernsey that umbrellas are needed for the sun...

 There was plenty of time for a relaxed drink as everyone gathered together before the food.

 The setting and marquee were quite beautiful, the hard work put into the preparations was well worthwhile.

 Dad's speech was particularly touching.

As the sun got lower in the sky we took advantage of some gorgeous light.

 After the first dance the dance floor was heaving, but some preferred to just sit outside and watch the sunset.

 I was waiting for just the right time to take a shot like this, when the artificial lighting had just the right glow against the remnants of the sunset.  What a stunning setting, and skilled photography too!

 With no moon I was keen to see if I could take a picture of the wedding venue and the stars.  Due to the glow of the midsummer sun I had to wait until midnight to get this, but hopefully you agree it was worth the wait.

What a beautiful day in so many ways.

Hannah & Jamie

What an enjoyable day Hannah & Jamie had.

 It's quite handy when one of your bridesmaids is a make up artist.  Preparations were very relaxed.

 The attention wasn't just on the bride, Opal had a lot of attention too!

 Hannah's mum, Debbie, had gone to great lengths to decorate the home and the wedding venue at the Bella Luce to spectacular effect.

 I am sure another picture of Opal will be appreciated...

 The groomsmen got ready at the Bella Luce, where my wife Karen photographed them.

 After an extremely heavy period of rain in the morning, it was all beautifully clear by the time everyone arrived at St. Martin's Church.

 The smiles say it all!

 This was the last wedding we were covering with Rev. Keirle at St. Martin's before his departure to become Dean of Jersey.  Best wishes for your new role Mike, and thank you for all the great ceremonies and humour over the years.

 The newly weds emerged from the church to the guard of honour.

 Not to be outdone, Hannah's midwife colleagues made up another guard of honour with their pinards.

 We stopped off on the cliffs for a few pictures.  The blue sky had turned very grey and the wind did make it rather tricky, the veil had to stay in the car.

 The Bella Luce is always a lovely venue for the reception.  The marque and the decorations were quite amazing.  Special mention must be made for the work Debbie had put in, together with the Wedding Fairy, and of course for Charlotte from the Bella Luce for her tireless work throughout the day.

 Speeches were great entertainment.

 Jamie's sword was useful to photograph the rings on, it also made a very effective cake knife!

 I was really pleased with the below image of the first dance.  Thanks for your help Jack.

 After the first dance the band sprang into action.  This was the first time I had heard Youthe, I can recommend them highly and look forward to seeing them again at another wedding that is coming up in the next few weeks.  The dance floor was so packed it was actually very difficult to get in there to take photographs!

Sarah & Tim (and Jacob)

 Normally it is the bride and groom who are the centre of attention throughout the day.  But Sarah & Tim's son, Jacob, took a fair share of attention himself, together with his growing band of cousins.

 Sarah looked quite stunning in that gorgeous dress.

 We just had time for a few pictures in the garden before everyone had to make their way to St. Matthew's Church.

 My wife, Karen, had photographed Tim and his best man, Alex, getting ready.  Don't worry Tim, she also managed to get pictures of the cats too!

 We were treated to some great weather.

 Rev. Linda Le Vasseur conducted the ceremony.  We hadn't covered a wedding with her since she was at the Forest Church, so it was nice to see her again.

 Alex kept Tim occupied so he didn't get nervous before the beginning of the ceremony.

 Ella, the flower girl, was another star on the day.

 The below image is one of my favourites, a brief moment that that tells us so much.

"Now I don't think you better go in there Jacob".

 A brief stop for pictures on the way to the reception at The Farmhouse Hotel.

 The dining room was set up beautifully, with a very distinctive cake.

 There was plenty to do after the meal, the pool proved popular, plus there was a bouncy castle for the many children.

 Carl Ward was the DJ for the night, he kept the dance floor active.  Sarah's work colleagues livened things up as soon as they arrived too!

 A last dance with Jacob finished off a wonderful day.

Katrina & Andy - St. Sampson's Church and The Bella Luce

This was always going to be a wedding to look forward to, a couple full of character with lots of friends who know how to enjoy themselves.

 Katrina got ready at The Bella Luce, where the reception was to be held later.  Some lovely details and a beautiful dress.

 The bridesmaids were delighted when they saw Katrina fully ready.

 Meanwhile the groomsmen got all suited up and went for a quick pint and game of snooker.  Apparently Andy even went for a ride on his bike beforehand.  The hats looked great.

 Tricky lighting, but some excellent images by my wife and assistant Karen.  Look closely at the picture top left to see that Andy doesn't just do tricks on his bike, that snooker ball has just taken some air!

 St. Sampson's church is our oldest parish church and always has a unique charm.

 Katrina's brother escorted her up the aisle.  The picture below is one of my favourites, a fleeting moment and not easy to get the exposure for, but a beautiful story telling image.

 Rev. Tim Dack conducted a lovely ceremony, with plenty to smile about.

 Something must feel different on Andy's finger!

 Not just a pro looking snooker player, but also a pro looking chauffeur!

 It was nice to take advantage of some daffodils on the way to the reception.

 Speeches took place between courses, just to spread out the fun!

 What a cake, in particular what an amazing cake stand.  Andy had made up this triple layer stand, mounted on a mountain bike wheel, complete with gold tyre, cassette and brake disc!  It was beautifully solid and could be spun around, a great idea.

 Some strange hats appeared as part of St. Patrick's day...

 Leon definitely took the best dancer prize!

 Only a long weekend for this busy couple, it's a hectic time of the year for Andy's Pools.

A couple of evenings after the wedding I waited to board the overnight ferry to Portsmouth, to cycle up to Bath, for a couple of days work at the Royal Photographic Society where I sit on a distinctions panel.  I got chatting to another cyclist waiting, it turned out to be Effraim, who was a guest at the wedding. In fact Andy & Katrina met at one of Effraim's birthday parties, precisely 10 years ago to the day of the wedding.  A sweet story to finish this blog on.

Guernsey Now - Spring 2017 issue

An unusual post this - not about my work, but a little plug from proud parents!

My eldest daughter, Rosemary, has just had a few pictures, including the cover, published in the latest Guernsey Now magazine!

She was commissioned to do the shoot with a spring theme.  Due to publishing deadlines, the photography had to be taken several weeks in advance, at a decidedly un-spring like time, just to add to the challenges.  In addition, Rosemary ably organised 4 different models through agencies, the release forms, flowers and a council photography permit.  And of course then produced some fantastic images.

So do rush out and grab yourselves a copy before they disappear!

Natalie & Phil - A New Year's Eve Wedding

New Year's Eve is always an exciting time for a wedding. Getting married, having a great party and seeing the New Year in at the same time!

This is exactly what Natalie and Phil did.  The weather was once again beautiful, though a little chilly at times following the morning's frost.

Natalie and her bridesmaids had a bit of fun getting ready, while Phil and the groomsmen had a sustaining late breakfast.

 The ceremony was held at St. Andrew's Church, my first there with Rev. Tim Barker.

We took advantage of the beautiful winter lighting for this lovely picture of the bridesmaids, flower girl and page boy as we waited for Natalie to arrive with her father.

 The light was streaming in through the church windows during the ceremony, this gave tricky exposures but also gave the opportunity to spot some lovely details and highlights.  Rev. Barker conducted a touching ceremony.

 When the couple left the church they had rather a large amount of confetti to walk through!

We were just in time to catch the last rays of light during a stop on the coast for a few scenic pictures.  The beach was surprisingly crowded as people went for a winter walk on the sunny afternoon.

 Soon we were in the cosy interior of The Farmhouse for the reception.  Beautiful details adorned the dining room, with quite a stunning cake which had a lot of clever touches.

 Speeches were entertaining.  Dale, the best man, did put Phil under a bit of pressure to show off his musical skills.  All in the best humour.

 We grabbed some fresh air before the evening guests arrived to take a few outdoor pictures, always a chance to take some exciting images.

 Phil is obviously also a bit of a craftsman, as his carefully constructed "Love" sign showed.  The sign provided a strong feature for the dance floor, especially during the first dance.

Not really what it was intended for, but the sign also provided a cute seat for two of the younger guests as they took a break from the dancing.

 There was plenty of time for conversation and dancing as the countdown to New Year's Eve continued.

 Happy New Year to everyone!

Lisa & Ben

Just a few days before the winter solstice we were treated to weather that could almost have passed for a summer's day.  This beautiful, calm and sunny day was perfect for Lisa & Ben's wedding.

Lisa got ready at The Farmhouse, where the reception was to be held later on.

 A midday ceremony meant there was little time in the morning for everyone to get ready, but once all the preparation was finished we just had time for some stunning portraits of Lisa.

Ben cut a very relaxed figure as he got ready with his groomsmen, and again when he greeted guests at St. Martin's Church.

The bride's brother, James, proudly escorted Lisa into the church.  I love the low angled light during the winter months, as it adds some lovely atmosphere to these pictures.

The low light streaming through the windows was tricky to expose for at times, but it added a nice touch to the scene. Indeed, the whole ceremony was a beautiful occasion.

After the ceremony, we stopped off on the coast for a few pictures. As we approached, I noticed some nice light that we were just in time to take advantage of, as the sun dropped just moments later to leave the area in shadow.

As normal my wife, Karen, helped taking pictures on the wedding day.  We were also joined by Rosemary, our eldest daughter, on this occasion too.  Rosemary has got a total of 8 images in this blog, including the one below.  Anyone want to guess which others are hers?

 The Farmhouse was beautifully decorated for this winter wedding, with the multitude of lights coming into their own as it got darker.

 The intricate rings were worth a bit of effort to make a special picture of.

After the first dance, Element 6 played a couple of sets which were well received by everyone dancing, with the rest of the evening music provided by Jason of Q-Sky.  Between them they kept the dance floor busy and lively all night long.

 Enjoy your honeymoon Lisa & Ben, I hope you can check this preview from such a long way away!

Jo & Matt - a fairy tale wedding

Jo & Matt's wedding was without a doubt one of the sweetest and beautiful weddings we have covered.

The wedding dress was very impressive and Jo couldn't wait to wear it.

Everyone got ready in good time.  Jo and her dad, Steve, had a few moments together before their car arrived.

 The wedding took place at Delisles Methodist Church.

 When I arrived at the church the weather could only be described as very wet, very windy and very gloomy!  But the weather really doesn't matter for a wedding, as this event most definitely proved.

 There wasn't much room for Jo and her dad to walk up the aisle side by side!

 Sian Street conducted a very touching ceremony.

 The couple were genuinely delighted when they had a quick look at the dining room at The Peninsula Hotel.

 There was a Disney theme throughout.

 We had taken an engagement picture for Jo & Matt which was used for guests to sign at the reception. The lovely image, which showed the couple's closeness beautifully, was very well received.

 Speeches didn't follow a conventional pattern.  The bride's father gave his speech, then we had a video interview where the groom chatted with Peter, Jo's stepfather.

 This was certainly one of the most emotional speeches we have witnessed at a wedding, such a heartfelt occasion.

 What stunning wedding rings.

 The emotional moments continued with Jo & Matt's first dance.

 A surprise dance was suddenly sprung upon the onlookers, this rendition of Thriller was performed very slickly.  There must have been a lot of practice involved, but it was well worthwhile.

Hope you all enjoy this preview while I work on editing the rest of the pictures, my eyes are quite moist  working on this touching wedding.

Anna & Alex - Trinity Church and The Old Government House Hotel

The sun was just up and the shadows were long when Alex and his groomsmen began a round of golf.  It was an early start for me too, but well worth it to get some great pictures of this friendly group of guys.

 The weather was surprisingly warm, but with a stiff wind.  It was the wind that was blamed for a few wayward shots, but then maybe Alex had something else on his mind!

 After the golf I made my way to Anna's parents house, my wife Karen took over photographing the groomsmen.  They had another walk down into Town to The Britannia for a drink before the ceremony.

 I have to own up, my daughter Rosemary took took this very clever picture of Anna's beautiful dress.

Their preparations went well, but time was always going to be a bit short for me to get to the church.

 Seb and Zac were probably the most excited and best behaved page boys that I have come across.

  Alex grabbed a quick glance towards his approaching bride as she was escorted up the aisle by her father, Barry.

 Rev. John Honour conducted a wonderful ceremony, with some very humorous touches!

As the couple exited the church, we were treated to a piper.  This added to the atmosphere as everyone gathered outside the church.

 Then we all made our way to Candie Gardens for a drinks reception.  This was a lovely location for everyone to gather in the warm autumn weather.

 Candie Gardens looked stunning with a good deal of flowers and colour even at this time of the year, the gardeners need to be congratulated for their work.

 There was plenty of time for people to chat and mingle with a glass of champagne, this wedding really was very relaxed and had an air of informality.  After walking down to the Old Government House Hotel, people went straight to their seats in the splendidly decorated dining room.  Speeches were before the meal.

 The bouquet toss made for an amusing sequence of pictures.  Sorry, no room on this blog to see them all!

 After the first dance, Stoked provided the music for the night.  They are always an energetic band that enthuse people to fill the dance floor.

 I enjoy pictures like this that set the scene.

 This was a long day, but rewarding to cover for such a great group of people.

Cath & Jo - St. Martin's Church & Castle Cornet

Cath & Jo's wedding was a particularly busy day, they got married at St. Martin's Church, with the reception held at Castle Cornet.

 Tim, Cath's father, practised his speech in the garden on the lovely morning.

 There wasn't too much time once the bride and bridesmaids arrived from the hairdressers, but all got ready in good time.

While I photographed the bride's preparations with my daughter Rosemary, my wife Karen was photographing the groomsmen.  Jo seemed quite relaxed, cheerfully greeting guests as they arrived at the church.

Cath had a very special chauffeur, Roger's beautiful Rolls Royce provided an extra element of elegance to her arrival at the church.  The bridesmaids arrived in a couple of Land Rovers, both meticulously cleaned as if they had just left the showroom.

 The couple's transport for after the ceremony was already waiting parked nearby, a bit of a contrast, a loud and brightly coloured TVR!

As  Reverend Kerle asked everyone to stand, Cath was proudly escorted up the aisle by her father.

It was an emotional moment.

 Rev. Kerle can always be relied upon to give a touching and humorous ceremony.

 There was a surprise awaiting the couple as they left the church, a guard of honour provided by the rowing club!  A special treat for Cath.  I knew with the rowing club involved in the wedding it was going to be a lively party that evening!

 After a few family group pictures and lots of hugs and handshakes all around we left to go to Castle Cornet for the reception.

 The Castle has got to be one of the most spectacular locations for a wedding.

 The reception itself was held in the Hatton gallery, speeches took place before the meal.  The decor was perfect, with little jars of honey from the family hives on all the tables too!

 The guests were treated to some great evening entertainment.  We had to quickly fit in some pictures on the way to the Amherst Room.  Now most weddings may have a band or a DJ, but we had 2 bands and a DJ!  Plus the groom himself played in both bands, Jo and Cath really are a very talented couple!

 It was hot and loud!  Gay Army and Thee Jenerators pumped out some awesome music to a very appreciative audience.  I was certainly impressed and enjoyed the show and taking photographs of the high energy performances.

 Then it was back to the Hatton Gallery for the cake cutting and first dance.  DJ Andre kept the dance floor heaving in this atmospheric setting.

 A special day for a special couple.

AeroSparx - night time air display

I don't seem to post many non-wedding related pictures on my blog, not quite sure why really.  But, in any case, occasionally something comes up that is quite special and spectacular.

Tonight Guernsey was treated to an amazing display by the AeroSparx team.  On a beautiful still night, with a high spring tide, St. Peter Port Harbour was the perfect setting.

I was actually enjoying a family meal in town before one of my daughters leaves to start university.  While they didn't have to move from their seats as they had an upstairs view over the harbour from The Taj, I made my excuses as I ran off to set up my cameras on the Albert Pier.

It is always tricky to photograph something that one has never seen before, but I figured the exposures should be similar to a firework display.

Things happened fast and the near 10 minute display seemed to be over in far too short a time.

Anyway here are some of my shots, the first one is an exposure that covers just over 7 minutes of the display in one image, it illustrates the bewildering amount of manoeuvres these guys make, in the dark, while firing pyrotechnics!

Quickly packing up, I then made my way back to finish my beer and nan bread.  A quite special evening.

Mica & Richard - a wedding at Castle Cornet

Mica & Richard's wedding was very distinctive.  Firstly they had a small and very sweet ceremony at St. Saviours Church on Friday, then the next day a spectacular celebration at Castle Cornet.

Believe it or not, this actually wasn't the smallest ceremony we had photographed.  It was beautifully relaxed and quite delightful.  Rev. Charmley took the ceremony, with only the couple and their parents present.  Well I was there with my normal team, my wife Karen and also my eldest daughter Rosemary.  As normal, we kept ourselves very discreet, even more important with such a small number of people in attendance.

A few work colleagues had hidden away outside as Mica & Richard emerged as a married couple.

Now onto Day 2. 

 One of the bridesmaids, Sophie (on the far right), spent the following day in a bath of tomatoes for charity!  A strange contrast indeed!  Well done and good luck with your tricycle ride to Paris too.

 While Rosemary and myself covered the bride getting ready, my wife Karen photographed the groomsmen.

 An old friend needed some special attention throughout the morning.

 The scene at the Castle for the ceremony was idylic.

 Rev. Charmley took the ceremony again, but the legalities had been taken care of the day before.  What a unique setting.

 A wedding in a castle, with a cake to match.

 The details in the marquee were obviously very carefully thought about.  The effect was stunning.

 Our toastmaster, Anthony, had come over specially from Jersey.  He was a great asset to the smooth running of the day.  But then having worked with his father, I knew Anthony would be well trained.

 Speeches took place prior to the meal.

 As evening approached we had the cake cutting and then people enjoyed the evening sunshine as preparations took place for the first dance.

 Castle Cornet is always an exciting place to photograph in, it was fun to take a few more artistic pictures later in the day.

 What a truly great day we all enjoyed with Mica & Richard.

Wynne & Wynne

After a recent successful day in the studio shooting pictures for local hairdressers 'Wynne and Wynne', http://www.wynneandwynne.co/, with my daughter Rosemary, our work was published in the 'GSY Life' magazine. It had five double page spreads, and included the set - up and preparation for the event.   

Go out and find yourselves a copy of this nice glossy magazine to see the reproductions in full.  I have posted a few images below.

As normal most of the work is in the preparations.  All the hairdressers and models had great fun while they worked to produce some amazing styles.

James Harrison filmed the day, producing a very dynamic video that is great to watch.

As soon as the models were ready we started photographing them in a variety of poses.  The idea was to show off Wynne & Wynne's work in an exciting way.

 The day was long and hard work, but it was great to have the opportunity to photograph this event, thank you Tammi.

Also thanks to my eldest daughter Rosemary for assisting and taking some great pictures herself.
https://rosemarydespres.wordpress.com/ for more of her work.

     

Natalie & Guy

Natalie & Guy had a great day, getting married at St. Stephen's Church with their reception at La Grande Mare.  As I type this with the rain pouring down outside, it seems odd to be working on their pictures when their day was blessed with no wind and beautiful sunshine.

The bride and bridesmaids had a very early start to the day at the hairdressers, but with a midday ceremony, time was always going to be tight.

 Though once they were back at mum's, it wasn't long before everyone was fully ready at quite impressive speed!

 Guy and his groomsmen had a lot less to do, even managing to fit in a drink at the Rocquettes before the ceremony.

Natalie arrived precisely at 12 o'clock.

 This was my second wedding in recent weeks at St. Stephen's Church.  Again, Father Moore treated us to a lovely ceremony.

 The car looked so good, that Guy couldn't resist getting in the driver's seat!

 Once the correct chauffeur was in place, the couple made their way to the reception via a quick stop for pictures.

 Everything was beautifully laid out in the dining room.

 Speeches were great, with the best man in particular getting everyone laughing.

 We were even treated to a very personal and humorous song, before a couple of brave young people also said a few words.  This was much appreciated.

The couple had mentioned previously that they were going to have around 100 extra guests arriving for the reception. They were not exaggerating! Natalie and Guy were obviously a very popular couple, with the extra guests adding to the vibrant atmosphere on the packed dance floor.

 The good weather continued right throughout the day, with the evening being calm enough for people to enjoy time relaxing outside between songs.

 I wanted to share these last couple of pictures that I am especially pleased with. We snuck away from the dance floor to take some pictures after dusk. It was lovely to take a moment away from the frenzied dancing to enjoy the stillness outdoors, with a beautiful mist forming over the water..

Shanti & Tim

Shanti & Tim had such a sweet and relaxed wedding, with the ceremony at St. Stephen's Church and the reception held in the grounds of Sausmarez Manor.

 There was a great bond between the bride and her bridesmaids.

 Baby Rollo was absolutely delightful throughout the day.

 The groomsmen enjoyed a lunch at The Boathouse before making their way to the church.

 Shanti travelled to the church in a stunning car.

Shanti's son, Alfie, walked her down the aisle- a moment I'm sure he was very proud of.

 This was my first wedding at St. Stephen's Church since its refurbishment, and also my first there with Father Moore.  The interior of the church was certainly in pristine condition and made for a lovely backdrop for the touching ceremony.

Sausmarez Manor had a lively, garden party atmosphere for the guests to enjoy, along with plenty of sunshine.

 The marquee that had been set up looked amazing. The interior was decorated with vibrant flowers and the outside of the marquee looked just as beautiful.

 The quiet warm weather was ideal, as the speeches unusually took place outside the Manor.

 The speeches were entertaining, with the best woman's speech being particularly memorable. The lobster theme was certainly unique, with hilarious attention to detail as Tim ended up with a lobster claw to wear!

 The setting of the reception made a beautiful scene as night fell.

 Inside the marquee it seemed like no one wanted the day to end, with some frantic barn dancing finishing off what was a very special day for Shanti and Tim.

Renée & Nick

Renée & Nick had a wonderful day for their wedding.  Sunny and warm, but not too hot like the last few days!

Hair and make-up were done at home which made for a relaxing start.

 Renée looked quite amazing.

 My daughter Rosemary took these images below while I was photographing some portraits of the bride.

 Dad's expression says it all.

 Meanwhile, Nick and his groomsmen had time for a quick drink at the Deerhound before the short walk to the Forest Church.

 The ring did go on, eventually!

 A brisk breeze made it tricky to take pictures with Renée's hair and veil needing a bit of attention.  But the scenery was beautiful.

 Then we made our way to La Grande Mare for the reception.  Everyone enjoyed the nice weather out on the lawn prior to moving indoors.

 The dining room was laid out to great effect.

 I was really pleased with what I managed to come up with when I photographed the rings.  Nick had designed his own ring and a friend and guest at the wedding had made the rings (from Rocks, Le Pollet). This was a lovely personal touch for the couple.

 Speeches took the traditional slot after the meal and were good entertainment.

 Dancing was split between the normal dance floor with Q-Sky as DJs, and a couple of friends singing and playing guitars in the conservatory.

 We sneaked off for a few pictures in the evening, getting some beautiful images as night fell.  One example is below.

 There was some lively dancing, which was a fun end to a great day for Renée and Nick.

Gemma & Christopher

Gemma & Christopher had a delightful wedding at St. Sampson's Church, followed by a reception at The Farmhouse.

There was quite a crowd getting ready at Gemma's parents' house, with six bridesmaids and two flower girls.

 Everyone was amazed how gorgeous Gemma looked.

 Gemma waved goodbye as the bridesmaids departed for the church.

 A bit of a breeze gave a few moments of drama with the veil.

 This was my first wedding with the new rector of St. Sampson's, Rev. Timothy Dack.  We were treated to a beautiful and emotional ceremony.

 Christopher and his family had travelled all the way from the United States, for a wedding in Guernsey's oldest parish church.
 
 St. Sampson's Church has a distinctive charm.

 The weather was lovely and encouraged people to enjoy the garden and terrace at the reception.  The dining room was laid out in a very effective way, with lots of pretty details.

 We were treated to some great speeches, with Gemma herself also speaking.

 With people enjoying the evening sunshine outside on the terrace, the first dance took place a little later than planned.

 Paradiso played some excellent music and this kept the dance floor busy.

 James, one of Gemma's brothers, normally plays bass with Paradiso, he guested when the band started their second set.

 Wishing Gemma & Christopher all the best with their life in the United States.