The Wedding with a bulldog, a tea party and a big rig American truck...

Yep, you heard me right. This was a goodun’…

James & Sarah tied the knot towards the end of October in The Chichester Guildhall. I’ve lived in Chichester all my life and have visited Priory Park hundreds of times, but I was excited to shoot for the first time at this 800 year old venue.

There was a carpet of amber leaves lining the park, the sun was beaming down, the guests had taken their seats and Sarah had just arrived. I was getting a few last minute shots of Sarah and her bridesmaids outside, when I heard her shout, “I’ve forgotten the flowers”! I’m not sure if continuing to shoot makes me a horrible photographer… but I knew Sarah would look back and smile… OK, I hoped... I really, really hoped she would!

After a super speedy trip home in Sarah’s beloved blue VW golf, the flowers and the Stig arrived back in the nick of time to get the wedding underway! The venue had been decorated the day before by the bride and groom in their red, white & blue colour scheme and the sun was pouring in through the windows. After a beautiful ceremony accompanied by their ring-bearing bulldog, the couple invited their guests to enjoy some homemade tea-party goodies with a glass of fizz, before the speeches began.

Needless to say, there wasn’t much left over of the cake or champers… but there was enough to charge a glass to the newly married couple. The speeches were delivered with laughs and emotions in all the right places before the guests began to make their way to the evening reception.

Now, so far this wedding had given me a few unforgettable moments… but this, THIS… was a sight to behold. Snazzy and beautiful wedding transport is not uncommon, but watching a Big Rig American truck stop traffic through the centre of Chichester to pick up the bride and groom was just too cool!

I raced over to The Langstone Hotel to catch the convoy arrive and after a quick ride up-front in the cab, a few tricky manoeuvres and some traffic direction, we just about caught the sun before it set over the harbour. The evening continued with cake, partying and some stellar moves from the wedding party before James took his wife’s hand and led their first dance to some excellently chosen music!

It’s not every wedding that you come away feeling like you’ve made some awesome friends, but this one really felt like that. Below are just a selection of some of my favourite images from this memorable day! Thanks for having me along James & Sarah.

Cheerio, pip pip and bye for now!
xxx


The Wedding of Steph & Paul in their own back garden!

It doesn’t get more chilled than getting married at your own home…

Steph & Paul tied the knot in their own back garden in a beautiful marquee with some of their nearest and dearest. What more do you need? Well… throw in a musical duo, great wine and some seriously snazzy waistcoats and you’ve got yourself one heck of a shindig!

It was late September and the rain had decided to crash the wedding without an invite… Fortunately the last minute, mass purchase of white umbrellas saved the day and made for some lovely memories and images!

The marquee was decorated beautifully, with fairy lights, chandeliers and every table featuring napkins with the pooch personalised family crest! (It’ll make sense when you see it!)

I could go on and on about the lovely laid back atmosphere and friendly faces I found on this special day, but instead i’ll leave you with a selection of my favorite shots!

Cheerio, Pip-Pip, bye for now!

The Wedding of Richard & Michelle @ Arundel Town Hall

***DISCLAMER*** - SHOOTING YOUR OWN FAMILY’S WEDDING IS HARDER THAN YOU THINK!

Yep, thats right… I was a guest and the photographer for this one…

I was honoured and excited when I was asked to shoot Richard & Michelle’s big day, but there are a few major differences as a photographer when you shoot a family wedding! The most noticeable being just how tricky it is to catch those candid moments… everyone wants to chat or see what you’re doing! OH… and not to mention that I’m ‘on duty’, so the champers had to wait!

Even with these differences, this was a fab day! I arrived at Arundel Town Hall (www.arundeltownhall.com) to capture Richard, our family and friends gathering for the ceremony. Before long, Michelle and her bridesmaids arrived looking fabulous and keeping with tradition ensured they made a fashionably late entrance! (Richard needs to be kept on his toes after all)

I’m sure the newly married couple won’t mind me saying that this was one of the most bonkers weddings I have had the pleasure of shooting! Richard & Michelle nailed it… Showing their guests what love and marriage is really about. Being yourself, having fun and never taking yourself too seriously! (I’m fairly confident they said most of the right things in some of the right places… Maybe?!)

After the livliest ceremony I’ve witnessed, we gathered outside for a celebratory glass of fizz and a few group shots. I can assure you, the phrase ‘HERDING CATS’ doesn’t quite cut it for this bunch of funsters either!

A few glasses later, the party continued at The George Inn with some hilarious speeches, a mountain of cheese and a large dose of Karaoke! Here are a few of my favourites from this memorable day!

xxx

The Wedding of Luke & Egle @ Southdowns Manor

This wedding was so much fun! A scorching Hot day, a handful of friends and whole lot of culture!

Although we haven’t stayed in close contact, I’ve actually know Luke since Secondary School! We would regularly pass the time in Geography classes with our own version of the ‘Music Intros Game’ from Never Mind The Buzzcocks… Needless to say, our knowledge of classic rock and obscure pop punk was impeccable!

Skip forward about 15 years and I end up here… Being asked to shoot Luke & Egle’s big day! It was a perfect day in Sunny Sussex with beautiful sunshine at a beautiful venue.
Southdowns Manor (www.southdownsmanor.co.uk) is located in the heart of the south downs and provided some stunning photo opportunities.

I began the day capturing Egle and her closest friends getting ready, watching Luke’s best man deliver a super snazzy gift on Egle’s behalf and snapping away as their smiley guests arrived. We moved outside in to the beaming sunshine to watch the happy couple tie the knot, before raising a glass of bubbly on the lawn!


After some typically British games on the lawn and a few family shots, we moved indoors to the immaculately dressed reception room where Luke & Egle were greeted by Egle’s parents with some Lithuanian traditions. The wine was poured, the food was served and before long we arrived at the speeches. The first English translated speech I’ve experienced came from the Father of the bride, and he didn’t fail to hit all the right spots. (It’s bizarre how even if in Lithuanian, I could still sense the punch lines!) This was followed up by the groom and two semi-restrained best friends, before it really kicked off with the craziest game of ‘Mr & Mrs’.

As the sun set over the South Downs, I was fortunate enough to capture the newly weds in that beautiful golden light that us photographers adore, watch a sentimental Lithuanian tradition take place once again, and catch the cake being cut, before ending the evening with some beer-pong antics and plenty of shapes being thrown!

Here are a few of my favorite images from this spectacular day!

Finding the fun (and the mud) – Exploring an abandoned location in West Sussex: COCKING LIME WORKS

Last Sunday, I was determined to venture out in the sunshine, find my fix of vitamin D and get familiar with my latest camera addition…

So, while I was enjoying a freshly brewed cup of coffee on a crisp autumn morning, I asked Google to make a decision for me… “Interesting places to photograph in Sussex” (original… I know).

Fortunately for me, there are a plethora of unique locations to shoot in and around Sussex. On this occasion, one stood out: Cocking Lime Works. It’s not somewhere I’ve explored before but I love the mystery that comes with abandoned and derelict locations. The idea that there was once a hive of activity somewhere, and now, those structures have been left to rot, while nature slowly takes over, weaving into the fabric of the buildings. Cocking Lime Works is situated between Goodwood and Midhurst, in the village of Cocking (...funnily enough)! The abandoned factory and chalk quarry sit just north of the South Downs Way.

 

From what I can gather, the earliest mentions of Lime workings and excavations date back to the start of the 18th century and only became defunct just before the turn of the millennium. Over the years, it was owned and controlled by various estates, companies and organisations, always for the purpose of extracting lime from chalk. Now, it sits overgrown, hidden from view, begging to be investigated by urban explorers.

So, after working out the best way to access it, I parked up on the downs and wondered down the gated track with my camera in hand. After a little trek, the path opened out to reveal the vast expanse of white chalk cliffs that were once dug out. I’d found the quarry… Good start!

This man-made landscape was peaceful, with nothing but a few inquisitive pheasants, lots of overgrowth and a couple of excavators left to rust in the elements. So, I took some time to shoot the machinery and steampunk-esque leftovers…

The very brief research I had done online beforehand, led me to believe that there was a factory nearby, which would make sense. All that rock had to go somewhere after it was dug out! I made the assumption that it must be downhill… Who wants to cart lorry loads of excavated cliff upwards?!

So…

I looked for it….

I failed.

Then... yet again, I found a use for modern technology. This time using google maps to look at a satellite image and work out where it was hidden. After another short walk down a slippery track, I stumbled across some rusted buildings and a conveyor belt, presumably used to transport rock from the drop off point or breaker. I crawled through a few small gaps and trees to uncover a collection of factory buildings, outhouses, machinery, kilns and overgrown treasure!

I won’t bore you with all the details, but hopefully some of the images will speak for themselves… There really is something fascinating and haunting when you stumble across a hidden world that one day, people 'down-tooled' and just upped and left.

Ooooh... and to top it off, when a sign for The Unicorn Inn caught my eye, it felt rude not to stop in for a local pint! 

Cheerio, pip-pip and bye for now!

*Sourced from Google Maps

*Sourced from Google Maps