I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone that bought prints of the dance show.

Thanks to your kindness we have raised just over £50.

I will be passing this onto Sarah next week so if you feel the need to buy a couple more photos and top up the donation then please do, it’s all for a good cause.

Thanks!
Graeme

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing The wedding of Michael and Jude Elms.

A beautiful day but more importantly it was a happy day. There was smiling everywhere! Which makes my job a lot easier I can tell you. We got lucky with the weather, my wet weather curse has yet to be broken (I’ve only had one wedding that rain stopped photos being taken).

It’s an absolute joy to photograph weddings like these because I can just take photos and not have to go looking for the happiness as for this one…it was oozing happiness (but not in a cheesy way!).

So here’s a sneak peek at a few photos:

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Many thanks to Michael and Jude, I enjoyed capturing your special day.

If you’d like to have your wedding photographed by me in the Nottingham or Derby areas then please feel free to contact me.

I am going to be a dad again. I can’t wait to meet the little mr or miss but we’re all really excited here in the tree house.

I will try to not bore you all with updates but I may have to sneak the odd snippet about the baby.

The show has started!

The brilliant show began officially tonight but I was there to capture the dress rehearsal yesterday.

The photos are now online to order but think I need to filter it down as there’s over 700 photos that you can order.

Make the most of the ridiculous amount for the time being as I wil start to reduce the amount this week.

Visit my Photobox gallery to order your prints today. 50% of all print orders will go this years chosen charity

You can also download a digital copy of the two group photos from the 2012 dance school

To download your own copy, click the thumbnail below and once the image has loaded right click on the image and select “save as…”:

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 Feel free to leave a comment below and show Sarah your appreciation and thoughts for this years fantastic show (especially the dances with my daughter in them )

I’m sure everyone agrees when I say that your wedding day should be one of the happiest days of your life but…

After speaking with various people including clients I get the feeling that one element of the big day is missing…FUN! Don’t get confused between happiness and fun. I’ve never witnessed a day that hasn’t been happy but something that can feel is missing from some people when they are planning is including an element of fun (for themselves too!). It doesn’t have to be anything major or expensive but think of how everyone will remember your day and more importantly think of how YOU will remember the big day.

Now take Kevin and Sara, I met with the couple and they seemed lovely but what I didn’t know was the group of people they would meet up with. The wedding was beautiful and the wedding breakfast was full of laughter and good company.

Then we got to the evening…

I was pre-warned that it would be a colourful event with some Morris dancers. I will be the first to admit that I was not looking forward to this part. Most of us have a mental image of Morris dancers with their bells and handkerchiefs skip,skip, skipping around a room. How wrong I was!

In walks people of different ages, different backgrounds and more importantly many different, brightly coloured outfits, many with their faces painted black too. My initial fear turned to dread as I now had no clue at all as to what was about to unfold before me.

The punk folk band started up (I think that’s what it was) and all the people started to meet on the dance floor. Out of nowhere there are people waving great big sticks, sorry, tree trunks and they all start dancing to the music which included bashing the sticks together. That would explain the protective gloves on some  of them, one slip and they wouldn’t be able to dial an ambulance!

From one side the Bride and Groom appear and now they’re carrying sticks and they shouted at me “Ready?” I’m sure you could imagine the panic that went through me at that point! What did I say? Did I miss something? I thought I was doing a great job capturing the day and now it would end as bloody mess as I met their sticks but the crowd parted and the newly wed couple started dancing.

My relief was immense but I picked up on something else. With each gap between taking photos I noticed everyone and I mean everyone was now taking part in some way and smiling. All the attention was towards the dancefloor and everyone was encouraged to let go of their inhibitions and enjoy themselves…and they did!

Everyone was having fun!

I can promise you the very next day at work/pub/whatever, each one of those people talked about this wedding reception. Their experience will set them up for ideas for their weddings, they will talk about it if they hear a friend is getting married…”I want to this wedding once and you’ll never guess what they did…”

No compare that a normal wedding reception. I am certainly not saying that your reception will be boring but just to think a bit differently. Make happy memories for you and if you want others to remember, I mean really remember the day then think of what you can do that’s fun. It doesn’t have to cost the earth either. Give it some thought and if you plan something which I think will be fun I will give you 20% off the cost of my wedding packages.

So today it’s been the first rehearsal for the 2012 dance show. My daughter is in 4 dances again this year. I get to take the photos at the full dress rehearsal at the Mansfield Palace Theatre, Nottinghamshire but today was the big group photo for the local papers. Sarah will be arranging this so I don’t know which papers will pick it up.

If you’d like a digital copy of this photo I am making it freely available until the dance show starts. To download your own copy, click the thumbnail below and once the image has loaded right click on the image and select “save as…”:

Click here for the high resolution version

The show photos are now online and available to order. Visit here for more details

Please don’t use this photo for commercial purpose without my approval. Publishing the photo is also prohibited without prior agreement and displaying a credit to “up the right tree photography”

Here it is, part 2 of my top wedding tips. These are a collection of thoughts I’ve had about planning and preparing for your big day.

Buy magazines

You’ll get more ideas than you can shake a stick at just by flicking through the pages of popular wedding magazines. Make a scrap book using cuttings from the mags. You’ll see a theme build of things you like and could use some of the ideas to create your own style.

Friends, Romans and your future Father-in-law

You’ll want people to see you getting married so you need invitations. There’s two ways to go here…Get someone to make your invitations, table plans and table decorations for you. Someone like Fairy Frog can help you create a theme that suits your style. You can meet more stationery creators at wedding fayres and you’ll see their abilities. Like in part 1 you’ll get a good feeling for the person that you like the most.

The other option is to have a go at making them yourself. A visit to a craft shop will get you all the materials you need (or a trip to a well known auction website). Hopefully you’ll have got some ideas from your magazine cuttings and you’ll be able to make yourself some gorgeous invites and table plans/decorations. Try to not copy it directly though, you’d hate to hear someone say they saw that design in a magazine. Be inspired and use it wisely.

More dress shopping

This time it’s for the bridesmaids so you can use this shopping trip as a big girly day out.

You should have a very good idea of your wedding dress by now so will be able to pick a colour for the bridesmaids that compliments your dress.

As much as you may want to have the bright pink dresses straight out of My Big Fat Gipsy Wedding…try to spare a thought for the girls that have to wear them. they won’t want to be laughed or remembered for wearing the silliest outfits, unless you are prepared to out-do them  of course!

This will also be a good time for the groom and his best men to start hunting for a good suit to either buy or hire. The bride would be wise to at least let the groom know what colour to choose for cravats, ties and waistcoats etc.

We all like cake

Again you can use your magazines as an idea generator. How many tiers? Fruit? Chocolate? Cheese? Yes I Said cheese. Its your chance to be different again so make sure your cake suits your style. If your Aunt Ethel is going to make the cake then you best make sure she knows what she is going to be making. You are allowed to be fussy even if it is a family member.

If you are getting a cake maker to design your cake then you’ll probably want to try a few samples. The best place to find a cake maker is at wedding fayres. They will have tasters and design samples for you to look at. Don’t try too many samples though…you’ve only just picked your wedding dress!

Stay tuned for the next part coming soon

I will be exhibiting at Tissington Hall on the 1st April 2012. This is my first wedding fayre so why not come and say hello and calm my nerves.

I might be having a couple of special offers on the day so pop in, say hello and have a chat about your wedding plans.

I’m looking forward to meeting lots of happy couples making plans for their exciting new futures together.

See you there!

wedding photography in Nottingham, Derbyshire and the East Midlands.

I suggest you take a read as its brutally honest if you are in the market for a photographer and are thinking about using “uncle Bob”

click here to read the article

Graeme

I’d love to hear what ideas you guys are coming up with, anything different this year?

I think I’d someone comes up with the best theme and idea for their wedding I will do the photography for half price!

There you go…. Challenge has been set, tell me your plans!