Extending a warm hello to all the readers of Kathryn's blog, I'm Keith and I'm hijacking Kathryn's blog today in order to write the following... Being a wedding photographer, Kathryn knows a fair bit about weddings and proposals and often when I come home from work she’ll have some article or video she wants to share with me. If it’s a proposal, it’s usually an over elaborate event either getting an entire tube carriage to sing or hiring out a cinema and doing a movie declaring their love. So no pressure then when it comes to proposing to someone in the industry. I’ve wanted to propose to Kathryn for a long time. I thought of everything and anything for the proposal, I looked into hot air balloon rides, trips to Paris, trips to Ireland where Kathryn’s family are from, I thought of taking her to London for a show or a boat ride on a river but none of my ideas felt special enough. Back in December we booked a holiday to Oludeniz in Turkey for the following … [Read more...]
Valentine’s Meal
Ok, so I don't cook very often... something to do with a lack of time... but I like to think I'm a pretty good cook when I need to be. I come from a family of amazing cooks on my mother's side... my nan and my great aunt whose family home was in Ireland, packed their bags and headed for England when they were employed by Lords and Ladies who resided at places such as Eton Place in Belgravia, London and Yeovilton in Somerset. They also worked for Lady Londonderry at Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland. My nan had six children and we used to visit her every Saturday afternoon at her home in Southampton, Hampshire where she would cook up a feast for us all... completely home made with fresh ingredients. You can't beat home made cooking. My mum, along with her brothers and sisters are all great cooks - I'm sure they should have opened a restaurant somewhere along the line. Anyway... since it was Valentine's day yesterday I decided to go that extra mile and cook a meal - from scratch... no … [Read more...]
Photographs at Lulworth Cove in Dorset
Yesterday Keith and I drove to Lulworth Cove in Dorset, a place we had both been as children but had forgotten what a gem it is - until now. Lulworth Cove is a quaint little fishing harbour with a pebble beach and more photo opportunities than you can imagine. I'm so glad I had my camera with me and I can't believe how lucky we were with the weather. Yesterday was glorious sunshine and blue skies and today was just miserable in comparison. It was a really lovely day out, Keith drove while I annoyed him with comments like "Not too fast!" and "Ooooh! Mind the pedestrians." Sometimes I would just gasp (I secretly like winding him up). Before we left home I grabbed my old CD case ... I thought a few tunes from my early 20s would be fun to listen to on the drive down to the coast... so between gasps I played DJ... first off was Rhianna: 'A Girl Like Me'. I really like this CD... a great mix of upbeat tempo tracks and slower melodies. We stopped at a petrol station along the way for … [Read more...]
Corfe Castle – Isle of Purbeck Dorset
A couple of weeks ago, my boyfriend and I drove from Southampton in Hampshire down to Bournemouth in Dorset and took the short ferry ride across the water to Studland. Studland is absolutely beautiful and although I've lived in the South of England for most of my life, I didn't discover it until last year. The beach is just gorgeous with miles of soft golden sand, blue waters and and plenty of trees around to provide shade during the summer months. On this occasion, we continued the scenic drive on to Corfe Castle, one of Britain's most majestic ruins and once a controlling gateway through the Purbeck Hills. … [Read more...]
Hampshire Wedding Preparations
I seem to know so many people who are getting married this year! This week I've been chatting with my friend Maxine who's marrying her fiance Andreas in August this year at the stunning Christchurch Priory in Hampshire, followed by a wedding reception at the beautiful Passford House Hotel in Lymington. Choosing the perfect wedding venue is like finding the perfect partner. You look around, you make a few calls, try a few out for size, and then one day – often when you least expect it – you stumble across a location that will stay with you forever. That's what happened to Maxine and Andreas when they chose their Hampshire wedding venue. Passford House has a magical quality to it; the idea of strolling through the Monet Meadow, sipping champagne and having photos on the terrace is what won their hearts and Passford House is sure to provide the perfect setting for their wedding day and their wedding photography. Passford House is licensed to hold both traditional and modern … [Read more...]
Hampshire Wedding Photography at The De Vere New Place: Natalie & Graham
Yesterday I provided the wedding photography for Graham and Natalie at the De Vere New Place in Southampton Hampshire with my friend Lizzie. New Place is a wonderful Hampshire wedding venue set in 32 acres of pristine parkland. The Grade I listed manor house is a blend of traditional charm and modern comfort. Natalie and Graham were a lovely couple who made us feel very welcome on their special day, I'd like to wish them every happiness for their future together and hope they'll love their wedding photographs. Here's a quick edit of some of the photographs I took at the wedding... If you would like to chat about your wedding photography at The De Vere New Place, please feel free to get in touch. … [Read more...]
Lizzie’s Hampshire Wedding Preparations
In June this year, my good friend Lizzie will be marrying her fiance, Simon in a quirky, country fete styled wedding and guess who'll be providing their wedding photography.... none other than yours truly!! Eeeeeek! Lizzie has kindly agreed to share her wedding preparations with us, here's what she had to say... Lizzie met her fiance Simon way back in 1996 - Lizzie was a part time checkout girl in Tescos whilst studying for her A levels and Simon worked in a local building society. Little did they know that fate was at work. Simon had a friend who worked in Tescos who knew Lizzie, and Lizzie's mum was a regular in the building society who kept telling Simon about her daughter who worked in Tescos. Simon and about ten friends started making regular trips to Tesco and would always use Lizzie's checkout... eventually he plucked up the courage to ask her out. Three years later, when Lizzie was at university in Winchester training to be a teacher, Simon surprised her by proposing in the … [Read more...]
New Zealand
For those who know me well it's no secret that I like LOVE to travel... and as some of you may know I should be in New Zealand right now, sunning myself and enjoying the white sands and turquoise waters of the Pacific. Right about now I would be extending the New Year's celebrations with friends and family in the Coromandel on New Zealand's East coast. Well that idea was short lived when on boxing day I was told by two doctors that I couldn't fly due to Pneumonia (I was due to fly the next day). So I'm sat here at my computer with an electric heater borrowed from my parents by my side, thinking about the fun times I would be having in that glorious sunshine had I not been struck down by winter. I went to New Zealand for the first time during Christmas and New Year 2007/2008. I was only there for two weeks and after such a looooong flight by myself and all the dramas of going through customs in Hong Kong, at first I wondered why my uncle and his family had moved so … [Read more...]
Happy New Year!
Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas and have recovered from your New Year celebrations! Congratulations to those of you who got engaged over the festive season! I should be sunning myself in New Zealand right now but alas I had Pneumonia over Christmas and was unable to travel. Still, it's not the end of the world as I have many great things to look forward to this year with some awesome weddings coming up and hopefully I'll be gaining some much anticipated photography qualifications :O) The summer is starting to look busy already wedding wise and I'll be photographing a very special wedding in June for my friend Lizzie... she's very creative too and we've planned some spectacular photo opportunities for her wedding dayin Hampshire... eeeeek! I don't know which of us is more excited! If you're getting married this year or you know someone who is, why not contact me for availability for your wedding photography as I still have some great 2011 dates that … [Read more...]
Winter Wedding at Cotswold 88 Hotel
I've been looking forward to blogging about this wedding for months! Nicola contacted me a while back after she found me on Rock 'n' Roll Bride and told me how much she loved my photos :o))). We arranged to meet and discussed the wedding and photography requirements. Not only had Nicola chosen an amazing wedding venue at the Cotswolds 88 Hotel, she was also a lovely person and I was already looking forward to her big day. Saturday finally arrived and I made the journey from Southampton in Hampshire to the Cotswolds where Nicola was to marry her Australian fiance, Cameron, and the day went without a hitch. The venue was absolutely amazing; Cotswolds 88 Hotel is an intimate lifestyle boutique hotel set in the hauntingly beautiful village of Painswick. Here, the modern and vintage merge with the historic exterior and funky interior breathing new life into the foundations of this stunning country retreat. The hotel’s ethos is based on the latest lounge trend in which luxury and … [Read more...]