Of course why have just have one tractor when you can have two? Nick brought his own smaller version out to play and together they formed the basis for the grand entrance to the marquee. What followed was an excellent effort by seven grown men to hang some bunting between the two tractors. Worth it in the end though chaps eh?! 
With the church ceremony approaching a quick spruce up was required and eventually Groom and his ushers made their way to the pub for a swift pint...
Here is the story of their day over four locations and two ceremonies...
Proceedings started in Totness at the Friend's Meeting House. Beth is a Quaker and this was my first experience of a Quaker wedding. It is a very peaceful ceremony, with a remarkable silence allowing Friends and family alike to reflect before giving words of love, support or guidance for the couple. No photographs are permitted during the service and this actually allowed me to take in importance of the event as well. Everyone present then signs the Quaker marriage certificate, which is written in beautiful calligraphy. With a Registrar present the marriage paperwork is done afterwards to make it a legal binding.
With some additional wireless flashes I was able to get a nice fill light on the speakers during the speeches and this complimented the band's colourful strobes on the tent.
If you would like to find out more about my wedding photography then drop me an email on [email protected] or make contact through my website.
With a romantic driveway entrance St Audries Park is instantly appealing. Deer graze in the surrounding fields, the bellow of a stag interrupts the silence and if you look carefully you can even see the sea, which is just under a mile away. The stately home is quite magnificent but with dark clouds looming, I had my fingers crossed for some good luck.
The speeches were heartfelt, touching and at times laugh-out loud. With an iPad malfunction Best Man Mike had to resort to his paper version, but he took it in his stride and with a picture of a 'special' bulldog the guys had met whilst travelling he brought the house down. 
Back inside to catch some action on the dancefloor and a brilliant effort at Gangnam Style!
With a still night and the stars shining one of my last photographs was a 15 second exposure of St Audries Park from the driveway. A bit of post-production work and I'm pretty pleased with the end result! Thanks to Vicky and Chris and all their friends and family for welcoming me and allowing me to capture their amazing day.
Are you looking to find the right wedding photographer who can capture the real story of your day as well as create portraiture with style? I would love to hear from you! Click to find out more about Simon Biffen Photography or send me a message here.
The weather behaved itself allowing me to get plenty of outdoor photographs and the guests all had a blast. An after dinner singer, the best selection of pick and mix I have ever seen and not forgetting Giant Jenga (which brought out the ultra-competitive nature in some of the boys) meant there was something to please everyone. The frivolity went a step further when one unnamed usher decided a dip in the fish pond would be rather fun, not to the amusement of his wife however! The partying continued well into the night with guests getting loose and breaking out some quite incredible moves on the dance-floor. An awesome couple, stunning venue, and an amazing atmosphere meant this wedding really rocked!
Right enough from me, you've come to see the pictures! Enjoy this selection from Sophie and Danny's wedding day...
In fact, on the day, Vicky was the most calm, relaxed bride I've ever seen and she carried her 'bump' with grace and poise in a beautifully flowing dress. The ceremony was held in The Grand Chamber at Wandsworth Town Hall. It is a striking room with oak panelling and an impressive skylight. Guests were then taken by classic red Routemasters across the city to The Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall where they were spoiled with a top notch service in decadent surroundings. Meanwhile Bride, Groom and myself went by car to get some portraits with a London theme. Battersea Power Station was our first stop and then we risked our lives crossing Westminster Bridge, but boy was it worth it. We got some awesome shots with stunned tourists looking on and backdrops included Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye.
The wedding reception was held beneath the stunning chandeliers of the wonderful Mountbatten Room and with the impeccable service, it provided a first class experience for all. There were some embarrassing moments for Adam during the speeches, although nothing less should be expected from a best man! The partying went long into the night and the band made sure there were plenty of people on the dancefloor. A pink feather boa somehow found it's way into the mix and this entertained the crowd when it was put to good use for an impromptu limbo competition! Overall it was A fantastic wedding for a fantastic couple. Congratulations Vicky and Adam and best of luck with your new addition later this month!
I had great support from friend's and past couples and am very pleased to say that I achieved some quite nice results...
Pretty stoked that I came 7th in England because 'Top 10' certainly has a nice ring to it! But hey, I won't shy away from Top 50 Worldwide either!
Thank you to all those who supported me, it really means a lot.
The next awards I've entered are the similarly named, but very differently formatted, Wedding Industry Awards which is based purely on clients scores and feedback from this year only. It is highly regarded and I would love to take on the big boys here. I will let you know in November how it goes!
So, to finish with...
If you would like an award winning wedding photographer to take awesome pictures at your wedding head over to Simon Biffen Photography and find out more ;)
The way this works is on the number of total votes in a category, and here's the thing: you can vote once per day. This means for the two weeks you can vote everyday if you're really feeling the love! And do feel free to spread the word to family, friends and co-workers if you think I'm worthy. With all the other competition I will need all the help I can get to compete with the big fish.
This will be Simon Biffen Photography's first year as a full time business and I would love to kick things off with some bling! Seriously though, it would be awesome. Since leaving teaching to take my passion for pictures to the next level I can safely say it has been a roller coaster ride, but I am absolutely loving it.
There we go, I'm done :) Don't forget to cast your vote each day you lovely people...
Voting commences on the 13th August and runs till the 31st August.
A thousand?
A hundred?
Ten?
...One?
Could you pick just one picture? Is that even possible?
And what sort of picture would it be? Would you choose a person? A moment? A detail?
Can you imagine if wedding photographers didn't give you hundreds of images, but instead had to chose just one?
That one image would have to be mindblowingly good wouldn't it?!
You bet.
So, where am I going with this?
Well, I think the old saying 'less is more' is fitting here. Think about this: would you rather see ten OK pictures of you having your hair done, or one exceptional one? Six average pictures of you walking down the aisle, or one that's spectacular?
Quality not quantity, in other words.
The world is full of average-to-appalling digital photographs, and you certainly don't want to receive any like this from your wedding photographer. Although, funnily enough I did from mine. From a massive 750 images sent to us on disc, we culled 300 right off the bat for either being out of focus, inappropriate or just plain rubbish. Plenty more images needed colour correction and further editing. This was not what I expected to have to do and it really put the photographer in a bad light in my eyes. Did it mean he wasn't bothered enough about our wedding to take the time to actually study the pictures carefully, or did he just think by providing all the images he was doing us a favour?
You don't walk into an Apple store and see old tatty iPods and iPhones, packaging on the floor or day-glo sale signs. That is because a sense of quality resounds through everything they do, from the chirpy 'hello' to the last play with the latest Mac Air before you leave. You are happy in the knowledge that you are being provided for, looked after and that the product is completely worth investing in.
I think that wedding photography should be the same: you should love the photographer's work, have a good connection with them and be shown that they care about you and your day.
Every wedding I shoot has my complete and utter attention. I want the end result to be genuine happiness from the Bride and Groom at seeing their day captured just how they envisaged, and sometimes a little better. I want my couples to value each and every photograph I give them. Each will have it's place.
Deciding on what makes the final disc is a long process for me. I need time to consider and think carefully about the story of the day and including relevant pictures and culling the chaff. But it is completely worth it. This is obviously all pointless if you don't have great photographs to choose from to start with!
The title of this blog is 'a thousand to one'. These are odds that you could bet on and retire happy but if i rejig it a little and swap a word... you get 'one in a thousand'. This saying could relate to your photographer, your dress, your other half (oops, they should be at least one in ten thousand) but essentially it means that you've chosen something or someone so special that it isn't going to be matched easily.
I'm aware of how many thousands of photographers there are to chose from, but I'm safe in the knowledge that none of them are exactly like me, or have my unique passion for wedding photography, and of course none can beat me at welly wanging (and if you think you can then head to the World Welly Boot Throwing in my home town of Wellington in September and challenge me!)
If you would like to find out more about what makes me special, as it were, then pay me a visit at Simon Biffen Photography.
The weather held (just!) and Polly and Andy got the wedding they dreamed of: a classy, country affair in delightful Dorset. Things started with a bang with the boys in the morning on their clay pigeon shoot with Justin at On The Peg. There was serious competition between the boys and no one was going to let the groom have it easy. Andy did in fact come second, after upping his game.
The church was in the enormous grounds of Bryanston School where Polly was a former student. The Rev'd Andrew Haviland captivated the congregation with his delightful positivity during the ceremony. One word: "Wow!" :)
The reception was held at another of Polly's old schools, this time at Hanford. The gorgeous box gardens allowed us the perfect escape for half an hour to get some stunning portraits. We were interrupted at one point by the Headmaster's dog who came and gave his personal congratulations to the happy couple!
I wanted to try a few shots using the quite spectacular tree in the grounds and the boys were keen to do a bit of climbing to get into position. Only thing is that full stretch lunges aren't really what these suits were designed for and there was one 'accident' in the nether regions of one unnamed usher ;).
Having spent five years as teachers at The Banda School in Kenya, Polly and Andy wanted to bring an element of their time in Africa to their wedding. There were Masai rugs, carved animal favours and their favourite places in Kenya were designated as table names on a huge map. The marquee was set in the grounds of the house and had what seemed like hundreds of metres of bunting decorating the inside. This, alongside lanterns and fairylights, gave it a wonderfully bright and colouful feel inside.
Croquet was available for those who were feeling competitive. I'm not sure what it is with croquet, but it seems men just can't play it without turning into monsters! The nicest guys suddenly become possessed once they realise they can knock their mate's ball into the next postcode!
The food was delicious: fresh country produce that fitted in perfectly with the day and was presented beautifully. 
Ah, the speeches! One of my favourite parts of the day, everyone is relaxed, and the only one stressing is the best man. Or in this case, men. These two chaps paired up better than Batman and Robin and delivered a fantastic speech which had the Groom squirming just the right amount. Talking of which, poor Andy. Not only did the heavens open for your speech, but that thunder couldn't have come at a more inappropriate moment! Nevertheless, you moved us all with your heartfelt words.
Not a fan of traditional wedding cakes, Polly and Andy opted for a cheese cake, yes real cheese! It was truly a sight to behold especially when cut with a massive sword! 
Jim Etherington and his band got the dancefloor filled and feet moving. Their version of Zorba the Greek was unbelievable. I have never in all my days seen a crowd respond quite so well to it!
So... that was the wedding of the lovely Polly and Andy!
I hope you have enjoyed this sample of their wedding. If you like what you see and would like to know more about my wedding photography head over to my website or contact me.
Boom!
It hits you, it's a wedding ring, you got married and that's your wife!
The day before rocked: your friends were there in full force, even your dad managed not to embarrass you.... much. The planning that went into the day paid off and you cannot wait to see the photographs. Then a horrible thought dawns on you. Did you make the right decision to pour all that money into the free bar rather than a professional photographer? Surely, the guy who offered the 'cheapest deal in town' was joking about not really knowing how to use his brand new camera? Or that the blurry ones would be artistic in black and white? Or that he was trying out some some new techniques and hoped that this time these wouldn't make the bride cry?!
Ouch.
Now, I know you're probably thinking that's pretty extreme and could never happen... but check out these stories : "Our big day ruined!" and "I'll sue your ****!" (note these are photography related rather than embarrassing Dad's at weddings, although there's an idea...)
Let's rewind a tad.
For all that the big day represents it is just a day, and like any day you forget things. Even things you swear you'd never forget (ok perhaps this is just coming from a man, but roll with me) like: the colour of your tie, the canapes, the table favours, the button holes... I won't go on or I might get in trouble in case my wife thinks that I forgot those things...
All this leads onto the fact that a good wedding photographer is your answer. Not only will they capture the day's major events, but they will be able to take moments you hadn't even been aware of: longing glances, beaming smiles, a few manly tears. And it's the emotions that add up to capturing how the day really was. Without the people, without the pure joy shared at a couple confirming their love for each other, you would lose the whole sense of sharing and togetherness that a marriage brings with it. So here are a five reasons (and ways to help choose) a truly professional photographer who will trump anybody else:
Reason #1.
The photographer is there to take pictures, not to be the centre of attention. They must make sure that moments are captured unobtrusively as much as possible. Of course, there are times when they need to get involved: organising groups or giving subtle direction to the Bride and Groom to get those portraiture shots to look as striking as possible, but on the whole they let things happen. Essentially, they must understand the style of your wedding and capture it creatively and honestly.
Reason #2.
Another important matter is the manner in which your photographer approaches your day. Will they give time to you before the day in order to talk through timings, check out the venue and get to know you better as individuals? It's pretty important for you to get on well with each other. Did you ever think about this girls? Your photographer will quite likely spend as much time with you on your wedding day as the chap you're getting hitched to... so wouldn't it be nice if you were happy in their company?!
Reason #3.
Your photographer should impress you. And by that I mean you should be genuinely in love with their work. It should excite you. It should connect with you. It should make you wish you were in the photograph. There are few occasions in life where you will look so good or so happy. With the right photographer you will look unbelievable. And that is the goal. To have photographs taken like you've never had before. Pictures you want to show off to the world.
Reason #4.
So, you've got a great photographer whose pictures you adore, who understands about your day and relates well to both of you. Now just make sure that they are reliable. How can you check this? Well they should be able to give you contact details for previous couples who you can contact if you want to. Get it straight from the horse's mouth as it were. Secondly, do they have suitable backup equipment if Auntie Fiona spills her wine over the camera? It happens and they should be ready for it. Thirdly, are they insured? This protects both parties against any nasty accidents or loss.
Reason #5.
Wow so that's it really. Apart from one last thing. Do they fit into your budget? And is your budget flexible if photographs are something you think are worth investing in? It's no good lusting after a photographer if it's going to be detrimental to your bank balance in the long run. However, with the right mindset you should be able to determine what is important. Is it the free bar or is it the photographer you've had your eye on since you got engaged?
I'd love to hear how you found your perfect wedding photographer. Was it word of mouth? Did you meet them at a wedding fayre? Had you seen them on a blog? Do tell. Especially if you have an embarrassing Dad story as I could be onto a winner there ;)
If you've enjoyed reading this please come back often for more! You can find me on Facebook, Twitter or for the real deal head to my weddings website.
I am offering all new clients a £250 voucher towards any part of their wedding photography if they book before September 1st 2012.
All existing and past wedding clients, for every couple you recommend, who then book their wedding photography with me gets you a cool £50 cash. It really is that simple...
For full terms and conditions please email me.
Many moons ago I decided it was time to make my website stand out from the crowd. It is the window to my world, the way I work and the images on it are there to give people the best impression of me. So of course it needs to be good. For three years I had been using a template website which I had tweaked and fiddled around with, but it was never quite right. With the added goal of driving my photography to new heights, I needed some help getting the job done properly. So I started shopping. Not an easy thing to do with so many options...
I finally came across Nige and Jamie at the SWPP Convention in January. Their company Freebird design some of the best websites I have seen and after a chat and showing them my work I knew these could be the guys who could pull it off.
The first stage of design was the logo. Back and forth we went with ideas and sketches finally deciding on the simple but elegant one that you see below. It is balanced, stylish and unique. The birds? Well you can decide what they represent, but I think they could symbolise love and companionship... and what are weddings all about?
So the next stage was coming up with the overall look and feel. I wanted something that was reminiscent of a wedding. Appeal is aimed to be universal with small details for the keen eyed, but at the same time it should make the viewer feel comfortable with how to navigate and discover what I am all about. This is how the landing page looks...
There are links along the bottom of every page to Facebook, Twitter and this blog. With social media taking such an important role regarding exposure and reach, it is vital to have these incorporated. The Portfolio page is there to show off my photographs so we opted for a 'dim the lights' effect to reduce distraction. There is also a 'Watch Me' link to view a recent video slideshow.
Accessibility is key and being able to get to various parts is generally only one or two clicks away, for example, the side bar allows you to navigate to various sections from every page.
Really really pleased that it is now built and up for the world to see. I have to thank the awesome team at Freebird for their hard work and patience dealing with all my changes. I also couldn't have done it without the support and advice from my gorgeous wife. Thank you. :)
If you haven't seen the website yet then do head over by clicking here and if you like it, spread the word!
Visit www.simonbiffenphotography.co.uk to see more weddings or alternatively find me on Facebook.
If you would like Simon to take stunning photographs at your wedding please phone 07414977696 or email [email protected].
Visit www.simonbiffenphotography.co.uk to see more weddings or alternatively find me on Facebook.
Formal group shots have been part and parcel of wedding photography since people started taking photographs at weddings. Having a photographer who can organise them quickly and effciently, allowing guests to relax is important, but so is someone who can think outside of the box and create something different if the situation allows. I want to show you a variety of group shots that may help you decide which you prefer on your day.
First up: traditional formal group shots. The first photograph is one of eight groups shot right outside the church. Time taken: less than 10 minutes for all groups. The second photograph was the entire wedding party and made use of the fine weather and bandstand. Time taken: 5 minutes.
However, groups don't always have to be the traditional stand in a line that you may envisage. Some locations can offer some unique opportunities. The rocks in the first photograph below caught my eye and having the boys staggered gives a nice depth to the image. The stunning painting in the second photograph gave a great background, helping it stand out.
*UPDATE!* This next 'Vanity Fair style' group shot worked out really well. The pillars and steps added more depth and interest and the variation in height with some sitting and some standing or leaning help create a striking image (this was shot at the awesome St Donat's Castle, Wales). This sort of group shot is becoming more popular as it is possible to have really powerful group shots that stand out from the standard formals. 
A great group shot should reflect the personalities within it. This next pair of pictures again made thoughtful use of the location and more importantly shows they are genuinely happy! Having fun whilst taking portraits always helps as it generally makes those on the other side of the lens more relaxed leading to more natural photographs.
My designs are clean and fresh and document the day as it was. There is a balance of colour and tone and the story flows from one image to the next. This album sample is of Tim and Rachel's wedding in Blandford Forum, Dorset, a gorgeous country affair.
Here is a look at the Memento 7x5 albums which are a replica of the main album but handy enough to keep in your bag:
And here are some more pictures of another Perfetto album this one the largest size of 14x16, which really shows off the images to their very best:
Coming in their own stylish presentation cases means they will always be kept in mint condition for years to come:
Would like to see these storybook wedding albums for real or have your very own? Head over to my website or email me to get in touch.
Awesome little wedding car and I was lucky enough to sneak in behind them as they left the church so passing through the avenue of beech trees at Badbury Rings I managed to get a few shots of the car ahead of me (whilst driving myself!) and there wasn't another car in sight. Perfect!
A stunning National Trust home met us on our arrival at the reception and with the gardens reaching the river, it really was idyllic. Got some great photographs right into the night and drove back to be home by midnight. Phew! Enjoy these chosen shots of the day...
