I get a buzz on wedding days as they feel just like Christmas morning.
 
I get up around 7, although I am usually awake before due to the anticipation of the day ahead. First order of the day is a nice Cuppa tea - mmmmm, which my lovely wife, Dawn, makes for me.

Then the boring stuff, yes it’s dreaded camera cleaning time (although I do like it - sad I know).  With the camera sparkling it’s off to my studio at the bottom of my garden where I have spent many happy hours snapping away – tall, short, large and small - they are all lovely in their own right. Time to pack away the studio kit ready for the evening reception - lights, stands, background and all other sundries, which are tightly squeezed into our little ford fusion.  At least I get the seat without the roll of backdrop paper poking me in the ear, which is stretching from back to front and across the passenger seat. You should see my wife Dawn, bless her, it’s like she is doing a limbo dance under this thing all the way to the brides house.  The Mcds breakfast is even more of a challenge for her - not to mention her coffee.
 
So with our destination safely stored into the good old tom tom - off we go. We usually get a couple of miles out of Banbury before we get on a little single track road. Funny, wherever we go we always seem to find one! Then yes, you guessed it, it’s into reverse and back we go to where we came from, our tom tom recalculates our route and off we go again. The funny thing is half the time we know where we are going, but we still use the sat nav - why do we do that?
 
We arrive on time (of course) to the bride’s house to photograph the bride, bridesmaids and all getting ready. This is where the magic begins - the excitement is in the air, bless them, we love to see people so happy as it makes all the hard work we put in so worthwhile.

Things are already busy with people coming and going. We get to meet the brides mum and the bridesmaid’s. Dad is floating around in the background - I think he is just waiting for the pub to open.

At this point Nick arrives he is our trainee I call him my Saturday boy to my amusement.

We are all happily clicking away, then Dawn gets roped into helping the girls get ready by tying up the laces on the bride and bridesmaids dresses and all those girly things she loves to get involved with, bless her.  I always seem to get lumbered with making the tea - still at least they all get a top notch cuppa.

I keep my eye on the time as it goes so fast on the morning.

The makeup artist arrives ready to do the brides make up. The photos while the bride having her hair and makeup done are simply stunning.

“Nick, enough take the camera off me, turn it around and take some images of the bride”. (I know I know it’s an old one but I bet you gave a chuckle).
 
Seriously though, makeup time is one of my favourite times at the bride’s house.The makeup girl always positions the bride in the best light for doing the makeup, which also makes for the best exposure on the images. Some of our best shots are done at this point.

With the bride all done up, looking like a princess it’s almost time to go. The limo is waiting so the bridesmaids and the brides mum all pile in - Nick also goes with them to take pics on the way (for some reason, I think that’s one of Nick’s favourite parts of the day!).  I never understand how this works - I am the boss yet he gets to go in the limo with mum and the bridesmaids - I may have to rethink this one!
The limo goes to the church and then back for the Bride and dad - oh yes dad, where is dad ? - nowhere to be seen.  At this point I have to leave Dawn with the bride while I go to hunt out dad at the pub.  Sure enough there he is propping up the bar, and back to the house we go. Phew, at least the limo isn’t back yet. So dad does a superman style change and we are back on track. We do the images of dad and daughter just about to leave the house - dad looks so proud with his ruddy face nerves or alcohol I’m not sure. The bride looks surprisingly calm all things considered.
The limo is now back for them so it’s time for Dawn and I to hot foot it to the church, to get there to greet the groom and best man, before dad and daughter arrives. This time finding the church is no problem as it was only 5 minutes around the corner.

Please see the second part of my blog post next...