Chilled out country wedding

I was recently asked to take photos at the wedding of Amy and James who got married at Gateshead Register Office, followed by a reception at The Black Horse at Beamish. Here is Amy arriving at the ceremony with her Dad in an amazing converted camper van.

Before taking photos during the ceremony I made sure I had a word with the registrar to make sure I knew about any restrictions or guidelines on photography. I think it’s important to capture all of the key moments during the ceremony and it also allows the guests to enjoy the moment, without having the pressure of taking photos themselves.

I really like this photo of Amy and James taking their first walk as a married couple, their expressions are genuine and it’s obvious how happy they are. I’m becoming quite the expert at jogging slightly ahead of people to capture shots like this, you have to be fit to be a wedding photographer!

After a quick trip in the camper van the couple continued their special day at The Black Horse at Beamish. The skies had been cloudy all day, but luckily the sun started to emerge when we reached the venue, which made my outdoor shots a lot easier!

I always research venues in advance so that I can identify any quirky and unusual features which would make great backgrounds for portraits. In this case I had visited The Black Horse the weekend before and this meant that my experience on the big day was a lot more streamlined. The couple were away from their guests for a minimal amount of time, but we still managed to get a great selection of shots.

The photo above shows the vintage car garage I had found the previous week, and as I expected, it made a really striking backdrop for the couple’s portrait. I really like how the lines lead off into the distance, and the colour scheme matches that of the main venue.

This is my favourite photo of the day as it really sums up what a happy couple Amy and James are. They were aiming for a chilled out, free-flowing celebration of their marriage, and I think I’ve reflected this in their wedding photos.

If you would like to find out more about my wedding photography please contact me via my website www.helentaylorphotos.com or through my Facebook page.