David & Charlotte's wedding

You normally get a call from the Bride in the week or so before the wedding just to make sure that everything is OK to set them at ease, but with Charlotte that didn't happen. I turned up to a very laid back Bride, in fact, any more laid back and she would have been asleep!!

When I arrived she, along with the Bridesmaid and Mum was having their hair and makeup done by Donna at Beauty Angels. (It was Donna that done the hair and Makeup for my daughters prom). She didn't disappoint, but then she never does...the Bride looked stunning, as did the Bridesmaid.

From then on what a day we had! It was just fabulous. Not only very easy to work with, but it's been a while since I had that much time with a Bride & Groom without any of the guests commenting on photographers and the time taken. Suffice to say we got some fabulous images.

David & Charlotte are now away on their honeymoon and I'm looking forward to their return for them to see their images...I know they're looking forward to it.

In the meantime, here are a couple of images to whet their appetite!

As always, any comments are welcome.

Weekends over - on with the week!

Well after the hectic weekend it's on with the week, today's an admin day, and I've got about 30 disks to burn and post. I've got to get an order in for a job I'm doing on Friday and around all the studio sessions taking place.

I thought it was a hectic weekend!!

It's going to dry out!

Just getting myself ready to shoot a wedding for a colleague down in sunny Hertfordshire. It'll be a late one but hopefully I'll be back by 11 this evening.

Then it's packing the car ready for a wedding fair tomorrow in Rugby so it's going to be a busy weekend. Monday should be a bit easier though so I'll have a time to get ready for the studio on Tuesday.

Have a great weekend!

Justin & Sarah's wedding

It had been raining all week leading up to Justin & Sarah's wedding, but on the morning of the wedding the sun broke through and we were blessed with a beautiful day. The day got under way and dispite being in the center of Bedford we didn't have that many holdups.
All in all the day went well, and we finished the photographs earlier that expected, and just before the heavens opened up on us again!

The happy couple will be back off honeymoon some time soon. Until then, here's a couple of images for you to enjoy!
Comments always welcome.

Tristan & Lisa's wedding

It was a hot day that found us on the way to Tristan & Lisa's wedding. I met up first with the Groom on the 10th tee at the Del A Pre golf course at 7am. It was tempting to get my clubs out of the car and follow him round, but duty calls, and after getting changed, it was off to meet the Bride.

It was generally a very relaxed day with pleasant guests and beautiful and happy couple. The caterers were under pressure to keep everyone fed and watered, (I did chip in with my assistant during a quiet period to help them out a bit), but they managed admirably.

It was a tired Royce that left the wedding that evening, but satisfied that a good job had been done. The happy couple are away on honeymoon now, whilst I busy myself in getting ready for a four day Mother & Baby show in Milton Keynes.

Here's a couple of images to whet their appetite!

Enjoy.

David & Dawns Wedding Update

David & Dawn have now returned from their honeymoon. I did offer to go with them and take some pictures, but for some reason they declined!! (Just kidding)

Anyway, they've collected their previews, so here's a small slideshow of some of their images.

As always, any comments are welcome.

Enjoy!

Weddings with Master Photographers (Linked to the MPA)

There's been a lot of discussion recently regarding the case of Marc & Sylvia Day's wedding photographs, (or lack of, depending on your viewpoint!)

As a specialist wedding photographer, it saddens me to hear of cases like this on what is one of the most important days of a couples life. The sad truth is that it's more commonplace than it should be. In this day of digital technology, anyone who picks up a camera thinks it's easy to be a wedding photographer. But the opposite is true, it's a highly specialised task. To quote the great Ray Lowe FMPA, "You would not go to an unqualified Doctor for an examination, so why book an unqualified photographer for one of the most important days of your life ?"

Most wedding couples think nothing of spending £3000-£10,000 on their wedding breakfast, but then baulk at £3000 on their wedding photographs. Their guests can enjoy their feast and pat their full bellies and declare "wonderful meal", until breakfast that is. Your photographs are for life. They will be handed through your future generations for years to come, for the enjoyment of your children, and theirs after. For me, sadly, I am unable to show my children a photograph of my Father as I don't have any, and he has been gone 30 years. For me it's too late, I just have my fading memories. I urge others to take the opportunity and not leave their future generations to suffer as I do.

I leave it with the words of our Chief Executive, the Master Photographers Association to sum up.

Comment from the Chief Executive of the Master Photographers Association:

I was appalled to read about the West Yorkshire newlyweds, Marc and Sylvia Day, who had to sue their wedding photographer for producing shoddy wedding photographs and video.

The photographer in question was not charging cheap prices either, so how can couples be assured that the photographer they choose is not going to make a mess of things?

The answer is simply to entrust this most important event to a Master Photographer. The Master Photographers Association is the only trade body in the UK to insist its members are full-time professionals and are qualified to a high minimum standard. They also follow a strict code of conduct and carry the appropriate insurance.

The bungling photographer, Gareth Bowers, was not an MPA member, but appears to have been a former member of the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers - a privately run society which does not enforce the strict entry criteria of the Master Photographers Association.

I'll be discussing the benefits of using a Master Photographer in a radio interview booked for next week.

Colin Buck
Chief Executive, MPA

Peter & Laura's wedding

Peter and Laura are back from their honeymoon and looking great! Now that they've had their viewing, here's a sample of their wedding as an album layout.

As always, any comments are welcome.

MArk & Terina's Wedding

Here's a sample of Mark & Terina's wedding that I shot recently. The run up to their big day was a book in the making!

But they got there eventually, even though it was via Las Vegas!! Still, the weather held, and even though it was a tough choice for half the guests between the photo's and the bar, (Squaddies! Need I say more!), fun was had by all.

As always, any comments are welcome.

Mark & Terina's Wedding

For Mark & Terina, the run-up to their wedding and blessing was quite stressful! With a fair proportion of "squaddies" and ex Squaddies, it was an interesting service, as only they can make it! I didn't have too far to travel either, it was in my local church in Olney. If you've never been to Olney, it's a beautiful little village famous for it's pancake race!

It was a nice small service, the weather was great, and fun was had by all. I finished early as well, so it gave me plenty of time to get ready to go and set up for my wedding fair at Sandy.

Here's a few images whilst the couple are away for a few days.

As always, any comments are welcome.

It's that time of year!

We've reached that time of the year when we start displaying at wedding fairs. Over the last few years the've been diluted quite a bit as everyone seems to be doing them, especially hotels organising their own. It's rarely as good as those organised by companies who do it as a full time profession, it's all to do with the promotion of it.

Still, it gets us out there, that's the main thing, and with our prize draw for a £1400 wedding package as well, we should generate some interest.

I'm shooting another wedding tomorrow so I'll post a few images from it on by Monday.

Here's an image of our stand.

Peter & Laura's Wedding

It was with some trepidation that I set off to shoot Peter & Laura's wedding on Saturday. Nothing to do with the wedding itself, I'd slipped a disk on Thursday, and as anyone who's had one themselves knows, it's a painful experience. But after a trip to the osteopath on Friday, and my back support and drugs off I went to meet up with the Groom. Peter was relaxed and in the middle of a film when I arrived, but after a few shots I was on my way to meet up with the bride.

It was quite calm when I arrived, and we just plodded along getting the shots we needed as we went. It was a pleasant surprise I had whilst taking some shots in the marquee to find that the young lady who was supplying the chair covers, Rachel, was the Bride at a wedding I'd shot about 4 years previously!

Eventually the Bride slipped into her magnificent dress and after a few more shots I made my way, a little later than planned, to the church to meet up once again with the groom. We soon caught up and everything was ready for the Brides arrival.

The Gospel choir, Souls of Phrophecy, added a great up tempo mood, as only a gospel choir can, to a beautiful service. And after a few more photographs we made our way to the reception.

The group photographs went without any hitches thanks to the assistance of the Toastmaster, Paul Bridge and the wedding coordinators. But one of the highlights of the evening had to be the appearance of Julian Smith, (of Britains got Talant fame!), particularly liked by the Bride. He does have a way of playing that just draws you in to the beauty of his music. That was shortly followed by the Bride and some her friends performing "Wishing and Hoping" from the film My best friends wedding.

It was shortly after that I said my goodbyes and, a little tired but very satisfied, made my way home to a well earned cup of tea.

The happy couple are away on their honeymoon now and will be coming into the studio to collect their previews on their return at the beginning of October. Until then, here's a couple of images from the day.

As always, any comments are welcome.

Kevan & Caroline

Here's a sample of images from a recent wedding we covered at Notley Abbey, former home of Lawrence Olivier.

I've been the family photographer on the Brides side for 15 years, and all the young girls are grown and have families of their own. It's been a rewarding journey for me personally, to follow such a wonderful family and see the changes that have occurred over the years.

Enjoy!

Martin & Lisa's wedding update

A quick update to the images I posted last week for Martin & Lisa to enjoy.

Here's a quick sample of an album layout for them, and you, to enjoy!!

Martin & Lisa's Wedding

Beautiful weather greeted Martin & Lisa's wedding. A pleasant couple with a lovely family, photographing the wedding was a real joy. Lisa made the most beautiful Bride, the Groom the most dashing man, and along with the 4 charming bridesmaids, and Best Man and usher, it was a photographers dream, and fun was had by everyone there.
The happy couple are off on honeymoon now, but until they return and collect their previews here's a little taster of their wedding.

If you were at the wedding check out the rest of the images at -

http://www.roycestudios.co.uk/weddings.html

and don't forget you'll need your password!

As always, any comments welcome.

Enjoy!!