Blenheim Wedding Photography

Er... where did January go please?

2012-01-24T14:46:00.000+01:00

Ok - so one minute I'm making it my New Year's Resolution to keep this blog updated on a weekly basis and then all of a sudden.... it's the 24th of the month already. What happened???

So what's our news then.... well, January has been, as usual, a month of studio work - keeping up with our Cherubs baby sessions and sorting out the pre wedding shoots for our 2012 couples that haven't been in yet so far. And lots and lots of ADMIN. Bleurgh.

On a more exciting note, we have now signed the paperwork for our new studio ! We will be moving shortly from Unit H2 to Unit AA, still in building 13 - a much brighter, bigger unit and much easier for customers to get to. Sanchia will now have her own dedicated Make Up area again which she is very excited about, and we will have a lot more room to spread ourselves out. We will be having a "Freebie Weekend" after we move in with free portrait sessions on a first come first served basis - watch this space for more details !

Wedding signs by http://www.iheartyou.co.uk/

Last week I also stumbled across a new supplier - well, new to me anyway - "I Heart You" Wedding Stationery - what caught my eye were these FAB "Wedding Reception" signs styled like road signs - I love them so much I want one for the new studio !

Check out their website http://www.iheartyou.co.uk/ for loads of other lovely, original ideas for your wedding.

On Sunday we exhibited at the Deer Park Hall Wedding Showcase, in Pershore - I always enjoy exhibitions and wedding fayres as many of you know because I can talk the hind legs off a donkey, and this give me a chance to natter away to lots of new people, and this show was no exception. For those that aren't familiar with the Deer Park, it's a stunning wedding venue on the Worcestershire/Gloucestershire border and a firm favourite with Andy and I. If you're looking for a venue for YOUR wedding, we urge you to check this one out.

At the show we met lovely ladies Julie and Anne on the neighbouring stand from The Smart Exchange, Pershore - this lovely dress agency buy and sell pre-owned designer pieces for all types of occasions, including Mother Of The Bride and other formal wear - and now they also buy and sell designer wedding dresses that are less than 3 years old.

Their stand was VERY popular on Sunday, and we saw lots of very happy Mum's leaving with gorgeous designer outfits ready for their son or daughter's upcoming big day. As we all know, weddings are expensive things - if you're looking for a stunning designer outfit or wedding dress for your big day and want to keep the cost down, go and speak to the ladies at The Smart Exchange !

So what's coming up for the rest of the week then? We this weekend we have a full day in the studio on Saturday, and then on Sunday we will be at the first Hatherley Manor Wedding Open Day of 2012 - 11am til 3pm, they will have their wedding suites set up for you to view and their staff will be on hand to discuss your individual wedding requirements.

In the meantime though..... I think it's time for a cuppa, don't you?

Jan x

Looking forward to a good year !

2012-01-09T10:35:00.001+01:00

Well - 2012 is going to be a busy year here at Blenheim Weddings and I can't wait to get cracking on the first wedding of the year which will be at Clearwell Castle in a couple of weeks time.

2011 was busy mind you - we were lucky enough to share 40 couple's special day with them, we took on a new studio (which was a surprise even for us !), I became the Cherubs photographer for GL2 and then in November I passed my Master Photographer's Association Licentiate qualification as well as my Diploma in Photographic Practice. This gives me the chance to show off some letters after my name, but more importantly gives my customers the reassurance that me and my business now have the backing of the MPA. The DipPP bit means that the association, of which you can only be a member if Photography is your full time job - have researched my business and deemed it to be operating to their standards, and the LMPA means that my work also complies with their standards of photographic excellence.

The new studio is busy too - we've nicknamed it "The Pod" and while I'm keeping it busy with a throughput of portrait and Simply Secretive bookings, Andy is also doing his fair share of the more arty stuff in there and is always looking for models by the way !

So what's new for 2012 then? Well, for Simply Secretive we've got a new Make Up artist on board, the fantastic Kate Lester - she will be working for us on Mondays when we will be doing special priced boudoir packages called "Monday Makeovers" - check out the Simply Secretive website for more details !

We're also - due to popular demand - re-introducing the Simply Secretive Hen Party Package !

For Blenheim Weddings we've got a new range of products to show our happy couples including a lovely "signing book" and a ready framed "signing frame" to showcase the pre wedding shoot images at the wedding reception - judging by the enquiries we've already had for these I think they're going to be popular.

So - onwards and upwards into 2012 then folks - it's gonna be an exciting year for us all I think !

Jan x

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

2011-12-29T10:34:00.003+01:00

So - what is in the list of office resolutions for New Year then? Well, resolution number one is to remember to update our Blog !

2011 was another incredibly busy year for us and this poor blog got relatively forgotten - hopefully we can put that right for 2012 and keep you all up to date with news about what we're up to.

January 2012 is going to be another busy month for us after having a wonderful 2 week break over Christmas and New Year - it will be back to the grindstone for us getting ready for all our lovely 2012 couples weddings which we are really looking forward to.

Wishing all our Blog readers and very Happy New Year for 2012 - see you on the other side of midnight folks !

Stepping back in time.....

2011-05-29T09:31:00.001+02:00

Katherine in her grandmother's dress

Yesterday's wedding in Cheltenham was slightly different to our usual weddings - our bride, Katherine, is originally from Philadelphia and so had added a more american twist to proceedings.

Katherine had decided to follow a family tradition and during the day was wearing the 70 year old wedding dress that both her grandmother and mother wore for their weddings, planning to change to a modern dress from the meal onwards.

In America it's not considered bad luck for the groom and bride to see each other before the ceremony and so we all assembled at the reception venue prior to going to church to do the formal photographs.

Dress number two !

With a studio set up in Pittville Pump Room's Oval room we then recreated a selection of formal shots from the dress's two previous outings before setting off for St Gregory's for the ceremony.

After a beautiful wedding ceremony we then returned to Pittville where, luckily, the weather was kind to us for the rest of the day.

A lovely wedding and lovely people !

J x

There is a light that never goes out.....

2011-05-05T08:30:00.000+02:00

THE most perfect first dance tune I've heard EVER I think - with Ruth and Ed's "Love You Til the End" by The Pogues coming a close second. Had THE most brilliant day on Royal Wedding Day at Carla and Andy Vasey's wedding at The Bowden Hall, Upton St Leonards.

The day started at Hotel Du Vin where Carla was being expertly "prepped" by Erin Wheatley (make up) and Sheena Warltire (hair) - poor Carla got a tiny bit ignored around 10:45 when Kate Middleton appeared on the telly and guest Meagan and I crowded round the telly to give our expert opinion on "The Dress".

However we all paid attention when Carla got ready - Carla was also wearing a vintage designer as it happened, a beautiful Christian Dior evening dress that had once belonged to her mum and she'd had altered to fit - and she looked amazing.

The flowers were by Bev at Bloomers Of Cheltenham and the ivory blooms complemented the dress perfectly.

The day went by without a hitch and everyone seemed to have a fantastic time - the happy couple are off now on honeymoon and I am looking forward to finishing the edits of the day to show them on their return.

So what of this week? Well tomorrow we have the wedding of Nicola and Gareth at Eastwood Park and then on Sunday we will be at the Hatherley Manor Wedding Open day so come along and say hello if you're a prospective bride or groom to be - we'd love to meet you !

J x

By Royal Appointment....?

2011-04-29T08:21:00.000+02:00

Well - ok - maybe not. But appointed by Carla and Andy today to photograph their wedding at The Bowden Hall Hotel, Upton St Leonards. Andy and Carla booked their wedding way before "the other two" chose the date and so while the rest of the nation sits glued to their tellys and has street parties, we'll be in our own wedding "bubble" - a bit surreal really !

Early start for me at Hotel Du Vin to photograph Carla's preparations and currently fuelling with the obligatory tea to get me through the morning !

Suppose I'd better shake a leg then - don't want to get caught up in any Royal Cavalcades.....

J x

Goldfish and Toasties....

2011-04-18T14:56:00.001+02:00

What a busy weekend ! And what fantastic weather too - Saturday was sunny and bright for the wedding of Kerry & Jamie Edey (below) at The Bells Hotel, Coleford. Check out our special blog page for The Bells Hotel for more details of this fantastic day. Many thanks to the wonderful hotel staff for their help - Jude for taking the time to show me around before the day and Gareth and Katie for their help on the day (with a special thanks to Katie for the cups of tea).

I came home from the wedding with two new friends.... followers of our Facebook pages will know that a few weeks ago the office goldfish, Fred, went to that big fishbowl in the sky after three years of splashing around with us. Kerry had chosen unusual centrepieces for the tables - bowls with goldfish in - and kindly let me take one of the bowls home with me after the wedding. Many apologies to anyone in the vicinity of the Coleford to Newent route on Saturday night - that was me driving at 5 mph holding up traffic as I didn't want to lose my fish over the side of the bowl !

Anyway the 2 new office fish - called, of course, Kerry & Jamie - are now happily swimming around in Fred's old bowl in the office. It's what he would have wanted...

Sunday was pre wedding shoot day at Gloucester Docks and my goodness believe it or not ANOTHER gorgeous day of sunshine. We met up with Andy & Carla, Karen and Greg and Nicola and Gareth during the course of the day and in between times I drank tea and ate toasties at On Toast - I can definitely recommend the creamed mushroom and cheese toastie - yum !

Today is usually a "power down" day for me after a busy weekend but happy to report that the phone has been hot this morning with wedding enquiries AND I've managed to do some housework - all this and sunshine too - couldn't ask for more really. Except for maybe.... a nice cup of tea...?

J x

Weather? Huh?

2011-04-02T07:30:00.000+02:00

Well this morning I am NOT impressed with the weather AT ALL - we have a pre wedding shoot planned for Kerry & Jamie who's wedding is in 2 weeks and we had chosen Lydney Harbour as the location - was very excited about going to a new shoot venue and doing an outdoor shoot - then was awoken this morning by the tap-tap-tap of rain on the window.......

Shoot rescheduled to the studio instead - ok, not a disaster, but would have been nice to get out and about.

Weather aside, another good week for Team Blenheim - three new wedding bookings yesterday, one for this year and two for 2012 which is fantastic - this week also saw a new delivery of our promotional candle tumblers, made for us especially by the wonderful Sara Gates from Mitcheldean Soaps - these lovely candles have a "baby powder" fragrance (or, "a baby powder sniff" as we like to call them) and every bride that sees us for a wedding consultation gets a complimentary candle as a small thank you for their time.

Well, better get ready to go to the studio then I suppose - at least I'll have a kettle and tea bags to hand there I suppose.....

Jan x

2011-03-27T09:48:00.000+02:00

A busy weekend this one - yesterday morning was busy with client wedding consultations and yesterday afternoon we set off for Gloucester Docks to do some pre wedding shoots for some of our 2011 wedding couples.

Just getting ready (i.e drinking tea!) for today's wedding fair at The Holiday Inn, Barnwood, Gloucester - we'll be there from 11am until 3pm to chat to you about your wedding photography options. We'll be there along with a good friends and trusted fellow wedding suppliers Janice from Daisy Chain Florist, Sharon from All Occasions Balloons, Pam from Beaus & Balls Menswear and Merin from Stud1o Hair Design.

Looking out of the window just now it's not looking too bright out there - especially compared with earlier in the week ! - but hopefully the rain will at least stay away today.

J x

Here comes the sun !

2011-03-20T10:30:00.000+01:00

Well folks - what a GORGEOUS day it was yesterday for Jo & Chris Knight's wedding at Bowden Hall, Gloucestershire. The venue is stunning anyway, but on a beautiful spring day like yesterday you would have easily mistaken it for a summer's day - it was glorious !

Mr & Mrs Knight - 19th March 201

Jo looked STUNNING in her black and white detailed dress, and the lovely Sanchia from Finlay Make Up and Merin Teague from Studio 1 Hair Design at Gloucester Quays worked their magic to ensure that Jo looked preened and pretty all day.

Today is a busy day of editing and office work - a typical Sunday for us when we don't have a Sunday wedding - getting us all ready for next week which is going to be MANIC - a full week of commercial work ahead including 3 days photographing at a local college for their next prospectus.

Oh well better get cracking I suppose - first item on the office "to do" list - kettle on. That tea won't drink itself, you know....

Jan x

2011-01-30T10:01:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I photographed our first wedding of 2011, the wedding of Rachel and James Goodhall (left) at the Lea Marston Hotel in Sutton Coldfield. Luckily the rain stayed off for us and we had a fantastic day, topped off by the happy couple and I sneaking off after the meal so they could release a heart-shaped chinese lantern into the night sky.

Everyone here at Blenheim Photography wishes Rachel and James the most fabulous married life together - they are a lovely couple who deserve the very best.

Today I am at the Tewkesbury Park Hotel Wedding Open Day along with Jan from Daisy Chain Florists - the hotel's sales staff will be available between 11 and 3pm to show couples around this beautiful wedding venue, and you will be able to see examples of function room set ups etc as well as meet some of the hotel's preferred suppliers.

Better get a shift on - need more tea before I set off !

Laters !

Jan x

Luvverly Lea Marston !

2011-01-28T23:13:00.000+01:00

In the lap of luxury tonight folks - staying at the Lea Marston hotel in Sutton Coldfield in readiness for James & Rachel's wedding here tomorrow.

This is our first wedding (of many!) for 2011 and we met James and Rachel way back in October 2009 at the NEC and fell in love with them both instantly - so so looking forward to tomorrow !

I've been making use of the facilities here and spent an hour in the spa tonight (I know, it's hell but someone's got to do it!) and am going to turn in soon for an early night so I'm on top form for tomorrow.

Sunday we're at The Tewkesbury Park Hotel wedding open day (11 til 3) - we have a very special offer for any 2011 weddings that fill in the gaps in this year's diary so please come along and say "Hello" if you're planning a wedding and are at a loose end on Sunday.

Right - be-bo time for me ! I need my beauty sleep (understatement of the DECADE).

Toodle -oo folks !

J x

Happy New Year Everyone !

2011-01-17T10:29:00.001+01:00

Well - long time no blog - shame on me. But you know what I'm like by now. Once we get to November and the shops start stocking selection boxes I get distracted by tinsel and shiny things and forget to write to you all !

No matter tho cos I'm here now and still recovering from a fantastic wedding Open Day yesterday at The Hare and Hounds Hotel in Tetbury - can't believe how many brides braved the miserable wet weather to come and see the hotel, and it was lovely to meet so many new people. Lots of the couples are actually having their wedding at the Hare and Hounds itself - we LOVE working there as apart from being a gorgeous venue to photograph, the staff are always friendly and helpful and we get nothing but glowing reports from the brides afterwards.

Was there yesterday with my partners in crime, Sanchia Finlay from Finlay Make Up and Janice Burford from Daisy Chain Florists - Janice had gone for a gorgeous "country cottage" themed flower display this time and chosen some of spring's most fragrant flowers - people were literally flocking over to see her just because they were following the beautiful scent from her display ! Sanchia and I helped her pack up and she gave us a pedestal display each to take home - I know have the most elaborate dining table flower display in Newent !

In the run up to Christmas we had quite a few Christmassy weddings, the most festive of which was that of Clare & Alan Carter (above) at The Hatherley Manor Hotel on Christmas Eve - the hotel gardens were covered in a festive blanket of snow and I was so pleased that Clare and Alan braved the cold for some photos outdoors. It was a lovely day with a lovely couple, and put me in a festive mood right on time to go home and finish wrapping my pressies !

January is quiet this month for weddings, but my god the portrait shoots are packing themselves in ! We are so busy this month especially since we launched our new Portrait Party service for families - we have been inundated with families wanting to host a party so they get there own photos for free ! For more information on this click HERE.

Oh well - I would sign off with my usual "time for another cuppa" but sadly we ran out of milk last night so I'm making do with hot water and a slice of lemon.... good for the diet I suppose !

Jan x

Off to The Greenway we go !

2010-11-07T09:19:00.003+01:00

Well what a FAB day at Clearwell Castle yesterday - you can see a sneak preview of Jen & Richard's wedding on our Clearwell Castle blog page.

Just getting ready now for The Greenway wedding fayre today - it's open from noon until 4pm and is a fantastic chance to see this beautiful wedding venue and chat to their wedding planner Jane Riddell about your wedding. And if you already have a venue, why not come along anyway and meet some of the suppliers?

As well as Blenheim Photography you can chat to the lovely Sanchia from Finlay Make Up and the amazing Xavier from Contemporary Cakes.

See you there folks !

Jan x

2010-11-06T07:39:00.000+01:00

Long time no blog again - have spent the last 4 weeks frantically designing wedding albums in order to hit the cut off date for printing in time for Christmas - which is tomorrow ! All but one are now uploaded to the printer (and hopefully that one will be approved by tonight !) and so I can relax after this weekend and get back to editing !

Another busy weekend first tho - today I am off to the wedding of Jen & Richard - they are getting married at Huntley Church with a reception at Clearwell Castle - please please PLEASE sunshine, we need you today ! Clearwell Castle is a STUNNING venue, and whilst the interior is FABULOUS we really want some shots in the grounds today. I just hope Jen has packed her wellies tho just in case....

Tomorrow we are at The Greenway wedding fair, in Cheltenham - always a favourite venue of ours to work at and we always look forward to their annual wedding fair. So if you're planning a wedding why not pop along and say hello - free admission, 10 til 4 !

Oh well, time to get ready - after another cuppa of course....

Jan x

The National Wedding Show !

2010-10-07T15:19:00.001+02:00

Well folks it's that time of year again - I'm clearing the dog toys and sweetie wrappers out of the car in preparation for our journey to Birmingham later today to the NEC.

The show is on Friday to Sunday, 10am til 5pm and you can come and visit us on Stand M41 and hear about our special Show Offer !

This is always an exciting time of the year for us - we love meeting new couples and so NEC weekend gives us overload !

Saturday we will have the team out in force - myself, Ian, Andy and Karrie will be there to answer your questions about our wedding photography service - so come and say "Hello" !

Jan x

Nice weather for it !

2010-09-18T08:46:00.000+02:00

Another lovely day by the look of it for Sarah & Kris's wedding today at the beautiful Highnam Church - just having breakfast before I set off to meet Sarah then we're off to the hairdressers.

Tomorrow we have a studio day planned and are meeting up for consultations with some of the lovely couples we met last week at The Bowden Hall wedding fair to discuss their 2011/2012 wedding - can't wait !

Oh well time to crack on I suppose - looking bright but nippy out there tho - might need a cardi.....

J x

The Cotswold Wedding Ring !

2010-09-13T18:28:00.000+02:00

Sorry folks - its been AGES since I last posted but to be honest, the whole summer has flown by in a haze of white dresses, beautiful flowers and confetti ! Just coming back down to earth now with a stack of wedding albums to design for all our lovely summer brides.

So what's new with us then? Well, I suppose the MOST exciting thing has been the launch of our networking group's website -
The Cotswold Wedding Ring - the members of our group are all dedicated and high quality suppliers of wedding services and everyone in the group comes highly recommended by the other members. So you can be assured that anyone on our website is a trusted supplier, and take a bit of stress out of the planning of your big day !

Another exciting thing has been an offer by our FAVOURITE wedding planner - Jane Riddell of Planned for Perfection - to give all Blenheim Photography customers a generous 10% off the cost of her services ! Jane can offer a range of services depending on your requirements and budget and is one of the best planners in the business - contact her today for information quoting reference BP10 to take advantage of this special offer.

Well - cuppa tea beckons folks - speak to you all soon !

Jan x

Long time no speak....

2010-07-13T12:36:00.000+02:00

.....wedding season hits and it all goes quiet on the blog ! Very very busy here at Team Blenheim at the moment with all our lovely brides and grooms. The most recent one being Rob & Lara's wedding in Upton-St-Leonards on Friday 9th July. Mr & Mrs Ford (left) got married in the beautiful St Leonard's church with a reception after at The Bowden Hall Hotel.

Much fun was had by all and I even managed to get the groom and his two best man to climb at tree in the grounds for a photo - many apologies for the moss stains to poor Pam at Beaus And Balls who supplied the suits for the wedding !

Yesterday we were back at Bowden Hall doing a commercial shoot for their advertising literature - feels like a second home now !

Back to editing and album designs now - and a quick cuppa of course.....

Jan x

Decadent Weddings !

2010-06-16T13:14:00.000+02:00

Ages since I updated the blog - sorry to all you regular readers but it's been manic here !

Loads of weddings since I last wrote and we are racing into full wedding season now ! If you're planning your wedding or know someone who is, drag them and yourselves along to the Decadent Weddings Wedding Open Day at The Cotswolds 88 this Sunday - have a look at the fantastic exhibitors that will be there, and maybe book a showaround of the hotel. Customers who book the hotel for their wedding on the Open Day get a generous £1000 discount - AND everyone that registers as a visitor gets the chance to take part in a free draw to win your wedding photography from yours truly !

If you're already one of our customers you can still enter - we might end up owing YOU money ! And every BP customer that comes and says Hello at our stand gets a voucher for a free 10" by 8" print worth £27.50 to choose from a past pre wedding or portrait shoot.

See you there !

Jan x

2010-05-15T22:30:00.000+02:00

Well another hectic 48 hours for us this weekend !

On Friday Tamika and I were over at the Hatherley Manor Hotel in Gloucestershire for the wedding of Hilary & Tom Warner. Tom had a fantastic surprise on the morning of the wedding - unbeknownst to him, Hilary had arranged for him and the best man to arrive by helicopter ! After the ceremony the happy couple went off for a quick fly around - what a way to spend your first half an hour as husband and wife eh?

Straight after Tom & Hilary's wedding, I collected Sophie and we sped up to Coventry for the wedding of Aidan & Marlena Barry (top left) - another lovely day with lovely weather, and the usual amount of emotion - at one point during Aidan's speech I turned to see Sophie sniffling into a white linen napkin (apologies in advance to the hotel for whoever had to wash that by the way).

Despite pleas to stay and party from Aidan and Marlena, Sophie and I headed home last night to prepare for today's marathon pre wedding shoot session - today we will see Phil & Julie, Jon & Charlotte, Matt & Laura and Sian & Richard - hope the sun comes back out for you all !

Anyway - I think it MIGHT be time for another cuppa......

Jan x

No time to sit down....

2010-05-14T09:13:00.003+02:00

....this last fortnight - we've been very busy with all sorts of interesting stuff !

We've had the weddings of Pip & Greg, and Rose & Shane (see left), some commercial jobs and portrait sessions and even a course !

On May 4th we ran a Wedding Portfolio Day course at The Queens Hotel in Cheltenham where we went through some of the shots we would take on a typical wedding with hints and tips, and the delegates got the chance to try these shots out on a "bride and groom".

Kirsty and Dan were our intrepid models for the day, and the delegates went home happy with a portfolio of wedding shots including one of the bride and groom releasing Wedding Doves ! The shots can be used for the delegates own portfolios and advertising to build their businesses - and we try to use different models for each portfolio day we do so you don't see the same shots cropping up all over the place !

There were a couple of delegates who wanted to attend but couldn't get time off work - for these people we've listened, and so our next Wedding Portfolio Day will be at The Greenway in Shurdington on Sunday July 4th - the cost of the day is £195 plus VAT to include refreshments, lunch and that all important model release !!!

Places are limited as we like to keep the numbers low so everyone gets a decent amount of time with the models on the practical sessions. Email us at info@blenheimphotography.co.uk for more details or check out our Blenheim Workshops page on Facebook.

WELL - busy weekend this weekend - Hilary and Tom's wedding today at The Hatherley Manor, Aidan and Marlena's tomorrow for me in Coventry while Ian has Nicola and Richard's wedding at Chiseldon House, and then on Sunday Ian has Sam & Lucia's wedding at The Greenway while I have a full studio day ! How am I going to find time to drink tea with that itinerary !

Better make a start now before I set off for Hatherley I suppose...

Jan x

The Ultimate "Spa" Day....

2010-04-23T08:40:00.004+02:00

Well yesterday was another amazing day weather-wise, perfect for the wedding of Penny & Anthony Oliver.

A beautiful church service at Holy Apostles Church, London Road, Cheltenham with songs and readings from friends and family, was followed by a reception at the gorgeous "Le Spa" venue in Cirencester.

It was a beautiful day in all respects, and amazingly only one of the little guests ended up with their feet in the water feature (while I was there anyway !!).

Penny & Anthony rounded off the evening by releasing a lantern into the night sky, and I can safely say that Sophie and I really enjoyed spending the day with this lovely couple and their families.

Back to it today - lots of editing ahead but I am sneaking in a crafty haircut from wizzard of the scissors Chris Fordham of Fordham Hair Design this morning....

But first - what else but...a cuppa !

Jan x

2010-04-22T08:37:00.003+02:00

Well, Saturday was a very busy day with lots of pre wedding shoots in the glorious sunshine - I still can't believe it's April, the weather is so lovely. Jo & James (left) were one of the couples that came in and we had a great shoot - really looking forward to their wedding in the summer.

Today I am just putting together the final preparations for today's wedding - Penny & Anthony are getting married at the beautiful Holy Apostles church in Cheltenham, with a reception afterwards at Le Spa in Cirencester - and we couldn't have wished for nicer weather for it !

Time for another cuppa (of course) and to dig out the sunblock I think.....

Jan x

Studio Day

2010-04-17T08:05:00.002+02:00

Getting ready for a full day in the studio (right) today - got a couple of family portraits, some pre wedding shoots and a wedding consultation. Just hoping these blue skies stay and it warms up a little bit so we can have some outdoor shots - the area around the studio is so pretty and we like to get outside when we can !

Tomorrow the team are in two places - Ian will be representing Blenheim Photography at The Dark Barn Wedding Fayre in Rudford (11am til 4pm, free entrance!) - meanwhile I will be representing Simply Secretive at Wyck Hill Wedding Fair (12 til 4pm, free entrance also). Don't forget to say Hello if you're attending either of these events !

Ah well - another cuppa then time to pack the car !

J x

2010-04-15T07:34:00.004+02:00

Can't believe how quickly the days are flying by but it's probably partly due to the fact we're so busy at the moment !

On Monday, myself and Sanchia our make up artist had our Simply Secretive hats on for the day - we did two boudoir shoots in the Bridal Suite of the Hatherley Manor hotel. Both ladies looked absolutely fantastic and as usual we had loads of fun doing the shoots.

Tuesday we did Shane & Rose's (above) pre wedding shoot over at Newent Lake early in the morning, almost getting mugged by a couple of mallards in the process !

Wednesday was a commercial shoot over at Kestrel Court in Quedgeley, accompanied of course by the obligatory visit to the lovely Jan at Daisy Chain Florists. I drank most of her tea before I left as usual :-)

And today - up early to get ready for today's commercial shoot at The Queen's Hotel in Cheltenham. Today we're working on stock images for their new wedding brochure and we're are looking forward to photographing again in their beautiful, recently refurbished Regency Suite (which, if you haven't seen yet and you're looking for a wedding venue, is worth a visit - call their wedding planner Lucy for more details !).

One more cup of tea and I'm off, I promise....

Jan x

Mr Blue Sky

2010-04-11T09:25:00.002+02:00

Still can't believe what fabulous weather we had yesterday for Michelle & Mark's wedding (see pic left) - it was like high summer !

A brilliant day was had by all in the sunshine at the Rococo Gardens and The Ramada Bowden Hall.

Off to Birtsmorton Court wedding fayre today sporting a sunburnt nose - if you're coming along, just look for Coco the Clown and that'll be me....

Jan x

Blue Skies.....

2010-04-10T08:09:00.004+02:00

.... are what I see this morning as I get myself ready for today's wedding at The Bowden Hall ! Michelle and Mark (pictured left) won a competition last year to "Win A Wedding" at the Ramada Bowden Hall hotel and today's the big day.

Other contributors to today include our good friend Jan from Daisy Chain Florists of Gloucester, who has prepared a stunning bouquet of David Austin roses for the bride - I can't wait to see it, bet it smells GORGEOUS !

So now it's breakfast, nice cup of tea, final check of the camera bag then I'm off - hoping the blue sky stays as the Bowden Hall's exterior looks particularly impressive with a blue sky backdrop and will look amazing in the photos.

Kettle on anyway - see you later guys !

Jan x

No April Fooling !

2010-04-02T14:23:00.001+02:00

Had a fantastic day yesterday at the wedding of Kelly & Dave Lardner at the Hare & Hounds Hotel, Tetbury - as you can see from the picture on the right, the groomsmen had a novel way of ensuring Dave got to the ceremony room on time ! Spending today editing yesterday's images - couldn't wait to start them and I'm nearly done now !

Tomorrow's going to be busy with a capital B - we're in the studio all day and we have a portrait shoot every hour from 9am until 3pm - The iMac will be smoking hot with all the editing !

Ah well better get back to editing - sat here working away, listening to the rain hammering on the window and just SOOOOO glad it wasn't like this during the day yesterday.... !

Jan x

A busy weekend !

2010-02-28T16:53:00.002+01:00

Well another busy weekend for us here - on Friday, Andy and I set off for the beautiful Matara Centre in Kingscote for the wedding of Charlotte & Luke Stevens (right) - the weather forecast the day before had been for torrential rain but on the day we had beautiful blue skies and sunshine. That's not to say it wasn't cold tho - the wind was VERY brisk and the outdoor ceremony was conducted through chattering teeth, but the effect was magical.

Luke and Charlotte then braved the cold for photos outdoors - the grounds of The Matara are amazing with lots of quirky places to visit.

On Saturday we were off to The Rococco Gardens in Painswick with Michelle and Mark for their pre-wedding shoot. Michelle and Mark won a competition last year to "win a wedding" and we're providing the wedding photography. The weather was a bit more unpredictable on Saturday but between the showers we had a good potter around the venue which is where their wedding ceremony will take place.

Today has been a busy day too with wedding consultations including Kate & Alistair from Cottage Canine Grooming and Dogs At Your Wedding - Alistair has popped the question and we are delighted to announce that we will be their wedding photographers in September 2011. And yes, their dogs WILL also be at THEIR wedding :-)

Jan x

Studio Day - this Saturday, 13th Feb !

2010-02-11T09:31:00.004+01:00

Just a quick post to let you all know that on Saturday, we are having a full "Studio Day" at Highnam Business Centre.

We already have wedding consultations and portrait sessions booked in for the day but there are some slots left - all the hourly slots from 8am until 2pm have gone now but we can still squeeze a few of you in between 3pm and 6pm !

So if you would like a no-obligation wedding consultation, a family portrait shoot or even a few headshots or product shots for your company website, why not contact us now and make a booking ?

01452 348303 or email us on info@blenheimphotography.co.uk

Jan x

Four Seasons In One Day....

2010-02-01T18:51:00.004+01:00

....was the case on Friday last week - we had Emma & James over for their pre wedding shoot in the afternoon (see pic) and in the time it took to do an outdoor shoot and then pop indoors for a warm-up cuppa, we had sunshine, blue sky, black sky, wind, snow then back to sunshine !

Emma & James are getting married this June in Cheltenham and I've been over to their wedding venue - The Queens Hotel - today coincidentally to photograph their recently refurbished Regency Suite for their company brochure. The room looks fantastic now - beautifully understated decor and clean lines giving a light and bright feel to this historic building. Definitely worth checking it out if you're still undecided on a wedding venue - their sales co-ordinator Lucy can give you all the details of their wedding packages.

Busy day yesterday too at the Bride & Groom show at Cheltenham Town Hall - so lovely to meet everyone and we are looking forward very much to all the couples who have contacted us since yesterday afternoon to book consultations.

Ah well - think it must be walkies time for Charley - getting the spaniel sad eye treatment here so will sign off for now !

Jan x

Happy New Year !

2010-01-07T12:55:00.004+01:00

Happy New Year to all our customers old and new ! Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas too. We spent New Year in Vegas this year which was amazing as you can imagine.

December was, as usual, an incredibly busy month for us here - as well as having 3 weddings before Christmas, we had so many books and albums to sort out for everyone who wanted them as Christmas presents and despite the studio being officially closed from the 20th December I still ended up working right until 2pm on Christmas Eve, delivering packages to customers who's orders had been delayed by the pre-Christmas snow that we had.

Back today though to work and hoping that the snow will have cleared by Sunday - we are exhibiting at the Bride & Groom Show at GL1 in Gloucester on Sunday, and will also have some books on display at Hatherley Manor for their wedding open day too.

So a busy day of editing now for me - just finishing Gemma & Richard's edits and then it's Fran & Anthony's next (see pic).

More tea needed I think to sustain me !

Jan x

Let It Snow...but just not at the moment....

2009-12-19T09:54:00.002+01:00

Looking out of the window at the most beautiful blue sky - today Andy and I have Francesca & Anthony Burton's wedding at Tibberton Church followed by a reception at beautiful Homme House - really looking forward to today, we popped over the Homme House on Thursday for a last minute recce and the place looked breathtaking in the winter sun.

After today we have one more wedding this year - Hollie & Andrew are getting married in Solihull on Tuesday so I will be trecking up there on Monday afternoon - and using the overnight stay as an excuse to catch up with old friends from my days working in I.T in the Midlands.

Well, time to go to Tibberton !

Jan x

2009-12-11T22:20:00.000+01:00

Sorry the blog has been very quiet of late but it's been manic here at the studio sorting out everyone's album and print orders so they arrive in time for Christmas ! The cut off date for albums was yesterday at 5pm and at 5 past 5 I heaved a great sigh of relief - as much as I enjoy designing albums (and I really do enjoy it) I will be glad to be able to leave the PC occasionally now !

Today I'm just about to set off for Stapleton in Bristol for the wedding of Gemma & Richard -they're getting married at Stapleton Church with a reception at another of our favourite haunts, the Hare & Hounds in Tetbury - looking forward to that !

Tomorrow we've got some wedding consultations booked into the studio and then after that I am looking forward to a day off on Monday - might ACTUALLY get a chance to put the Christmas Tree up at home now !

Jan x

......blimey !

2009-11-25T10:30:00.000+01:00

Literally within half an hour of announcing the 2010 Portfolio Voucher offer we had the first person on the phone purchasing a voucher as a Xmas present.

Talk about quick off the mark !

J x

Brainstorming !

2009-11-25T07:30:00.000+01:00

Busy afternoon today - having a major brain storming sesh with Andy and Sanchia, making plans for our new year Modelling packages. Due to the overwhelming success of the two "Portfolio Days" we did this autumn, we've decided to make them a regular feature for 2010 - giving you a chance to add to your portfolio at a reasonable price !

Our portfolio days will comprise, as before, 2 hour bookings that include make up and 2 half hour sessions, one with Andy and one with myself - and the all important jpegs on cd ! Much more cost effective than the half and full day packages and we have some exciting locations to announce too to really boost your gallery !

Watch this space or check our Facebook Fan Page for dates and offers !

Jan x

2009-11-07T07:57:00.002+01:00

Another busy week and I've neglected the blog, sorry !

Last weekend I was over at Tortworth Court at Halloween for the wedding of Philippa & Peter (pictured) - the weather was amazing for the time of year and we got to spend lots of time taking photos in the fabulous grounds there.

What a difference a week makes tho weather-wise! Yesterday I photographed Claire & Marcos at their wedding at The Hatherley Manor - the day itself was fantastic and as usual the hotel did a superb job for the couple's ceremony and reception in The Moat Suite, but outside the picture wasn't so inspiring.... by the time the ceremony was over the wind had picked up and rain was most certainly on the way.

No wedding is complete really without a photo of all the guests together so the wedding party bravely gritted their teeth and we ventured outside for that one photo - I managed to get the photo before people turned blue (by standing on a garden table!) and then we all raced inside to enjoy the rest of the day in the warmth.

And today I'm back at the Hatherley Manor again for the wedding of Kath & Tom - and hoping the weather holds........

Jan x

A lovely day at The Greenway !

2009-10-16T10:00:00.002+02:00

Just back from another fantastic wedding at The Greenway in Shurdington - the wedding of Paula & Craig Cusack. The weather was fantastic, and so were the happy couple and their guests - Tamika helped me on this one and on the way home we agreed that we had both had the most lovely afternoon.

Paula looked stunning with a little help from one of our favourite hair and beauty teams, Chris Fordham of Fordham Hair Design, and make up artist Clare Bryce from Pure Pampering. There wasn't a dry eye in the room as Paula and Craig took their vows and as usual, I was blubbing away with the guests - I really need to get a grip !

Studio day tomorrow - meeting some NEC customers, and then on Sunday we're at the Bride & Groom Wedding Show at Puckrup Hall in Tewkesbury - if you're passing be sure to come in and say hello !

Jan x

The National Wedding Show

2009-10-08T21:30:00.004+02:00

Well today is the opening day of the NEC's National Wedding Show in Birmingham and somehow we managed to get ourselves up here and set up with only the minimum of stress (compared to last year's stress-a-thon!).

We're really looking forward to meeting new customers over the next 3 days here - it's so exciting to hear about everyone's different wedding plans and ideas. This year's sample albums feature some of the customers we met at last year's show - it doesn't seem like a year ago, can't beleive how quickly time has flown !

Anyway - time to put the finishing touches to the stand - if you're visiting the show this weekend come and see us at Stand M41 (next to the catwalk) and say hello - we've got a special offer on specially for NEC customers and can't wait to meet you all !

Jan x

Still chained to the PC....

2009-09-28T10:30:00.000+02:00

....Albums, albums, albums. That's my priority at the moment and I am seeing page layouts in my sleep now ! It is extremely satisfying though to see an album evolve and put a person's proofs into a storybook format - even more satisying to see the finished product mind you !

I am always blown away by how nice the albums looked when printed - it's one thing to see the page layout proofs on a computer screen and something totally different to have the 14" by 11" finished product open in front of you.

When not designing books we have also been making the final preparations for our forthcoming trip to the NEC's National Wedding Show - we'll be there from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th on stand M41 so come and say hello !

Ah well, back to the albums..........page 35, page 36....

Jan x

You never know what you've got til it's gone.....

2009-09-25T10:30:00.000+02:00

....and don't I just know it.

This week I had the nightmare of PC hard drive burnout which has lost me 3 working days basically - luckily no photographic data was lost as, as many of you know, I almost obsessively back everything up offline in two places. What I DID lose was a lot of supplier software and, more importantly, access to the internet for 3 days at the studio.

I can honestly say I never realised just how much my day to day job relies on the good old World Wide Web - almost everything I wanted to do was scuppered until this morning when Tamika and I ventured out into Gloucester in search of a dongle !

I have spent this afternoon weeping with relief and reloading software onto our new (wireless modem free !) desktop - when I was in PC World demanding the highest spec PC they could find, why did it not occur to me to ask if it already had a wireless modem? I spent a good hour rattling round the Vista Control Panel on Thursday night completely flummoxed at to why I couldn't find any wireless networks to connect to (DUH !). How nice to see my 23 year I.T career wasn't wasted...... (ahem).

On a brighter note - another busy weekend ! Tomorrow Andy and I are working on Vicky & Lyndon's wedding in Cheltenham - looking forward to this one immensely as Vicky was Julie Cornelius' bridesmaid last June - as Julie is returning the favour for Vicky tomorrow I can guarantee this one's going to be lively to say the least !

And on Sunday we're at the Debenhams Wedding Fair at the Wall's Club in Gloucester - looking forward to meeting everyone and hope you'll all come along and enter our free draw to win a wedding photography package !

Ah well early night for us tonight then - Ian's also got a wedding tomorrow under his David Gow Photography offshoot, so it'll be jammies on and some early shut eye for both of us !

Jan x

2009-08-27T09:32:00.004+02:00

Another busy week and I've neglected this blog teribly - sorry !

Since we last spoke, we've had 4 weddings - Vicki & Pete, Charlotte & Craig, Jo & Tom and Karen & Hamish and the studio itself has been incredibly busy too - a typical August for wedding photographers really, very busy and lots of fun.

Vicki & Pete's wedding was at the Hare & Hounds Hotel, Tetbury under the watchful eye of their wedding organiser, Penny - as Vicki & Pete are both teachers, they'd set their guests some "Homework" - each table had a quiz on it, with questions about the happy couple. Wedding favours for the men were particularly unique too - for each man they'd placed a bet on that person's favourite football team for that day's match !

While I was taxing my brain with Vicki & Pete's quiz, Ian was working on Charlotte & Craig's wedding in Stonehouse with a reception at Wycliffe afterwards - Charlotte looked stunning in her gold and ivory dress - mind you she was bound to look amazing as for this wedding Ian was working with our goddess of the make up brush, Sanchia Finlay from Finlay Make Up once again !

Saturday 22nd saw both Ian and I back at one of our favourite haunts, The Hatherley Manor Hotel in Gloucester for Jo & Tom's wedding - Jo arrived in an open topped classic car, as thankfully the weather was amazing - it was so warm the guests were milling around the beautiful walled garden until late into the evening. They were looked after brilliantly (as usual) by the Hatherley Manor team - Vicky the wedding organiser made sure the day ran smoothly under Evo's watchful eye in his role as MC/Toastmaster.

On Monday I was off to Ledbury to the wedding of Karen & Hamish - the ceremony took place in Ledbury Registry Office with a reception afterwards in the Feathers Hotel - it rained a bit during the day but not enough to spoil the day. Karen looked fantastic and the couples impossibly cute son Oscar totally stole the show.

So, onto this weekend and what does that bring us? Well Ian and I have the wedding of Claire & Oliver at Prior Park and Ston Easton on Saturday - really looking forward to that as Ston Easton is a stunning venue.

Sunday will be a full studio day - lots of editing, disc burning and paperwork to catch up on and then on Bank Holiday Monday, there's a rumour we MAY get the day off !

Jan x

Long Time No Speak !

2009-08-11T09:30:00.002+02:00

Well what a busy couple of weeks it's been !

Since I last wrote, I've had 3 weddings - Emma & Jamie (left) were first on July 25th. They have been in today for their wedding viewing and to choose the images for their coffee table book, and it was so nice to relive their day again with them here. Their wedding had the colour orange as it's theme and it worked beautifully - all the adult bridemaids wore THE most gorgeous floor length burnt orange dresses and looked stunning - but not as stunning as Emma who absolutely shimmered in her dress.

Big thanks and hugs by the way to Emma's daughter Lauren who appeared at the studio door this morning brandishing a tube of Jaffa Cakes for me - LOVE YOU LAUREN !!!!!

No weddings on the weekend of the 1st August but I photographed a 40th Wedding anniversary party at the Greenway, and by the end of the week I was back there again - TWICE - on Friday it was John & Olga's wedding, and then Saturday was Sam & Richard's wedding there.

Ian, Andy & I are gearing up now for this weekend's weddings - Andy & I are at the Hare & Hounds with Vicki & Pete, and Ian is in Stonehouse with Charlotte & Craig and we're all looking forward to those.

Ah well back to my backlog of editing !

Jan x

With a little bit of this, and a little bit of that....

2009-07-23T13:00:00.002+02:00

Another wedding today at The Hatherley Manor - today's happy couple, Dan & Nicky Farrow were looked after beautifully as ever by Vicky, John and the team and the whole day whizzed by without a hitch - even the weather held for us despite a few dodgy looking clouds on the horizon.

Nicky was serenely calm right up the the moment of the ceremony, even to the extent where an hour beforehand while everyone else was off getting ready, Nicky was stood calmly in her room, ironing her dress as if it was just the usual weekday wash routine, not her wedding day !

When it came to the first dance, Mr & Mrs Farrow had a surprise in store for the guests - DJ Mark James announced that they would now dance to a song that meant so much to them, and all of a sudden The Birdie Song blasted out of the speakers - after 30 seconds or so of flapping their arms and wiggling their bums to the cheers of the guests, the music segued into their REAL first dance song - "Everything" by Michael Buble.

And then it was home for me and straight to bed - Friday is a day of sorting out equipment and then a drive to Coventry for my next wedding - Emma & Jamie Phillips.

Night night !

Jan x

2009-07-20T05:00:00.009+02:00

What a busy weekend we've had !

On Friday, whilst Ian was at the Hatherley Manor at Tina & James's wedding, I was in not-so-sunny Walsall at the wedding of Leanne & Carl Brand (see pic on left) - despite a bit of a hiccup getting the guests to the church - thanks to an accident on the M6 ! - the whole thing went by without a hitch. The only dark cloud was literal - the weather - but Leanne and Carl didn't let it spoil their day at all.

Their reception was held at the Village Hotel in Walsall under the careful watch of wedding planners Sarah and Glynis who ensured that the day ran like clockwork.

Then on Saturday Ian and I were both up and out early again for the wedding we've been waiting for all year.... Ruth & Eddie Aldridge (see pic on right). Ruth had told Eddie that she would get married in church only on the understanding that the rest of the ceremony was done her way...... she wanted a red dress, no veil, no flowers...... at least that's what she told Eddie. It's fair to say there wasn't a dry eye in the church when she appeared at the bottom of the aisle looking like a princess in her white dress, veil and carrying a bouquet of gerberas.

Once Eddie had got over the initial shock, the emotionally charged wedding seemed to rush by and in no time at all Mr & Mrs Aldridge were leaving the church for their reception - by tractor !

Sanchia, our goddess of the make up brush, had been booked to attend the whole day this time in case of any emergency make up touch ups - as we never like to see someone drumming their fingers between lipstick applications, we stuck a camera in her hand and sent her off around the marquee - looks like we now have an extra photographer as she got some cracking shots.

Sunday was another busy studio day with pre wedding shoots for Nicky & Darren and Fay & Doug - both couples are marrying at Highnam Church in September.

And today is my day off - ha ! NOT. Good thing I love my job !

Jan x

Rain, rain, go away.............

2009-07-16T10:30:00.003+02:00

I'm staying at the Village Hotel in Walsall tonight in readiness for tomorrow's wedding here - Leanne & Carl. Having driven thru the most awful wet weather to get here I am hoping that we at least get a bit of a break from the rain tomorrow!

Ian's wedding tomorrow - James & Tina's - is at one of our favourite venues, The Hatherley Manor. Just looking at the weather forecast on the hotel room tv it looks like Gloucester will be worse weather than Walsall - hope Ian's packed his wellies !

No rest for the wicked tho - after our weddings tomorrow we're out again on Saturday to Ruth & Ed's wedding - Ruth is a hoot and a half and so we're really looking forward to that one, especially as our lovely make up artist Sanchia from Finlay Make Up has been employed to stay all day with Ruth to be on hand for emergency make up touch ups -which means that I've got someone to carry my bag - HURRAH !

Better get some sleep I suppose and hope the weather dries up overnight..........

Jan x

2009-07-11T13:30:00.001+02:00

Well another lovely wedding for me ! Jen & Chris Owen got hitched today at the Hare & Hounds Hotel, Tetbury and luckily for us, the rain stayed off until we'd done all the outdoor photos !

Jen looked stunning in her Berketex dress - make up was by Sanchia Finlay (of course!) and her gorgeous hair ornament was by Teresa of Jewellery By Teresa.

The day was rounded off with a ceilidh which was so much fun (to watch from the sidelines - looked too energetic for me !)

Off to bed now ready for a day in the studio with Sanchia tomorrow - night night !!

Jan x

Another busy weekend.............

2009-07-10T21:30:00.002+02:00

Another busy weekend looms folks - and don't we just love it?

Ian and I both have weddings today - his is in Southampton (Donna & Ben), mine is Jennifer & Chris's at the Hare & Hounds Hotel in Tetbury. I'm really looking forward to seeing the hotel Wedding Planner Penny and her team again there as they are totally fab and their weddings at the hotel are always fantastic.

Tomorrow we have a visit from the lucky winners of the recent "Win A Wedding" competition at the Bowden Hall hotel - Michelle and Stuart. We're providing the wedding photography package for them and also, in mine and Sanchia's incarnation as Simply Secretive, a nice surprise for the groom ! Sanchia is also providing the make up for the wedding so on Sunday Sanchia and I are basically going to talk them thru the plans for the day. It's the first time we'll have seen the lucky couple since we had the winners reception at the hotel back in May - and poor Michelle and Stuart looked shellshocked all the way thru ! It really hadn't sunk in that they'd won !

Well, time for me to pack up my bag and head for Tetbury I suppose - please please PLEASE let it not rain !!!!

Jan x

Four Weddings !

2009-07-06T12:40:00.001+02:00

Just a quick update tonight after watching one of our favourite weddings of last year romp home with tonight's prize on Living TV's "Four Weddings" programme - it really was a fun day from start to finish, all credit to Amanda and Bryan and the staff at Eastwood Park for making it a day to remember !

If you looked very very closely you could just see my flashgun in front of Bryan when he was doing his speech (fame at last !) but Ian is very disappointed that he didn't get his fizzog onscreen despite signing a consent form for the production company - we spent the whole episode sat on the sofa shrieking "See that bit ? See it ? I was stood JUST TO THE RIGHT there.....".

Well that's our brush with fame for this year by the look of it, unless we get a "Hello" wedding !

Jan x

Catching up with everyone !

2009-07-04T21:40:00.000+02:00

Sorry for the blog silence of late, but it's been busy busy here - had a bit of a hokey-cokey week at the studio (in-out-in-out...) but taking advantage now of a quick tea break to catch up with you all !

SO - what have we been up to since we last spoke? Well, on 24th June I was up at Cotswolds 88 Hotel in Painswick with Mel (our intrepid work experience girl) for Lee and Hayley's wedding - absolutely glorious weather and a fantastic venue - if you've not discovered Cotswolds 88 yet I urge you to check it out.

Then on the 26th/27th I was over in Cambridge at the wedding of Jodie & Mark - the weather wasn't quite as forgiving that day but we did manage to dodge between the clouds for most of the day and it was yet another fantastic day for a lovely couple.

And then what a busy week for Mel and I................

Tuesday - we were in Coventry to meet Emma & Jamie for their pre wedding shoot; Wednesday we went over to photograph Luke (see pic) - the GORGEOUS month old baby of one of our favourite wedding couples of 2008. The plan is to photograph him every month until his first birthday, so Mum and Dad will have a month by month record of his first year. Mel fell hopelessly in love with Luke and had to have him prised off her at the end of the shoot - and we are very much looking forward to seeing him again in August !

On Friday we did some commercial photographs for a car valeting company in Quedgley called Car Care - Chris at Car Care runs a full valeting and bodywork service and if you book online, there are discounts to be had ! My filthy car is going in for the works next week - I am slightly concerned as I think it's only the dead flies on the front holding it together at the moment but I'm sure it'll look fab when Chris has finished with it. If I remember I'll take some "before" and "after" photos for the blog !

On Saturday, Vicki & Pete came over for their pre wedding shoot - once again another glorious day meaning we could wander in the grounds of the studio and enjoy the sunshine.

And now it's Sunday, 7am, and I'm back in the studio writing this - am I mad? No, I just love my job ! This time of year is very exciting for us here - hectic, I'll grant you, but still exciting - so many weddings, so many lovely couples and so many opportunities for me to cry at weddings ! (I always do - can't help myself!).

Anyway - better get on ! Lots of editing to do before I can escape back into the sunshine - speak to you all soon !

Jan x

2009-06-20T09:00:00.000+02:00

Been quiet here in Blog-land this week as I've been here, there and everywhere !

Last night I did the event photography for a masquerade ball in Cheltenham in aid of the SCBU - Mel, who's come to us for a couple of weeks work experience (god help her) had a bit of a baptism of fire helping out by running the onsite sales for me, and despite having a very late night we had a great time.

We donated a Simply Secretive Experience to the Auction and I'm pleased to say it went for £300 ! There were a few disappointed ladies who lost the bidding but in response to this there is a Simply Secretive special offer on now til the end of June - click HERE for details of how you can save money AND help raise more money for Cheltenham's Special Care Baby Unit.

Today's been busy as usual - this morning we had Sam Chapman in for her viewing and we chose the images for her album, then this afternoon we had a visit from Leanne & Carl (see pic) for their pre wedding shoot, and they brought with them Reggie complete with his special wedding collar and bow tie !

As I look out of the window at the sunshine I can, once again, hear a chilled bottle of wine calling me so I'll sign off for now !

Jan x

Another Scorcher !

2009-06-14T06:00:00.004+02:00

How nice is the weather today ! I really should be soaking up the sun instead of sitting here writing this blog - rest assured this is my last job indoors for today tho !

Another busy studio day today - first thing this morning we had a visit from Anna & Chris (see pic) - their wedding is in September this year and they came over for their pre wedding shoot. We went over to the Wharf House in Gloucester and did their shoot around and about the canal.

Then at lunchtime Kelly & Dave came over to book us for their wedding on 1st April 2010 - normally I wouldn't announce a booking but Kelly mentioned she's a follower of this blog so - HI KELLY - you're famous now !!! :-)

Right - that's me done - suncream on, PC off ! Speak to you all tomorrow.

Jan x

The Wedding of Gemma & Stuart Meek

2009-06-13T11:30:00.007+02:00

Today we had a lovely day in the glorious sunshine at the wedding of Gemma & Stuart Meek at the Stonehouse Court Hotel in Stonehouse. As the weather was so lovely, the ceremony took place outdoors - as Gemma walked across the lawn towards Stuart and the registrar she looked absolutely radiant and the whole day had a fairytale wedding feel to it that certainly set the tone for the day.

As you can see from the photo on the right there were two special guests who put in an appearance - Archie & Molly the westies got to take part in their owner's special day thanks to the lovely Kate from Cottage Canine Grooming who has a "Dogs At Your Wedding" service - Kate picked the dogs up first thing in the morning and "dog-sat" them during the day, bringing them over so that they could be included in some wedding photos and then taking them home again afterwards, so Gemma & Stuart could relax knowing the dogs were in safe hands for the day. We think it's a great idea for pet lovers, but I did wonder how Charley would have behaved in the same situation....... I can only imagine the carnage he would have caused !

Several of our friends were involved in making this day as special as it was - Sanchia from Finlay Make Up did all the ladies make up, and Gemma's delicate crystal flower hair decoration was hand made by Teresa from Jewellery By Teresa.

And now we're home and it's feet up and getting some rest ready for tomorrow - another full day in the studio !

Jan x

Nice weather for ducks...

2009-06-09T09:30:00.003+02:00

Well it's been a quiet couple of days on the blogging front thanks to Tiscali's server problems - but we're reconnected now and have some catching up to do !

On Saturday we had Warren & Becky's wedding at the Arrow Mill, Alcester - Becky looked STUNNING and totally outshone the weather - torrential rain all day. We were disappointed by the weather, as the Arrow Mill is such a pretty venue but luckily there are plenty of places indoors to photograph in so we managed to get the best out of the day.

In the evening, I discovered what happens when you pour neat Fairy Liquid onto a wooden dancefloor, thanks to the DJ's bubble machine :-/ Nothing's broken, according to the doctor at Gloucester Royal Hospital but I've got a pretty impressive looking bruise on my right arm - it could have been much much worse, I might have dropped the camera ! :-)

Sunday was a full day of Simply Secretive sessions and was lots of fun - I often wonder what our neighbours at the studio must think is going on when they hear all the giggling and shrieking going on, typical stuff when you get a group of girls together with a bottle of bubbly.

Building up now at the studio to the next wedding - Gemma & Stuart at The Stonehouse Court Hotel on Saturday 13th !

Jan x

Birdlip Bride

2009-06-04T10:30:00.004+02:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of working on the wedding of Lucille & Andy Widdows in the sunshine at the Royal George Hotel in Birdlip - another fantastic day on all counts. The weather was perfect - a nice gentle cloud cover at "photo time" to soften the shadows, and fantastic service from the hotel's wedding co-ordinator Carolyn and her team. It was the first time I'd worked at the Royal George and I hope it's not the last as it was a super venue.

Today has been one of those annoying paperwork days again - you know how much I love those (not!) - but hopefully I will have a bit of help with that soon as we are currently interviewing people for a part-time job at the studio to help with all the paper-pushing so I can get on with the shutter clicking. I wanted part of the interview process to be to ask the prospective candidate to make me a cup of tea to assess (can't be doing with this weak tea malarkey !!!) but I've been overruled by Ian who is insisting I ask about qualifications and words-per-minute instead..... it's all about priorities I suppose :-)

Tomorrow is another busy day - interviews in the morning and then Sanchia and I have a couple of Simply Secretive sessions in the afternoon, which will be fun - the champagne's on ice as I type so I hope our lovely ladies have brought chauffeurs with them tomorrow.

Jan x

Out & About

2009-06-02T10:30:00.004+02:00

Another busy day today but at least one where we could get out and about in the sunshine - Ian and I did some venue visits for our upcoming weddings at some venues we've never worked at before - all beautiful of course and plenty of photographic opportunities.

Then in the evening we had Jason & Tara over to the studio for their wedding viewing, and we chose the images for their album. They've chosen the A4 Landscape SIM2000 digital album with the brushed metal cover and it's going to be fab.

After that it was the usual round of battery charging and memory formatting ready for tomorrow's wedding at the Royal George Hotel in Birdlip - must remember to pack the suncream this time as it's going to be another scorcher by the look of it !

Jan x

Incommunicado

2009-05-31T09:44:00.003+02:00

What a glorious day today was - and how did I spend it? Uploading wedding galleries to the server so that customers can browse through them now the respective couples have had their viewings. Oh well, I could see the sunshine through the window at least.... :-)

Just in case anyone is trying to get in touch with me via my mobile - managed to lose it on Saturday night, somewhere between the living room and the kitchen - it was on Silent too so couldn't even ring it to see where it was ! Still not managed to uncover it so I do apologise if you've been ringing / texting me and think I'm ignoring you - I'm not !

Until I find it the best way to get hold of me is via the studio landline which will be redirected to home when I'm not at the studio 01452 348303.

Jan x

A day in the studio

2009-05-30T08:14:00.003+02:00

Well another sunny day here in Highnam and a busy one too - today was one of only 5 Saturdays this summer that we haven't got a wedding booking (making up for it with 2 in a week next week tho!) so we took the opportunity to work in the studio - which seemed like a good idea when we filled the diary in the cold wet weather but not so clever today as we fought over who was going to sit next to the fan !

First customers this morning were Jennifer and Chris (right) whose wedding we are working on in July at the Hare & Hounds Hotel, Tetbury.

Chris & Jen came in for their pre-wedding shoot and Jen was having her make up trial here at the studio with Sanchia from Finlay Make Up first - there's always lots of banter when Sanch and I work together and we had great fun - poor Chris had to sit thru all the make up chatter tho but was very patient.

After Jen & Chris's shoot we then had two wedding viewings - Alex & Richard (2nd May wedding) and Helen & Gordon (9th May) - it was great to see both couples again and to relive their wedding memories here in the studio.

A long day but a fun one - time to go home tho as I can hear a chilled bottle of white grenache calling me from afar............

Jan x

See Emily Play !

2009-05-29T08:21:00.000+02:00

Busy day today - have been frantically finishing off some album designs so the proofs can be released for our customers, and generally tidying up paperwork this morning.

This afternoon was much more fun as one of our September 09 wedding couples brought their daughter Emily in for a photoshoot - Emily's nearly one and was a real livewire, into everything and desperate to see what I was doing with the camera as you can see from the picture !

It was so hot we ventured outside too - Emily was fascinated by the abundance of foliage we have around the studio, and the people in the surrounding offices must have been equally fascinated at the sight of Mum and I leaping about blowing raspberries and singing like Mickey Mouse across the car park from them !

As this very hot evening draws on I'm packing up early today (part-timer !!!) to work from home where I HOPE it is much much cooler !

Jan x

Charley's All At Sea

2009-05-28T13:30:00.003+02:00

Spent a whole day in the studio today - in the morning, we had a visit from Laura & Alex Duncanson - their wedding was on 2nd May and one of our fab freelancers Kate Davis covered their wedding for us as Andy and I were already booked on another wedding. This wedding was very special to us as Laura used to be my girls' nanny when we first moved "darn sarf" 16 years ago ! It seems strange to think that 18 year old Laura is grown up and married herself now - god I feel OLD !

Then in the afternoon we had a visit from Lindsay and her partner George (see picture) - Lindsay won a free portrait shoot at the recent Bowden Hall charity wedding fair that we attended, and it was great to meet her and George. We ventured outdoors for their shoot - even tho it was after 6pm the weather was tropical and we didn't want to waste it !

While I was busy doing photo things at the studio, poor Charley was afloat in his bed at home - I had inadvertantly knocked the outlet pipe for the washing machine out as I left the house this morning and set a wash off before I left. Poor Charley was trapped in the kitchen as gallons of water swished round his basket ! Luckily Rob rescued him at lunchtime and bailed most of the water out for me - Charley meanwhile has been promoted to Captain of the Ship !

Jan x

Coming Soon - our all inclusive photo / video package !

2009-05-27T18:56:00.001+02:00

We are very excited to announce that we will soon be releasing details of a new package comprising an exclusive photography and videography package, in conjunction with our good friends at Adam Huckle Films - as our customers know, Adam and Marcus are the only videography team that we recommend, as not only are they at the cutting edge of contemporary videography but we adore working with them !

So, following a lengthy latte-and-cookie fuelled lunch today, we have sketched out a package that will save customers a recession-busting £500 compared to booking our services separately !

Watch this space for precise facts and figures !

Jan x

Walking On Sunshine !

2009-05-26T18:37:00.001+02:00

Yet another busy weekend for the team here at Blenheim Photography - on Sunday we worked on Caroline & Rob's wedding at the Tewkesbury Park Hotel, and how gorgeous was the weather?

Of course I forgot to take my suncream so was sporting a delightful red nose by the time we'd gone indoors for the wedding breakfast, and I nearly had a lawsuit on my hands when I asked Chris to fetch the stepladder from the car so I could do the group photo from a high vantage point. For some reason, despite having 'O' level physics I didn't make the connection between leaving a METAL stepladder in a car, for 5 hours in the sunshine on the hottest day of the year and the effect this would have on Chris when he grabbed the side of it to lift it out..... oops ! I'm sure the skin will grow back on his hands eventually....

A great day anyway and at such a beautiful venue - the scenery was breathtaking and the venue itself was fantastic - another great job by Katie the hotel's wedding co-ordinator and her team.

Jan x