Prior to Paul and Sherrylee’s wedding day I hadn’t been to Stoke Rochford Hall since the wedding of a friend some 10 years prior, so I was excited to see this magnificent venue from a different angle.
It was a roasting hot day, exaggerated by the greenhouse effect in the Orangery, but this did nothing to slow down this beautiful wedding day.
The Maynard in Grindleford is a beautiful wedding venue in a perfect location, being as it is right in the Peak District.
It’s even more perfect if your Bridesmaid’s Grandfather owns a house right opposite which has beautiful grounds and spectacular views.
Vicky and Richard brought a chilled out yet fun packed wedding day.
Look out for a cameo appearance from Grumpah who entertained the crowd in between the ceremony and breakfast.
Hannah & Matt’s wedding day started in Matlock in a beautiful townhouse they had hired. They both got ready in the same house which made for some interesting restrictions for both Hannah and Matt to make sure they didn’t see each other before their wedding ceremony,
With help from their friends and family they managed to get through the morning without coming into contact, and steadily everyone made their way to the main venue for the wedding and reception, Stretton Manor Barn in Chesterfield.
Stretton Manor Barn is a beautifully rustic wedding venue, with all the modern trimmings. Great service, wonderful food, and a really chilled vibe.
It was an odd day, weather wise, with some dramatically cloudy skies coupled with bursts of intense sunshine. We did manage to sneak out at just the right time to catch the sun setting, as you’ll see in some of the photos below.
Sally and Lauren’s wedding day at the Fox and Goose was beautifully chilled out, the perfect balance of formal wedding without all the pressure of tradition.
Instead of champagne reception they had cups of tea. Instead of a chauffeur driven limo there was a horse.
Here are a selection of photos to show you what I mean.
I can’t think of any other profession outside of photography where the pro’s obsess about their tools quite as much as we do.
I’ll pause for a moment so you can write your own joke.
There is no logical reason to replace a perfectly good lens with another version of the same when the previous lens was already great.
Your clients almost certainly won’t notice that you’ve used a GM, L or Art lens, and they definitely won’t care.
So why bother?
If you take all the emotion out of shopping for your photography gear then you’d probably end up with a set of professional quality zooms that cover an extensive focal length. They will be flexible and last for years.
But that’s just boring.
Sorry zoomers, it’s true.
Often our clients don’t hire us because we have sturdy and reliable lenses. They want our creativity, our inspiration to capture something exciting.
You know what gets in the way of creativity?
Boredom.
If you’re just stood there going through the motions with the same old boring gear you won’t necessarily be enjoying yourself.
Your lack of enthusiasm will show in your attitude at the time as well as in the photos later.
Great photographers love taking photos.
They push themselves creatively and strive to capture something new and exciting every time they go out.
What gets us most excited?
New gear!
So there you go.
Next time your significant other is struggling to understand why you had to replace a fully functional piece of equipment with something almost identical that cost twice as much, show them this article.
It won’t get you out of the doghouse, but at least they’ll know they are sacrificing a family holiday for a good cause.
2021… what a year.
For many it has been just a continuation of 2020, another year of suffering and heartache.
Yet somehow, amongst all the trouble with the pandemic, worker shortages, chip shortages and lingering restrictions on our daily lives, these couples took a chance and walked down the aisle.
It has been a year unlike any other for me. I am so incredibly proud of every one of the 27,449 photos I delivered this year.
2020 will forever be the year that wasn’t as far as weddings were concerned, let hope that doesn’t happen again.
See you next year :-).
James
Working with relaxed and fun couples is what makes crazy-busy days so easy.
As you’ll see in the photos and video below, my day began at Erin and Nick’s house where the guys were getting ready. There was already a little drama going on because the trousers for the young boys didn’t fit, so they were rapidly whipped off to Meadowhall to get replacements. Naturally I kept this information to myself as I moved on to my next stop, The Stylebar salon, to catch the girls getting ready.
I must admit I was impressed with The Stylebar. I have been in my fair share of salons over the years, for various reasons, the Stylebar is a level above. Absolutely huge place with loads of light and mirrors. Of course that meant keeping myself out of the photos was a bigger challenge than usual, but one I embraced :-).
Third stop on my agenda for the day was The New Testament Church of God on Nursery St, Sheffield.
Like many churches, parking was a nightmare, but aside from that the atmosphere was electric and the service was very personal.
Spicer Manor is this amazing little oasis of a wedding venue seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
As soon as stepped out of the car I was struck by how tranquil it felt.
Everything is a perfect balance of modern with traditional, and with friendly helpful staff and amazing food, what is there to complain about?
So without further ado, here is Erin and Nick’s highlights film followed by a selection of photos taken on the day.
As always, all photos and videos were taken by JLM Wedding Photography.
Helen & Paul’s beautifully simple (and simply beautiful) wedding at Cubley Hall.
Cubley Hall in Penistone was the perfect choice for Helen & Paul’s wedding.
They wanted a laid back day where everyone could just enjoy themselves without being wrapped up in formality and procedures.
Cubley Hall itself is a family pub, the wedding venue is beside the pub and is actually The Barn at Cubley Hall.
The Barn was ideal for Helen and Paul because it is basically already decorated. The bare brick walls and exposed beams ooze charm, and the delicate decorations already at the venue, including various rustic items and a vast array of LED lights, mean there is almost nothing that you need to do to make it the perfect venue for both your wedding ceremony and evening reception.
Although the pub is still open to the public, the garden area around the band stand was sectioned off meaning the wedding party still had somewhere private to gather between the ceremony and the reception.
As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here is a handful of images to set the scene for you.
When researching Bellavista in advance of Laura and Stuart’s wedding day, all I could find was that it was an Italian restaurant on the A6225 just outside Milnrow.
Having met over the phone with Laura and Stuart I knew there had to be more to it than that, and, yes indeed there is!
I wasn’t wrong, Bellavista is an Italian restaurant. It is also a light, airy and spacious wedding venue.
Of course it also enjoys a bella vista, which I’m sure you already know translates to beautiful view in Italian.
Laura and Stuart had a clear idea what they wanted from there wedding day. They managed a perfect balance of stylish, simple and relaxed. Every detail was beautiful, from the gorgeous flowers to Stuart’s handmade selfie frame.
I could keep going, but I think it’s best that I let the photos tell the rest of the story…
