by Natasha | Mar 2, 2018 | Spring Wedding, Wedding Gallery, Winter Wedding
Living in the UK, you don’t expect to have a snow on your wedding day, let alone in March! The first wedding of the year at The Old Lodge in Minchinhampton Common was one I will never forget. Katie let me know a few days before that we were expecting snow on her wedding day. Little did we know how much snow we would actually get! I travelled down the day before to be on the safe side and the snow was already thick when I arrived. It was nicknamed ‘The Beast from the East’ and it certainly lived up to it’s name in the Cotswolds! These two met at work, when Katie was freelancing at a design agency that Wes worked at. ‘I didn’t know at the time but Wes had a rule that he wouldn’t get into relationships with people from work! We went on a road trip around Scotland. Wes proposed at the fairy pools on the Isle of Skye. We’d had a great day visiting whisky distilleries and eating oysters so this topped it off perfectly.’ Katie and her Maid of Honour were already at the venue when I arrived, setting up the room in preparation for tomorrow. Thursday night was when the beast really hit The Old Lodge hard. Waking up Friday morning the entire place was covered in snow, up to 3 feet in some places! Emotions ran high as panic set in about whether guests would be able to show up to the wedding due to weather! Luckily all the bridesmaids and parents arrived safely which put Katie’s mind to rest. Helpful... read more
by Natasha | Dec 23, 2017 | Autumn Wedding, News!, Spring Wedding, Summer Wedding, Wedding Gallery, Winter Wedding
This year truly has flown by but it’s been a total pleasure to share with all the wonderful couples who booked with us this year. Thank you to my wonderful couples who have trusted me to capture their incredible wedding days this year. 2017 has been truly special as it’s the first year I’ve thought: ‘Yep, I can do this forever.’ This year saw Honeydew Moments take on it’s first Indian wedding (second shooting with Sheetal Varsani) and organise 2 epic styled wedding shoots with some talented suppliers too. It was also a huge achievement for us to have also been nominated for the Best of Welsh Wedding Awards for the categories ‘Best Photographer’ as well as ‘Best New Business’. It was completely unexpected but we ended up walking away with second place in Best New Business 2017! I feel honoured and privileged to have experienced each and every wedding day this year. Each wedding day has been different: we’ve had tipi’s, quaint churches, huge barns, grand manor houses and even castles! We’ve also had very windy days, rainy days and glorious sunny days too. Huge thanks to my wonderful assistants and second shooters this year: Siobhan, Leesha, Sheetal, Nisha, Lauren, Cammy and Josie too. You guys make my job so much easier, way more fun and you even listen to my crazy ramblings all day! The thrill I get from every wedding is amazing and I can’t wait to challenge and push myself further as I throw myself into 2018! Next year brings plenty more engagement sessions which I’m really excited for. It also brings my first dabble at destination... read more
by Natasha | Dec 21, 2017 | Wedding Gallery, Winter Wedding
The Italian Villa Lara and Tony chose the stunning Italian Villa at Compton Acres in Dorset for their winter wedding venue. It couldn’t have been more perfect. Split over three floors plus all the gardens to explore too, it was a magical setting. These two have been engaged for 19 years and 3 kids later they finally decided to tie the knot! The girls got ready at the nearby Sandbanks Hotel with a balcony overlooking the wintery Dorset coastline. The girls had their make-up done by the talented Claire Bowring and their hair done by a close friend. Lara’s eldest daughter did the hairdressers hair for the wedding too! Lara wore Kurt Geiger wedding shoes called ‘Lara’s Jewells’. These shoes were totally meant-to-be for this bride. The Italain Villa ceremony room was stunning, they chose to decorate with lots of flowers, including a gorgeous floral archway at the top of the aisle. Despite the late start to the ceremony, it was lovely and enjoyed by everyone, including the 15 bridesmaids, flower girls and page boys! Lara walked down the aisle to Songbird by Fleetwood Mac. The couple’s children got up to stand with them for the exchange of rings and the first kiss which was a lovely touch. The December air was brisk but the drinks reception was outside to take in the beautiful gardens that the Italian Villa has to offer. There was no snow at this Christmas wedding but they did have a snow machine during the confetti! The sun was starting to disappear so I stole the newlyweds for a walk around the Japanese gardens and... read more
by Natasha | Nov 18, 2017 | Wedding Gallery, Winter Wedding
Court Colman Manor These two chose to marry in the grand Court Colman Manor. They didn’t need to look anywhere else, they knew right away this venue was the one for them. The manor is a gorgeous country house nestled at the bottom of the Garw Valley in South Wales. Danielle and Richard matched their colour theme to the ceremony room in Court Colman perfectly! The blush pink chair bows looked beautiful against the pink decor. The pair met almost ten years ago in a ‘very terrible nightclub’ (Danielle’s words not mine!) and have got two adorable young children, Abigail and Ben who both played a big part in the wedding day. Abi was the sweetest flower girl and Ben the youngest of the Groomsmen! Richard proposed by the gorgeous beaches of Southerndown, overlooking the cliffs. He got down on one knee and with the children in the pram, asked Danielle to be with him forever. “Of course I cried!” The girls had their hair and make-up done in the morning. Abi was enjoying the attention and Danielle’s nerves were starting to appear. They got to Court Colman and unbeknown to him, Danielle’s dad stopped the car right outside the windows which looked directly into the ceremony room! Luckily, he moved the car quickly and we had told Richard to face away from the windows just in case. Abi and Ben walked down the aisle and Abi stayed cuddled up with her dad throughout the ceremony which was adorable. Throughout the afternoon and into the evening, the stag party were carrying on the drinking games from the stag do... read more
by Natasha | Nov 8, 2017 | Engagement
Nailsworth Engagement Session I loved exploring this adorably quirky place for this Nailsworth engagement session! Katie and Wes got in touch after being recommend by one of Katie’s work colleagues, who happens to be a good friend of mine. Their wedding is in March next year which I’m sure will come around quickly once Christmas is over! (I know, I know, I mentioned the C word and it’s only November!) I met the guys deep in the heart of the Cotswolds in the gorgeous Minchinhampton Common. Their wedding venue is this beautiful old building, suitably named, the Old Lodge. It’s far away from main roads and down a gravel track with views over the rolling hills down to the Stroud Valleys. The lodge’s decor is stunning and unique which suited Katie and Wes perfectly. We decided to venture down the hill into the neighbouring market town of Nailsworth which is a picture perfect Cotswolds town! The pair brought along their adorable dog, a wire hair Dachshund. She isn’t coming along on the wedding day so to bring her to the engagement shoot was the next best thing. I’m so glad they did! Wandering around the town with these two was great fun and we found that Nailsworth was surprisingly quirky! Graffiti artwork adorned a few walls around the town. We even found a cool cocktail bar within an old banking hall! I loved doing something different for this engagement session, bring on the... read more
by Natasha | Nov 4, 2017 | Autumn Wedding, Wedding Gallery, Winter Wedding
Forest Lodge Hotel sits on the edge of the gorgeous market town of Lyndhurst within the New Forest. Previously it was a Georgian Dower House of the Notherwood Estate. Now it’s a beautiful venue perfect for a wedding! Kate and Adrian met online, they had their first date after Kate had made sure Adrian liked dogs- as Kate is a dog minder! They had their first few dates in local pubs which inspired their wedding theme. Each table was a pub name where they had been on a date. They also had favours which were drinks coasters you could pop on top of your drink when you left your drink unattended. After many a pub date, Adrian proposed in the deserts of Fuerteventura! Annie, Kate’s mum, was hugely involved with the DIY aspect of the wedding. She made all of the flower bouquets for the bride and bridesmaids, Kate’s wedding dress, the table decorations, not to mention the wedding cake too! Kate had told her bridesmaids about her hand-made wedding dress but they didn’t know Annie had also made a glorious navy velvet cape complete with fur hood too! The Ceremony The ceremony room at Forest Lodge was beautifully set up with autumnal pumpkins lining the aisle. Kate walked down with her proud father with her hooded cape up. The couple’s friends and family came from all over, including Germany, to see their wedding. After the ceremony we stole some moments in the sunshine outside before the dark grey clouds started to come over. Luckily, there was a rainbow just at the right time! The Reception The Forest Lodge... read more
by Natasha | Oct 29, 2017 | Family
The Batleys When Charlotte asked if she could get her mum, Muma Bat, a family photoshoot for her birthday, I thought it was a great idea! Plus a fab way to meet all the family before Charlotte’s wedding. Charlotte is getting married in May 2018, remember her engagement session at Frensham Pond in Surrey? They opted to do the session at the family home in Hampshire. Their family garden is huge and it meant the photographs would be personal to them all as it was a recognised place. Not to mention plenty of cups of tea on hand, you don’t get that at a local park! With 3 grown up daughters, their dad is slightly outnumbered with girls in his family. Luckily they had newphew Thomas there to jump in for a few photographs too. Not to mention their two gorgeous dogs, Trigger and Ralph! Making It Personal Charlotte’s mum, Debbie, loves sunflowers so we incorporated this into the shoot too, giving them something quirky but personal to the Batleys to frame. Debbi and Tony have been together for an incredible 34 years! They’re so happy together and still giggle and flirt like they’re teenagers! Everyone was in brilliant spirits for the session, the champagne may have helped things along too! The sun came out towards the end, and despite the bench sinking into the soft ground, the session was a success. I’ll be seeing them all again in May for Charlotte’s wedding, I can’t... read more
by Natasha | Oct 25, 2017 | Engagement, News!, Tips & Tricks
If you haven’t realised already you’ll soon find out that all my 2018 full day wedding bookings come with a complimentary pre-wedding shoot! You’ll get to meet me, in person, shooting you, before your wedding! Hello! So… what is it? Engagement shoots, pre-wedding sessions, couple shoots… there are so many different names for these couple sessions. Whatever you want to call it, they all pretty much describe exactly what it is. It’s a great excuse to show off your engagement, it’s a way to practise having your photo taken together before the big day, but it’s primarily a time to capture your love for each other! I always think, in this digital age, the majority of couples have lots and lots of selfies together, which is awesome! But do you frame a selfie? Unlikely! My main goal during these sessions is to create gorgeous artwork which you’d happily frame and put up around your home. I want you to be proud of your love for each other, being in love is awesome! But we’re so awkward having our photograph taken! One of the best things about your couple session is that it shouldn’t feel stuffy and awkward. It should feel like hanging out with an old friend, messing around and having fun. I don’t like stiff poses and I’m not a photographer who will put you in an exact pose which you must stay in. The way I work is, I give you both prompts to interact with each other. I’ll ask you questions, get to tell each other your favourite moment together, ask you to whisper silly things... read more
by Natasha | Oct 14, 2017 | Autumn Wedding, Wedding Gallery
The Long Barn Wedding “The Long Barn is one of the most spacious and exquisite barns in Hampshire. Nestled in the picturesque village of Newton Valence, amidst spectacular rolling countryside, The Long Barn offers breathtaking views from one of the highest points in the South Downs National Park.” The Long Barn is truly a stunning wedding venue, the huge oak beams are adorned with sparkling lights making it a magical place to hold a wedding. “Craig proposed in New York! We were there for Thanksgiving and he proposed in Central Park after a morning of Ice Skating and visiting the Zoo. Craig had plans to buy a picnic but I was so hangry I forced him to get a Starbucks lunch which we could take back to the park and eat!” It seemed like the October trees remained green right up until the day of Jen and Craig’s wedding. Then suddenly changed to amber and crimson just in time, seemingly overnight. The girls got ready at the couples own home in Winchester. It was an emotional morning with her bridesmaids and mum. One of her bridesmaids had flown over from Malaysia and was postponing a trip to Australia to be at Jen’s wedding! Jen gave her bridesmaids matching bracelets as gifts and they gave her a memory book in return. Soon after Jen’s dad arrived in his full Scottish Kilt- cue more tears! The Ceremony The pair chose to marry in the sweetest church in little Hampshire village called Dummer. The ceremony was beautiful with two heartfelt readings. An unusually late butterfly was fluttering around the church throughout, Jen said it... read more
