Vic and Torie chose to have their wedding at Kingscote church (St. John the Baptist), followed by Kingscote Barn. If you’re thinking of going down this route, i.e. a Church wedding ceremony, be prepared to put in the leg work. Vic & Torie attended the church on many occasions prior to their wedding, which is by no mean feat when they don’t even live in Gloucestershire. It’s a charming church and I can see the attraction for couples who are having a wedding reception at nearby Matara, or in Vic & Torie’s case Kingscote Barn. You can even walk from it to Matara if so inclined…….Kingscote Barn however may be a little too far, especially in your wedding day heals!
Anyhow, a slight departure from the norm today as with it being ‘silly season’ (July & August for a wedding photographer) I’m having to keep this blog post brief, and instead of showcasing a plethora of images from the whole day, I’m going to highlight just a few from the church and add some comments about each of the photos.
St. John the Baptist Church, Kingscote, Gloucestershire.
Inside Kingscote Church is pretty dark, which doesn’t exactly make life easy for a wedding photographer. Today was somewhat brighter than you get in the depths of winter….and thankfully somewhat warmer for the guests too.
And for the geeky readers amongst you, this was taken at ISO 2500, 1/160 at f2.8 shot on my Canon 5D3, with a 50mm f1.4 prime.
The moment thankfully no one has disputed your right to get married. Vic clearly happy about that.
With Kingscote Church being relatively small, photography at the front is limited and would perhaps be too intrusive. I therefore choose to shoot from the back with a long lens, which does mean moments like this (which give variety to the coverage) are a blessing for me during the prayers.
Traditionally wedding photographers were employed to photograph the bridal party at the wedding gate, walking down the aisle, first kiss, ‘fake’ signing of the register and a handful of group shots after the ceremony. Things have since moved on a little (for most photographers anyhow) with us looking for more intimate moments to photograph, taking a look at the real wedding day, not staged photos. None the less, when the wedding register comes out, it’s only polite to ask if the couple would like a photo. On this occasion ‘yeah’, and Vic gave it his best pose :-)
BTW, for anyone not yet married reading this post, the pen Torie is holding is often one without ink, hovered over a blank dummy register for the purposes of my photo. I’m most worried about the chap at the back sitting on the window ledge who looks pretty smug about something.
Has the award for cutest flower girl now been taken?
It’s a classic eh, kissing on the way out the church. Simple, yet everyones favourite.
Okay, group photos. Everyone asks me when I take the group photos and my answer is always the same, vague! The timing of these depends on many factors, mainly the weather, secondly the location options available to me, but also the feel of your wedding day. Some couples want to relax straight after the ceremony with a drink in their hand and simply chat to their guests first.
In this instance the main bridal party including family members came through this side door of Kingscote Church, leaving other guests to exit an alternative doorway. By doing so, this free’d up a suitable space to spend a frantic five minutes photographing the basic group requirements, in what is a pleasant spot without any harsh light. And that my friends is why on this occasion group wedding photos were done and dusted 13 mins after the couple walked down the aisle. Not all churches have this option though, neither does the weather always behave itself giving bright, yet shaded cover in the place most suited to photos.
Needless to say, despite all the factors working together in order to produce quick group photos, there’s always someone that doesn’t want to co-operate….cheeky monkey ;-)
Chatting to your guests. This is one reason I hope people choose to employ me as their wedding photographer. You hear far too often about “the photographer who took the couple off for an hour and a half”…or “group photos that went on and on and on”.
I love to see you with your friends enjoying time outside the church or during your drinks reception. A wedding day will fly by so this balancing act of getting the necessary ‘photos done’ plus spending time with family and friends has to be part of the service a professional photographer should be providing.
It’s that tongue again.
Ever wondered why your cheeks ache after a wedding – it’s not just occasionally smiling for me, the other 80 guests usually want a photo at some stage!
Again, a tip for those of you not in the know when it comes to weddings (and wedding cars). Drinking starts pretty much immediately when your bums hit that back seat.
If you are having a wedding at Kingscote church or nearby Matara and Kingscote Barn, please drop me a line, I’d love to hear from you. You can see more Kingscote Barn and Matara weddings on my blog, as well as many more weddings throughout Gloucestershire.