The Wedding of Victoria and Dean at Hedingham Castle

We had a wonderful time at Hedingham Castle for the Wedding of Victoria and Dean! We are so pleased with the shots! We have chosen our favourite few to share....

 

 

How to personalise your wedding day

By Mark Ammon www.markammonphotography.co.uk 

We have been struck recently by the amount of brides who want to personalise their wedding day. Who wants to be run of the mill?! We agree totally. We thought we would share with you some of the ways our wedding photography and video customers have personalised their wedding days....

1, Table Centers

There seems to be a gradual shift away from the 'flower in a vase with lights' days to something much more personal. One of our favourite recent weddings had classic games as table centers  There was Mouse Trap, Buckaroo, Pop Up Pirate, Hungry Hippos....you get the idea! We loved the idea and so did the guests! The sky is the limit for your imagination...so let it run wild! Just make sure that your photographer and videographer capture all the action! We have also seen a lot of bird cages and vintage style centers recently. Think about your theme ideas and get creative. 

2, Flowers or sometimes a lack of them!

Flowers are an essential part of a wedding but they don't have to be traditional. We love the vintage style flowers we have seen at recent weddings. Flowers in bird cages or buckets seem to be very in fashion at the moment. We have also seen a gradual move over to more exotic plants and flowers and sometimes even artificial flowers. Again, think of your theme and let your creative juices flow! 

3, Giant Games

We love games....giant games are even better! Giant Jenga, Connect 4, Snakes and Ladders etc. For a summer wedding this is ideal and gets the guests really involved in the day. It also makes for some cracking photographs! 

4, A Themed Wedding

This is a growing trend in the weddings we have covered. The most popular theme wedding at the present time seems to be a vintage style. We have covered make do and mend, 50's, a beach wedding and even a medieval style! If you decide on a theme then remember to think carefully about transport choices, flowers, food, cakes, photography style, video style and the venue itself to make sure they fit with your style and make it as more believable event. 

5, Marryoke!

This is a cool new trend that started over the pond. So what is it? Well.... Basically it is a video technique that involves your wedding party singing a song of your choice in groups and then the resulting footage being edited to create a whole song sung by your wedding party! Look it up on You Tube and see if it is something that would interest you....

6, A First Dance Routine

Who likes shuffling around in circles looking at your feet.....most grooms by the look of it! Well it could be time for a change! We have seen a number of couples who have decided to take professional dance lessons prior to the big day. It does look fantastic when you suddenly break out your best moves in front of your friends and family with a perfectly choreographed routine! It's also great for your wedding video and makes for some great photographic shots! 

7, Fun and Quirky Photos and Video!

Nearly every couple we see about our photography and video services use the words 'fun' and 'quirky' at some point during the meeting! We have been asked to create some wild and wacky videos and photography over the years! Some of our favorites have been sections of video in a 1920's style silent movie style, slapstick type sped up video sequences set to wacky music, spoofs of films...you name it and it can be done! Think about your theme or personalty and decide if this is for you. Remember that not all your photographs or video has to be in that style, it could just be a little added extra to spice up your day! 

8, A Wow Cake!

We have seen loads of amazing cakes recently and quite a few have been made by friends and family of the bride and groom. There has been a couple of trends we have seen recently. The first is fun and quirky cakes such as the one we saw in the shape of a badger! The other is beautiful vintage style cakes with incredible details. The general feeling at the moment is that you don't have to spend a fortune on a cake if you want something personalised and unique to you and your wedding. 

I hope you have enjoyed reading our post and please visit our Mark Ammon Photography blog site for more great ideas for your wedding day!

Please contact Essex Wedding Photographer Mark Ammon Photography to find out how we can capture your day with stunning photography Web: http://www.markammonphotography.co.uk . Tel: 07523 953579. Email: markammonphotography@hotmail.co.uk For Creative and modern Wedding videos please visit www.kliqweddings.co.uk

Choosing the Right Wedding Venue

Here at Mark Ammon Photography we know that choosing your Wedding Venue is one of the most important decisions to make when planning your Wedding. This often comes before choosing your wedding photographer, wedding videographer, florist or any of the other suppliers.

So what are the most important deciding factors when choosing a wedding venue? We spoke to some of our previous clients and we have compiled their most popular responses:

1, Choose a venue that suits your theme and personality.

We have seen a trend over the last couple of years for couples wanting something unique and personal for their wedding. Does your venue suit your style of wedding dress, colour scheme and theme of the day? Does it reflect your personality i.e a relaxed outdoors wedding or a vintage style themed wedding?

2, Cost and budget.

This needs no explanation really! Can you afford the venue? Is it over priced for the services you get or is it worth every penny? Is there any other cheaper venue that still has the same vibe but for a cheaper price? Will the venue do deals for off peak or mid-week weddings? Just a few questions to think about!

3, Location and ease of access.

Is your chosen venue easy for the guests to find? Will your choice of transport be able to get you to the venue? For example a stretched limo up a tiny winding track may not be possible.

4, Places to stay nearby.

If your guests are having to travel long distances does the venue have rooms or any local hotels or b&b's for your guests to stay in?

5, Beautiful grounds.

You have your perfect photographs in mind...all your props ready...but does your venue have the sort of grounds that will allow for the photos you want? A good experienced wedding photographer will be able to help you out here!

6, The Ceremony room or location.

When looking around venues make sure you ask where the ceremony is taking place. If it is outside, what provision will be made if it rains? Is the alternative indoor room suitable  for your theme? Will you be happy with the photo opportunities in the room? Is there enough room for your wedding photographer to get the shots you want and are their restrictions on where they can stand?

7, Friendly and helpful staff.

The staff and suppliers at the venue will play a huge part in your day. They will often be on hand to organise events and to be there in case something should go wrong. Do you trust the staff at the venue? Do you like them and want to spend your most important day with them?

8, Recommended by friends/family

There is nothing better than have a trusted close friend or family member recommend a venue or suppliers to you. If this is not possible you could ask to see examples of testimonials from former weddings at the venue. this is also a good strategy when booking your wedding photographer, video or any other suppliers.

We hope you have found these points useful! If you would like to share anymore with us and our blog readers please reply to this post!

Wedding Venue of the Week: Friern Manor Essex

Every week we will be telling you about a different Essex Wedding Venue that we have worked closely with in the past. This weeks' venue is:

Friern Manor

We have covered a number of weddings at this beautiful venue near Dunton in Essex.

Here is a bit more about the venue:

Set within four acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, this classic Georgian Manor has been owned by the family for the last quarter of a century and over that time our reputation for exceptional service, friendliness and attention to detail has grown and grown. Friern Manor is the perfect venue for every type of event, including wedding ceremonies and receptions, birthdays and anniversaries, party nights and corporate seminars. Ideally situated in the village of Dunton, just south of Brentwood, the Hotel is less than five minutes drive from the M25 giving easy access to all major routes.

Friern Monor have a dedicated team of specialists available to answer your questions and help you throughout the planning of your wedding or special event.

http://www.friernmanor.com/

Wendy's Wedding Photographs, Ye Olde Plough House, Essex!

We had a fantastic day on the 8th August at the Wedding of Wendy and Marv at The Ye Olde Plough House in Bulphan, Essex. We have included some of our favourite shots from the day for you to look at. Remember to visit the our wedding photography website for all our latest offers and prices for our Essex wedding photography!

Wendy and her dad arriving at the wedding venue!

The beautiful bridal bouquet!

We're married...It's official!

The happy couple!

We love an arch in a wedding photograph!

Hot Trends in Wedding Photography and Video 2012 -2013!

So we are halfway through the year 2012 already...what a year so far! We have been involved with so many unique weddings recently I thought we'd share some of the trends and ideas we have seen that seem to be popular with our brides. Hope you enjoy it!

#1 Quirky and fun!
We always make sure that we offer our clients unique and personal photography but some wish to take that further then we have seen in previous years! We have had all sorts of requests from our Bride and Grooms this year...some really crazy! I personally think that this is a great thing as it is breaking the mould of the somewhat boring and old fashioned wedding day and turning it into a unique celebration of a couples personality. Can't wait for the next set of crazy weddings now!

#2 Unusual Vehicles!

We have seen some really novelty vehicles this year including.. bicycles, big yellow buses, wartime jeeps, 1930's hot rods, fairytale horse and carriages, VW Campers, chromed Aston Martin DB9's...the list goes on! If you have a theme choose a great ride to go with it!

#3 Vintage Themes!
We have been inundated with requests for Vintage Style Photography this year and we have more requests for next year as well! From 'make do and mend' to 'shabby chic' to 'steam punk'....we have had them all! The most popular themes have been the 1940's and 1950's however. I personally love vintage theme weddings and I really think that these weddings make for very relaxed and personalised wedding days.

# 4 Church Weddings!


Church Weddings seem to be on the rise for us during 2012 where in previous years civil service venues have ruled the roost. I also love church weddings as the atmosphere and lighting really help to give the photographs a traditional yet modern intimate feel.

#5 No Speeches!
This has been a real surprise this year! Quite a few of the weddings we have been involved with this year have not included the traditional speeches. Some of our clients have decided that it was too old fashioned and nerve wracking to include them at their wedding and preferred a more relaxed affair where the father of the bride, best man and groom didn't have to sit through their dinners panicking about the dreaded speech!

We would love to hear about your wedding day and any trends that you think we have missed! Please comment on this post to add to the trends!

By Mark Ammon - Mark Ammon Photography.