GAY WEDDING BLOG

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF 

– Colourful, emotional, fun, relaxed documentary photography. 

Hi, I am Paola a wedding photographer based in London, originally from Italy. 
I’m adventurous, non-conformist and completely non-judgemental. I believe in celebrating originality and diversity, embracing life in all its form. 
My husband is Anglo-Caribbean and my children are of mixed heritage. 
There is nothing more exciting for me than discovering new way of thinking, new way of living.
Things I love, my bike, running, exploring, nature, upcycling, re-creating, re-inventing, coffee, and my lovely family. 
Music makes me rock, I love tattoos, I adore meeting people and I can chat in five different languages! English, Italian, Portuguese Brazilian, Spanish and French.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START YOUR BUSINESS? 

What made me start my wedding photography business? 
In 2012 I fell in love with a Blog called Rock ‘n’ Roll Brides, an alternative wedding blog by Kat, covering unique and non-traditional weddings. Initially was the excitement of discovering that wedding DON’T have to be boring and old fashion, now I’m know what I love most is the beautiful imperfection of things, created with love by people that don’t conform. Make your wedding your very special and unique event, do it your way!

HOW DOES YOUR TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE? 

Well, very different now that we still under the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions but pre-pandemic it would have being…
take the children to school, then back to the office, check emails, make calls, editing, social media.
If it is a wedding day, I will be completing in a zone, fully engaged in preparing for the big day.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB? 

The best part of my job is definitely meeting people. 
I absolutely adore discovering their stories, I get very excited and I always want to help. 
I have so many ideas and if asked I can suggest suppliers.
I’m very passionate about what I do, very Italian indeed.

“We hired a photographer, but we leave the wedding with so much more. We are honoured to have had such an artist as Paola capture our day, and we are delighted to now call her a good friend. Paola doesn’t sell photos, she sells Paola, and amazing photography just happens in the process”
— MARK & GEOFF

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF

Hello Jessica here, but please do call me Jesse. I offer natural wedding photography in Surrey and beyond. My ‘thing’ is that I love to capture the real you; the natural, creative and comfortable you. So, that’s how my photography is: natural, creative and comfortable.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START YOUR BUSINESS?

I was working as a camera assistant for very well know studio photographers in London. Lots of famous people, long hours, moving lights and setting up cameras, studio settings. A friend of a friend asked if I would second shoot a wedding. Before second shoot this I had never actually attended a wedding before! Having my camera in my had the whole day was like a lightning. I felt creative ALL DAY and I was doing what I loved. I was taking pictures. I didn’t realise how unfulfilled and how un-creative being a camera assistant had made me. Once I had second shot that wedding – I never looked back.

HOW DOES YOUR TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE?

I like to start my morning with a coffee. Always! If I am not photographing a wedding I will go for a run to get myself moving and get out. Then the rest of the day is admin and editing. During the summer I wake up at 5am to get all of my editing done by about 1pm and then I have time to read in the sun or see friends and family.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB?

I’m pretty sure I have the best job ever. For one, I never have a bad day at work. I am witnessing people on the happiest day of their lives and that is infectious! My face hurts at the end of the day from smiling so much. I love to chat and am very sociable so at weddings I get an extended friendship and family group. So, it’s pretty great.

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF 

Hi, I’m Jess; a spirited, coffee-fuelled Feminist based in North West London with my sax-playing wife, Lara & our cool-kid Idris (6). I take photos of Feminist and LGBT+ weddings in London, across the UK and beyond.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START YOUR BUSINESS? 

I knew I wanted to specialise in LGBT+ and Feminist weddings after a tiny lesbian wedding in Scotland in 2017. We were joined for the ceremony by a legend of a celebrant, who afterwards directed a portrait session with the two brides. As much as we all protested and giggled, he couldn’t help but try to direct them – enthusiastically – into heteronormative poses; the one in a suit must be the more masculine of the two! 

His heart was in the right place, but LGBT+ couples need LGBT+ suppliers who get that there’s more to us than stereotypes.

HOW DOES YOUR TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE? 

The first thing I do every day is make my wife a good (strong) coffee! Our little boy has started reading first thing, which gives us a lovely bit of time to chat and wake up. Pre-Covid times, I’d often have a couples session to photograph somewhere in London, so after some admin in the morning I’d set off on my bike and aim to be home by the school-run! Evenings would be spent all together, then usually Lara and me would head to one of her gigs. How I miss those days!

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB? 

Meeting so many interesting people and seeing the dynamics between them unfold during a wedding day.

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF

Hey, I’m Katrina a wedding & portrait photographer from Hertfordshire. I’ve been shooting weddings for over 6 years now and I’ve loved every minute!
I’m a huge animal lover so always encourage pets on shoots, especially at weddings and really embrace unique and alternative ideas that couples throw my way. 
Travel & food come next on the list of my favourite things (after animals of course) and you will often find me tucking into a cheeky cake from the local coffee shop.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START YOUR BUSINESS? 

I have always been creative and started my journey at university studying textile design, dabbling in textile design for interiors and visual merchandising before finding myself on this incredible path as a wedding & portrait photographer. 

As with so many other photographers this wonderful career started as a hobby but I kept pushing and educating myself until I got my first studio job. I loved the job but working for myself and having full creative control was always the dream. A year into my portrait studio position I made the jump into self employment and have never looked back.

HOW DOES YOUR TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE? 

When I’m shooting a wedding there isn’t really ever a typical day, every wedding is so different and I’m so lucky to work at such a variety of venues my working days change so much.
But a typical day at home would start with a lovely morning walk with my beagle Bonnie (a little fresh air in the morning works a treat). Once I’m home and sat at my desk I usually get on with emails first, do a bit of admin, before allowing myself a few hours at least to catch up on editing.
I usually have a few portrait sessions each week too so I often have to prep my equipment and spend a few hours out of the house for those too. It’s so hard to have a routine because every week is different but that’s something I love about my job.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB? 

Best part of my job is 100% the couples I get to meet! I get to work with such amazing people and not only get to know them like friends but also get to share one of the biggest days of their lives with them as intimately as their closest family and friends do. It’s such an privileged to be picked by couples to go through that experience with them.

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF

I’m Felicity, I make unique, bespoke wedding dresses for brides who want something they can’t find anywhere else. I work from my home studio in Redhill, Surrey, which is frankly busting at the seams after 15 years of me making dresses but I love my little space and sharing it with clients who visit. I’m pushing 40 now but with my badger stripes (grey hairs) comes the experience only gained through time and seeing many many brides, body shapes and trends come and go.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START YOUR BUSINESS?

My parents were both self-employed, the idea of having a ‘proper job (as others might see it) was just never on the cards. I worked as the alteration seamstress for a local Bridal shop to help pay my way through university. I told them when I started I’d be too nervous to ever try making a dress but after 4 years turning 150 dresses a year inside out I had gained enough knowledge and confidence to accept my first commissions!

My university course was a degree in costume design which gave me the perfect grounding in designing for the ‘character’ – not to please myself. I love that every bride I meet is unique and that every dress is unlike any I’ve made before. I want to show her uniqueness in my design and make her feel fabulous.

HOW DOES YOUR TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE?

Up, kids breakfast (three of them!) and school runs: only then I can open the door to my sanctuary of a sewing room. I usually answer emails and check social media first in case anything imperative needs answering but then try to leave the screens alone as much as I can. I like to listen to music or radio 4 while I work. This might be pattern drafting, cutting out, machine or hand sewing. Some days it’s just me alone all day and I really crack on with the task in hand, other days I might have two, three or even four client visits for fittings or consultations. I’m an introvert so I relish my time alone in the studio but even introverts need some social time so having the clients visit is lovely too! I finish the day around 5pm if I’m working to good time but I often see clients in the evening and at weekends too.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB?

Seeing a happy bride in her dress at the final fitting and knowing my work has made her feel that way! And then getting thank you letters and wedding pictures back a few months down the line. A wedding day is a work of art, a participatory piece of performance art where the couple direct many suppliers to orchestrate a day that speaks something about themselves and their hopes for the future. I really get a buzz from seeing my designs and handiwork being a part of the whole!