The second you get engaged, it suddenly feels like the entire world has an opinion on your wedding. Family members get involved, TikTok starts showing you things you apparently now “need”, Pinterest convinces you everyone else is living inside a bridal magazine, and before long, you’re three hours deep into comparing napkin colours, wondering how your life ended up here.

There’s a very specific moment that happens during wedding planning. Someone checks the weather forecast.

If you’re getting married at Ansty Hall, you’ve probably already had that moment where you thought, “yeah… this just feels right.”

Ceremony’s done, everyone’s in a good mood, drinks are flowing… and then someone pulls out a list. Not just a list either… a list. Names, combinations, people you haven’t seen in years, “just one more with…”… and before you know it, 40 minutes has disappeared and you’ve barely had a second to actually enjoy the fact you’ve just got married.

I’ve been to more weddings than I can count at this point, and you start to notice a bit of a pattern. There are things that happen at almost every single one… not because couples love them, but because they feel like they’re part of the deal. And look, if you do love them, crack on. It’s your day. No judgment here. But if you’re on the fence about any of this, consider this your permission slip to quietly stick a few of these in the bin by breaking wedding traditions.

With Mother’s Day this weekend, it got me thinking about something I see at almost every wedding I photograph. Weddings are full of big moments. The confetti, the speeches, the dance floor when everyone’s had a few drinks and suddenly thinks they’re starring in their own music video. But if you watch closely, there’s another version of the wedding day happening at the same time. A quieter one. The version your mum's eyes experience.

Let’s have an honest chat about unplugged ceremonies, because right now what most couples are actually having isn’t fully unplugged at all. It’s more of a “we mentioned it briefly but people did what they wanted anyway” situation. And that’s where the chaos creeps in, and half measures ruin ceremony photos.

Every family has one. You know the one. The relative who turns up to weddings with a camera bag the size of hand luggage, a couple of impressive looking lenses, and the quiet confidence of someone who “used to do a bit of photography back in the day”.

now absolutely nothing about hair. If you asked me the difference between a blow dry, a bun, or whatever’s trending this week, I’d be guessing at best. So rest assured, the hairspray is firmly in the hands of someone who actually knows what they’re doing. That person is Faye from Faye Elizabeth Hair.

Kelly at Twinkles and Tiaras is one of those people who makes you realise just how much impact the right supplier can have on a wedding day.

After photographing weddings for years, you start to notice patterns. Not just in how days run, but in who makes them easier, calmer, and actually enjoyable to be part of.

This is the part of wedding planning no one really warns you about. You get plenty of advice on budgets, timings, and colour schemes. What doesn’t come with instructions is what happens when you bring a lot of history, opinions, and complicated relationships into one room and politely ask everyone to celebrate together.

Planning a wedding has a funny way of creeping up on you. You start with excitement, ideas, big smiles and a vague sense that you’ve got time. Then one day you’re deep into planning and suddenly everything has a price attached to it. Some expected. Some… not so much.

Your wedding should feel like you. Not a performance of what you think weddings have to look like. The best wedding days are the fun ones. The ones where people laugh so hard their shoulders shake.

Why your aisle moment deserves a real connection, not a screen grab. Picture this. You take that first step down the aisle. Your heart’s thumping. Your partner’s trying not to ugly cry. It’s the moment you’ve waited for. You want to remember exactly how they looked right then. The nerves. The smile. The love. The everything.

An honest guide for anyone about to pop the question. Right then. We need to talk about proposals. December and the New Year are basically engagement season.

I’ve got no idea who first decided that shouting “cheese” was the magic trick for a good photo, but they owe all of us an apology. The second someone says it, everyone tenses up. Shoulders rise. Eyes go wide. Smiles freeze into that weird, slightly panicked grin you used to do in primary school photos. And honestly, nothing kills a real moment faster than that.

Let’s talk about group photos! They’re one of those parts of the day that everyone knows are coming. Everyone knows they matter. Yet, somehow, they still have the potential to descend into mild chaos if they’re not handled right.

Here is the thing. No one has planned a wedding before they start planning a wedding. There is no secret handbook, no cheat code, and definitely no magic download button that suddenly makes you an expert. So how on earth are you meant to know what actually helps you get stunning wedding photos and what quietly works against you?

One of the biggest surprises couples have when they start planning their wedding is just how early photographers get booked. You secure your dream venue, start getting excited about outfits, décor and the general vibe, and then suddenly you realise suppliers are disappearing faster than the last roast potato at a Sunday dinner. And honestly, I do not blame you for being surprised. Nobody tells you this stuff until you are already knee deep in Pinterest boards and timeline str