o&c Photography blog feed

Andy and Hannah - A naval affair

2012-01-05T12:54:00.009Z

A naval wedding, men in uniform and bride in a beautiful Stephanie Allin dress. Yes please, we said! :D
Andy and Hannah met and work for the Navy. Andy is a Captain, while Hannah is a highly skilled logistics officer. Both very high up and highly praised in their rankings.
They married in a fabulous ceremony, surrounded by colleagues in uniform. It was quite an emotional thing to see. Men and women, who have fought for our country in Afghanistan and other war torn areas of the world, celebrating together the marriage of two of their colleagues.
Andy wore his amazingly smart uniform, along with medals from his recent tour to Afghanistan. Hannah wore on of our favourite dresses of 2011. A beautiful Stephanie Allin dress, with some equally gorgeous Rachel Simpson shoes. It suited her perfectly. Even to the point that during the speeches Andy asked Hannah to stand on a chair, where upon he raised a toast to "the dress!"
Their reception was held at Slebech Park and gave us some beautiful opportunities for photographs, with its chapel ruins in the grounds and the estuary than runs alongside the venue, we were spoilt for choice.
The beautiful details at the wedding reception, with an array of beautiful bunting, gingham tablecloths, individual soaps and ribbon made for stunning and individual features in the marquee.
A truly lovely day and a chance to really celebrate the skills and talents of two people who serve our country and have have found love through the hard work they do.
Thank you Andy and Hannah for allowing us to share in and capture your beautiful wedding celebration x o&c

Ben and Anna - A Pembrokeshire tea party

2012-01-03T11:10:00.006Z

Firstly, a huge Happy New Year to you all! Hope 2012 is a great year for you, full of fun, laughter, love and blessings. Its a pretty exciting one for us... our year of parenthood! eek! (we promise to blog some photos of our new bundle in due course. Wibbly Warrell is currently still cooking!)
We have still so many weddings and eshoots to blog from 2011 that we have decided to not to do a "look back at 2011", although, we would love to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all our couples, friends, colleagues, Facebook friends, Twitter friends and family for your great support (keep on popping back to our blog as we will be sharing lots of amazing couples with you in the next few weeks/months) We have loved every moment we have had the chance to capture. Special days and precious people. We feel truly blessed that we can do this as a job. We cant wait for the buzz of 2012 to kick in. We have some truly lovely weddings booked, with some amazing people, in awesome situations! We look forward with so much anticipation! Yay for all you lovely 2012 couples! Bring on the love!

Here today, we wanted to share with you the wedding of some special pals of ours. Ben and Anna (often referred to as Benanna!) We have had the pleasure of knowing this pair for a good while. Anna, originally from Pembrokeshire has been mates with O for years and we had the honour of being mates in Oxford too.
What was so ace about Ben and Anna's big day was that we got to capture photos and play with some of our bestest ever friends! A substantial troop of their/our friends from Oxford came to Pembrokeshire to share in their special day (yay!)
Ben and Anna got married in Pembroke and then had their reception in Lamphey. When living and photographing weddings in Pembrokeshire, you really do have the pick of the best, most beautiful beaches. We had our beach choice set and loads of ideas planned, but the fabulous British summer weather nearly put a stop to that. After getting in and out of the car, wrapping ourselves in blankets, hanging on tight to umbrellas and contemplating how this was going to work, the sun came out and we had the most super 20 mins on Freshwater East. Thanks Benanna for hanging on in there and having the patience to bear with the weather. We truly loved our beach session. Precious times for the four of us!
We then returned to their village hall wedding reception where we had the pleasure of becoming guests as well as photographers. With a "tea" theme, teapots full of flowers, tea pots table plan and home grown herbs (courtesy of Ben - super talented landscape gardener!) the celebrations flowed and many giggles too.
Ben and Anna asked for a photo-booth to be incorporated into their wedding reception. Taking photos of friends and crazy people with props is always something worth doing. A proper giggle.
Thank you so much Ben and Anna for your friendship, for asking us to capture your special day and for the fun times we have had and will have. We think you're pretty "sweet" and so glad you got married! You're a good pair! :P x x o&c

Stu and Nat get married - take two! A British wedding blessing

2011-11-28T13:22:00.004Z

As we said in our last post, there would be a second part to it, so here it is!
If youve not seen our e-shoot with Stu and Natalie you can have a peruse here.
So, Stu and Natalie had their British wedding in Sussex in July, after having an intimate January wedding in Chile. Two very contrasting situations, but both with similar elements. Natalie wore an aubergine dress to both of her special days and was quite adamant she wanted to steer clear of the traditions of a white dress.
Stu wore a fitted grey suit with purple tie to both wedding days. The colour theme of purple was picked up throughout the day in the details and décor that were chosen for their British big day.
Stu and Natalie opted for non-traditional from the start of their day, largely as this was their second wedding day and a blessing with friends and family from around the world.
We met with Stu and Natalie for their couple shots before their ceremony began. We went to a quaint little lake with a ridiculous amount of ducks that watched with awe as we posed and captured the couple.
Their main ceremony was held under a tree in Natalie's parents garden. It was very much a chance for friends and family to share kind words with the couple and also a chance for Stu and Natalie to share some very beautiful, personal vows together.
The rest of the day was spent catching up and eating great food.
Thank you Stu and Natalie for asking us to capture your day x o&c

(Thanks again to Amma from Beyond-Beyond blog for sharing both parts of this British celebration x)

Stu and Nat : A sand dune, beach hut e-shoot

2011-11-28T12:26:00.006Z

Stu and Natalies wedding story is going to be told over two parts, as they had their e-shoot 2 days before they got married. Stu and Natalie live in Chile. When we met them they were already married. (Hey? you say) Stu and Natalie are British, but work in Chile and had a Chilean blessing in January, with a small group of friends and family joining them out there for this initial celebration. They had their "first" wedding captured by Kyle Hepp in Chile.
Nat had asked if we could do their e-shoot two days before their British wedding. We have little knowledge of Sussex, but they chose West Wittering as the situation for their e-shoot and we were far from disappointed. With sand dunes, beach huts, groins and large expanses of sand and sea, of course, we were more than happy.
So, here we go... here is the e-shoot of Stu and Natalie - Emjoy! x o&c
(please come back for their wedding which we will soon be sharing with you too!)

Thanks again must go to the fabulous Amma from "Beyond-Beyond blog" who kindly blogged this e-shoot a few weeks ago x

Pat and Abi: Sun-fun-tastic West Wales wedding.

2011-11-10T14:08:00.011Z

One of our sunniest weddings this "summer". Pat and Abi were married in West Wales surrounded by family, friends and plenty of beautiful floral and diamanté detailing.
Abi is slightly obsessed with all things pretty and sparkly and had made huge steps to make sure that these things were incorporated in to her special day. Take a look at these amazing shoes. Abi hand decorated them with hundreds of diamanté gems. They really were something else. Abi is actually keen to do this more often. We look forward to seeing her talent go from strength to strength!
The flowers at the wedding were all styled by Abi's very talented sister and looked amazing. large hanging balls of blue hydrangeas and bright pink rose bouquets. This girl knows what to do with flowers! (available for hire, so please contact us if you are interested)
Pat, a farmer by trade, not so bothered by sparkle, spent the morning in the pub. Calming his nerves with one or five zambuccas and sharing this momentous occasion with his friends and ... the vicar!
Living in Pembrokeshire we do have many beautiful beaches for couple shots and we gave a little "whoo-hoo!" when Pat and Abi said they would love to go to Freshwater West. We cant argue with anyone wanting to go there, it is exceptionally beautiful.
A reception back at Abi's parents house allowed for a relaxed, chilled and truly fun atmosphere. We even got involved and "down with the kids" on the bouncy castle and bucking sheep. See if you can spot the sneaky shots of us getting in the with guests and making the most of our super job. Tee hee! ;P
Thanks Pat and Abi for choosing us to share in your fun-filled day and choosing such a scorcher of a day to tie the knot! :D x x

Gavin and Shelley - A Vintage Tea Party.

2011-10-20T13:16:00.007+01:00

Firstly, we feel we need to apologise for a serious lack of blog posts this summer. With weddings from May to September we've been so busy. Now we are on a little October break before weddings in the last 2 months of 2012 and have some real treats for you, so please dont stay away too long, you might miss something!

Right, anyway back to it... Gavin and Shelley got married! yes they did!
It was a super hot day, super sunny and generally super all round. Neither Gavin or Shelley wanted getting ready shots, so we met them at the church. They got married in the tiny Carmarthenshire village and then we scooped them away for their couple shots at Paxtons Tower. Its one of our favourite spots and the history behind it is quite interesting. We love it. Its got a certain "Shrek" appeal and the views are quite stunning. Gavin and Shelley are both quite shy when it comes to the camera, but we think they did a grand job of being themselves and we loved the time we spent up on the hill with the cows and powerful sunshine. It was beautiful.
They held their reception at The Fig Tree. Shelley runs her own vintage crockery hire business and shop, so the wedding carried a vintage theme that ran through from her dress to the beautiful décor at the reception. It was so delicately and thoughtfully put together. We highly recommend Shelleys business "The Vintage Tea Party Company" for all your crockery hire needs.
The Fig Tree provided both the main wedding breakfast and evening hog roast and boy, did it taste good!
With dancing and celebrating late into the evening we loved being part of this special wedding celebration and want to thank Gavin and Shelley again for choosing us as their wedding photographers x

Va and Joy got married under an oak tree!

2011-09-08T15:12:00.008+01:00

These guys are just truly beautiful. No other words for it. We had not met Va and Joy before they stepped out of their car to meet their friends and family on their wedding day. They greeted us with such beaming smiles and excited emotion, we knew we were in for a special time.
Va and Joy had had a civil ceremony before making their way to Plas Glansevin for their wedding ceremony and reception. These guys got married under an oak tree. It was beautiful! The welsh rain held off and the ceremony was full of emotion and precious moments. Its so special what we as photographers get to witness and capture and this ceremony reminded us of just that. Two people declaring their love under an oak tree, making marriage vows and celebrating with their friends and family. What could be better!
Their special day was styled by Savoir Weddings. We found this out just the day before the wedding and were anticipating big things. We were far from disappointed. Jam jars of hand-picked flowers, ribbons and paper lanterns hanging in the tree, delicate colours and simple features that created such a gentle and warm atmosphere, both inside and outside.
Va and Joy were some of the most warm and enthusiastic people we have the pleasure to photograph, but what was even more obvious was the deep love they shared with each other. It just oozed from them!
We did not stay for the evening celebrations, but know that their evening included a beautifully prepared meal, dancing from a friend and some serious grooving into the small hours.
We want to thank you both for your encouragement, excitement and genuine warmth and loveliness on your wedding day. You made us feel at ease and we loved every second of your day. Happy happy marriage to you both Va and Joy x o&c

Tom and Sara - Australia and Wales United!

2011-08-29T17:08:00.004+01:00

We have not blogged for such a long time. Wedding season is in full swing. We have so many lovely weddings to share with you, so many! We are going to work our way through our summer weddings and today is the day we show you the wonderful wedding of Tom and Sara.
Tom and Sara are two of the most encouraging and supportive people we have ever met. They have made our job easy from the day we met them and by the time we actually arrived at their wedding day, we felt like we knew them. Funny thing is, they live in Australia, but through emails and a couple of meet ups (before their day) we felt like we were taking photos of friends.
Sara is originally from Wales and Tom from Australia. They decided to have a welsh wedding day. Two different countries united.
The whole of their day was a very relaxed and no fuss affair. Sara didn't wear a traditional dress and incorporated a love for vintage styles into her outfit, wearing a fabulous pill-box hat.
Throughout the day there were reminders of special relatives who were no longer with the family. We had to capture the stunning yellow wedding dress that her grandmother had worn to her wedding in 1936. Sara also wore a pearl necklace that she was given by her uncles mother. A very special memento of precious family members and also a perfect compliment to the vintage theme.
Their wedding service was a mixture of Welsh and English and sent total shivers down our spine when the congregation sang "Calon Lan" (traditional welsh hymn. If you've not heard it, you should. Seriously, this is one stunning piece of melodies and harmonies!) There is no doubt about it! The Welsh truly know how to sing!
The Welsh are also used to rain!As we left the church, the heavens opened. Unfortunately, some of our plans for couple shots didn't happen, but we took a trip back to Sara's parents farm and enjoyed sharing with them some time. They were relaxed and happy in the rain and their enthusiasm for their day was no means dampened.
Sara and Tom held their reception at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea. They again included relatives from their past, with a table of old photos. Wedding photos of their grandparents, mixed in with vintage cases.It was a lovely reminder of weddings been and gone.Their reception was held in one of the galleries surrounded by displays and information boards. With a splash of colourful poms-poms and lots of joyous wedding celebration the wedding continued long into the night. We even put our cameras down for a bit of a boogie! Well, sometimes you've just gotta! :D
Thank you Tom and Sara for welcoming us in to your celebration, for your generosity and encouragement throughout the time you have been our clients. Its been a total pleasure sharing in your day. x o&c

Emily and Stef - Wedding Part Two!

2011-07-20T21:06:00.006+01:00

So, these guys have now been married over one month. They have had numerous blog posts of their beautiful, unique wedding days ( yes, they had two special days!) and they have had their wedding captured in photos, word and in the memories of many friends and family who had the pleasure of attending their day. If you haven't seen the official photographs by Polly Alexandre you must! They are stunning and you can see them right here :D
We thought we would blog a selection of some of the other photos we captured on the special wedding day of Emily and Stef and also the naming ceremony of their gorgeous third child Max.
Through the clouds, the rain, the heavy skies, the sun shone through just at the right time, making their wedding ceremony and celebration a weekend to remember. With the help and support from so many talented friends and family, all the little details came together in a completely beautiful feast for the eyes.
Amazing praise has to go to the very super-talented Miss Pickering for her stunning array of floral beauties that filled the camp-site for the whole weekend. She is a genius with the flora! The beautiful handmade original dresses that Emily and her bridesmaids wore were so uniquely perfect. Mr Christian and Allison, we salute you! You are true whizzes on the sewing machine and have such a talented for design and detail. (You must check out their fabulous shop "The People Shop" in Birmingham)
We cant forget the very yummy "Vintage Scoops" who kept us all well fed and happy with their lovely ice-cream. Even when it was pouring down, we were still munching away. (Betty, you are a beautiful van).
There were so many other talented people at the wedding, that its almost impossible to "big-up" everyone,but there is no doubt that everyone made such a beautiful contribution to a lovely wedding weekend.
However, throughout the celebrations, there was one person, whose eyes were on the wedding in a unique and different way to everyone else. Emma aka The Wedding Reporter, was almost like an undercover agent. She celebrated, joined in, but observed the wedding in such a magical way. Her observations of the day were recorded into her trusty notebook, which have now been turned into the most beautiful prose and account of the wedding of Emily and Stef. If you have never had the chance to read her accounts of the day, you will find them here and believe me, they are accurate beyond belief, they tell the story of the day down to the most perfect detail and all with such a beauty and grace. There is no doubt in our minds that we would highly recommend Emma and her notebook and pen. A literary genius!
Thanks again to Emily and Stef for allowing us to share in their day. I know I'm not alone in saying it has brought constant joy to those who were there and also those who have had the pleasure of partaking in blog posts, written reports and on Twitter too.
We love you guys and if ever I'm feeling blue I put "Happy" on the I-pod, dance around like a loon and remember all the joy, colour, fun and laughter that made your day so fab! Cant wait to see you all soon for some more fun! x x o&c

ps- Look out for yet another super-duper report, with photos, from "Rock and Roll Bride" soon :D

Stef and Emily - South Bank Wedding Photoshoot

2011-07-06T14:00:00.000+01:00

Goodness, where to begin with this post! This has to be one of the most precious and personal we have done in a while. Lets have a go and all will be revealed! Emily and Stef are two very lovely people, with three of the most gorgeous children. Emily is a super talented photographer and Stef is a super talented entrepreneur. They planned a wedding and invited their family and friends to be a part of their celebration. Their celebration lasted over 4 days and included 2 wedding ceremonies and a naming ceremony for their newest edition.
The big thing about this blog for me is that Emily happens to be one of my longest standing friends. We have been great pals for over 23 years! (sheesh! we are old!) Emily and I grew up together in Birmingham, attending the same secondary school and 6th from college. We have grown up through loads of different things and have many precious memories, largely fuelled around Snoopy and Moseley.
Emily was also our wedding photographer (nearly 5 years ago!) and our wedding was her first ever wedding. Stef also joined us at our wedding and this was the first time we had had the pleasure of meeting him.
Along the way, over the past 5 years, we have met up with Emily and have supported her at weddings as well as modelling for her on a few occasions. There was one such "sh-modelling" day that ended with us capturing some images that would have dramatic affects and changes to Emily and Stefs relationship. We had the complete and utter pleasure of capturing images of Emily that she later used to propose to Stef (quick reminder here)
The next year or so has been based around planning their amazing wedding weekend.Emily and Stef very kindly asked Owen and myself and lovely friends Steve and Evelyne to capture "Part One" of their wedding celebration. We firstly attended their sweet civil ceremony and after some celebratory champagne and food we headed on down to South Bank for a photo shoot. These photos are as a result of "Wedding day #1".
Its quite exciting and emotional to have the chance to share these with you as we were with these guys for 5 days and really went through the final ups and downs of their wedding planning, but you know what, the whole 4 days celebration was so much fun and such a beautiful reflection of the love these guys have for one another and for their super-cute family.
The main wedding celebration was captured by the lovely Polly Alexandre and I know we are all waiting with much anticipation to see her work from the day. I have no doubt that her images are going to share the love, warmth, support and fun that we all had at the Quinton-Lewandowski wedding weekend!
We will add some more of our work from the big celebration in a few weeks, but for now, we really hope you enjoy these two gorgeous people.
Thank you so so much Emily and Stef for asking us to be a part of your day. You are such a creative pair with beautiful ideas and we feel totally honoured to call you friends. We love you 5 very much x x x o&c

PS - Must point out the truly beautiful dress Emily wore is by dress designer "Mr Christian" and his lovely wife Allison, from The People Shop (Birmingham). Now, if you think this is nice, you are in for such a treat when you see the stunning dress they made for Emily for her wedding day. Beautiful stuff and really gorgeous people to boot! x ;D

We went on a boat trip and look what we saw! {Personal}

2011-07-06T10:27:00.005+01:00

We went on a boat trip and saw so much amazing wildlife. Puffin, Gannet, Guillemot, Shag, Manx Shearwater, Kittywake, Seal, Porpoise and Dolphin.
What an amazing day! Its incredible what you can find on your doorstep. Pembrokeshire you are a treasure trove of beauty and excitement
Thank you so much to the wonderful Captain Tom and his hairy deck hand Owen! x x

Boat trip in Pembs. from Owen Warrell on Vimeo.

Emily & Stef {Wedding#1} - Sneak Peaks

2011-06-26T16:34:00.007+01:00

We will save the words for our full blog, as there will be many and much emotion! Here are two shots from the fabulous "Wedding#1" photoshoot of Emily Quinton and Stef Lewandowski down on South Bank. Many more to come with aspects from their three day celebration! Including one truly stunning dress made by super talented Christian and Allison of "The People Shop" x o&c

The wonderful wedding of Maurice and Olivia - South Africa & Wales unite!

2011-06-21T20:46:00.019+01:00

We always knew this wedding would be something great, but it exceeded our expectations.
Maurice and Olivia live in Pretoria, South Africa and had asked her parents to organise photographers for their wedding as they were to be married in Pembrokeshire, Wales. We had a chance to meet these guys six months before their wedding day, but the rest was done via email or phonecalls. We always knew we were in for a day of fun after meeting with them briefly and checking out the stunning church in Lawrenny and Upton Castle, where the reception was held.
The weather (which should have been poor, according to the weather reports!) was great! Sunshine when we needed it and then rained when we were all snug in the marquee! Phew - what a relief!
Olivia is a very proud "fashionista" and wore a stunning dress by designer Bruce Oldfield, which couldnt have looked more perfect on her.
Following Maurice's South African roots, there was a green and yellow theme running through the day, from ties, bridesmaids dresses and table decor. There were also songs sang in English and Afrikaans and a prayer read in Welsh too. There was such a sense of family from these guys and we were so privileged to be welcomed in and enjoyed all of the celebrations. Seriously now, South Africans have to be some of the warmest people about! These guys certainly are! Im not lying to you, lekker bru!
As you will see from these photos there was such happiness and celebration and some seriously cool dancing from all ages at the evening reception. Some of these more mature members of the wedding party certainly knew how to move and groove!
Thanks so much to Jane, Tim & Russell for all your communication via email and phone calls and to Maurice, Olivia and your lovely families for making our job such fun and so easy. A huge congratulations to you both x o&c

We found this stunning boatbuilders door in Lawrenny - there was just something about it we couldn't resist.

Then on to the beautiful grounds of Upton Castle, which brags amongst other things a rose garden, herbaceous borders, Victorian walled garden and Medieval Chapel. Upton Castle dont do many weddings, but we truly hope we have the opportunity to work with them again. Its beautiful!

These speeches seriously made us well up. Truly real people with lots of love for each other.

The dancing had to be some of the best we have had the pleasure to photograph. A jazz band to start the grooving, then later a DJ providing a mixture of tunes. It was one of those evenings of celebration that made every foot in the place tap along. Brilliant fun!

Thanks again to Maurice and Olivia. We loved your day and hope these photos capture some of the joy and love that were so obvious throughout your celebration x o&c

Damian and Kate are 1 !!! An anniversary beach shoot, with lots of fun and love!

2011-06-08T15:28:00.013+01:00

An anniversary shoot, with sand dunes, windmills, mock wedding and two of the most amazing people ever? You want to know more?
So last year on 22nd May we had the total privilege of capturing the wedding of Damian and Kate Herbert. Have a look here for a reminder of their gorgeously hot wedding.
It was privilege in itself to capture their wedding, but we are now developed a fab friendship, with this gorgeous pair. We hang out in Birmingham and Pembrokeshire, we have braai's and drink ginger wine and mojitos! Sounds pretty good hey!
When we last spent some time with them in Birmingham we had a chat about their first anniversary and decided it was in keeping with a trip to Wales that we all popped on down to the beach and did an anniversary shoot. So we did and here are the photos.
Also make sure you make your way down to the bottom for a little video too, done using the power of an iphone and the 8mm vintage camera app (first time, so still working out what settings are best to use, but these guys are so pro, they make anything look good!)
On a personal note, we want to thank you, Da and Kate for being truly amazing friends. For blessing us with your friendship, for the treats on our bed when we come to stay, for the chill-out times at Croesgoch, for the humourous moments with the "A Gustaf Appliance??!", for crazy board games, for your amazing music Da, for trips to Narbeth Kate!, for the ginger wine and mojitos and for being people we really love and trust You are true blessings from God. We love you guys FACT! x x o&c

Kate and Damian are 1! from Owen Warrell on Vimeo.

PS- Hope you like the video and choice of song guys... first dance from Da and Kates wedding. Precious memories with precious people x x

Life is beautiful - an observation of life {Instagram}

2011-06-01T14:42:00.009+01:00

Girl photographer + iphone + instagram = observation of life.
Life is Beautiful!
Hope you enjoy these shots. Just some captures of the beauty that I have had the pleasure of seeing and experiencing in the past few weeks. Hope you guys all have a super weekend, with plenty of sun and opportunities for making precious memories and taking in lifes beauty x Charis

Brollies, wellies, cupcakes, fancy specs and umpteen giggles!! - A family photoshoot

2011-05-23T09:50:00.009+01:00

This weekend we didnt have a wedding to shoot, so we invited some friends over to play. We didnt quite know how the weather would treat us. We luckily had a let up in the rain, so while Owen and Tim rocked it out on guitars, having a jam and music practice, I took these three lovely ladies outside for some fun! Pilar was also shooting with me as she was trying to decide whether she liked a 24-70mm lens we had for sale. By the end of the shoot, lets just say, it is no longer ours! (success!)
Sofi and Feli are two of the cutest most lovely sisters. They are loving and supportive, they are fun and crazy! You cant beat that!
Hope these photos make you chuckle, because Ive been giggling throughout preparing this blog. Hope you all have a great week, with plenty of reasons to smile and plenty of reasons to pull crazy faces, do funny dances and give big cuddles! x o&c

Sneak Peak - The wonderful wedding of Maurice and Olivia!

2011-05-18T10:53:00.005+01:00

We have been wanting to share these photos with you from the moment they worked their way onto our cameras. A "sneak peak" from a truly amazing Pembrokeshire wedding this weekend. You will have to wait for the rest, while Maurice and Olivia take their well-deserved honeymoon. Thanks so much for allowing us to share in your day. We LOVED it! x o&c

Please pop back over for a full post in a few weeks :D

John and Lynn got married! - Eynsham Hall Wedding

2011-05-03T13:32:00.007+01:00

Oh man! Where to begin with this wedding. Such a great day for so many reasons. Little history and geography lesson might help to set the scene. Before moving to Pembrokeshire we lived in Oxford, where were doing photography alongside other jobs. I (Charis) was a teacher. I worked with Lynn (the bride) and she drove me to work for years. Every morning we would chat, catch up and giggle. I heard about the lovely John (the groom) on our journeys into work, all very lovely stuff "He is a bit younger than me. He is from Pembrokeshire (how cool is that! both of our men, from Pembrokeshire!) The cats like him!" That sort of thing!
When we moved to Pembrokeshire we had little visits from John and Lynn as they have relatives who live really close to us. We then had the phonecall... "We've just got engaged and would really like you do our photos!". Well, as they say, the rest is history. Of course, we said yes and here are the results from a truly fabulous day.
On April 2nd at the stunning Eynsham Hall, John married Lynn (whoop-whoop!) It was the most beautiful day. The sun shone, the ceremony was precious and very intimate. The reception was fun, with games and fancy dress and the whole day was brought to an end with the most amazing firework display.
There were so many aspects of Eynsham Hall that really leant themselves to photographs. A place of real contrast. An old Grade II listed manor house, with all the stunning features that such a house offers, but with some truly eye catching modern design mixed into the décor. We loved it. Thank you John and Lyn for allowing us to share in your special day. Thanks for the fun and giggles and for the many lifts to work Lynn. They will always be appreciated! Here's to many years of wonderful married happiness and to our Pembrokeshire boys! ;D x x o&c

.static.flickr.com/5109/5683592638_3d996e4312_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" />

A right "Royal Wedding" party!

2011-04-27T11:23:00.007+01:00

A wedding? A wedding this week? Seriously?
A party? A party with cake? Seriously? why not!

With all the excitement of the Royal Wedding we thought it only right to join in the fun too, so we invited two of our very special friends to our house for a little bit of a Royal Wedding tea party. Cakes, bunting, union jacks, moustaches, banners and even some fancy hats!
We dont really think this needs much explaining... where there are little people, there is fun - FACT! Where there are cakes and decorations, there is a party - FACT! Where there are photographers, there are photos- FACT!
Hope you enjoy seeing what we got up to. Make sure you also make your way down to the bottom of this blog for a truly lovely video of some more shenanigans!
What ever and however you choose to join in the celebrations of the Royal Wedding, we hope you have loads of fun! Congrats Will and Kate! - Marriage is pretty fabulous! x o&c

o&c Royal wedding party photoshoot from Owen Warrell on Vimeo.

Sneaky Peek - Lynn and John got married!

2011-04-12T08:39:00.006+01:00

Two little sneaky peeks from our Eynsham Hall wedding from April 2nd 2011. More to come once we have shown the lovely bride and groom their images :D x

Family Life - Maternity and Mothers Day shoot

2011-04-08T09:14:00.006+01:00

The gift of new life is so amazing. We are blessed with so many lovely little friends and big friends who always make our life fun.
When Lucy asked us to capture her "baby bump" we were both honoured and surprised, as Lucy isnt a big fan of having her photo taken. There is no reason for her to worry, she is proper gorgeous!
Lucy and Oliver are the proud parents of four truly scrumptious little people. Their youngest (aka baby bump) is now nearly 4 weeks old. Named after Peppa Pigs little brother (name chosen by his 2 and a half year old big brother!) "George" is totally amazing and a real cutie. Check out his smile - or is it wind?
When asked by their eldest daughter to take some photos of them for "Mothers Day", of course we couldn't resist. Well, to be honest we didn't have much say. She is quite a persistent seven year old! We were very keen on capturing the children as they are. They have such individual and quirky characters, we hope the photos tell you something about these fabulous four.
We really love the fur coat look and floppy hat and also so glad we captured the giggles after the momentary "windy-pops!"(tee hee!) Also, we must thank Lucy and Oliver for always being so lovely and for allowing us to be a part of their life. Your children rock and make us giggle all the time! Thank you big friends and little friends x x o&c

(baby bump- before and after!)Welcome to the world little man, you are truly gorgeous George x

West Wales Wedding Fayre - March 2011

2011-03-28T13:07:00.007+01:00

In the past few weeks we have exhibited at two wedding fayres in Pembrokeshire (The Pembrokeshire Wedding Fayre and The West Wales Wedding Fayre). We went all out this year with a wallpapered stand, including a gorgeous green wing-back chair and read leather chair - we wanted to create a "living room" theme. Think our ideas successfully paid off and it all came together with a quirky, contemporary and definitely different result. We have been really pleased, if not a bit tired after hanging and stapling wallpaper (definitely "what no to do" at home!)

We had the pleasure of sharing our day with a large variety of talent from the wedding industry, including other photographers, florists, boutiques, cake makers and other wedding professionals.
In particular were a couple of people who we will have the pleasure to work with in the coming months. Shelley at "The Vintage Tea Party.co" rents out and sells some of the most gorgeous vintage crockery and vintage/shabby chic accessories, which when brought together create a real feast for the eyes. She opened her own shop just last week, selling and renting out some fabulous vintage and vintage inspired pieces. We love what she has to offer and we are also truly excited that we will be photographing her wedding this year (vintage style - of course!) and another wedding where "The Vintage Tea Party.co" is providing the décor.

Amongst some of the other exhibitors were "Cutters and Cakes" - highly recommend these guys for eye-catching cakes and other baked goods for weddings,parties and other celebrations. Also had the pleasure of meeting "Truly, Madly, Deeply" wedding and events planners, who too offer a great service, taking into account all that you wish an long for, for your day.

One of the hi-lights of the wedding fayre for many of the brides to be (and their mothers!) were the catwalk shows throughout the day. Amongst the boutique owners showing their collections were the very classy and truly stunning dresses from "White Bride". We are huge fans of "White Bride" a truly high class wedding boutique from Narbeth. They host clothes and accesories from designers such as Sassi Holford, Mia-Mia, Stephanie Allin, Charlotte Balbier, Jenny Packham and Kate Sherford. Their catwalk show pieces were exceptionally beautiful and stole the show for us.

We shared exhibitors space with "White Bride" and were so chuffed how our work complemented each other. We have many weddings this year with dresses from "White Bride", so be prepared and make sure you come back to see some stunning brides in some more of their sumptuous dresses and accessories.

Finally, we thought we would share with you some aspects of our stand. Please take time to appreciate the wallpaper! ;D
We were so chuffed to be able to show our new Folio album and this was also the first time we displayed our new Queensbury sample pack (as we are now Queensbury suppliers!)
We had such positive feedback about our work and look forward to meeting and working with many more brides and grooms that have seen our work recently and also being able to share with you some of the stunning weddings that 2011 has in store for us! (its an exciting summer, for sure!)

If you like what you have seen, then please drop us a line and let us know how we can help you with your photography and planning your perfect wedding x o&c

Farm, field and honey icecream - Gary and Rachel eshoot

2011-03-22T14:23:00.007Z

When we received an email from Rachel and Gary enquiring about wedding photography I (Charis) was pretty excited. The reason being is they are to be married near New Quay (the proper lovely one!) a beautiful seaside harbour in Ceredigion. The reason this is so exciting for me is it reminds me of many fabulous childhood visits and where many of my family come from. Once they agreed that we were the photographers for them (yippee!) we planned an engagement shoot.
Rachels family have a farm in Ceredigion so we started off our shoot on the farm, wellies on and pleasantly squelching through mud and fields of sheep.
After a quick cuppa, we then headed on down to Aberaeron. Again a personal favourite for me, as this is where my family used to do big family get-togethers. It is one of the most beautiful seaside villages. Totally in keeping with stunning welsh villages it has the gorgeous painted houses, all in different colours. Aberaeron also has one of the coolest ice-cream, shops around. The Hive sells the yummiest honey ice-cream. Well worth a visit- highly recommended! We of course had to take a trip there and finished off a truly lovely day with ice-cream and a stroll along the harbour wall.
We are very much looking forward Gary and Rachels wedding in August, starting off in a welsh chapel and then heading on to a field for their reception, overlooking New Quay. As we say in these parts "bendigedig!" (wonderful!) x x o&c

A perfect little family! - Wedding of Rachel and Lee - Pembrokeshire

2011-03-14T11:29:00.010Z

You always hope and pray that a wedding in winter will be dry, will be light and warm enough!. Our first 2011 wedding was all of these. Rachel and Lee got married in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire and had their reception at the Allt-yr-Afon on January 29th. It was as local as it possibly can be for us, literally five minutes from our house. Perfect!
Rachel wore a dress by MiaMia, with a stunning lace shrug by Sassi Holford. Her feathers were Sasso, with shoes by Rachel Simpson and headdress by Jenny Packham. A truly designer outfit - All thanks to the lovely Sally and Ali at "White Bride" in Narbeth (a truly stunning boutique with some of the most beautiful designer dresses and wedding accessories. We are looking forward hugely to capturing more "White Bride" brides this year!)
It was such a stunning outfit to photograph. The feathers added such a great texture and really suited Rachel (to be honest, Ive not seen many brides who carry this look off so well!) Lee too looked very dapper in his top hat and tails and fabulous cane, as did his ushers.
Rachel and Lee have the most wonderful little family. Ffion, their daughter is the cutest little lady and she truly stole the show for us! We love the photos of Ffion with her parents. You can really feel the joy, love and pleasure they have from being a family. Congratulations to Rachel and Lee, whose family will be ever increasing sometime in the next few months! :D
Anyway, rather than rattling on, have a look and please leave us a comment. We love to know what you think and we know how much brides and grooms love feeling the love too!
Thanks so much for letting us be part of your day! x x o&c

Life is Wonderful!

2011-03-13T17:32:00.005Z

"Life is full of beauty. Notice it..."
I could leave it there, because you cant argue with that. I've spent the last few days longing for a chance to get outside with my camera (and new gem of a lens!) Finally did this morning and it was perfect. We have a beautiful blossom tree that has sprung into life in the past fews days. It lives just outside our bedroom window and its the first thing I see in the morning. I love it! Its a tree that tells different stories in the different seasons. Sometimes its a home for birds, sometimes a home for bees, sometimes a home for blossom and on occasion, a home for snow and wind.

With the awfully sad scenes we have seen on our TV in the past few weeks, with Libya at war and the devastation of the Japanese earthquake/tsunami, you cant help but think about how blessed we are with our lives here. When war and devastation are projected into our lives, there is nothing quite like the beauty and frailty of life that can be found in the beauty of nature. Something so simple and delicate bringing such delight and joy and bringing freshness and renewal.

As the lyrics of the Jason Mraz track "Life is Wonderful"...

" La, la, la ... life is wonderful,
La, la, la ... life goes full circle,
La, la, la ... is meaningful"

I dont ever want to take life for granted. I want to open my eyes more to the things around me, to the joys of detail and the beauty everyday living.
Im grateful for the life I have, but am going to challenge myself to "Notice it".
What makes your heart sing? What are you grateful for? What little things do you so often take for granted?
x x o&c

Vintage, Retro, Design - SPACE of Harrogate

2011-02-27T13:10:00.004Z

Last week we had a trip to see a venue visit "up North". After a horrifically long journey (much longer than should have been!) we parked up in the stunning town of Harrogate. We had never been here before and didn't really have clue about it as a place. We just knew it was close enough to our venue visit and we had found a very nice hotel to lay our weary heads. After a little evening stroll and gorgeous meal, we decided that we would have a peruse in the morning.
With beautiful park and spa town history it was great learning a little bit about the town. We then came across a shop front that look pretty cool, so wondered in "just for fun". Well, this shop totally blew us away. Although we dont class ourselves as solely vintage photographers we truly love the retro/vintage styles, so this was right up our street.
SPACE is a "wonderland of mens and womens quality vintage clothing and accessories, retro home ware, 20th century design furnishing and much, much more" - so true!
There really is so much to be found in this shop. After a lovely chat with two of the shop owners we ended up capturing these photos. Yes, there are a fair few, but really this was needed...there is so much to see in this place!
Anyway, for all you vintage lovers, you retro throw backs and you 20th century people, here is just some of what can be found in SPACE of Harrogate. Happy window shopping!

After perusing through all the gorgeous treasures in this shop it was only right that one of us bought something - Here is my new treasure, something Im sure will be worn at many a wedding and on a general and regular basis. Thanks O for the early birthday pressie!

If you like what you have seen then SPACE might be the shop for you! Heres to vintage/retro design.... some things will always remain truly classy! x o&c

Photos, fun and furballs! - Shootswap with Rosie and Lee Parsons

2011-02-18T07:00:00.001Z

We love having friends to come and stay. Its always great going out on country, coastal walks and showing them just some of the stunning scenery Pembrokeshire has to offer. Although, its nice to keep some of it a secret! We have had the privilege of being friends with Rosie and Lee Parsons for about 4 years, since living in Oxford. We now have the pleasure of calling Rosie Parsons one of our photography colleagues too!
Rosie was off on a venue visit, so we planned a Pembrokeshire visit too.
We headed out for a coastal stroll, with cameras in tow, but this was still quite an impromptu shoot-swap. Nothing was officially planned, it really was just friends hanging out!
Rosie and Lee also have two of the cutest little kitty-cats on the planet. Simba and Slipper are house cats. They came along for the journey and hung out at our house. Of course, we couldn't leave the cats out either, so be prepared for some uber-cuteness of the fur ball variety later on in our blog!
We have also included some of the truly lovely photos that Rosie took of us. We love them. Its always such a treat having our photos taken and especially in our natural habitat of Pembrokeshire. To see more photos from Rosie head on over to see her blog feature from our coastal adventure. Thank you Rosie, Lee, Simba and Slipper... Was great to see you all. Looking forward to more visits. Next time the beach will have to feature! x o&c

Here they are... those balls of scrumptious fur!

Told you they were cute! :D

Here are a few of our favourite shots from Rosie. We truly love them. Thank you so much lovely! (seriously hoping we can get some of these printed!)

Hope you have enjoyed these photos as much as we have enjoyed sharing them x o&c

The people that make our job worthwhile! - Part 2

2011-01-28T14:26:00.007Z

As we said in part one of this post, its the wonderful couples that make our day such fun. Each one of you has made us smile, made us well up and made us feel privileged beyond measure to have the honour of sharing in their day and being able to capture it.
Here are some more of our 2010 weddings... believe me, we still look back at these with huge smiles across our faces!

Sid and Hannah - Leomington Spa Wedding. Quirky moustaches, Chaps, groove-some moves, hugest church we have ever worked in, pure hilarity and fun from start to finish! x We love you Mr and Mr Lionel Fairly! x x

Sam and Katy - Chester Wedding. Red shoes, spotty brolly, the most ushers (so far!) lots of rain, but many more smiles, plasticine modelling and stars galore! x Thank you so much for letting us join in your fun! x x

Tim and Ceri - Cardiff Wedding. Open air, amazing venue, blessed service, VW van, quirky socks, huge cookie,best best-mans speech! x Thank you guys you rock! x x

Nick and Ruth - Oxfordshire wedding. Stunning detail, immaculate planning, cornfields, butterflies, flowers and hearts x Thank you lovely people. You are such a great team and we were so honoured to share in your day x x

Paul and Sarah - London wedding. Uber-cool, National Theatre, concrete cool, stylish yet relaxed, London bus, garden party, cheese "cake!" x Thank you for allowing to share in your special day. It truly was fabulous x x

Every one different, every one personal and every one a pleasure to share in.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making 2010 such a great year! x x o&c

If you like these 2010 blogs and have enjoyed sharing in our work please have feel free to contact us here at www.oacphotography.com

The people that make our job worthwhile! - Part 1

2011-01-28T13:54:00.006Z

There are not enough words to truly describe the awesomeness that we have seen and come to know in all of the lovely couples we have the pleasure of working with in 2010. Each couple truly unique, with their own styles, ideas, quirkiness and their own special love for each other. We have the best job of trying to capture all of that and more. We are so so thankful and grateful to all of our beautiful brides and handsome grooms who have let us share with them this part of their journey.
Here are just some of those moments that have made our hearts leap with excitement and have continued to make us so passionate for the people we have worked with.

Gorgeous Sam and Katie - Pembrokeshire wedding. Beach, balloons, dreadlocks, daffodils, green and yellow and plenty of amazing smiles! Thank you x x o&c

James and Rachel (Jim and Wigs) - Oxfordshire wedding. Truly stunning and classy. Fur, pink shoes, pearls and precious friends x Thank you. We love you very much! x x o&c

Matt and Rachel - Carmarthenshire wedding. Vintage themed glory, bunting, Edwardian dress, hydrangeas, Irregular Choice shoes, old fashioned sweet shop x Thank you x x o&c

Damian and Kate - Birmingham wedding. Uber-cool, guitars, glasses, Ben Folds, bunkers, VW camper x Thank you guys - you have become dear friends! x x o&c

Thank you lovely people for making our job so much fun. Your creativity, your style, your individualism and your pure wonderfulness makes us smile, makes are job so much fun and makes the beauty of love such a visual and tangible thing!
More 2010 weddings again soon... :D x x

A jaunty moustauche and quirky specs...

2011-01-26T20:27:00.003Z

Prop...? an object used during a theatrical performance.
In the case of wedding photography, this pretty much applies also. Are there any quirky, crazy, slightly goofy things that you have that would add to your day? That would help you relax? That you would just use to help make a photo particularly funny and enjoyable?

Moustache on a stick? crazy specs? We love having the chance to play with fun things too. We have a great collection of things we have gathered together over a few years that people now request at weddings. It might be you see something we have used or something that you have seen that you would love to use and add into your photos, something that is very YOU. A guitar? A book?
Maybe Scrabble is a particular favourite of yours like Sam and Katy, maybe your a "chap" like Sid or the beach is the only place you really love to be like Katie and Sam. Incorporating props into a shoot can set you apart from others and create memories that bring a real grin to your face.
Just a thought, but something we enjoy and thought maybe you would too! x

Its the little things...

2011-01-26T20:07:00.005Z

They say that "Beauty is in the detail" and I think they would be right!
Its often the little things that set weddings apart. A beautiful line of bunting, a table plan made from drift wood, individual jars of sweets and personalised messages.

We are totally blown away by the amount of time and energy that goes into the detail at the weddings we see and have the pleasure of being part of. Each wedding is different because of the couple who are getting married, but along with them they bring their own style, their own ideas and personalities.
Whats your style? What makes you YOU? Do you have a favourite "something" that sets you apart from your friends?
All of these questions can be answered in the way you "do" your wedding décor. Its one of the only chances in your life where you can throw a party that really is all about YOU and the union of you and your partner and all those special things that make your love so special and right.
Dont be shy! Explore and create and get excited about the little things too. That's ok you know!

Individualism can start from the beginning of your planning and can be carried through to the end. Do you have a theme? A special moment? something that can be picked up and carried through into the detail at your wedding?
There are many crafting sites and other websites that provide solely for the little things at weddings. Once your big plans are made... venue = booked, church = booked, photographers(!) = booked, dress = booked ... get on and enjoy making, creating and bringing to life something of who you are in your wedding detail.

Most modern photographers LOVE to capture details at a wedding. They tell the story, they bring together the whole atmosphere and also add something of the day when added amongst photos of you both, your friends and family amidst the celebrations!
Happy dreaming, happy creating and happy making! x

Caling all the boys!

2011-01-26T17:05:00.004Z

So boys, you think a wedding is all about the ladies looking beautiful and you can put on a suit and hey presto! Well, sometimes its pretty much that! But, you have the chance to look super daper too. A well fitting suit, classy footwear and the chance to show us who you really are too. Paul from our "Concrete Cool" wedding did just this. It was truly refreshing to see a groom who had made an effort and styled his outfit in a personal way. We loved his pocket watch and 3 piece suit. It really made a big impression.

Choosing grooms men seems to be a huge task. possibly more complicated than choosing bridesmaids. If you're part of a big groups of friends do you go for all of the lads? If you don't who do you choose? Do you go for family members? Who do you make your best man? More than one?
Its not uncommon these days to have more than one best man. Choosing friends from different walks of life is quite common. Mates who have lived with you in different situations and bring something different to the speeches and the general merriment of the day.
One thing, as photographers that we recommend (and this is from experience of seeing how weddings come together and work on the day)is that once you have chosen your "boys" that you make sure they know their roles for the day and that they all know who is responsible for what! Most men take their roles seriously and will truly flourish in their support throughout the day. We have had the true pleasure and privilege of working with some truly awesome grooms men who have made our job easy and fun and have really helped in making their mates wedding the best day it could possibly be. Of course, there is often some liquid refreshment and cigars involved! Happy planning boys! :D

Ladies, all the ladies!

2011-01-26T16:35:00.005Z

Choosing your bridesmaids? Is this something you have thought about for a while? Have you made promises to people, years and years ago, that if you get married then they WILL be your bridesmaids? Im sure we all do it, but when it comes to actually choosing your special ladies things can be very different.
Im so happy with the four stunning friends I had for my wedding. Each friend I chose was special to me for very different reasons and they looked beautiful on the day. I was so proud to be surrounded by these special friends (Thank you Ceri, Eva, Lou and Jo - x x)
When choosing bridesmaids its so important to know that these people will be there with you and support you through your big day. Having people who can handle your emotion, your stressing and also can share in the joys of the past with the excitement of the future.

Bridesmaids are there as your team of female support and traditionally they are dressed in clothes to compliment and flatter the bride and the wedding party ensemble, fitting in with the colour scheme and feel of the day.
With us ladies coming in all shapes and sizes its not always possible to find one style that will fit all, but with options of different cuts and fabrics it doesnt have to be one dress for all any more.
Some of the nicest weddings we have seen have been where there is a similar style or colour theme in all of the dresses, even though they are all different. High Street shops are jam-packed full of beautiful frocks now that are kind on the pocket as well as being totally stylish and appropriate for any wedding. Colours and fabrics can add to a wedding, they can bring a different twist and can add a touch of class without breaking the bank.
Having friends who love you, friends who support you and friends who truly want to see you happy on your wedding day is what makes a brides and her bridesmaids so very stunning. We have the evidence to prove it x x