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Today I chat to Brides Up North Featured Supplier Sharon of North West wedding photographers G&S Photography about the passion, professionalism and personal touch that this husband and wife team put into every stunning wedding that they shoot.
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How did you get into wedding photography?
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Geoff has been a photographer for many years covering mainly editorial and sports photography, and was well known for his work. He was the Ring Magazine sole UK photographer and has been commissioned for many projects including EA Sports, and editorial biography for Enzo Calzaghe father and trainer to Joe Calzaghe. He gradually moved into doing weddings more as he just kept getting asked to do them! I joined him initially to be an assistant and became a second photographer and we then made a conscious decision to become more focused on wedding & portrait photography as we felt a real buzz from working with people. We so enjoyed the personal friendships we developed with our clients and felt honoured to be invited to be part of their day. Each wedding is a new adventure and we still have the very same excitement each time! Geoff is a member of the SWPP, and is an Associate member of the Zone Photographic Society.
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Why wedding photography specifically?
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What’s not to like? We get to share one of the most memorable days of people’s lives, and feel so lucky to have the chance to be a part of it! We experience love, laughter and tears all in one day… and many are unexpected!
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What is your favourite thing about being a wedding photographer?
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Magical moments, and being part of our couples’ history. Even after shooting hundreds of weddings things still surprise us! You can never always anticipate all of the emotions shared by couples and their families, and we still find ourselves shedding a tear behind the camera! Laughter is a big part of what we aim to capture: so many of our couples say there are so many smiley faces it was a wonderful day full of joy.
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How do you get couples to relax on the day?
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We meet all our couples several times before the wedding and always undertake a pre-wedding engagement or love shoot, its a wonderful way to get to know each other and our couples then have a good idea about the way we will work with them on their big day. We like to fit in with their day and will plan with them the times we will do special pictures and group shots, so there is no stress and no worries – that’s our job! We work quietly and professionally with the teams at their chosen ceremony location and venue so it all runs smoothly. By the big day our couples are relaxed in our company and the images from the day reflect that..
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Any advice to any brides who don’t like to have their picture taken?
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For brides who are a little camera shy, firstly meet your photographer and always have a pre-wedding shoot as this is a great way to break down anxieties. We supply a full range of images to our couples to view, and with a free print for them to keep. We aim to show our brides how beautiful they are and that having your photo taken professionally will make all of the difference to how you feel about the way you look in photographs..
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What sort of make-up should a bride wear to look great in her pictures?
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It is really up to the bride about how much she wears, but even if you are not a fan of make-up we would recommend a professional make-up artist to do your makeup. Lots of brides have a trial make-up session before the wedding to ensure that they are happy with the look they want. When done well make-up will look very natural and enhance your features for your photos, giving subtle soft skin tones which will help us provide the beautiful bridal images that all brides want for their day.
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Anything to avoid which might look bad in the wedding pictures?
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With photographs often you do not see what is staring you in the face until you see the picture. We all do it, and we especially look for this when taking pictures. Things to avoid would be not too much fake tan, as it can look very strong against a bridal gown, or against a paler partner. Try to get it done a few days before so it looks natural for your big day. Make sure you try it out too beforehand to be sure you like it, you could try it for your engagement shoot to see how it looks.
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Think about where you are getting ready, is home suitable for space and surroundings or might you be better in a hotel, and if in a hotel is the room big enough for you all to get ready?
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Which celebrity wedding would you most like to photograph and why?
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Prince Harry’s wedding would be wonderful to capture as he has a cheeky happy go lucky disposition! He enjoys life to the full and is always laughing and smiling. This would just be so wonderful to be part of, as his charisma shines through! I’m sure there would be a few surprises when his Grandmother had retired for the day!
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Any really memorable weddings that you have captured?
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We had the pleasure of shooting a wedding earlier this year for a wonderful and unassuming couple very much in love, Matthew & Ashleen. They were married in February this year at Vale Royal Abbey, Whitegate, Cheshire,
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We had met them the year before and from the moment they booked with us we knew it would be a very subtle and special day. We met up with Matt & Ashleen a couple of months before the wedding to shoot their engagement shoot at their venue, it was a very cold and frosty January day with beautiful late afternoon sunshine.
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Sadly a few days after this meeting Matthew was struck down with a terrible virus, which left him fighting for his life. Thankfully he pulled through but was left with nerve damage and was unable to walk. We spoke with the couple several times and agreed that the day was to go ahead despite his ill health and that we would endeavour to do as much as had been planned.
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On the morning of the wedding we arrived at the bride’s parents home to capture all of the family and bride getting ready: it was filled with lots of emotions and not a dry eye in the house! We left a stunning bride as we rushed to the venue to meet Matthew before Ashleen’s arrival, and were stunned to see that Matthew could stand for short period and he was determined to stand for his bride’s entrance. Matthew drew on all of his strength that day and stood waiting as his bride walked down the aisle to meet her man.
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These moments were so moving and were felt by all there that day. We went on the take a very rapid selection of wonderful group pictures for their family and also were able to capture a few moments with the bride & groom. This was really a special day as it brought home the very meaningful vows taken "in sickness and in health" as we never know what fate has in store for us. Matthew continues to make progress, and we are currently working with the couple on their stunning Graphi Studio Wedding Album.
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Are you married? Tell us about your day.
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We married some 25 years ago this September, it will be our Silver Wedding Anniversary this year! We married when we had very little money and had a simple registry office ceremony, which was perfect for us. Today things are done very differently and even on a budget weddings are fantastic celebrations of life and love. We had no official photographs, just a few the family took, which still makes us laugh and are very special to us! I suppose that’s why we feel it is important to have pictures taken on your day… even if you are on a budget.
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Any funny stories to share?
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We have many stories of love, laughter, tears and surprises (some which we can’t tell!) but there are times when things happen and do make you laugh when you look back, even if it wasn’t funny at the time! Like the time we had to chase the groom out of the pub opposite the church as the bride was arriving! Very stressful for us! He wasn’t stressed at all. Or having to push to bride’s car into the venue so she make grand entrance as if it the car was running! All of these things are what make weddings so exciting and special.
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What sets you apart from other wedding photographers?
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We are parents fortunate to have three wonderful children, and this we think gives us a wonderful insight into how and why weddings mean so much to not just the couples who choose us but their families too.
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As there are two of us, we also understand what both a bride and groom want and how they want to be seen. A bride will have dreamt about being a princess for the day but grooms often have a different perspective: some are very traditional and like things to be kept that way whilst others are more relaxed and just want their beautiful bride to have the day she dreamed of.
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It’s important to listen, as all of our couples are different and their day unique to them. Speed and anticipation are key too: you have to know how to read people and be ready to get those special moments. We like to use prime quality lenses and cameras which deliver a quality image under all conditions.
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What can a couple who book you expect on the day?
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Good time keeping, professionalism, quality equipment and knowing how to use it well! Friendly banter, with a happy disposition, where nothing is too much trouble and a safe pair of hands!
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Remember – we have to get the pictures on the day, there is no re-run! If the weather is dreadful we are able to cope with the most demanding of conditions: snow, ice, heat, rain or thunderstorms!
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What is included in your "package"?
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We offer a variety of options for our clients, depending on their own personal requirements, and will tailor a quote to them, but we do include a CD of all the best images with printing rights from your day to all of our couples as standard. We also include a FREE engagement shoot and FREE print to all couples, along with a selection of images for web use to share with family and friends before the big day. We also offer the stunning Graphi Studio range of wedding albums, which are all handmade to order in Italy and individually designed for each couple. We only ever shoot one wedding per day making your day our priority. We offer a DVD slideshow of your favourite images set to music, we can include framed prints, canvas or parents albums all tailored to your requirements.
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Can you give us an idea on price?
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Our prices start from £650, please contact us for a quote.
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Can you do a discount for Brides Up North readers?
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We will be happy to offer any Brides up North readers a discount of up to 10% off selected wedding album options. Please mention Brides Up North when booking.
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How can Brides Up North get in touch with you/ see more examples of your work?
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You can visit our website at www.gandsphotography.co.uk. Our Facebook page gets updated the most and its where we always post the first pictures from a wedding plus anything else we are up to.
Our contact details are on our Facebook page and website.
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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2012 G&S Photography
G&S Photography is a Brides Up North Featured Supplier and this is a sponsored post
Contact Brides Up North to submit your business as a Featured Supplier
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