This afternoon we’re thrilled to be introducing another talented wedding photography company to our list of fabulous list of Sponsors – say hello to Sier Photography.
Set up by Sheffield-based husband and wife team Matthew and Deborah, Sier Photography offers the services of two skilful photographers with more than a decade’s experience of shooting weddings.
Capturing the day as it unfolds, the dynamic duo aim to blend into the background, framing beautiful moments as they happen while also working to a couple’s brief to ensure they achieve exactly what the bride and groom want for their big day images.
For those of you that like what you see, Sier Photography is offering a free pre-wedding photoshoot to our readers who book them for their wedding, simply quote “Brides Up North”. Just be sure to hurry though as these guys are in demand!
To explain a little more about their wedding day image style and approach we’ll hand over the blog to the main man himself, Matthew.
Tell us a little about your background…
matthew says:
We have been photographing weddings for a little over ten years. Our first was as a favour to a colleague of Deborah’s who wanted a few images of her day. As well as being our first, it is also our smallest to date with a total of eight guests, including us!What attracted you to wedding photography specifically?
We love weddings and being there to capture the emotions of the day for everyone involved gives you such a buzz. It was the thought of helping create memories for our clients that appealed to us.
And what is it about your job that you love?
I think we both like the happiness of the day, seeing people at their best and most lively. It is a wonderful privilege to be part of one of the biggest days in a couples lives (up to then at least) and so nice to be able to capture it for them.
How would you describe your style of wedding photography and what makes you stand out from others?
Our style of wedding photography is to be as hands-off as possible. We love to capture the day as it unfolds around us, using the features of the venue and lighting to give our clients the best images possible. We try to work in a relaxed and informal way, to blend in with guests. This doesn’t mean that we won’t take any formal shots or grouped posed photographs though. We always say it is your day, your way and we are there to work for you.
What do your clients love about your approach, service and images?
The feedback from our clients has always been highly positive and they are always really surprised just how hard we work for them on their wedding day!
What is the top piece of advice you would give to camera shy couples and how do you help them to relax in front of the lens?
We always try and have a laugh with our couples when they have their pre-wedding photoshoot. We ask them to just act as if we are not there and imagine that they are going for a walk in the park or wherever without too much pressure. We normally find that they loosen up pretty quickly and as we tend to ask them to pose in a more natural manner, we get some stunning images.
Are there any weddings in particular that you’ve shot that stand out to you?
We photographed a wedding on St Valentine’s Day 2015 and it was just such a lovely event to be a part of. The bride and groom (Heather and Brett) were a delight to work with, and their friends and family were happy, relaxed and very welcoming. You could tell that they all really wanted to be there for that one special day and as someone invited in, it was a pleasure to be a part of it.
If you could shoot a celebrity’s wedding who’s would it be and why?
Jenson Button’s because we are both huge Formula 1 fans and he is our favourite driver. He always appears to be a very down to earth kind of person who is very personable and someone who would just take the day in his stride, plus just think all the nice cars his wedding guests may drive!
And where would be your dream location to shoot?
There are two locations where we would both love to photograph a wedding but they are very different from each other. The first is New York due to the number of famous backdrops, the billboards in Times Square, just the vastness and hustle bustle of the city that never sleeps is a real attraction and just think of the amazing images you could deliver to your clients (can you tell we love the place). The second is Rievaulx Abbey in North Yorkshire, such an awe-inspiring location, romantic, atmospheric. Again such an amazing backdrop for clients to have the most amazing images.
Can you tell us a little about your wedding day?
We got married on the 1st March 2008, a date that was very important to Deborah as it was her late grandfather’s birthday. The most important thing for us was to share our special day with the people that meant the most to us and that they enjoy the day as much as we did. We had our ceremony at Sheffield Registry office followed by the reception at what is now the Double Tree Hilton in Sheffield. There wasn’t really much of a theme, Deborah had a red wedding dress, so there were hints of golds and reds throughout the flowers and invitations, and our tables were named after New York landmarks as we were heading there after the wedding.
What do you think are the most important elements for couples to bear in mind when deciding on a wedding photographer to capture their day?
I think that it is really important for the bride and groom to be to feel at ease with their photographers as they are going to spend a fair bit of their day with them. You may see some photographers work that you like, however if you don’t feel at ease with them, then that will come through in your images and you could be disappointed with the end results. You need to feel that the photographer will give you the photographs you want and that they don’t turn up at your wedding with any pre-conceived ideas of what is going to happen.
What can couples who book you expect on the day?
Support and professionalism I think are the two words that spring to mind. Not just on the wedding day but right from when we receive their booking forms. Clients often ask us if we can recommend other companies, sometimes it is makeup artists, sometimes florists and we even had someone ask us to help find a venue after they had booked us!
If we are able to pass on details of other suppliers that we have covered weddings with we will, but we always say that we have not personally used them.
We hope our clients feel that they are getting a professional service from us, from when we first meet them, right through until we deliver their images. Our clients can always email or ring us with any questions, and we will always aim to help them if we can.
What is included in your photography package?
Our package includes two photographers for coverage from the bridal preparations (approximately two hours before the time of the ceremony) through until approximately 15 minutes after the first dance (so roughly 10 to 12 hours). Clients have an initial consultation with us where they can view our work and then decide whether or not they want a pre-wedding shoot. These are normally available at a small cost and give the couple a signature mount for the wedding guests to sign on their wedding day.
We provide a password protected online gallery for our clients and normally deliver between 600-800 final images on a high quality presentation USB stick.
Albums are available at an extra cost.
Can you give us an idea on price and can you do a discount for Brides Up North readers?
Our current package is priced at £850, but if a bride or groom-to-be mention “Brides Up North” when booking, we will include a free pre-wedding photoshoot for them.
How can Brides Up North readers get in touch with you/ see more examples of your work?
There are a number of ways we can be contacted and for potential clients to see further examples of our work. These are, by email; sierphotography@hotmail.com; via our website or Facebook page, or by telephoning 0114 2818007.
Anything else to share?
We already have bookings for next year and 2018 and 2019 – people do book early, so if you think would may like us to cover your wedding, please do get in touch
