The weekend is almost within our grasp, and what better reason to raise a glass of Friday fizz than welcoming new Brides Up North Sponsor, ER Photography, to the blog.
Having seized the opportunity to photograph a friend’s wedding back in 2010, Manchester-based Jo and Jon of ER Photography, have relished in the challenge of capturing couples’ big days ever since.
Keen to achieve those natural “in the moment” shots as well as picture-perfect portraits, the dynamic duo work as a team to cover the day from different angles resulting in beautiful full day coverage.
Better still, if you like the look of what you see ER Photography are offering Brides Up North readers £135 off their Full Wedding Photography Package, bringing it down to £1,560.
Now let’s take a look at some more of their stunning work, whilst finding out more about their photography style and approach.
Tell us a little about the ER Photography team and how long you have been photographing weddings for?
er photography say:
We are Jo and Jon and our very first wedding was on the 5th September 2010, at the beautiful Peckforton Castle in Cheshire. Since our first wedding in 2010 we’ve loved every minute of being wedding photographers. We had a portrait studio near the Trafford Centre for two years prior to our first wedding, but then after starting to shoot weddings they took over and so we stopped doing portraits.What attracted you to wedding photography specifically?
We’ve always loved weddings but we were initially a little bit scared. Then when we got asked to do our first wedding for a friend, we were hooked! Weddings go through all the emotions: fun, laughter, tears of joy and sadness. It’s just wonderful to be able to capture and build a story of a perfect day that’s unique to each couple.
And what is it about your job that you love?
We love everything! From the preparations beforehand, getting to know our couples, having fun on the pre-wedding shoots, finding out all the details, and then, of course, the day itself and the delivery. This is always special as couples are so looking forward to reliving the day again.
How would you describe your style of wedding photography and what makes you stand out from others?
We are a great team and love working together; we have our favourite lenses and equipment so each shot we take is not the same as each other’s so our couples really benefit from having both of us.
We have decided that we do only come as a pair, going out separately would not allow us to produce the style that we love, we are candid, in the moment and unobtrusive. Whilst one of us can be seen by the guests and wedding party, the other one is usually hiding or out of sight so those natural photos you see in our portfolio are so much easier to get when guests think you’re not around. Each wedding is as unique as the couple and their guests, even at the same venue no two of our weddings are ever the same.
What is the feedback like from your clients?
Feedback is always fantastic, and not just from our couples, but guests at the wedding generally say how great our approach is and how friendly we are. We believe you get the best out of people when being friendly, approachable and polite.
Our couples like the little touches too. For example, we put a sneak peek of a few images on the blog for them within a week of their wedding, which gives them something to show people they meet on their honeymoon. We also take pride in how we deliver our product, and the handmade USB presentation boxes that we personalise especially for each couple go down a treat.
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 believe in building a good relationship with our couples; this starts even before they decide to book with us, by meeting them in person and discussing the wedding details. Once the couples have booked we schedule the pre-wedding photoshoot, which we feel is a great way to help couples relax and become more familiar with us.
We use various distraction techniques – because there are two of us it’s easier to distract couples – making them laugh is always a favourite. We do have other techniques but that would be giving away our secrets! We believe the more times we can meet our couples in person before the big day it really strengthens our relationship with them and helps to build confidence.
Are there any weddings in particular that you’ve shot that stand out to you?
We’ve done a few wedding which have been particularly emotional, and they generally stand out to us. It always gets us when the groom just can’t get through the speech and we’ve had a few brides having to save the day and take over the speech. The other wedding that stands out to us is Jessica and Andrew’s – they had an amazing time doing WeddiOkie, which is a wedding video shot to a sound track (a bit like karaoke) so all day we were witness to some amazing dancing and singing from the bridal party.
If you could shoot a celebrity’s wedding who’s would it be and why?
Jo would have loved to shoot Michelle Keegan’s wedding as it was a spectacular looking day and she’s just stunning! John meanwhile, would love to shoot Kylie Minogue’s wedding – if she ever gets married! However he’d actually prefer to be the groom on that one.
And where would be your dream location to shoot?
We’d love to shoot a wedding on the Italian Riviera or on a tropical island. We are currently looking into weddings abroad and we’re waiting for that phone to start ringing.
Is there a specific part of a wedding day that you enjoy photographing the most?
We find the ceremony the best part. It’s the part of the day where it’s all built up to this point and once the ceremony is over then the rest of the day is just fun. We find that the ceremony is where couples are most nervous, emotional or we always get a beautiful smile or a giddy giggle.
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?
That’s a hard question to answer as there are so many photographers and so many styles, it all comes down to connection. We always recommend couples visit photographers in person and not just go off the glossy photos on their websites or word of mouth as what works for one couple, might not work for another.
What can couples who book you expect on the day?
On the day they can expect two friends with cameras to turn up and document the whole day. We work hard beforehand to create that connection so when we arrive on the day we can get stuck in and for the couples to have complete trust in us.
What is included in your photography package?
– Jo and Jon as your photographers
– All day, from bridal preparations to party
– All images delivered in a personalised presentation box
– Colour and black and white image processing
– Blu-Ray DVD slideshow with music of your choice
– Pre-wedding photoshoot with images included
– A blog within one week of your wedding
– A few extra surprises
Can you give us an idea on price and can you do a discount for Brides Up North readers?
Of course. Our Full Package is £1,695 but we would be happy to offer Brides Up North readers £135 off this package, taking it to £1,560.
We also offer an all-year-round Mid-Week Full Package (Monday to Thursday, excludes Bank Holidays), which is £1,200. Plus we have a Winter Full Package (Jan/Feb/March only), which is £1,395.
How can Brides Up North readers get in touch with you or see more examples of your work?
Potential customers can book a meeting with us, or the can visit our website for more information: www.erphotography.co.uk
