The Rectory Hotel, Crudwell: Congratulations!

The Rectory Hotel in The Cotswolds is one of my favourite venues, so it was especially pleasing to see it highlighted in The Times newspaper on Saturday in the "Cool Hotel" guide. The article starts "Sometimes a hotel just gets it right - and you can tell almost from the moment that you walk in. The Rectory is one of those places...". It is so true. I've been recommended there for my wedding photography for a while now but we also run photo workshops there and in June, I'm hosting a dinner for some of my favourite fellow photographers. So I know The Rectory really well and not at all surprised to see a score of 9.5 for service. A good venue only becomes a great venue if the team are committed and passionate about what they are doing - the Rectory have a great team and it shows. So congratulations Jenna - you deserve the good press!

Today I have been mostly enjoying a family gathering - lovely to have the time to stop the world and catch up for five minutes!

Church Weddings

www.ndrewjacksonphotography.co.uk

As has been pointed out a number of times, this blog is rapidly turning into a tiny bit of a rant; or at least something of "soapbox corner" (think of it as my therapy!) but yesterday I was left wondering what is the next level down from a soapbox? (technically speaking, I guess its the ground, but you know what I mean)...maybe an "Its a Shame" Step...

We shot a wonderful wedding in the Cotswolds yesterday; the couple were lovely, 200 friendly guests and a church that was borderline Catherdral it was so spectacular - really beautiful, indeed everything a church wedding should be.

Except that the vicar refused permission for pictures to be taken during the service....so when the bride & groom look back on their photos the most important part of the day will be missing. The nervous looks, the father giving his daughter away, the exchange of rings, the first kiss, the joy of the occasion all missing. And by and large, it is a C of E issue; Roman Catholics are incredibly welcoming and really want to share the service and experience, Methodist services the same - but venture into a C of E church and it becomes a lottery. Some churches are wonderful, with a ready welcome and are a real joy to experience (All Saints in Clevedon as a great example of the warm welcome extended to visitors) but others are noticeably less so.

Photography in church is always a delicate balance - after all, it is hugely distracting to see a photographer moving around or firing a flash or intruding on the occasion in any way. But those of you reading this whose weddings we captured, will know how discreet we can be - no flash, no moving around and considerable respect for the occasion. So this isn't a rant as such, or even a soapbox moment - but it is such a shame that some vicars don't reflect upon the legacy that images from the service produce and who can't find the a compromise that maintains the integrity of the occasion without depriving the couple of such wonderful memories.

Wedding Flowers

Had a great shoot today, producing a selection of flower images for Frances at Flowercube. Frances is such a talented florist - we met originally at a wedding at Kingscote Barn in Tetbury (lovely venue and fab people!) and started talking. Anyway, long story short, we work together every now and again, producing images for the local lifestyle magazines - always great fun and always a buzz to see my images published! I can't show you pictures from today's shoot yet, but the attached is one of the images from a summer 'picnic-theme' shoot. Capturing gorgeous flower shots is always part of our wedding coverage, so do ask if you would like to see more examples.