Your North West Wedding- December 2020/Janaury 2021 (Issue 65)

WINTER WONDERLAND Q – My wife-to-be and I are having a winter wedding and would love to incorporate the time of year into our photographs. Do you have any ideas on how we can do this? Deciding how to set that scene can be quite challenging, so I suggest you decide on a theme that invokes winter. You could incorporate festive colours such as berry red, black and gold or natural greenery. A less invasive method would be to use creative lighting. This can be done to emphasise the darkness of winter with soft subdued lights to create a cosy and romantic feel. If possible, use candlelight or firelight to create a more Nordic look. Stacey Jackson Photographer www.darklemoner.co.uk SONGS OF THE HEART Q – We want a harpist to play festive songs at our elegant Christmas wedding. Do you have any suggestions that won’t sound tacky or over the top? Live music at Christmas warms the heart. Carols work well on the harp especially if you can find someone to sing along. Options like Silent Night , Jingle Bells , which the kids will love, Fairytale of New York or even the theme from Love Actually , would work well. Adding festive music on the harp can create a special and intimate feeling on your big day. Sarah Davies Harpist www.sarahdaviesharpist.com CAPTURE THE MOMENT Q – What questions should we ask our photographer before booking? I’m assuming you’ve found a professional with a specific style that you like. From this point, you need to ask questions that can’t readily be answered by looking on their website. Are they able to create the images you’ve fallen in love with if the weather is less than ideal? Not all venues are suitable for indoor portraits, so your photographer must be confident in any given location, with the tools and creative drive to make the best of it. Do you receive images in web resolution, full resolution or both? Full resolution versions are needed for printing, and you need to check you have permission to have them printed. Print shops are increasingly asking for proof of ownership or the right to print images. Web resolution means you can upload to social media channels without having to resize. Your supplier must know which group images are required, as it can get quite hectic on the day, and members of the congregation have a habit of disappearing to the bar. It’s worthwhile asking the best man to assist in rounding up family members for group shots. That way, your photographer can concentrate on the photography, rather than trying to herd people, which cuts down time considerably, allowing everyone to enjoy the day. Michael A. Sewell Photographer www.weddingsbymichael.co.uk www.wed dingsbymichael.co.uk www.chri stopherlewisphotography.com www.dark lemoner.co.uk EXPERT ADVICE 45