Rock My Wedding

Our Big Day Our Way

Superb Super 8

May 27th, 2011

Hand on heart, if I had to do it all again, I’d be having a wedding video. It is my biggest regret that we don’t have a professional one.

And if I had had one, I wish it had been Super 8mm film. Without a doubt. I love Super 8. Its so incredibly evocative and atmostpheric and mesmerising, so when Mark Brown sent me an email telling me about his videography, combining Super 8mm with HD, I was right on it and of course, deperate to share it with you all….

www.markwbrown.com from MW BROWN on Vimeo.

I started in Super-8mm wedding films just over a year ago with the help of Joel Serrato (known as the best in this industry), I worked in HD videos before that but was disheartened by the reputation wedding videographers received – my videos were never tacky of synthesized or sprinkled with bad effects, but it was hard to get my name out there as a filmmaker that offered something “simple”. I decided to take the leap to Super-8mm simply because it is the most simple and beautiful way to shoot a wedding and at the end of the day that is what I believe couples really want.

I also take this profession very seriously, I do consider myself an artist and I believe this comes through in my work. The difference between the two formats is HD shoots on tape or card and Super-8mm shoots on film strip. This film is then sent to the uSA to be processed and transferred to a reel and then sent to a specialist in London who puts it onto a disc, which I then edit. What Super-8mm does well is create an image of real depth and timelessness that HD cannot replicate, it is unique and beautiful yet simple and true to the style of your Wedding.

Weddings… I LOVE them because I am a filmmaker that is inspired by storytelling. What’s more inspiring than two people in love, sharing the big day with their family and friends. Being a part of this is truly special, especially when you have a camera in your hands and you have the ability to create something wonderful that will be treasured by families for generations to come.

The love of Super-8mm came from travel, being in different places, seeing the sunrise in Tuscany to the sunset in South Carolina. No matter your setting, Super-8 makes it more than beautiful, it makes it enchanting, timeless, authentic. Film creates a depth. The idea of bringing this into my Wedding work didn’t take much pondering. I still offer HD Weddings Videos, I think using both is a good way of truly capturing your big day. I still find it amazing how much joy I feel when I get the processed reels of Film back from the lab and I watch the Wedding for the first time.

My Films are not your average Wedding Video, I don’t use any tacky effects or bad music, for me they are an art form, a collaboration of Vintage and HD cameras, keeping it true to the day and above all… about LOVE.

If you happen to be at work right now and can’t watch the videos, please please pretty please come back and have a look at them later. They are stunning and I really hope more than a few of you hop over to Mark Browns site and get as hooked as I am. I would love to see a RMW Bride in Super 8mm.

That would make my year.

Yours Truly,

Rebecca
xoxo

15 comments »

Posted in Your Day Your Way

Tags: Mark Brown Videography Super 8mm film Wedding Videography

Crazy In Love.

May 24th, 2011

That is what I thought when the e-shoot of Jo and Jon landed in my inbox, these two are insanely, crazily, and meant-to-be-together-forever in love. And the images blew my mind. Like hold-your-breath blew my mind.

Think bluebell filled woodlands, think sunshine and stolen kisses, think a little slice of heaven.

No gimmicks, no fancy styling, just pure, raw and unadulterated L.O.V.E, Pen Mckinley-Rodgers has truly captured the intimacy between these two nearly-weds to perfection.

Oh, and they have one of the most moving “how we met” stories too.

Prepare to be completely enchanted lovelies.

Jo: Jon and I met a few years ago in India whilst volunteering in a beautiful orphanage called the Love Care Centre. I was out of my comfort zone, exhausted all the time, had no make up and was very unglamorous- so you can imagine that a yummy Australian walking through the door was very unexpected and I retreated into shyness to admire from afar (hence he thought he had met a cold, distant English girl…).

A few weeks and sleepless nights spent on the roof later, listening to Nick Cave and Elliott Smith, something kinda suprising was happening but we had to let it go (the geography being mind boggling). We met up a year later in the same place accidently on purpose and that sparked a lot of travel between England and Australia which culminated in a proposal last May, and next week… a wedding!

We are trying to tie in the travel aspect to the wedding, with antique suitcases and an abundance of luggage labels, especially as we will be moving to Australia after the wedding. I kind of think of it as an ‘Away We Go’ wedding, as we both fell in love with the movie too and I will be walking down the garden aisle to a song from the film. We really just hope it will be a relaxed garden picnic style wedding, with lots of painterly touches.

The pre-wedding shoot was a really special time for us, it was so lovely to spend a bit of time just us amidst all the prep work and meeting Pen and Cam was amazing! We LOVE the images they have produced and we felt like we were in the company of good friends. In fact, having met them, even if they weren’t our photographers we would still want them to be at our wedding because they are just THAT cool!

Can’t wait for next week! xxx

And you know the best bit?

You don’t have to wait until next week, only until tomorrow

Jo and Jon’s Big Day, officially one of the most beautiful and inspiring weddings I have ever had the pleasure of featuring.

And yes. I have a brand new girl crush.

Big This Is Why I Love My Job Love

Charlotte xxx

27 comments »

Posted in Your Day Your Way

Tags: Engagement shoot in the woodlands Pen Mckinley Rogers wedding photography

A Retro 1950′s Bowling Alley Engagement Shoot

May 20th, 2011

I’ll freely admit it, there was a time when I felt like styled e-shoots were a little contrived. Oh, how times have changed.

Now I just can’t get enough of them and I am just loving the trouble that couples are going to, to style the shoot with their beloved. Props, locations, costumes, getting the look right…. if you’re creatively inclined it’s a whole lot of fun and it’s a chance for you to really express your fun side, particularly if thats quite the opposite setting to your wedding.

If for example, you’re a young urban couple living the high life, working long hours, fast living, glam nights out, but you opt for a romantic rural rustic wedding to indulge a whimsical dream, then the Engagement shoot is a way to show the real you… or just another side to your personalities.

Sometimes people don’t quite have the confidence to style something themselves though and there are more and more teams, planners and directors ready to solve that problem for you, (if you can’t find enough inspiration right here!) That’s where todays inspiration came from. Thaoski is an art director who specialises in engagement shoots and when I saw the fun embedded in everyone of the images here, I knew we just had to share it on Rock My Wedding…

“As an art director and photographic storyteller dedicated to engagement shoots, one of the things I really enjoy doing (and I try to do this with most couples) is going through their wardrobe. I love seeing how different clothes light my couple up and it was no exception with Star. She tried on a bunch of clothes from her wardrobe and as crazy as it sounds, her face lit up the most when she wore her super high waisted jeans.

I could tell she absolutely LOVED them and she became all fun and girly when she wore them. It actually made her a bit flirtatious and as soon she put them on she reminded me of Sandy from Greese. She had this gorgeous 1950s / 1960s feel about her and I knew immediately that would be the foundation of her outfit (the beautiful red shirt actually came afterward!). Sometimes the most basic clothing works because it makes the couple feel alive.

Because Star reminded me of the movie Greese, I had a deep desire to do the shoot in a retro bowling ally. Kane had access to an All Stars shirt and we constructed a whole romantic love story around Kane working at the bowling ally and Star falling in love with him at first sight… I imagined, back in the 1950s many couples would have met and fallen in love at bowling ally’s and this became the basis of the shoot and story.

In reality, Kane and Star were best friends first and lovers second. They radiate love when they’re together and this whole shoot is about the innocence of young flirtatious love. You can find out more about Kane & Star’s personalities here…

Credits

Sweethearts: Kane & Star

Photographer: Darren Wong (website currently being upgraded)

Art Director: Thaoski

Fashion Stylist and Accessories by: Madame Moi

MUA: Tammi Nguyen

Location: All Stars Bowling Ally

As part of Rock My Wedding I’ve also really learnt to appreciate the telling of a story through the images and the details. Years ago the detail shots I so love now were such a mystery to me, pretty, but irrelevant. Now I can’t take photos of a day without them to detail the feel and the background. And this shoot combines the best of everything. The look, the feel, the love and the story. There’s something to olde world romance about freezing an image in time.

I’m really hoping this shoot is one of many to come, both from Thaoski and our readers, as we all get ever more creative.

So, which of you are planning a styled shoot for your e-shoot and what’s the theme?

Yours Truly,

Rebecca
xoxo

27 comments »

Posted in Your Day Your Way

Tags: bowling e-shoot Retro vintage e-shoot

If You Only Have One Day.

May 16th, 2011

Imagine if you only had one day, just one day to do all the things you always said you would but never did.

All the things that you dream about, are more than perfectly possible……. but you just never get around to.

Know what I mean?

And no I’m not being morbid. Not at all. Just trying to tell all you lovelies (and at the same time tell yours truly) that life is too short to waste worrying about planning your wedding 24/7 (it will be great regardless promise) or that your bum “looks big in this” or that today you ate two feast ice lollies (I did) and don’t have time to go to the gym (I don’t).

And on my list of things I would do if I only had one day?

I would have a picnic on the beach with Mr O’Shea. I would feel the sun on my skin and the warm sand under my toes. I would wear the prettiest dress I owned and I would go swimming in the sea……um, probably wearing the dress.

Oh. And I would have another feast ice lolly. Or five.

Laura and Gavin did pretty much everything I would like to do on their seaside engagement shoot and they looked like they had an absolute blast. All of the easy breezy images are courtesy of Jordan and Ines at Source Images.

Gavin and I have been boyfriend and girlfriend since we were 15 years old. When we get married in August this year we will have been together for a whole decade. But I’m going to be honest here – although I feel more comfortable with Gavin than anyone else in the whole wide world, I never ever expected to feel as awkward as I did during the start of this engagement shoot. I carefully thought about what to wear (Vivien of Holloway dress bought especially on a girly weekend a year ago) and the location of our engagement shoot (easy decision – the setting of one of our first teenage dates), but I didn’t give a moment’s consideration about how to smile when you’re smiling down a big fat camera lens. I didn’t think about where I would put my arms, or what to do with my hands, or how to keep my hair out of my mouth in the wind.

Or any of those things!

First five minutes went something like this…

Jordan: “Laura relax. Smile. No, smile naturally.”
Me: (through clenched teeth) “Like this?”
Jordan: “Uh no, not quite. Don’t smile for a second. Now smile. Hmm. Gavin make her laugh. Hmm. Gavin, give Laura a kiss.”
Gavin: “Urgh gross. Really? I can see people over there.”
Jordan: “Just do it. Well done. Hmm. Now Laura don’t look so scared. He’s just kissing your cheek.”

We were rubbish! And normally we’re both really quite good at smiling!

But after 10 minutes or so, we did start to relax. Ines quickly saw what was happening so started to pull faces at us behind Jordan’s back. Gavin had some fun trying to throw me into the sea and a very posh and very lovely Southwoldian lady came up to me to compliment my dress “I must say what an absolutely beautiful dress dear.” A little giggle and a little praise was all I needed! We then had so much fun for the rest of the day.

We took Jordan and Ines to our favourite deli for some snacks, had a beer in our favourite pub, watched the weather turn from glorious sunshine to cloudy, angry rain and back again and we did not stop talking.

Many months ago, after having met up with several photographers I emailed the lovely Charlotte for some help and she told us to meet Jordan and Ines. They managed to see us in Birmingham where we are currently living, squeezing us in after exhibiting at the NEC Wedding Show and before heading off to Charlotte’s 30th birthday party! We knew straight away they were what we were looking for. Fun, young, interesting and bloody good at their work (look at these pictures, not a clenched teeth smile in sight!). It was a done deal.

Our day with them proved we’d made the right choice and on the day I really think it will feel like two friends are taking our pictures.

We’re getting married in the summer back at ‘home home’ again. The wedding will be held in a church situated on the top of a cliff overlooking a different Suffolk beach, with two stubborn sheep who like to roam around the graveyard. Then we’re off to a big barn for the party. No real colour scheme and no real theme; just a mix of all different things we like – a “pretty mess” is the oxymoron my Mum last used to describe it. Thanks Mum!!

I need three hands to count the number of people who’ll be at our house on the morning of the wedding, but knowing Jordan will be there is a relief – he is so professional and knows what he is doing so well I feel it will all go smoothly even amidst all the chaos. Knowing Ines will be with Gavin to check he is out of bed on time, has brushed his hair and isn’t wearing white socks is an even bigger bonus!

Can’t flippin’ wait!

Photographers – Jordan and Ines at Source Images

So then you gorgeous lot.

What would you do if you only had one day?

And yes that means be as simplistic or as wild as you like, after all, it’s Monday and it’s probably yawn-worthy boring in the office right?. Let’s entertain ourselves with a bit of fantasy living…..

Big Lolly Love

Charlotte xxx

P.s If not the whole beach/picnic thing I might hire a private jet to NYC, spend a fortune in Bloomingdales (did I mention money was no object on “this day”?) then get to Vegas in record time wearing some fabulous outfit…. where Mr O’Shea and I and all of our nearest and dearest drink cocktails and go dancing until the early hours….

* sigh*

21 comments »

Posted in Your Day Your Way

Tags: A picnic on the beach Brighton Engagement Shoot Source Images Photography Vivien of Holloway Dress

A Beachfront Engagement Shoot…

May 13th, 2011

It must be the time of year, but right now, all I can think about is escaping to the sun. Relaxing, forgetting it all… so when Jon and Angela of Janda Photography sent us in this engagement shoot, it was right up my street! And the perfect thing to prepare you for the weekend this Friday afternoon.

We pass this Caribbean style beach house every morning when walking the dog, and were waiting for the right opportunity to feature it in an engagement portrait shoot. The weather was perfect (in April!), James and Vicky are gorgeous, so it was time to make Bognor look like Barbados!

All captured within half a mile of Janda Photography HQ, the shoot followed our usual modus operandi – A relaxed wander around, chatting, getting to know each other and looking for interesting locations (the bluebell shots were taken on a roundabout). All images are initially directed, but then we see what happens (Vicky nearly fell asleep, relaxing in the sun by the beach house). Wedding in 3 weeks time on a beautiful tropical island. The Isle of Wight.

Ahem! Good-looking couple alert!

I’m having a real moment over these images. That blue sky. That blue sea. The waves, the colours, the way they’re looking at each other… I could go on all day!

And more than that, I’m loving the variety of styles (and detail sucker that I am,) all the close up shots of the surroundings. It really paints a picture of the day.

Thank you to Jon and Angela for sending them in… and anyone wanting to look this good frolicking on the beach with their beloved should definately check them out.

Yours Truly,

Rebecca
xoxo

Janda Photography are Rock My Wedding Sponsors however all engagement shoots (and real weddings) are chosen on individual merit and no part of this feature is sponsored.

15 comments »

Posted in Your Day Your Way

Tags: Beach Engagement Shoot Janda Photography Seaside

Rockstar. Birthday Boy. Wedding Photographer. Nice Bloke.

May 10th, 2011

Today is RMW Wedding sponsor and talented photographer Steve Gerrard’s birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!

As well as photographing amazing weddings Steve also captures bands, big ROCKSTAR type bands and that was his main speciality before doing a complete one-eighty and turning his talent to all things pretty. I say one-eighty but actually the way he shoots weddings is just as cool, just as creative and I imagine…. just as much fun.

And as part of my personal mission to learn as much about the wedding industry as I possibly can (more on this in another post lovelies) Adam and I went along to Mr Gerrard’s (very cool) studio in the Custard Factory, Birmingham a few weeks back.

I figured it would be useful not only for me but also for you guys to learn from an experienced insider on what we think is the most important part of W-day (except maybe the actual love) ….. and that’s the images you are left with at the end. The tangible memories that you will keep for ever.

So we asked a few questions, had more than a few laughs and got some really honest answers.

Brace yourselves

RMW: Mr G. I would like you to describe yourself in 3 words please.

SG: Just 3 words? Um Ok. Chilled, Friendly……Scruffy?

RMW: Scruffy? I wouldn’t say you were scruffy

SG: Actually no. People may not book me if they think I’m a scruffy sod! How about bald? I am definitely that.

RMW: I think that’s a good selling spiel actually. “Chilled, friendly, bald and slightly scruffy bloke can take amazing pictures of your wedding” Genius. Ok then, now we’ve got you all figured out how about 3 words to describe your wedding photography style?

SG: Creative, Quirky and REAL.

Steve captured by Jose Villa, looking friendly, chilled and not particularly scruffy.

RMW: How old were you when you first picked up a camera?

SG: Not sure exactly but I had a camera for my 11th birthday – and it was specifically what I’d ask for.

RMW: Nikon or Canon?

SG: I’m using Canon at the moment.

RMW: So then, the million dollar question, what made you want to become a WEDDING photographer specifically?

SG: To be honest, when I first started out as a professional photographer the last thing I wanted to do was weddings. I saw it as what photographers did that couldn’t do anything else, old-fashioned, stale and boring. The wedding photographer was the guy who turns up with a camera and starts ordering people to stand in various lines….. then goes home.

Gradually through my own interest in photography I realised the scene was changing pretty dramatically and as I became more successful at photographing bands more friends (and friends of friends) would ask me to take pictures of their weddings. I wasn’t all that keen at first but as I got into it discovered I could do what I wanted – especially if they had a “wedding photographer” as well as me. I was more the “mate” with the camera……

Then they would prefer my images to the actual wedding guys.

RMW: Bet he was cheesed off.

SG: Ha Ha who knows! …. and who cares?!

RMW: Brings me nicely onto my next question actually. Are there any “standard” shots that you just point blank refuse to take?

SG: I’d like to think that people choose me because they like my style so they would be happy for me to do what I do best, you’re going to get certain requests obviously which is fine, it’s their day after all. But yeah there’s a few that spring to mind. Two words: Spot Colour.

RMW: Oh. Lordy……. How do you get out of that?!

SG: We just politely say that we don’t like it and that we don’t think they will like it either – especially in the long term.

RMW: Any others?

SG: Yeah, when the groomsmen pick up the bride and it’s all cheesy smiles. It’s just so forced and…..well, cheesy. I also find the “cutting the cake” shot difficult to get creative with.

RMW: Know what you mean. I mean we love a good cake obviously but it’s rare we choose that particular frame for the blog, not that we don’t like them or anything – just that there are usually much more natural shots that we prefer.

Rom and Will’s Organic Farm wedding in Somerset – one of Steve’s favourites.

(RMW gets distracted flicking through one of Steve’s albums)

RMW: Oooh love this wedding ring shot on the apple! so colourful and erm……crunchy?

SG: (laughs) crunchy?

RMW: (looks embarrassed at lack of proper photographer terminology/lingo type speak) Yup. It’s just really creative. And real looking. You have captured the um…. ( looking increasingly red in the face )…… essence of the apple?

We don’t know all of the right words but we know what we like when we see it, y’ know?

SG: Yes. I know exactly.

RMW: Ahem. Excellent well then. That brings me onto your wedding Mr Gerrard. What was it like?

SG: Outdoors. On a shoe-string budget…..but a great day. A really really great day.

RMW: And what was the first thing you thought as you saw your wife Evelyne walk down the ailse?

SG: Why is she crying?! and that she looked really different. Really different but really amazing. Completely amazing.

Steve and his gorgeous wife Evelyne – how lush is that bouquet!

RMW: And what is the best wedding you have ever photographed?

SG: Hmmm. There have been loads of really good ones. One that really sticks in my mind though was Will and Rom’s bohemian wedding down in Somerset. They had a civil ceremony one day and a humanist ceremony outside the following day. Afterwards it was like a massive party with games, a kissing booth and a punk band in the evening. Really different and really great fun.

RMW: What are the most challenging conditions you have ever photographed a wedding in?

SG: I bet most people would expect you to say rain but it’s not. It’s actually when couples have their wedding really late in the day then try and cram everything in, they end up not being relaxed and it can come across in the images. RMW readers MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH TIME!

Even more lovely from from Will and Rom’s wedding

RMW: Are there any other photographers you really admire?

SG: Yup. There are quite a few. Jose Villa – He’s a legend. Sean Flanigan too. And I’d like to give a shout out to my friends in Montreal who are really talented – Davina and Daniel. UK wise two of my favourites are Polly Alexandre and Ed Peers. In fact Polly is shooting my good friend and photographer Emily Quintons wedding soon and Jose Villa is shooting Polly’s……

RMW: I know we heard. We love Polly (great photographer and lovely lady) and so happy for her than she has booked Jose Villa for W-day. That is going to be one A.mazing wedding. Completely out-of-this-world beautiful……

RMW: So then Steve, what would you recommend to our brides as your top three tips for choosing a photographer for the Big Day?

SG: Number One. Make sure you choose a photographer because you like the photo’s they take, not just because you like the price. Number Two. Chose a photographer you could imagine having a drink down the pub with, you should get on with them as you would with a friend, that way you get the comfortable and natural results. Number Three. This is REALLY important readers: make sure you choose a photographer that’s named after a famous footballer

And more!

RMW: It’s interesting you should bring that up, what would you advise brides that are really not confident in front of the lens, and I mean really not confident, we hear so many readers stressing over the fact they “hate pictures of themselves” and that makes us sad. Very sad indeed. How can they get around this?

SG: I think engagement shoots are great for getting couples used to being photographed by a professional together, a lot of my clients have said after a pre-wed shoot ” That was no where near as stressful/difficult as I thought it would be” and they always love the results. On the actual day itself I would say ask your photographer to take photo’s of you both where you are not looking directly at the camera but at each other. I often say to brides “Look at your husband as if you are really proud of him” then get clicking, I guarantee that will get you a genuine shot of L.O.V.E

RMW: You old romantic you. Great advice though, thanks so much for the tea (*he takes a great photo and makes a great cuppa) and letting us come and see you today. Before we go though two more quick questions – just for fun!

SG: Ok go on then!

RMW: If you could be a Rockstar a Movie Star or the greatest photographer on earth which one would it be?

SG: That’s easy. A Movie star. And not just any movie star. I would be Johnny Depp. That guy exudes cool.

RMW: Chocolate hobnob, custard cream or rich tea and more importantly: do you dunk?

SG: The chocolate hobnob. Every time. And yes I definitely dunk.

We would so go down the pub for a drink with this man

Huge thanks to Steve Gerrard for sharing the knowledge, the truth and the laughs, if you have any questions for Steve lovelies then drop a comment in the box below. And if you want to have a look at the rest of Will and Rom’s rustic extravaganza then hot foot it over to Steve’s blog here.

Oh and don’t forget to wish him a Happy Birthday!

Big Knowledge is Power Love

Charlotte xxx