One thing you can never accuse a good wedding photographer
of is getting bored of a venue. Just
because we’ve shot hundreds of weddings somewhere, that doesn’t mean your final
wedding photos shouldn’t be original and fresh (and you should insist on this!)
I’ve photographed over 200 weddings, for example, at
the Great Fosters Hotel in Egham and each time I’m there with a new bride and
groom, I see something new. It’s amazing
how different things can look depending on the season, the way the light
captures a venue’s particular features, the bride and groom’s choice of décor
and flowers or simply because of the relationships between the couple and their
guests. Believe it or not, each wedding
really is unique!
Great Fosters is a popular venue in Surrey; a Grade
One listed building set amongst 50 acres of stunning gardens and parkland. It has an enviable location close to
Heathrow, the M25 and M4 and near Windsor, Wentworth, Staines, Virginia Water
and Runnymede. And unlike a lot of
venues, it also has a licence for outside ceremonies to be conducted on the
lawn by the Saxon moat. Pretty special
eh?!
I’ll be the first to admit, it obviously makes my
job a bit easier when you’re working at such a picturesque venue. Unlike some hotels, Great Fosters makes for a
great winter wedding as well as a summer venue.
It seems to be able to “do” intimate and grand quite comfortably at the
same time. Although it has some impressive
internal and external features, it also has a really cosy feel for a crisp
winter wedding with its burning log fires, original tapestries and moulded
ceilings. You really can feel enriched
by the history of the place which was once a royal hunting lodge and then became
a stately home before transforming into the hotel it is today. And if the weather’s not great, there are
always dry clear pathways to allow the Bride and Groom to get some outdoor
shots without completely ruining the Bride’s dress, when it’s not practical to
walk in the gardens themselves. An important
consideration in this country!
If you’d like to know more, why not pop along this
weekend? They’re holding a Wedding
Showcase between 11am and 3pm on Sunday 15th February. You’ll get to see this stunning venue, the Orangery
& 14th Century Tithe Barn laid for a ceremony & reception
and meet their experienced wedding team.
Email them directly at weddings@greatfosters.co.uk
if you’d like to go along.
Here is just a selection of my favourite photos from
7 different weddings I’ve shot there over the past few months. Because I know the venue so well, rather than
being a disadvantage, it means I know all its little “ins and outs” and the ways
to make the most of some great photo opportunities. I love working with natural light and I
always find such interesting ways to work with low lighting at Great Fosters
which is really exciting.
Why not take a look and see what I mean! I hope you like them…
Best wishes,
Roger
