REAL WEDDINGS | Nikki & Carl - Love by the Harbour
Updated: May 22, 2019
So, this is my first 'real wedding' blog piece. Why do I mention this? Because I'm not entirely sure how it's going to to go. My aim is to tell the story of the day, showcase some of my work and celebrate the other fantastic suppliers involved in the creation of it all. This will consist of a mixture of my own recollections and several questions and answers that I have since asked Nikki and Carl.
Nikki initially got in touch with me after seeing one of my Facebook posts. She told me that they liked my relaxed style and my documentary approach to wedding photography. She then told me that they had chosen Polpier House as their wedding venue. Now, this was music to my ears as I hadn't photographed there before and I had been hoping to shoot there for a long time, after seeing other wedding photographs taken there.
If you don't know where Polpier House is, it sits high above the quaint coastal town of Mevagissy. A beautiful little harbour town with a warren of back streets that glimpse through to the busy harbour front. Basically, it's an absolutely fab location for photographs!
I met with Nikki and Carl to discuss things further over a beer or two (always the best way) and we soon found similar likes and dislikes with regards to the style of coverage. I also discovered that they were both teachers. As you may know, I am currently a photography instructor and I'm about to start my PGCE with Cornwall College, teaching photography. So, it was also a great chance to pick their brains! Anyway, after a good chat and some refreshments in the sunshine of Truro, they told me that they wanted me to photograph their wedding and we agreed to discuss the finer details and get our contract into place over the coming months.
Now, paperwork doesn't make for a very interesting blog post so we'll skip that and move straight onto the good stuff.
So, what is my next step? I usually like to organize an engagement shoot with my clients. This is something that serves as a super effective ice breaker. I always find that by doing this, it helps my clients to relax more on the big day, especially if they don't particularly enjoy being photographed. Nikki and Carl didn't seem particularly nervous (did I mention they're both pretty easy on the eye?) but I still felt that they would both benefit from a 'practice run'.
We decided to meet in Newquay for a coffee one morning. Now, the weather wasn't great; not terrible, but not fantastic. Kind of perfect for some nice photographs though. We discussed the details of the day and I showed them my broken wrist! Thankfully this was only my left arm as I am right handed! I did this in typical dad fashion whilst attempting to skateboard (I could when I was 19 - kind of) and show my sons some tricks. After discovering that this is no longer possible, I have now begrudgingly retired my board. We then went for a wander along the cliff tops. Here are a couple from our shoot...
So, onto the big day...
When I arrived at Polpier, the sun was shining and it was actually pretty darn hot! This means smiles. Harder conditions to photograph in, but way more smiles, so any experienced wedding photographer should love the sunshine!
I initially zipped off to find Nikki and let her know of my arrival. I entered the bridal suite and found a busy, busy room brimming with excitement. There must have been at least 10-15 people there. Make up and hair were all in full swing and everyone was instantly welcoming to me. A great start and always good to see that the bubbly is out!
I asked Nikki what they had done the night before and she told me...
"We had spent the day setting up the house and transforming it into a wedding venue, so we ventured out for a meal on the night before the wedding.
We went to the Sharksfin in Mevagissey harbour with 45 of our family members and friends who were staying in and around Mevagissey. This was the perfect opportunity to meet with friends and family that we hadn’t seen in a little while and this took the pressure off trying to find the time to catch up with everyone on the wedding day.
Credit to the Sharksfin for hosting us and putting up with the confusion of everyone trying to remember what meals they had pre-ordered!"
Carly Angove was in charge of make up and she was doing a sterling job. She introduced herself with a huge smile on her face and gave me the lowdown. I got some great pointers from Carly and she also brought a fantastic light to help her. This enabled me to get some breathtaking portraits whilst she worked meticulously. I would definitely recommend her to anyone - in fact you will find here on my recommended suppliers list here!
Hair styling was being done by the 3 Wishes Creative Hair Studio and Kayleigh Archer. Kayleigh, Vikki and Abbie did a fantastic job. All the ladies looked stunning (as you can see for yourself!), including possibly the cutest flower girl of all time!
I was introduced to the videographer (Ben from Foster Filming). A lovely chap with tons of experience. We quickly nipped off to the side to have a proper chat and I soon realised that he would be easy to work alongside. He was polite, courteous, friendly, professional and I found that throughout the day, his style was very complimentary to my own. I would highly recommend booking him if you are looking for a videographer, but get in touch quick as he is a very in demand man.
At this point, once I've got a couple of really great photographs of the structured chaos, I like to pay the groomsmen a visit. Not only does it add to my visual storytelling, but it gives the girls a chance to get changed and enjoy each others' company without me being there.
The boys were as cool as you like. It was very relaxed in their pad, which was only a stone's throw away from the bridal suite. Polpier has a stunning little contemporary annex which has the most amazing view. This is where the boys were. They were equally as welcoming to me and I had a great chance to get some photographs of Carl and his groomsmen!
I asked Nikki and Carl how they had felt when they woke up; here's what they said...
"I felt completely shattered! I had attempted to spend the night sleeping on the sofa in my mum and dad’s bedroom suite but, at 1.30am, I could take no more of my parents snoring. I ended up sleeping on the floor in the hallway outside the bedroom! Not ideal on a night when beauty sleep was essential and much needed! Once the initial tiredness had worn off, I was excited to start the day." - Nikki
"I felt surprisingly well rested and awake. Well…I suppose it’s not that surprising following a night of sleeping in the luxury honeymoon suite waking up to the birds tweeting and sea views from the balcony. I also felt surprisingly calm knowing that everything had been well prepared the night before and I was eager to get the party started." - Carl
Quite contrasting answers hey?
By the time I got back to the girls, Nikki was just about to get into her dress. I told them to give me the secret signal once she was almost dressed and then took the opportunity to get some final preparation photographs. These are often my favourite shots as they really capture the excitement and it's the part of the morning prep where it all starts to feel real.
It's also the part of the morning where the father of the bride gets first glimpse of his daughter 'wedding ready'. A precious moment every time.
Nikki's dress was deigned by w.too by Watters, purchased from Bliss Bridal Gowns (owned by Tracy Ashton) and re-styled by the fantastic Roamer Rose. Roamer Rose also provided Nikki with a customised head vine and garter as shown below.
