8 from Annie & Drew, a Suffolk Wedding

So I could start this with some tenuous link to the fact that it happened the same day as the Harry and Megan..... ooops, just did!

I'm so funny.... anyway, Annie and Drew! Good Lord did they look fine or what!?! Married in the lovely town of Haughley, not even a ridiculous local wondering into the church WHILE THEY WERE SAYING THEIR VOWS and asking for someone to move their car (no joke!) could stop the magic.

These days are an awesome thing. So relaxed, so damn good! 

Congrats Annie & Drew, thank you for being you on the day and making me a very happy photographer! This one's for you x

8 from Nat and Cook, the Dreys Wedding

Ooooooh The Dreys is cool. Luckily so are Nat and Cook!

Add those two together, some decent weather and a bunch of guests having a great time and you've got one happy photographer!

So yeah, this day was pretty awesome. A quiet civil ceremony in front of family followed by a humanist ceremony in the woods, so much emotion. I loved every minute.

Nat and Cook have been together for a fare few years and had the day they fully deserved. Hopefully these pics do them justice and I can't wait to show you more when they're fully edited!

Nat and Cook, this ones for you!

8 from Zoe & Tom, a Chiddingstone Wedding

Howdy!

So I like to think that the way I shoot and the way I am in general will attract people who are a bit like me. As in they and I prioritise things in much the same way. It's about the day, as it happens, not hundreds of posed pics. Enter Zoe, like a kindred spirit, a lover of the "moment"

Their wedding was made for me. A dream. Zoe and Tom looking marvellous, a gorgeous location (stunning family grounds, obvs). All the while Tom somehow kept it on schedule and within some kind of structure! Well done that man! Great food, plenty of drink and guests that wanted to party.

Yeah, I'll take a day like this every time!

Zoe and Tom, these 8 are for you!

8 from Hannah & Ben, a Cambridgeshire Wedding

A Trinity College Wedding

Hey hey, so it is that the seasons change, and with the memories of a wedding during the beast from the east still fresh in my mind, I suddenly find myself in the incredible grandeur of Trinity College in Cambridgeshire on a blazing hot day for the wedding of Hannah and Ben! Us photographers certainly have to learn how to adapt!

And while it may seem cliche to say that this was an awesome wedding, it REALLY was. So you know me, I'm not one for too much fluffy, I just love shooting people, it's that simple. Hannah and Ben were awesome, incredibly relaxed, a pleasure to be around. And yeah, that's what matters to me. No stress, no drama, just a whole load of people enjoying a genuinely lush day of celebration.

Oh, and before I sign off, I have to mention the choir. Now I'm not one for choir music as my "go to" on Spotify, but seriously, it was hairs standing up on the back of your neck stuff. Incredible.

Hannah and Ben, this one's for you!

8 from Jody and Harry, a South Farm Wedding

So Jody and Harry got married didn't they! A very relaxed day at South Farm, one of the coolest venues ever, mainly because their are really really cute farm animals everywhere!! But anyway, back to the wedding.... oh, and there was also a REALLY cool Dodge!! Oh, but back to the wedding..... :D 

Jody and Harry are just so incredibly lovely and spent the day looking just so happy and content - there's not much more I could ask for tbh.

Massive congrats to them, and here's their 8 from!

8 from Hannah & Mark, a Stone Barn Wedding

Oh hey there 2018!

Yep, 2018 is a go, and in a way I'll never forget. Driving from Kent to the Cotswolds, taking on the Beast from the East!! You can only plan so much when it comes to your wedding. Certainly, when I met Hannah and Mark for a coffee on a rainy day in London a few weeks ago, we NEVER saw this coming.

But you know what? Everyone made it. And even when they had to find new accommodation for the weekend, they got it sorted and everything turned out just awesome. Stone Barn, wow. Snowy fields, wow. 

Yeah, so 2018 is a go, and in amazing style 

Hannah and Mark, this one's for you!

8 from Charlotte & Joel, a Winters Barns Wedding

The start of December seems like a life time ago! But sure enough, here we are in January and I have the time to write up Charlotte and Joels little 8 from first look blog.

The wedding took place at one of my favourites: Winters Barns... Like a home from home!

And, despite it being December in Britain, we had some lovely weather! Oh, and there's a special mention going out for Charlotte's nan: the ultimate party animal!

Charlotte and Joel, this one's for you!

Gav

8 from Kirstie & Dan, a Down Hall Wedding

So December is done, and we roll into 2018! January gives me a chance to catch up with a few things, one of which would be blogging the 8 from of Kirstie and Dan! 

The wedding took place at Down Hall on a rather rainy but still ultimately beautiful day!

Congratulations guys, this one's for you!

Gav

PS, yep, Dan's dad turned up with Stormtrooper helmets!

8 from Jo & Andrew, a Kent Wedding

Jo and Andrew, treated me to a rare and oh so lovely day in east Kent! I've shot a few weddings at St Augustines in Westgate, but never had the time to go to the seafront for a few photos - so we made the time! Straight after the church ceremony, we headed off to get a few photos overlooking the coast. Breezy, bit chilly, but so damn lovely!

An all round top day, plenty of fun, laughs and the all essential hugs required at a good wedding. Oh, and a very good band, very good food and I think some alcohol!

Jo and Andrew, this one's for you!

8 from Selina & Mike, Hendall Manor Barns

It's a genuinely wonderful thing when many moons and stars align for you to shoot an awesome wedding (Helen and Andy, hi!), then a year and half later shoot the best man from that weddings wedding. If you get me? And it be just as good! 

Throw in my first trip to Hendall Manor Barns and a rather lush winters day, and yeah you got me in my happy place! Everything about this was awesome. A W E S O M E!!

Decent cheese board too!

Selina and Mike, it was a pleasure to be your guy, this one's for you!

Gav

8 from Claire & Dan, Winters Barns

Catching up on some 8 from blogs I should've shared sooner, I finally get the chance to share this little beauty from Claire and Dan's wedding at Winters Barns!

Another day of lushness at one of my favourite local venues and a beaut day for all involved!

Check out that barn door photo. I've shot at this place A LOT but find myself in love with this shot. The wind just whipped up and I got the shot, go me!

Claire and Dan, this 8 from's for you!

8 from Marianne and Max, a London Wedding

A wedding at the East Dulwich Tavern

Howdy!

So you know me. I'm not a fluffy blogger. I write like I shoot, from the heart. So, with that in mind what can I say about Marianne and Max's wedding in Peckham? Well, here's the important thing: it's all positives!

For example, some photographers I know aren't up for a trip into deepest darkest London. Me, I love it. Because there's always this feeling that you don't totally know how it's going to play out. You have a time table of course, but in between it can be a bit chaotic. And I LOVE it!

Not that this was chaotic. But you know, waiting on the street for a taxi, dodging traffic, shooting random photos. Going to places you've never been for a few photos only to discover after 5 minutes that it's closing and you've got to work fast (Nunshead cemetery!), discovering cool walls with giant paintings on them and working out how to get a cool photo while trying to get the parked cars out of the shot! All done working at a pace because these guys have a wedding with their close friends and family waiting for them, and they don't want to miss the party!

So yeah, I loved this day. More please.

Marianne and Max, this one's for you

Jess & Joe, an awesome Tipi wedding

Oh hi there!

So as I enter the winter season, I have a bit of time to catch up on some weddings that were less than 2 months ago but feel like they were a life time ago! Jess and Joe's wedding took place mid crazy period, when I couldn't remember what day of the week it was! But I can still remember so much about a day like this.

Those of you that know me and follow my photography will know I'm not about the fluffy. Your wedding day is your wedding day. Make it awesome and awesome photography will (hopefully!) follow. Days like this one are a prime example of this.

A tipi on a cricket outfield, very much a DIY wedding, but lacking nothing. Cooler than 5 minutes at the top of Everest (watched that film last night, heartbreaking.... I digress). A mobile pizza over, a mobile waffle van, lots of booze and the funniest/most awesome wedding band I may have ever seen.

Throw in some crazy weather mixing sun and thunder, and Jess and Joe looking on point, and you've got yourself a day to remember!

Jess and Joe, this one's for you

8 from Lauren & Grant, Quendon Hall

The wedding of Lauren and Grant was very much a prime example of how us Brits will get on with having a great time regardless of how bad the weather is! (And it wasn't exactly great!)

But you see, that just didn't matter. Firstly, because Quendon Hall is big and damn fancy! And secondly, because there were a tonne of cool people who basically just wanted to party, and that they did!

Such a cool day, helped by Lauren and Grant being just so chilled.

An absolute pleasure to be part of their day, here's a rather lovely 8 from!

8 from Tasha & Riki, Bradwell-on-Sea

So then, Tasha & Riki got married in Bradwell-on-Sea. At the local church, followed by a tipi reception in Tasha's parents garden!

And I had my very own tent to sleep in. Lucky me! 

What that doesn't tell you is the quite frankly awesomeness of the weekend. Seriously, this was a damn cool event! They just wanted to have the best party possible. And that's exactly what they had!

Tasha and Riki, this one is for you, and it was a privelege!

8 from Fiona & Ben, the Night Yard

Hmmm, where to start?? Ok, first this...

"Fiona, you are so wonderfully nuts. Thank you for not taming that on your wedding day!" 

Seriously, loved this day, loved the venue (The Night Yard near Canterbury, very cool) loved the food (tacos!) loved Fionas nans speech and dancing, loved the sun, loved the orchard, loved the barns, loved my new camera (hey it's my thing ok!), loved Ben for being THE MOST CHILLED GUY EVER, and if I'm being honest I love the photos I have to share here. 

So yeah, it was an ok sorta day

Fiona and Ben, this one's for you!

8 from Paris & Rick, a Houchins Wedding

There was so much to love about this day. Where to start? Paris & Rick: basically perfect. Relaxed and just had a tonne of fun with the day. Houchins: damn, what a venue!! Awesome weather, awesome bridesmaids, awesome ushers, awesome food, awesome photos!

As per usual the day started at 10 with me joining the girls for a few photos, eating their breakfast snacks and drinking coffee! Priorities right? Thing is, it was such a lush friendly atmosphere to arrive to I just immediately felt comfortable enough to be me. And here's the thing: me turning up at 10 isn't just about taking endless photos of mascara being applied (who exactly wants that??). It's about me becoming part of the day. Because the only way you get documentary wedding photography is by making people feel comfortable with having you around. So I just turn up and be me.

The girls were getting ready at Houchins which meant a nice day for me: just turn up at the venue and you're set for the day. I'd never been to Houchins before so I had a quick scout about, sussed out the winning photo spots and then joined the girls.

After a few hours the guys turned up and I get the opportunity to make Rick sweat a little! To be honest, Rick was rock solid, no signs of nerves (hidden well?) and just happy to get things started!

At this point I feel it important to mention the award winning moment Paris almost stacked it. Fair play to her, she styled it out well and dad saved her from making a complete arse of herself! 

From here on in I think it best to let the photos do the rest. 

Sun, venue, couple... NO LISTS: just an awesome day for me to turn up and shoot. I couldn't ask for more as a photographer. Literally perfect!

Paris and Rick, this one's for you!

8 from Lindsey & Dave, a Winters Barns Wedding

Regular followers will know that I am oh so partial to a day at Winters Barns! A lush venue, all you need is some good lead actors and support crew for a happy Gav, and that's exactly what I got at Lindsey and Dave's wedding! A thoroughly awesome day, it's safe to say that they enjoyed the day immensely, and you can't ask for more than that as a photographer!

Looking forward to sharing a lot more from this day, but for now, Lindsey and Dave, this "8 from" is for you!

Gav

8 from, Gemma & Dan, Long Furlong Barn

So it's early morning and I'm driving to see the boys getting ready at a near by hotel in West Sussex, and as I do so I suddenly drive through this pretty damn awesome valley.

2 hours later, to my immense joy, we return to that exact same valley and Long Furlong Barn, set smack bang in the middle of it! A beaut of a venue, surrounded by fields that rise up and away. Perfect.

And so began a genuinely beautiful and fun day! I've had so many great days this year and this was definitely one of them. Gemma and Dan enjoyed every moment, and I had some decent "banter" (hate that word!)... hi Jake!

Gemma and Dan, this one's for you!

Gav

8 from Carolyn & Terry, a Swarling Manor Wedding

Good morning! Thought I'd get my backside in gear and drop you all some sexy photos from Carolyn and Terry's quite beautiful day at Swarling Manor! Because what is the point of all this if we're not gonna show you what we created (between my camera abilities and the Roses combined beauty!). 

So, t'was a gorgeous day in August when it all happened, in the grounds of Swarling Manor (location: somewhere in the countryside around Canterbury!). An outdoors ceremony, blazing sun (this was about 5 weeks ago but it seems like forever ago), garden games, lovely ciders and some fine looking people. I've definitely had worse days!

Carolyn & Terry, this one's for you.

Gav