Now I am the first to admit that Harry Potter isn't really my bag. I read up to Goblet of Fire when I was in primary school and just lost interest after that I'm afraid, but there's no ignoring how much these books have captured the imagination of pretty much every person ever except me!

Two of those fans are Paul and Yasmin, who really went all out to make every area fit their theme, even the venue choice revolved around adding a touch of magic. Ruthin Castle at the little town of Ruthin in Wales is famous for it's medieval banquets, so what better setting for a wedding breakfast in the great hall at Hogwarts! I was truly blown away by Yasmin's home-made attention to detail, with each table colour themed representing each house, using coloured fairly lights, coloured glass potion bottles, magic wands, goblets, church candles, and rustic foliage. A sweetie bar with all your favourite enchanted goodies from Honeydukes Sweet Shop, and the most beautiful wedding cake and desert table as a real showstopping centrepiece complete with delicate matching biscuits, golden snitch cake pops, and little frog gummies. Not only that but the ceiling was adorned with magic floating candles, the whole thing was a sight to behold and I just couldn't take enough photographs! Not only that, but as a surprise Paul had their very own Hedwig for the day as a ring-bearer, as well as a demonstration with a MASSIVE Eagle Owl, and to finish the day a broomstick bucking bronko. It really was spectacular (and hilarious)! Oh and I mustn't forget the guest book that looked like it might bite your hand off...

Yasmin and Paul, you were an absolute pleasure to work with. It is very obvious to me that you're both the very best of friends and an incredibly strong and admirable couple, and you both looked bloody gorgeous on your wedding day. Thank you so much for having me be the one to capture your special and unique day at this amazing location! I shall remember this one for a very very long time.

Enjoy! 
​Sophie xxx

Ben and Helen somehow managed to make the impossible possible when it came to their wedding day, proving that you can in fact, if you put your mind to it, plan a fantastic wedding in four months while at the same time taking care of four children between them, including a baby! I have no idea how you managed to pull that one off guys but hats off to you, you did it! Not only that but you organised a truly brilliant and beautiful wedding day full of fun, laughter and joy for all ages. Bloody well done!!

This day was brought to life by very simple but effective little touches that turned things from OK to WOW, like the long tables festooned with hundreds of tea-lit jam jars, a ceremony backdrop of hanging coloured ribbons, and an elegant 1920s style headpiece for Helen. Pimhill Barn was filled with sunshine despite the bitter cold of our terrible early Spring weather this year (hard to believe now after the hot Summer we've had!). Ben being a farmer, there simply had to be a tractor in residence, and the guests pitched in the provide the biggest array of home-made cakes, brownies and biscuits I have EVER seen. It truly was a wonderful day to be a part of.

Thank you so much Mr and Mrs Deane! Enjoy xxx

It's the middle of June.

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??!!

Here are some of my favourite moments of the 2018 Wedding Season so far.
It has been BLOODY SPECTACULAR! So much sunshine, colour, happiness and laughter!

Well played 2018. Well played. Bring on the second half!

It's been such a long time since I got round to blogging that it's been a whopping 9 months since Sarah and David's day! That does however mean that I am having a great time looking back over this beautiful unique English country wedding and remembering what a joy it was to shoot.

Sarah and David are dairy farmers through and through, so it was only right that they hold their nuptials at the pretty local church and party at Sarah's family farm afterwards with it's long sweeping driveway to welcome the guests. On visiting the farm a month before the day itself, it was hard to visualise how they were going to turn a very grey (and distinctly concrete) out-building into a reception venue, but they pulled it off big time! We had photographs in the cottage garden, photos with Sarah's horses (which nearly caused her Auntie, who made the dress, to pass out from fear of getting a hoof-print on the white gown!), a tractor wedding cake, floral centrepieces made from milking equipment, and the cutest little Jack Russell in a bow-tie I've ever seen (squeeee!). 

This was my one of my final weddings of the 2017 Summer and there was a distinct magic in the air, a real sense of the seasons turning which can only be understood if you're a country lass like me. It's a whisper of the wind in the trees, and a slight chill in the air. I love it, it reminds me of home. That's why I adore shooting weddings in Shropshire and particularly on farms. We certainly have plenty of those around here, so I'm always happy!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy looking through this beaut of a day. Thank you so much Mr and Mrs Hares, I'm looking forward to catching up with you both at some of your friends weddings later this year! xxx

I met professional Irish musician Caroline Regan about 5 years ago through a mutual friend, Andrew Norman, here in Shrewsbury. Andrew is a master craftsman who makes, sells and restores concertinas, and is one of the few experts in the entire country, hence why Caroline regularly makes the journey from London to Shropshire knowing her instrument is being serviced by the best of the best. 

I was lucky enough to spend some time with Caroline on her latest fleeting visit, and we made the most of the golden May light and overgrown cow parsley to take a few portraits.

I only wish you could hear the music she played while I was snapping away. Gorgeous!

Oh my days guys, weddings don't get much better than this! Becky and Josh's day had it all. A wonderful couple who don't stop laughing, an eye-catching gorgeous dress, stunning location, sunshine, and a mass sing-along to Neil Diamond's 'Sweet Caroline' during dinner. What else could you possibly want?!

No two weddings are the same, but what makes a really great wedding is the attitude of the couple, and these two just wanted to give their guests a REALLY flipping good time, so that's exactly what they got! I have never ever seen a congregation having such a blast, laughing, dancing and singing from start to finish. Well done guys. I loved how each guest was given a giant Toblerone as favors which were all devoured in seconds! And by far the best addition to the day was Simon the Piano Man, who kept the party swinging at full speed for hours with his incredible mental library of songs for almost any request.

This was my first time working at the beautiful Citadel in Weston-under-Redcastle and I'm already so excited to be going back next year, it is STUNNING! The gardens are perfect for getting those all important portraits and big enough so couples can have a wander away from the party for five minutes peace, and the marquee overlooks amazing views of our Shropshire countryside for effortless beauty.

I mean it when I say this wedding was a sheer joy to be part of. So massive thanks to Mr and Mrs Bess for inviting me to capture it for you, what a day!

Sophie xxx

Charl and Heidi asked me to photograph their wedding after seeing me in action at Charl's brother Jack's wedding back in 2014 when he married the lovely Pippa, so it was lovely to see some familiar faces at a new venue for me, Haughton Hall in Shifnal. 

So much care, attention and effort went into crafting and making for this wedding to make it perfect. Bank holidays in England are notoriously rubbish weather-wise, but some warm and sunshiny luck was bestowed upon these lovely ladies as it was by far one of the warmest days of the Summer! Meaning all of their guests could relax on the lawn while the kiddies ran free all day long.

It was such a beautiful day only matched by the beaming smiles on Charl and Heidi's faces, as these two love to laugh together. It's always so heartwarming when a couple share such a gorgeous friendship that's clear for everyone to see. As you go through these photographs you will also see the pure love and happiness that beams from them and their little family, and that ladies and gents is my favourote thing to photograph in the world.

Thank you so much Mrs and Mrs Redden for choosing me to capture your special day, it was a long time coming, but worth the wait!

​Sophie x

Kev and Julie's wedding was one of those special occasions that was a total pleasure to be a part of from start to finish. Over the course of a year or so I have immensely enjoyed our pre-wedding meet ups, shooting their day, and finally making their photo albums. What a beautiful genuine, loving and friendly couple, and a joy to work with. So firstly, thank you so much guys for having as your photographer!

The very relaxed, simple use of pale pastel colours and elegant light shades reflected this couples un-fussy and informal nature down to a tee, with an added unique touch of using Hops to decorate archways and beams as a nod to Kev's profession as an award winning brewer at Salopian Brewery, which of course meant there were plenty of delicious ales on offer for their guests.

The evening golden light that graced the hotel grounds overlooking the river and the entrance to Attingham Park was some of the most beautiful I have ever had to play with for romantic portraits, which combined with this stunning pair made for some really gorgeous shots. 

The day also had one of the funniest wedding moments of the year when the rain started, and the clear umbrellas Julie had bought off Ebay, opened to reveal a delightfully unexpected pattern of sausage dogs! Honestly I couldn't stop laughing for a stupidly long time, just brilliant!

There was so many gorgeous elements to this wedding I could go on about, like the stunning cake by Sam's Sweet Treats, confetti cannons exploding on the dance floor, and the lace back of Julie's gown and amazing headpiece. But rather than me harping on, just scroll down and see them for yourselves.

Enjoy!

A bit of a different sort of blog for you today folks, one I hope you will enjoy!

In February I took a spontaneous trip to somewhere very far from home and had the most wonderful adventure. As a girl who has travelled very little in my 28 years, this was a huge deal to me. My first time in Asia, first time backpacking, and most of all my first real chance to do some serious travel photography.

A bit of context for you - why Nepal? Well, my partner Simon, was born in Dharan and grew up in Pokhara. His Father was the recruiting officer for the British Ghurkas, and so he enjoyed a blissful wild childhood in the Himalayas. Pretty cool eh? He talks about Nepal ALL . THE . TIME so it was only fitting that we pop over for a couple of weeks so I could finally see this magical place that shaped him so much.

Nepal is a stunning country. Aside from the majestic snow-capped mountains that we all know and love which absolutely dominate the sky, the landscape holds endless visual delights unlike anything I've have ever seen in the flesh. Pink Rhododendrons on a misty hillside, emerald green paddy fields, turquoise rivers and lakes, banana trees and bamboo everywhere, and ancient twisty moss covered forests that make you feel like you're walking through the set of The Jungle Book. It was truly magic.

The capital Kathmandu is a level of bonkers that I wasn't expecting, but the pockets of peace are worth seeking out. I was struck by just how harmoniously Buddhism and Hinduism live alongside each other in such a chaotic environment, and visiting Boudhanath and Pashupatinath temples (the two most sacred temples in Nepal) was a real eye opener for the senses, as well as a treat for the photographers eye.

But my favourite thing to photograph (exactly the same as in my work at weddings) was the people. I had really hoped I would have a few opportunities to shoot portraits of the beautiful Nepalese, and I was truly spoilt for choice. It seemed that round every corner there would be somebody interesting doing something unusual that I simply had to capture. They are such a welcoming, friendly and loving people and I feel privileged to have spent even a short amount of time getting to know some of them and learning about their extraordinary culture.

I would recommend a trip to Nepal to anyone who has a taste for adventure. You wont be disappointed!

Here are just a few of my favourite photographs of the wonderful people and places we saw.
Enjoy!

If anyone would like to know more about travelling to beautiful Nepal, Simon and I would be delighted to give you some tips. Alternatively we highly recommend visiting the amazing blog Global Help Swap for great travel advice.
For the geeks: All images shot using a Canon 600D cropped sensor camera with either a Sigma 10-20mm or Sigma Art 35mm lens and edited in Lightroom.

When I first met Jono and Emelye, they were living in a caravan on a building site deep in the Shropshire countryside. They assured me that come the following year on the day they were to be wed, this pile of mud would have their dream house built on it, and be host to a beautiful reception with stunning views...it was a tad difficult to envisage! But sure enough, a year later I returned to their little patch of earth to find Emelye and her bridesmaids getting ready in the most beautiful home, and a gorgeously decorated huge marquee styled with rustic country arrangements by Mulberry Bush Studios and home-made touches galore.

Incredibly, disaster stuck the week before the big day, with torrential rains turning the intended site into a complete mudslide! But this incredible hard working couple and their amazing families and friends pulled together in what was probably the most stressful week of their lives, to transform the neighboring land, knee- deep in machinery, debris and rubbish, into a suitable site for a wedding. MASSIVE hats off to them all for pulling it off, they worked their bums off and made it happen just in the nick of time!! Well done guys!

This wedding was such a fun, joyful and laughter filled day and one I shall always remember. It had doggies, music, fire engines, effortless relaxed countryside chic, raw emotion, a stunning dress on a stunning bride, and SO much dancing!

Thank you so very much guys for having me be the lucky one to shoot your day.

​Enjoy! x