Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing Sharron and Helen’s civil partnership at the glorious Blue Hayes private hotel at St Ives. This is a lovely venue which is licensed for civil weddings and partnerships for intimate weddings for small numbers. They cater for the wedding ceremony and drinks and canapes but not for wedding receptions.

The weather was ideal great flat lighting and prior to the ceremony I got some shots of Sharron and Helen enjoying a drink outside with the views to St Ives and across to Godrevy and St Ives Bay. After the ceremony following some delicious canapes and Perrier champagne we headed off to Porthminster beach and then over to Godrevy to get some shots with rocks and the lighthouse.

While at Godrevy we were doing some shots on the beach when a seal popped its head out of the water and came so close to the water’s edge that we thought it was going to come onto the beach, but instead it checked us out for a while before leaving.

The girls looked fab in lovely dresses and it was great to spend time photographing them; time I thoroughly enjoyed and having checked out some of the shots I’m looking forward to processing the photographs and converting some into black and white.

The Carbis Bay Hotel is a wedding venue that I have worked at many times and is a favourite venue of mine. This is a privately owned venue that is very popular with couples in Cornwall and much further afield looking for a stylish venue to get married in Cornwall.

This venue is licensed for civil weddings and partnerships and is provides excellent facilities for weddings in Cornwall with hotel accommodation and self catering accommodation available for the bridal party and wedding guests.

There are two rooms for hire for wedding ceremonies depending on the numbers of people attending a wedding, a spacious restaurant and a conservatory which is light and great for photography in the event of bad weather. There are numerous locations inside that make great backdrops for wedding photographs.

This venue is very close to Carbis Bay beach and has beautiful views from the hotel over the beach and beautiful St Ives Bay across to Godrevy lighthouse and the glorious sand dunes at Hayle,

Wedding receptions are available at Carbis Bay hotel if people choose to get married in church. The service is very efficient and the food is always excellent; couples photographed by Shahphotos are always pleased with their choice of wedding venue and are complimentary how every effort is made to ensure their wedding day celebration was all they hoped it would be.

I look forward to photographing my next wedding at the Carbis Bay Hotel later this month and hope the weather is good as I know the couple want to get on to the beach for photographs and to enjoy some time together for a catch up on the day of their wedding.

To find out more about our photography call 01736 755043 or make an enquiry online

Wedding photography at St Ives Cornwall where the sea views and beaches are enjoyed by brides and grooms on their wedding day. St Ives is at the top of my list for places to shoot weddings. Many wedding photographers have to travel from far away to take photos at St Ives and here I am with St Ives on my door step (well nearly)

Wedding Photographers St Ives

St Ives has a special atmosphere about it and many of the couples I photograph know associate the town with holiday fun and therefore make it the ideal place to get married.

Wedding photography at the Chy an Albany Hotel at St Ives in Cornwall. A wedding venue for smaller weddings where I photographed Michelle and Ed’s wedding.

This wedding venue at St Ives is close to fabulous beaches and the town centre is nearby. We were so lucky to get some great outdoor photographs on the Island in St Ives with panoramic sea views across St Ives Bay, followed by a visit to Porthminster beach with great views to St Ives and across St Ives Bay to Gwithian. Having got some great shots on leaving the beach it started to rain.

Michelle and Ed had a great time and will have great wedding photos that will always rekindle the excitement and emotions of their wedding day.

Wedding meeting at the Chy an Albany Hotel St Ives about a wedding taking place in December. I have photographed many weddings at the hotel which is on the approach to St Ives and has views across the bay. Winter weddings are challenging as the weather can be dreadful but a crisp bright day will be a real bonus enabling photographs to be taken outside.

Winter weddings have their own atmosphere although I do know of some wedding photographers who will not photograph winter weddings. If it rains stay undercover; simple really, and concentrate on the informal shots of wedding guests enjoying a drink or two and then have an area for a few groups of close family and friends. Natural light will add a special feel to the photographs in complete contrast to the type of wedding photography that can be done outside.

I guess I like challenges which is what keeps me highly motivated; I like to improve on what I have achieved in the past and this keeps my wedding photography fresh and, for me,  exciting.

The weather is so unpredictable I have known rain, sunshine and hailstones in one day so my motto is expect the unexpected and always take advantage of good weather whilst it’s there particularly for beach wedding photography.

I spent some time with my wonderful Mother earlier today; she’s a total extravert and a total joy to spend time with. Back in January we enjoyed an incredible family night out at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. On the way to the Opera House we passed the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. I said to Leon (my son) we must go in there one day as that’s where your Great Grandfather starred in many roles and back in the 1930s was nick-named the King of Dury Lane! Well, today my mother was playing me some amazing music with my Grandfather singing; what an amazing voice. The piece my mother played was written by a friend of my Grandfather and as I listened I felt this amazing rush of emotion.

I thought I wish I could have seen him take the stage and share the excitement that he felt before every performance. When I was about 10 I remember being taken to Dury Lane by my Mother. The stage hand that showed us around remembered my Grandfather, the great Harry Welchman, with obvious fond memories. He said “your Grandfather would stand on that stage (it’s enormous) with a full orchestra playing and when he sang you could hear every note above the orchestra without any microphones.” I remember how amazed I felt – how could one person’s voice fill such a huge theatre and top the whole orchestra; when I listened to his voice today I could understand how – fabulous!

I left to go back to the studio where I finished processing the images for a recent wedding before getting changed to go to Tregenna Castle. Beautiful sunshine for today’s wedding. It was such fun; more details to follow later. Got back home to receive confirmation of a booking for 2011 and another request for a meet later this year for a Christmas wedding in 2011. Gave Laura the Bride to Be a call and set up a meet for later in the year for a get together. 

What an amazing day full of excitement; I’m so lucky to be surrounded by such a wonderful family and to be able to share in the excitement of so many wedding day celebrations.

There are wedding venues where you can get married outside. There has to be a covered area which must be licensed with your local registration office in order for you to get married outside.

There are at least 3 wedding venues I have worked at recently, in Cornwall, that are licensed for outdoor wedding ceremonies: Tregenna Castle at St Ives, Boscundle Manor at Par near St Austell and The Rose in Vale Country House Hotel near St Agnes. In addition if you would like to get married outdoors with sea views Tregenna is the place and is close to some fabulous beaches.

The Rose in Vale is near St Agnes and there are mine workings, cliffs and sea views a short drive away. I have taken couples to locations nearby which make  great wedding photography back drops.

I photographed a crazy civil partnership at Boscundle Manor. The ceremony was held outside and a marquee had been set up for the wedding guests – it worked really well and the couple were delighted which let’s face it is most important.

Can you have a wedding ceremony on a beach will be the subject of another post.

Hard to beleive how many wedding photographs have been captured so far in April and it’s not even half way through the month. Delighted to have photographed Kathryn and Sam’s wedding at the beginning of April. Lovely ceremony at St Euny Church at Redruth, I was born in Redruth, followed by a reception at Tregennna Castle Hotel, overlooking St Ives. I will be posting some images soon. Great day, got to the beach had great fun photographing the happy couple. The food was excellennt, chef certainly did everyone proud everyone on the table was very impressed, one wedding guest commented ”what a change to get decent food at a wedding”. He was from the woking area and thoroughly enjoyed his visit to Cornwall as did the other guests on the table.

It’s Sunday, have just downloaded and backed up yesterday’s wedding and am now off to photograph a toddler at the studio. The sun’s shining and I’m really looking forward to photographing Amber, who I last photographed about 2 years ago.

My business is so varied and exciting – love it!!!!!!

Will be posting again soon so do check back for more of my ramblings.

Pervaiz

This year is flying by and August has been an extremely busy, successful month. Having covered weddings at venues such as Boscundle Manor, St Austell, Tregenna Castle Hotel, St Ives, St Buryan Church, St Gluvias Curch, Penryn, Lands End Hotel, Porthminster  Hotel, St Ives, St Michael’s Hotel, Falmouth with marquees that have been supplied by Absolute Canvas and Bodmin Marquees –  lots of hours photographing weddings and many hours spent by Leon post processing all of the captured images. We have worked to within our quoted time schedules and in addition we have received orders for our designer wedding albums, so the pressure has most certainly been high but we have delivered.

Thanks to all of our brides and grooms whose weddings we have covered, it has been such a pleasure to work with you all and many many thanks for all the appreciative emails and phone calls – always good to receive feedback.

September is probably going to be even busier than August as there are many couples who have yet to make their selection of photographs for their wedding album page designs – I have a feeling we are going to receive lots of orders which when added to the number of weddings that I shall be photographing – well all I can say is it’s going to be a mega month! Leon and I look forward to it.

Well what a surprise for Jan and Marks wedding yesterday – the sun came out!!!!! I could not believe my eyes, having been woken up at 6am with the sound of really heavy rain.

Anyway, the wedding ceremony took place at the Porthminster hotel, St Ives; I got there at 3pm to do some photography of Jan and her bridesmaids having make-up and hair done then the groom in his suit, prior to the wedding ceremony which was at 4pm. I think that Jan was the most stressed bride I have photographed in a very long time – at least she was when I arrived, but after I started taking photographs, having a chat and a laugh, she started to relax. It’s quite understandable; she simply wanted everything to be perfect.

There were about 80 guests, quite a few children and I am so happy that we managed to get some shots done on Porthminster beach as the Bride, Jan, particularly wanted some beach shots. After going to the beach and a few group photographs there was a buffet, which was excellent, a magician who went around the tables entertaining the guests then after the buffet many of the guests enjoyed the chocolate fountain prior to some fresh air and dancing from about 8pm.

Jan and Mark enjoyed their wedding as did their guests. The staff at the Porthminster hotel were very obliging and relaxed – well done to you all.