Although this looks like a summer wedding, it actually took place on October 1st last year. Neil and Becky could not have wished for better weather for their rustic countryside wedding at The Great Barn in Rolvenden Kent.

I have several connections to Neil and Becky. My parents used to socialise with Neil’s parents and my husband was at school with Neil’s brother.

I was thrilled to bits when Neil asked I’d I would be their wedding photographer for their barn wedding in Kent. They are all so creative and I knew that the attention to detail would be second to none. The invitation, designed and produced by Neil and Becky, was exquisite, a real joy to receive.

I think all wedding photographers check weather forecasts obsessively and I hoped the dry sunny and warm forecast wouldn’t be wrong

I travelled down to Kent from Suffolk, passing some lovely countryside and Leeds Castle. I was to shoot Becky’s bridal preparations at a beautiful little cottage where her parents had been staying that week. It had a windmill in the grounds which looked gorgeous against the clear blue sky.

Neil’s niece was a gorgeous bridesmaid.

Becky and her bridesmaids travelled to The Great Barn in Rolvenden in a gorgeous VW camper van.

Here is Neil’s best man, his brother ‘sig’, furniture designer extraordinaire

The barber shop quartet rehearse whilst waiting for Becky to arrive.

Neil, waiting somewhat anxiously (Becky was running a little late)

One of my favourite shots of the year.

We took a few minutes to take some photographs in the orchard in the setting sun.

Neil and Becky had decorated the barn beautifully. That’s what I like about barn weddings, the couple can transform the structure, filling it with their favourite things.

The speeches were fabulous – such fun.

Sig’s best man’s speech took the form of a powerpoint presentation, naturally.

I was so pleased to be part of this beautiful wedding.

This wedding was featured on Love My Dress last spring. It didn’t seems quite right to blog a snowy wedding in the summer, so I thought I would leave it until now.

Victoria and Raphael live in New York, which made planning their wedding a little tricky. It’s a long story but we ended up having our consultation in the car park of a derelict pub by the A12!

We had had heavy snow in Suffolk before Christmas, and by the 28th there was still some on the ground, but it had frozen, making conditions quite treacherous. Fortunately all the guests managed to make it to Suffolk, and Hintlesham Hall is such a fantastic venue for a winter wedding, that it really doesn’t matter if you are unable to set foot outside.

Victoria and her bridesmaids got ready in the beautiful, galleried Orchard Room at Hintlesham Hall. There is plenty of room for all of the bridal preparations and the fabric shutters are just gorgeous.

Victoria bought her Amsale gown in New York and had it shipped over. It suited her perfectly and it had pockets! Such a good idea.

Victoria’s bouquet was of roses of the deepest red. After they had been delivered they were stored outside to keep them cool. When we brought them into the room, beautiful little drops of moisture formed.

Hintlesham Church is just a short drive, but the short walk across the ice from the car park was a bit scary! It had started to sleet by the time Vicki arrived, but the ushers, armed with huge umbrellas came dashing to the rescue.

Vicki’s mother waited at the church door in the freezing cold to see her daughter walk down the path.

This image of Vicki being escorted down the path is one of my favourites of the year.

Raphael is French and so the ceremony at Hintlesham Church was to be bilingual, with his Parish priest being flown in especially. Although very cold inside, the church looked cosy with all the candles lit.

As it was too slippery underfoot to go outside for photos, we used the long gallery upstairs at Hintlesham Hall, with its gorgeous windows.

The dining room had been sumptuously decorated in reds, golds and greens. Perfect for a Christmas or winter wedding.

With a French groom and and English bride, what better table names could there have been?

I do love photographing the speeches, and finding out just that little bit more about the groom than he’d hoped.

The evening entertainment consisted of a casino with roulette and a cad table. Guests had been given ‘money’ with Vicky and Raph’s portraits on.

We went outside to do some photos with sparklers and light trails. The conditions weren’t ideal, as Hintlesham Hall is quite brightly lit and we weren’t able to go further away. This one is quite cool though.

Back inside for the first dance.

I absolutely loved this wedding, and would like to thank Victoria and Raphael for choosing me as their wedding photographer.

There can’t be many weddings combining Greek and Namibian influences! You may remember Stephanie and Chris’s pre-wedding shoot in Bury St Edmunds in Spring last year. I was really looking forward to their wedding at Alpheton Hall Barns and it turned out to be a fabulous day.

Stephanie got ready at The Mill Hotel in Sudbury.

Alpheton Hal Barns is one of my favourite wedding venues in Suffolk. Just off the A134 between Bury St Edmunds and Sudbury, it is nestled in the rolling Suffolk countryside. It makes for a relaxed, rustic wedding.

The weddings at Alpheton Hall Barns can take place in either of the barns, depending on the number of guests, or in the church which is literally a stone’s throw from the Barns.

It was a showery day, but we took the opportunity of a break in the weather to do some couple shots in the glorious grounds of Alpheton Hall Barns

Stephanie included some elements of her childhood in Namibia in the wedding details decorating the barn, along with the wedding newspaper on each table, which featured one of the images from their pre-wedding shoot on the front page.

The guests were entertained by a string quartet, playing some pretty cool music.

With the subdued lighting, Stephanie’s father need a little help from his son and a torch to read his English speech! As for the nasal duet, who can say?

Chris and his brothers commenced the Greek dancing.

This was followed by the traditional money-pinning dance.

Towards the end of last summer, I met with Ellie and Tom, who had booked me as their wedding photographer for their wedding in October in Long Melford. We decided to meet at eh wonderful Snape Maltings on the Suffolk coast. Tom is a professional singer so it fit the bill perfectly.

They brought their dog along for a while, but very cleverly Tom’s mum was on hand to take her off for a walk after she had played her part!

As I am a little behind with my blogging, I can tell you that their wedding in Long Melford with reception at Alpheton Hall Barns was fabulous!

This weekend I flew to Prague with my family to see our favourite band, Rammstein. This the seventh time I have seen them live, having seen them in London, Birmingham, Berlin and Madrid. A Rammstein concert is a spectacle like no other, immaculately choreographed, with inventive sets, props and pyrotechnics. It is by no means merely two hours of explosions though, it is much more than that.

This tour does not have a new album to promote, but rather is a celebration of their work so far, and a compilation album, Made in Germany will be released in December. It is essentially a ‘best of’ and the concert on Saturday was in the same vein. A set list of all killer and no filler made for a thrilling night for the 18000 Rammstein fans in Prague’s O2 Arena.

Following a brief commotion in one corner of the Arena, which was originally attributed to the presence of a local celebrity, the six members of Rammstein emerged and made their way down through the crowd onto the floor of the arena, where they were escorted like contenders in a boxing match to a platform in the middle of the venue. They then crossed a walkway which had been lowered from the roof, onto the stage, where Schneider  lit a beacon and the set began with Sonne.

Part way through the set the walkway descended again whilst Richard played keyboard, then the rest of the band arrived on their knees on a bewigged Schneider’s  leash. They then played several songs on this tiny platform in the middle of the crown.

Leaving the Arena via the walkway once more to the strains of Ohne Dich, I experienced the same feeling I have at the end of everyone of their shows. You just want them to stay a little bit longer.

They returned to the stage for their encore, finishing with the classic Engel.

I didn’t think I would see a better show than Reise Reise, but honestly this was quite the best performance I have seen in my life. I want to take everyone I know to see them, yet at the same time I want to guard them jealously. I could see every show on a tour and never get tired. Alas that it not possible so I will look forward to seeing them in London in February 2012.

If you have tickets to see them over the next few weeks – enjoy! You will not be disappointed.

And so, mesdames et messieurs, nous avons l’honneur ce soir de vous présenter, la nouvelle collection de Rammstein!

Although I am a professional music photographer, these are my photos as a fan, taken from my regular seat in the stands. The copyright is mine so please link here rather than copying the images. If you have any questions, please get in touch via the Contact Form.