Patrick Green said it with flowers when he proposed to his fiancee Deborah Everingham. He filled a hotel room with 100 red and white roses. When she saw them Deborah says she just had to say “yes”.

The couple met in London back in 2000 and in March 2009 were married at St Philip and St James Church in Morton, Oswestry where Patrick or Paddy hails from.
The couple’s reception was held at Rowton Castle in Shrewsbury. Deborah says Rowton was a stunning venue with fantastic staff and excellent food.

Deborah (aged 34) works as a Chartered Surveyor. Paddy (35) is an IT Consultant. The couple decided to take a 10 month career break in 2007 travelling around Central and South America, New Zealand and South East Asia.

It was in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that Paddy proposed. Deborah remembers the day clearly “Paddy had been planning things for months. He had booked us into a beautiful boutique hotel and took me to a fantastic restaurant where he proposed over dinner. When we returned to the hotel he’d arranged for the room to be filled with 100 red and white roses. As we were backpacking on a very limited budget it was a fantastic surprise. Of course I said ‘yes’!”

Paddy and Deborah returned to the UK in March 2008 and took a year to plan their “big day”. Deborah’s bridesmaids were her niece, Rachel Kirby (aged 11) and two adult bridesmaids, her friends Claire Greensmith and Eve Powell. The best man was Paddy’s friend Nigel Ilsley.

Deborah had a “travelling” engagement ring for the first six months bought from an antique shop in Buenos Aires. When the couple returned home they went to the Ring Workshop at Four Crosses in Powys where Deborah selected her engagement ring – a platinum band of diamonds with an emerald cut garnet in the centre. Deborah’s wedding ring was a platinum band of diamonds. Paddy wears a plain gold wedding band. The wedding rings also came from The Ring Workshop.

Deborah’s dupion silk wedding dress came from the Bridal Rogue Gallery in London. The men’s suits came from Peter Posh in Shrewsbury. Bouquets and button holes in white roses were provided by Wyle Cop flowers in Shrewsbury.

Wedding photographs were provided by Gary Williams Photography and Deborah says Gary was absolutely fantastic. “He was incredibly professional but had a very relaxed approach which was exactly what we wanted. He was also very friendly and great fun.“

Paddy and Deborah decided to have something a little different to the usual vintage wedding car. They hired a 1966 VW Samba Microbus called “Honey” from Jonathan Brooks of www.letsdoweddings.biz based in the West Midlands. Deborah says it was a slightly unconventional way to arrive at the church but everyone really loved it!

After the wedding the couple were on the road again for another overseas trip – this time to South Africa where Deborah says they spent two amazing weeks.

Gary Williams Photography featured in Wedding Connections Magazine.

Wedding Connections Magazine Article

“Out of this world from begininning to end, we had nothing but excellence! The album blew us away, we cant thank you enough!”

As the morning of Joanne Crichton and Justin Griffiths’ wedding dawned, the clouds miraculously parted, giving way to beautiful blue sky and sunshine: Everyone knew that this was going to be the perfect autumn day! The wedding ceremony was held at the lovely St Nicholas’ Church in Codsall, Staffordshire at 12 noon, on the 13th September. The Bride stayed at Somerford Hall, Brewood on the night before the wedding, where the families met for a fish & chip supper (which was wrapped in a specially designed newspaper dedicated to the story of the Bride and Groom). On the morning of the wedding Joanne spent a relaxing morning getting ready for the big day.

The Groom, having had a relaxing traditional shave, courtesy of the team at Taylor homme in Birmingham, prepared for the ceremony at his parents house, within walking distance of the church. Joanne wore a beautiful Ian Stuart gown which was covered in French lace and intricate crystal beading, her hair piece was by Halo & co. and veil by Joyce Jackson (all from the wonderful ladies at Shropshire County Brides). Joanne’s stunning vintage style shoes were custom made by Emmy, and her beautiful rose bouquet was by Dawn Wyse. Her bridesmaids wore sage green dresses by Watters & Watters from Fairytale Dreams, Shrewsbury, and carried smaller pale pink rose bouquets.The palette of sage green and dusty pink was carried through to the wedding stationery, designed by the bride and groom. The theme was “1950’s vintage kitsch” and featured a stunning selection of cupcakes prepared by family friend and cake maker, Lucy Pike. During the afternoon a candy bar was opened so guests could help themselves to their favourite treats. On arrival at Somerford Hall a champagnereception was served while friends and family mingled on the terrace. Garden games were laid out for the guests to enjoy, and music was provided by the fantastic pianist, Nick Wiley. During this time, Bride and Groom had their official photographs taken by Ben Fones from Gary Williams Photography based in Brockton, Shropshire, who captured the romance of the day perfectly. Videography was provided by Carefully Crafted Media.

The wedding breakfast began with chicken, orange and walnut salad followed by duck breast with port and black cherry sauce and a dessert of blackberry cheesecke. This was served after the speeches so that the speakers could relax and enjoy their meals. The evening guests were treated to a meal of a hog roast and a selection of salads, and entertainment was from the fantastic band ‘Hipster’, who had a special guest singer later in the evening when the Groom joined them for a song!!!

The next day, Jo and Justin spent a night at the Lace Market Hotel in Nottingham before flying to Venice – the first destination on their romantic Italian honeymoon.

As featured in Touch Base magazine

Lisa and Dean were fortunate to celebrate their marriage with a civil ceremony and reception at the fantastic Fairlawns Hotel.
With the brides brother Peter giving her away, Lisa was a vision in white as she walked down the aisle surrounded by their guests.
The July weather was kind to us for part of the day so we took advantage of the sun and I took Lisa and Dean around the grounds of Fairlawns in between the showers for plenty of bride and groom portraits.
With a hundred guests a dog and a beautiful harp playing the background the whole day was full of fun, laughter and love.

Both bride and groom, along with the bridesmaids prepared for the day ahead in Swinfen Hall with plenty of help from friends and family.

Kay was walked down the aisle at St John Baptist Church, Shenstone by her father Ken, followed by her two pink ladies!

The wedding party then returned to Swinfen Hall where group photos were the order of the day!

The Brides father, Roger gave her away in the inviting surroundings of  St Johns Church, Hagley Hall which was filled with friends and family.

Then it was back to Rose cottage where a marquee had been erected for 120 guests to enjoy the rest of the day. This is where the celebrations stayed until the early hours of the morning, with guests eating, drinking and dancing the night away.

A timeless way to enjoy your wedding photographs, a mix of 100 black and white or colour prints from your day presented in a beautiful leather box.
A slideshow set to music is also included on DVD so you can share your memories with others.
A framed signature photograph produced on your wedding day.
A DVD set containing all of the high resolution images is also yours to keep and make prints from.

The group was split in to 2 with the none-golfers opting for a clay pigeon shoot. I would imagine this would have been quite a value for money exercise as many of the clays could be reused as they were completely untouched by shot. I think that it must have been the type of cartridges used…well that what I always blame!

The day was topped of by a fantastic presentation meal with loads of prizes awarded. Thanks go to the team in the marketing department and Jeremy Oliver for all his help on the day.

Back to website

The Sunday of the May Day weekend saw me return to Fawsley Hall for the first time since March, for the wedding of Mia and Richard. Once again it was slightly different to the previous two events that I had photographed there this year, as this time it was to be a civil ceremony meaning that everything would take place under the same roof. The weather reports had not been fantastic but once the ceremony had started in the larger of the two rooms Fawsley Hall has to offer the rain clouds seemed to be staying away.

Once the ceremony had finished we quickly ushered the guests outside so that we could throw a bit of confetti and get through the list of formal group photographs which Mia and Richard had requested. However we had done only two groups when we started to feel the rain drops starting to fall so we made a quick break for the Great Hall for a few drinks in the hope that the clouds would part, which gave me a great opportunity to take plenty of reportage photography of the guests. Before too long the rain stopped and the sun came out and with the help of the ushers, best man and bridesmaids we were able to round up all of the guests needed to finish the formal group photographs and take some stunning bride and groom portraits using the beautiful surroundings of Fawsley Hall to there full potential.

Back to website

The May day weekend usually signifies the start of wedding season and this year is no different (although we feel like it never really ended last year), with over 70 weddings lined up for the rest of the year Lisa and Andrew were the first of many couples tying the knot over the next few months. The happy couple chose to get married at The Mount Hotel in Tettenhall Wolverhampton, with the reception to follow at the same venue, They both came over to see me at the studio the week before and Andrew look terrified at the prospect of giving a speech but both Lisa and I managed to calm him down.

Lisa and her bridesmaids were joined by Lisa’s mom and Dad at The Mount to get ready for the days festivities, Andrew arrived with his best man shortly before the ceremony and still looked just as nervous as he had done several days earlier, but after a few pics and a couple of laughs he soon calmed down. They got married in the Great Hall at The Mount Hotel which was later changed around to cater for the wedding breakfast and later still the evening reception. The day went off with out any hitches and the couple and guests alike enjoyed probably the first bit of good weather we’ve had all year allowing everyone to spend a lovely day out on the lawns sipping Pimms…and by the way Andrew got through his speech without any fuss so much so he really wasn’t sure what all the stress was about.

Back to website

Jan and Dan celebrated their marriage at a civil ceremony at the stunning location that is Moxhull Hall. This emotion packed day started with the civil ceremony being held in the magnificent Dining Room. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as Jan made her entrance! Even I had a lump in my throat…a seasoned veteran of hundreds of weddings!

The April weather was kind to them and despite showers earlier in the day the sun made an appearance just in time to have pre-dinner drinks on the patio accompanied by a superb rag time jazz band! They do say that “the sun shines on the righteous!”

The wedding breakfast was held in the marquee which were Andreas and his team had made Jan’s dreams come true with the beautiful décor. Again music was provided by the live Jazz band… what a fantastic day was enjoyed by all!

Back to website

When a couple of weeks before the wedding Paul came over to see me nursing a pretty bad hangover I was pretty sure this wedding was going to be a lively one and I wasn’t disappointed. I arrived at Hayleys Parents house in Four Oaks just 5 minutes from Moor Hall a couple of hours before the service and was greeted with a house full of people running here and there having make up touched up and there hair done and that was just the men (only joking!). After photographing all the usual things like the wedding dress and shoes I started to take some reportage pictures of what was going on in the house taking what seemed like millions of baby portraits of young Tommy, Hayley and Paul’s son. Once the madness had died down we set out for the Moor Hall Hotel to meet the groom, who was looking the picture of calmness (a completely different story from the last time I saw him).

After the service I took the Hayley and Paul around Moor Hall for plenty of Bride and Groom portraits which turned out excellent thanks in part to the terrific grounds and golf course Moor Hall has to offer. Later on in the evening after the speeches things started to liven up as the happy couple and there friends hit the dance floor to drink and dance the night away.

Back to website

After an intimate wedding at Jakes, in treasure beach, Jamaica on valentines day, Julie Jonathan and their friends and Family descended on Fawsley Hall in Daventry for a rousing evening Reception. I arrived earlier in the day before the festivities started and took our happy couple of for some stunning bride and groom portraits. Then once guest started to arrive the evening turned quite lively after a series of fantastic speeches the night commenced with a superb performance from the band which I stayed to capture in a relaxed, documentary style with fantastic results.

Back to website

Sophie and Peter got married on a gloriously sunny day ideal for wedding photography in Daventry near Northampton in St Mary the Virgin Church, Fawsley. Sophie being possibly the most organised bride I have ever seen had planned the day out to the minute and we pretty much stuck to it, when I arrived at Sophie’s parents house in Oxford everything was going to plan and poor Alan (Sophie’s dad) was just happy for some male company after being surrounded by women all morning. Sophie’s parents house was decked out in the same beautifully flowers that Sophie had in her bouquet and made and excellent backdrop for some stunning bridal portraits, before we left for Fawsley Hall.

After the service Sophie and Peter had made the decision to take the short walk from the church back up to Fawsley Hall where we enjoyed wonderful sunshine for the rest of the day getting some absolutely stunning wedding pictures of the bride and groom and there guests enjoying the wonderful surrounding that is Fawsley Hall.

Back to website

After consulting us on the best way to present on what amounts to be a massive body of evidence required for the entry, we decided that a slideshow set to music could be both informative whilst still being entertaining. After a week of shooting pictures, sifting through information and choosing the right music we completed the slideshow and sent it off with fingers crossed! Jon and Jayne were notified after what seemed like an eternity that they had made the ‘red carpet’.

Jon and Jayne go on to say “The practice team at the DENTAL SPA based at Shrewsbury’s Oxon Business Park, have every reason to celebrate. They are now five years old and have just found out that they are finalists in the ‘Dental Oscars’, The Dental Awards 2008 for the categories for both ‘Best Dentist’ and ‘Best Practice Environment’. ‘We are delighted with this recognition for these very prestigious awards but what makes it even more thrilling is that we have been nominated by a colleague within the dental profession which to us is an accolade in itself’, explains Dr Jon Sproson BDS, Principal of the DENTAL SPA” For more information on all the services provided at the DENTAL SPA, the REFERRAL CLINIC and the SKIN CLINIC call 01743 34 34 33 or visit www.the-dentalspa.co.uk

We would just like to wish them the best of luck on the night, and hope they have a glass of champagne for me!

Back to website

Just to say I may not be able to fulfil my wedding commitments after this date…and to all who knew me, I love you all.

Back to website

Back to website

It was also great to speak to not just new customers but also meet up with some of our existing customers who were out for a browse. We are due to exhibit there again in the 10th-12th October this year. It certainly marks the passing of the seasons.

Back to website

Back to website

Best Look from a Collection Yr1; 1st and 2nd Place + 4finalists places
Best Look from a Collection Yr2; 1st 2nd and 3rd Places!!!!+2 other Finalists
Best Look from a Collection Yr3; 3 Finalist places
Best Collection; 2nd Place + 4 out of 10 finalist places

We have also produced some amazing looks for the Wella Trend Vision competition for various salons. We especially love this competition as it allows for use of creative imagination in a way no other hair competition does. We will keep you posted as to how we do in these comps.

Back to website

The move didn’t go exactly smoothly as such problems with the window supplier meant that we couldn’t move in on schedule despite loosing internet and phone lines back at the studio. So we were stranded for a few weeks, not that I’m complaining or don’t like talking to you all…but it was quite nice without the phones ringing of the hooks!

When we did finally manage to get in we installed a new network system and had all the usual teething problems that you would expect! Luckily the guys from ACE computer support (http://www.acecomputersupport.co.uk) were always on hand to smooth things out for us!!! A Massive thanks goes out for all their help!

So now that all the dust has settled, what’s the prognosis? The move is the best thing that we’ve ever done! Its an excellent place to meet our customers and design albums, the air is fresh and the views are fantastic! I have popped a couple of shots of the new facility here for you have a look at, also please see how Ben and I make use of the space!

Back to website

Whenever we take pictures at weddings there always seems to be press scrum forming behind me…mobile phones and digital cameras at the ready. We always take a good humored view on this, so we thought that we could give you a few top tips on how to get the best from your pics.

Practice makes perfect!

Bring loads of memory with you and shoot away, always remember that we are there to do the proper job so you can just enjoy yourselves. Try taking shots of the less obvious; we will be doing all the official bride and groom and group photography.

So, if you are doing it to give as a gift then try to photograph the less obvious, people having fun away from where the bride and groom are. It’s the things that they didn’t see that they will be most interested in, not just duplicates of what the professional is taking!

Zoom Zoom Zoom!!!

Use your optical zoom (not your digital zoom) to get in close whenever you can. Photography is all about emotion so get close and concentrate on the top half of the body to show off those big smiles. So forget about including legs and background objects when you photograph people. No one is interested in trousers and church spires, they want to see human emotions.

However, be aware that zoom lenses will magnify your own body movements as well, this could cause camera shake so, if your camera has it, use its built-in image stabilization. If it hasn’t then learn to hold it steady, keep your elbows tucked in and have a wide foot stance.

Flash…the savior of the Universe?

If possible, avoid using your built-in flash. It turns humans into cardboard cut-outs, with red eyes, flat features, and harsh shadows.

Here’s the thing, while all photographers have there own style, we only use flash as a last resort. Generally you can’t beat what God provides, so we are looking for quality light rather than quantity. So when we are outside we put people in the shade to reduce contrast.

If we are indoors then we try to bounce our flash off the ceiling or if it’s built in then just go for it!
Back to website

I had the honour of providing the wedding photography in Birmingham City Centre for wedding of Chris and Margaret.

They came out of St. Andrews Greek Orthodox Cathedral at 4.30 so it was already very dark! However at our pre wedding chat we had discussed the opportunity of producing a Wedding album that was really unique! So we pulled up our creative socks and strode off into the night in search of theatrical lighting and all the drama of a romantic night shoot.

The kind people at the Mailbox allowed us to use this contemporary setting to provide the backdrop, and the shoppers couldn’t believe there eyes as Margaret and Chris gave them an impromptu fashion show!

I would just like to say a big thank you to Margaret and Chris for sharing there special day with me. Despite the fact that they are usually quite private people being so brave on the day and giving shoppers at the Mailbox a real Christmas treat!

Back to website

Back to website

Back to website

Back to website

Back to website

Back to website

Congratulations to Alan and Emma Grant who had the most fantastic of days at Rowton Castle. After and engagement period of only 13 years, this ‘impetuous’ couple were determined to make the most of this impressive backdrop.

Okay Magazine had nothing on this one with there own self styled magazine featuring exclusive and revealing interviews with the happy couple. We thought this was a fantastic and novel way to prepare the ‘Order of Service’.

The Staff at Rowton put on a magnificent display as always, its easy to see why this is one of the UK’s most popular wedding venues, with an immaculate fairy tale setting and seamless co-ordination!

Back to website

Back to website