Barrie Neil Photography

Even the city can be beautiful

2011-09-05T11:03:00.001+01:00

When you think of beautiful scenery, you tend to think of roiling hills or meadows or lakes and few would think of the towns and cities most of us live in.

However, cityscapes can be as visually exciting and pleasing as the pastoral scenes more commonly associated with landscape photography. One is not necessarily better than the other but different. All it takes is a little imagination.

Here are a few photographs taken a few days ago in the area immediately around where we live in Salford Quays

We just love making people happy

2010-11-25T18:56:00.002Z

We've just received this message posted on our Facebook page and I thought I'd share it with you on here as well. It was from Clare who was married on the 6th November 2010 at Thornton Manor on the Wirral

We've just got back from our honeymoon and I must say, you guys are amazing. The photos are outstanding, I love all of them and I'm lost for words. Thank you so much cant wait to plan our album i think you guys must be also magicians!!

It's so wonderful when we hear how pleased people are with what we do. It;s more than a job to us and this sort of response makes it so worthwhile and it's nice to know we are doing it right

Another happy customer

2010-08-26T11:10:00.001+01:00

In our business, you usually get feedback from customers whether it is after a wedding you have photographed or from a commercial assignment. Quite often this is a verbal thank you or more usually, an email or a letter or card of thanks.

It is always satisfying to be told you have done a good job and made somebody happy.

I received an email from a client called Kathy who lives in New Jersey in the USA. She had seen our photographs of the girl band BOND (see the photos here: http://barrieneil.blogspot.com/2010/07/bond-llangollen-2010.html) and wanted a couple of very large prints (24"x16").

She has just received them and this morning I received this email.

Barrie!!!

OH MY WORD!!! The posters are PHENOMENAL!! I could not be happier!! I just received them from the post after a long day back at the office. ( I was out on disability from an operation) What a most welcome return back to life gift!!

I'm so giddy with happiness, I might just sod the frames and hang them up immediately! Really, your work is just beautiful!!

I can't thank you enough and honestly, I really feel like I'd like to order more!! If you are willing, I'd be happy to put in another order in a month's time. You can never have enough bond on your walls!

Thank you so much for the lovely attention to detail in the wrapping and the speedy delivery. I am so, so happy!

Best wishes,

Kathy !!

As you can imagine, I was so happy to receive this email and it really does make all the hard work worthwhile

Magnificent Chester Cathedral

2010-08-18T23:06:00.002+01:00

We are very lucky in the UK that despite the best efforts of Henry VIII, many of our old religious buildings have remained largely intact, so we can still enjoy the magnificent architecture the likes of which could never be created today.

In Chester, we have the amazing Chester Cathedral and we have recently had the opportunity to photograph the interior when it was completely devoid of people

Here are a few photos from the set.

Peckforton Castle ♥ DeAnna and Neil

2010-08-13T18:39:00.001+01:00

I always ask couples why they choose particular venues. We all see things differently and it's interesting to hear exactly why a particular venue 'hit the spot' with a couple.

As photographers, we view venues from a different perspective to a couple looking to get married. Our concerns are how photogenic a place is, what are the best angles and locations. Are there nice grounds? What do we do if the weather is bad?

The last point is extremely important. Whilst we all wish for good weather, we do have to be realistic about the good old British climate and there are a great many venues out there that have superb grounds but are totally banal inside and therefore, on a bad weather day, the opportunities for creating interesting photographs are low.

We have a small list of venues we will not attend simply because we cannot do as good a job at them as we can at others. With some it is because they have no garden or an area nearby for exterior photos and with others, it is because inside, they look like a sports hall or something similar! We have very high standards and if we feel we cannot deliver to the best of our ability, we believe it is wrong to take a client's money.

This is why DeAnna and Neil chose so wisely when they booked Peckforton Castle in Tarporley, Cheshire for their wedding ceremony and reception. The interior of this building is simply magnificent and there are just so many wonderful places for photographs inside. In fact, regardless of the weather, you simply MUST have some photographs inside.

The reason I have mentioned all this is unfortunately, the day of DeAnna and Neil's wedding was a bit dark and damp. We did manage to get outside for a few photographs but we were soon scurrying for the warm and dry interior of the castle.

DeAnna and Neil travelled from the USA to get married at Peckforton Castle (although Neil is in fact British). She looked absolutely stunning in the dress she brought over with her and along with her bridesmaids in their amazing blue dresses, the castle was certainly a bright and cheerful place despite the weather.

I've posted here a small sample of photographs from their lovely wedding

More photographs from Peckforton Castle and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Boxall and Edmiston

2010-08-10T08:26:00.019+01:00

One of the benefits of our profession is that we very often get to see places and meet people we would never otherwise meet. Sometimes this is getting to meet and chat to celebrities and other famous and interesting people and at other times, it's being granted access to facilities usually off limits to the general public.

The commission we had on the 10th August 2010 falls largely into the latter category.

We were commissioned by Sodick, the manufacturers of some highly specialised engineering equipment, to photograph their installation at Boxall and Edmiston, a firm in Shrewsbury in Shropshire. Even more interesting, this firm craft (I cannot say 'manufacture') the most exquisite shotguns. They are quite simply, works of art.

Here are just a couple of photos from the assignment

Ruthin Castle ♥ Sian and Owen

2010-08-08T08:06:00.000+01:00

The third of our three weddings in three days saw us back at Ruthin Castle in Denbighshire, North Wales for the wedding reception but not before we attended the ceremony which took place at the really beautiful church of St Marcella in the town of Denbigh itself.

Once again the weather behaved itself which everyone including ourselves, was extremely grateful for.

The church really is something special. We have been here before and so knew what to expect. I is in a lovely rural location and set on high ground with lovely views over the Vale of Clwyd. Inside, it is unusual in having twin aisles.

As I say, the reception was at the lovely Ruthin Castle. Part of this building dates back to the 13th century. You only have to stand in the ruins and imagine the thousands of people who have trodden the same paths. It's an incredible experience and a wonderland place for a wedding reception.

A really lovely couple and it was a great pleasure to be with them for their special day and here are a few photos from the many hundreds we took today

More photographs from Ruthin Castle and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Craxton Wood Hotel ♥ Sian and Zach

2010-08-07T07:15:00.000+01:00

I have been really looking forward to this wedding because it will be like meeting old friends again. We were delighted to have photographed the wedding of Sian's brother a couple of years ago and so pleased that Sian then also chose us to photograph her very special day. Recommendations are always a great honour.

This was the second of 3 weddings over a three day period and again, a church wedding.

This time the church was the beautiful Christ Church in Bebington on the Wirral. The interior of this church (as with most British churches) is so stunningly attractive that you know instinctively that the photos are going to look great and add a bride as beautiful as Sian, then you are on to a winner!

A few family photos and confetti outside the church and we travelled down the Wirral to the Craxton Wood Hotel. This is a more odern hotel than many in the area and has very large gardens.

Everybody seemed to have a great day (I know we did) and we captured some wonderful moments. Here are a few sample photos from the day

More photographs from the Craxton Wood Hotel and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Ruthin Castle ♥ Anwen and Dominic

2010-08-06T06:26:00.011+01:00

Another typical summer 2010 which meant that we had no idea if we were going to be sunburned or drenched. In the event, it stayed dry and quite bright which was great news.

In any event, whatever the weather, nothing could have dampened the excitement at the wedding of the lovely Anwen and Dominic. This was a church wedding and today, the service was at the beautifully quaint St Mary's Church in Penley near Wrexham in North Wales. This is a lovely church where they have intentionally left the grounds to grow a little wild so as to create a wildlife haven. Consequently, we were able to produce some really interesting photographs.

There is a strong family connection to the church which is lovely as it made the service very personal and we managed some great photos here.

We moved from the church to the magnificent Ruthin Castle, about an hour's drive from the church and there was never any doubt that we would capture some wonderful moments at this great venue.

As usual, a few photos from this lovely wedding day.

More photographs from Ruthin Castle and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Another busy week

2010-08-02T05:04:00.003+01:00

Just the way we like it though.

Working very hard on the photographs from last weeks fantastic weddings so that the decks are clear for the end of the week because we have 3 weddings to photograph and unusually, all 3 are church weddings.

On Friday 6th August, we are covering the wedding of Anwen and Dominic at St Mary's Church in Penley near Wrexham with their reception at the wonderful Ruthin Castle.

Saturday 7th August sees us at Christ Church in Bebington for the wedding of Sian and Zach before we move on to the Macdonald Craxton Wood Hotel for the reception. We photographed the wedding of Sian's sister a couple of years ago and it's always nice to know you have been recommended.

The final wedding of the trio is that of another Sian and her partner Owen. This time the ceremony is at the lovely St Marcella's Church in Denbigh with the reception again taking place at Ruthin Castle.

Three wonderful weddings and we are really excited and privileged to be part of them

Hoole Hall ♥ Jill and Nick

2010-07-31T17:56:00.008+01:00

We've known Hoole Hall for many years and that is why I find difficulty in using the new name of the Double Tree by Hilton Chester. Let's be honest, what do you think is the better name?

Call it what you will, the venue is lovely and very popular as both a place to have a civil wedding ceremony and for wedding receptions.

The delightful Jill and Nick were getting married at the beautiful church of St Barnabus in Bromborough on the Wirral on the last day of July (31st July 2010). We know the church well having been there many times. It's right in the centre of the lovely 'village' of Bromborough and has a really long pathway leading from the road to the door of the church. Perfect for photographs of the bride supported by her father as she takes those final steps as a single woman.

The ceremony was fabulous and after making an enormous mess with a huge amount of confetti outside the church grounds (don't worry, it was all biodegradable) we headed off to Hoole Hall (sorry, Double Tree by Hilton Chester!) for more photographs and of course, the wedding breakfast.

I hope you enjoy a small sample of the photos from the day.

More photographs from Hoole Hall and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Thornton Manor ♥ Natalie and David

2010-07-29T17:29:00.001+01:00

From the first moment we met Natalie and David (about 18 months ago) we knew this was going to be a great wedding. They are such lovely people and when they told us they had chosen the outstandingly gorgeous Thornton Manor in the cute village of Thornton Hough on the Wirral for their civil wedding, we knew it was going to be something a bit special.

The wedding was on the 29th July 2010 but even though this was mid-summer, we didn't take the weather for granted which perhaps was as well as it wasn't the hot sunny day you might have expected. Having said that, no photographer actually wants a bright sunny day for wedding photography as it causes no end of problems for taking photographs. People don't want to be outside because it is too hot, the lighting is harsh causing nasty shadows and people end up squinting and pulling faces.......no for a photographer, a nice bright cloudy day is ideal and so it was for us this day.

The ceremony in what is known as the "Dining Room" at Thornton Manor was slightly different in that it was the other way round to the way most weddings are conducted. That made a lovely change for us and the bride has a lovely long aisle to walk up.

Moving outside for the ubiquitous confetti and some family photos and the weather was still kind to us. I stole Natalie and David away for a very short time so they could have some more intimate and personal photographs in the lovely grounds at the Manor, away from all of the prying eyes.

Another fantastic wedding with a lovely couple and as always, here is a small sample of photos from the day.

More photographs from Thornton Manor and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

... and this week...

2010-07-26T20:47:00.004+01:00

Another busy week in prospect that sees us shooting two weddings as well as continuing the edit on the shoots we completed before our week in Sitges, Spain (as well as the photos we took whilst out there).

The first wedding is on Thursday where we are covering the civil wedding of Natalie and David at the wonderful venue that is Thornton Manor. This is a wedding photographer's dream come true and we are delighted to be their recommended photographers.

The second wedding is on Saturday and this time it is the wedding of Jill and Nick at St Barnabus' Church on the Wirral followed by a reception at the Double Tree Hilton, in Hoole, Chester (I still want to call this Hoole Hall as this is how everybody in Chester remembers it).

Sample photo sets in due course as usual

Back from Sitges

2010-07-24T23:29:00.002+01:00

I haven't posted for a week as I've been too busy enjoying the sights, sounds (and other more tangible delights) of Sitges in Spain.

What a fantastic place. Beautiful town, beautiful beaches, beautiful weather...

Have taken loads of photos but not as many as I would have expected as I was enjoying myself too much to cart a heavy professional camera around especially in the 35 deg C heat! I'm going to start looking for a high quality smaller sized camera for this sort of trip.

Back to normal from tomorrow. We still have lots of photographs to edit from the last couple of weddings so no time to stand still

Off to Sitges

2010-07-18T08:42:00.014+01:00

Today sees us fly to Barcelona in Spain en route to the coastal resort of Sitges.

Whilst ostensibly enjoying a little "R and R", we'll take the opportunity to taken some photos of this very pretty town.

Back next Saturday hopefully with a nice crop of photos and with my tan topped up

Peckforton Castle ♥ Sarah and Anthony

2010-07-17T20:35:00.009+01:00

As mentioned earlier, today (Saturday, 17th July 2010), saw us back at the sumptuous Peckforton Castle for the wedding of Sarah and Anthony.

The day started for us at the bride's parent's home in North Wales where the usual chaos created by so many ladies getting ready in one place at one time was well and truly in evidence. How one bride and two bridesmaids can create such a mess I do not know!

We leave the house in time to be at Peckforton Castle when the groom and the guests arrive and take the opportunity to photograph the arrivals although this is interrupted (as always) by cries of "ask the photographers how to tie a cravat, they are bound to know" or equally common "which side do the buttonholes go".

Eventually, the guests leave the outside bar (thankfully it's turned out to be a lovely day after early rain) and move inside for the ceremony just before the bride arrives in a beautiful vintage Rolls Royce.

She looks absolutely amazing. The dress we saw at the house looked really long when hung up but looks absolutely perfect on Sarah's slim frame, I photograph her in the car with her father and then as she leaves the car. I ask about the flowers... disaster... the flowers have been left behind.

Oh well, too far to go back now and so the bridesmaids flowers become a bridal bouquet and off we go.

Thankfully, the rest of the day went like a dream. It was a great wedding in lovely weather with nice people. What more could you ask for?

More photographs from Peckforton Castle and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Wedding at Peckforton Castle

2010-07-17T07:12:00.005+01:00

Cameras and lenses have been cleaned and all batteries fully charged. Suits have been pressed and we are ready to go.

Today we are looking forward to photographing the civil wedding of Sarah and Anthony at the wonderful Peckforton Castle in Tarporley, Cheshire.

The weather forecast is looking perfect for photography - warm, dry and overcast. Although I'm sure most couples getting married would prefer bright blue skies and blazing sunshine on their wedding day, it is actually a bad thing for photography as it creates high contrast, harsh shadows and people squint a lot. Give me a cloudy day for people photography any time :)

Should be a great day and I'll post up a few photos in due course

Barrie Neil Photography

What's on this week

2010-07-15T21:37:00.002+01:00

After last weeks exertions (as pleasant as they were) at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod plus 4 weddings in 9 days (phew), this week sees us not running around quite so much but slaving away over hot keyboards instead editing the tens of thousands of images we have taken.

The 4 weddings alone amount to over 4,000 images and each one has to be scrutinised, selected, processed then edited and colour corrected etc. It all takes a lot of time and effort but it has to be done to provide the best quality images we can.

Saturday 17th July 2010 sees us at Peckforton Castle again for the wedding of Sarah and Anthony and then we are off on our travels again, this time to Sitges a coastal resort near to Barcelona in Spain. This time it's part business and part pleasure, just how we like it.

Barrie Neil Photography

Nigel Kennedy - Llangollen 2010

2010-07-11T19:50:00.019+01:00

The 2010 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod finished off in very fine style with an evening concert by the extraordinary talent that is Nigel Kennedy.

Nigel Kennedy has been to the Eisteddfod before and his concert tonight featured Bach in the first half and to be completely different, Ellington in the second.

Nigel kindly allowed me to photograph him during rehearsals during the afternoon where we spent quite some time discussing the relative merits of his beloved Aston Villa football club. During the evening performance, when he spotted me sitting in the front row, he broke of with playing to comment on my hair (or lack of it) and how my head helped with the acoustics. How sweet!

Barrie Neil Photography

Choir of the World

2010-07-10T19:42:00.007+01:00

For many this is what the Eisteddfod is about and their highlight of the week. It's certainly one of my favourite nights of the week.

The choirs that have won their various category competitions during the week (i.e. ladies, mens, barbers shop etc), compete head to head to win the prestigious title of "Choir of the World" and carry off the Pavarotti Trophy.

The deserved and very popular winner this year and therefore Choir of the World 2010, were the delightful University of Santo Tomas Singers from the Philippines.

The Pavarotti Trophy awarded to the Choir of the World

Barrie Neil Photography

Only Men Aloud - Llangollen 2010

2010-07-09T19:41:00.003+01:00

The hugely popular and award-winning Only Men Aloud appeared at Llangollen for the very first time. They sang Welsh favourites and other exciting pieces including some very unusual choices (ever heard a choir singing songs from Mary Poppins?) in a style they have truly made their own.

I left this concert so exhilarated that when I got home, I was straight on the web and bought 2 of their albums!

Whilst at the Eisteddfod, the choir's founder, Tim Rhys-Evans, was presented with a new variety of rose.

Tim Rhys-Evans, the founder of Only Men Aloud

Barrie Neil Photography

BOND - Llangollen 2010

2010-07-08T19:30:00.006+01:00

The first and in my opinion, by far the best, electric string quartet headlined the evening concert at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod on the 8th July 2010. It was great to be able to see, meet and photograph this very talented and photogenic quartet and even though we had been photographing a fantastic wedding earlier in the day (see Rachael and James at Peckforton Castle in the previous blog entry) we made haste to Llangollen to catch this performance.

There was to be no nodding off during this concert as the sound and lighting effects were simply outstanding. The energy these ladies put into their music is amazing and the audience made it perfectly clear they wanted more!

A great night! My ears are still ringing!

Barrie Neil Photography

Peckforton Castle ♥ Rachael and James

2010-07-08T12:50:00.028+01:00

The day of 8th July 2010 saw as back at the magnificent Peckforton Castle for the wedding of the very lovely Rachael to the handsome James. What a fantastic setting for two lovely people getting married.

The weather was perfect (bright, plenty of blue sky but not too hot) and everything was set for a great wedding.
There was the usual last minute panicking, especially as one of the bridesmaids was very late in arriving, but in the end Rachael walked up the aisle almost exactly on time.

It was a dream wedding at a dream location with as I say, two really lovely people.

As always, here are a few of the hundreds of photographs Rachael and James will enjoy upon their return from honeymoon.

More photographs from Peckforton Castle and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

One World, One Stage - Llangollen 2010

2010-07-07T19:17:00.003+01:00

Almost certainly, the "One World, One Stage" concert is the most colourful and exuberant evening of the week.The wonderful welcoming ceremony and procession of performers of all ages and nationalities through the Pavilion is truly and sight to behold.

It is an evening of truly global music and dance and is a favourite with Eisteddfod regulars and a marvellous taster of the week to come.

Taking part were performers from South Africa, North Africa, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, USA, Philippines, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and North Africa amongst many others.

Earlier speeches were made by David Pender-Richards CBE, owner of Aston Martin and Eisteddfod President, Terry Waite CBE

Terry Waite CBE (Eisteddfod President)

David Pender-Richards CBE (Chairman, Aston Martin)

Barrie Neil Photography

Karl Jenkins at Llangollen 2010

2010-07-06T18:58:00.007+01:00

The second of the evening concerts and this time is was an enormous privilege to meet and photograph the wonderful composer and conductor Karl Jenkins.

Sinfonia Cymru mades its International Eisteddfod as he conducted his own Mass for Peace with a ‘Wales and the World’ choir. The orchestra also performed Brahms's Academic Festival Overture.

The extraordinary Llŷr Williams was at the piano for Beethoven’s 3rd Concerto.

Barrie Neil Photography

The Parade - Llangollen 2010

2010-07-06T12:30:00.003+01:00

Although there is always an evening concert on the Monday evening of the week of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, the festival 'proper' doesn't officially start until the parade on the Tuesday.

This is an amazing event where hundreds of people taking part in the competitions during the week parade in costume through the centre of Llangollen flanked by cheering crowds of well wishers who often follow the paarde to the festival site on the edge of the town.

The parade is led by the Eisteddfod President who is currently (and has been for some years), Terry Waite CBE

I hope this selection of photographs gives you a flavour of the parade.

Barrie Neil Photography

Katherine Jenkins at Llangollen 2010

2010-07-05T18:13:00.036+01:00

The evening concert on the very first day of the 2010 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod needs little introduction.

This is the second time Katherine has headlined at the festival and we have photographed her many times both here in Llangollen and at other venues and she is always a delight meet and photograph. She is so beautiful and her singing voice is just incredible.

The concert was a sell out as you might expect and was a wonderful experience to both enjoy and to photograph

More photographs of Katherine Jenkins in other concerts and backstage can be seen on our main website at www.barrieneil.co.uk

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod

2010-07-05T17:50:00.021+01:00

We have been official photographers for the wonderful Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod for many years now and every year it is an assignment we are delighted to fulfil. This event is not to be confused with the National Eisteddfod which also takes place every year and is a celebration of all things Welsh.

The Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod is a seven-day festival of music, dance, and song that takes place every year in the small Welsh town of Llangollen. It has been running since 1947, and since 1987 the prestigious Choir of the World competition has determined the best overall choir of the event. In 2005 Luciano Pavarotti added his name to the competition in recognition of his appreciation of the festival and its influence on his career.

It brings together adults and children from all over the world to entertain us with song and dance and also to vie against each other in prestigious competitions.

The next blog entries will show some of the events that took place over the week

Barrie Neil Photography

Crewe Hall ♥ Louisa and Ryan

2010-07-03T08:51:00.002+01:00

A busy wedding this with lots of people, lots of travelling and a couple of celebrities thrown in for good measure.

Louisa and Ryan both got ready for their big day at Crewe Hall in Cheshire, a magnificent building set in stunning grounds just on the outskirts of Crewe town. The ceremony was taking place at St Bertoline's Church in the nearby village of Barthomley and whilst most of the guests were transported by minibus, Louisa naturally had a much more elegant mode of transport befitting the beautiful bride, in the form of a lovely cream Beauford car.

Once the ceremony was over, it was back to the magnificence of Crewe Hall for drinks, photographs and the wedding breakfast.

What of the celebrities I mentioned earlier you ask? The mother and father of one of the ushers are the well known actors Jessie Birdsall and Gwyneth Strong (aka "Cassandra" in "Only Fools and Horses").. photo below.

As usual, here are a small selection from the day.

Ryan and Oscar with Oscar's parents, Jessie Birdsall and Gwyneth Strong

More photographs from Crewe Hall in Cheshire and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Ruthin Castle ♥ Rachel and Charles

2010-07-02T08:28:00.029+01:00

You can tell Ruthin Castle is a very special place to get married when it attracts people like Rachel and Charles who travelled all the way from Australia to get married there.

A fantastic wedding and it was a pleasure to be with such lovely people. Rachel looked stunning in an elegant dress that really suited her slim figure. The bridesmaids wore pale green outfit. Very different and they looked amazing whilst Charles matched his ushers (grooms men) in traditional tailcoats and they even wore top hats. now top hats are not that common these days and they looked fabulous!

So many photos but here are just a few from the day

More photographs from Ruthin Castle in Denbighshire and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Siddington Church ♥ Jenny and Nick

2010-06-26T17:23:00.002+01:00

I usually put the name of the reception venue in the title but for the wedding of Jenny and Nick, the reception was at the dairy farm run by Jenny's family. The ceremony was at the stunning Siddington Church not far from the family farm.

Jenny arrived in a wonderful carriage pulled by two very well behaved horses and she and her husband Nick, left the church to return to the farm in the same way.

The garden of the farmhouse looked amazing with so many baskets of flowers (as did the marquee) which was to the great credit of Jenny's Mum and her small army of helpers.

It was a terrific day and Jenny's ever present smile will stay with me for a long time.

Barrie Neil Photography

Chester Zoo ♥ Denise and Chris

2010-06-19T17:19:00.001+01:00

I mentioned in my blog entry yesterday, that every wedding is special. Sometimes, what makes it particularly special is the location and today's wedding was in a very different location... Chester Zoo!

We have in fact photographed many weddings at Chester Zoo and it certainly is different. Try walking around a very busy zoo in a wedding dress and you'll understand.

Denise and Chris are a lovely couple and make full use of the facilities the zoo had to offer even being photographed with some of the animals. The Orang-utans seemed to be particularly fascinated with Denise and her dress, pressing themselves against the glass to get as close to her as they could.

As the day at Chester Zoo can be quite long (the wedding breakfast is always after the zoo shuts), Denise and Chris thoughtfully provided afternoon tea for the adults and loads of sweets for the kiddies. Well, these two 'kiddy' photographers certainly enjoyed that I can tell you!

Here are some photographs from this great wedding.

More photographs from Chester Zoo and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Peckforton Castle ♥ Jane and Chris

2010-06-18T17:00:00.003+01:00

Every wedding is something special. They are all different as every bride and groom (lets be honest, mainly the bride, as they do most of the work!) put their own personal stamp on it.. something that says "this is OUR wedding".

When the wedding is at the sumptuous Peckforton Castle in Tarporley, Cheshire you just KNOW you are in for something very special.

Jane and Chris' wedding had everything. A civil wedding in the Great Hall, a blessing in the chapel and decent weather! Wonderful opportunities for a photographer and we took advantage of them to the full and we produced some wonderful photographs.

Here are a small sample of the many hundreds Jane and Chris have received.

More photographs from Peckforton Castle and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Investors in People

2010-06-17T16:43:00.009+01:00

We have a very good relationship with Arriva Buses and Trains and they are such nice people to work with therefore it came as no surprise to receive a call telling us they had received a prestigious "Investors In People" award and could we come and photograph the official presentation of the award by the Mayor of Wrexham, Councillor Jim Kelly.

For once the sun shined on us (it rarely seems to when we do work for Arriva) and we even managed to make the bus look sexy!

Barrie Neil Photography

Every little helps.....

2010-06-14T16:31:00.023+01:00

Our good friends at Tesco commissioned us again to cover the opening of new facilities and counters at their branch in Llandudno, North Wales.

They marked the occasion by making a donation to the wonderful people at the Wales Air Ambulance.

The brief was to photograph the donation being made in the form of the proverbial over sized cheque along with photographs of the branch exterior and of the new counters, facilities and branding.

These are a few sample photos from the shoot.

Barrie Neil Photography

Park Royal ♥ Constantina and Andreas

2010-06-13T16:20:00.002+01:00

A little different as this was an Engagement Party rather than a wedding and what a party! Over 200 guests were at the Park Royal Hotel in Warrington and they certainly knew how to enjoy themselves!

Constantina and Andreas are a stunning couple. Not only very attractive but lovely lovely people too.

We wish them all the very best for the future and here are a few of the hundreds of photographs we took of the people and events at the party. This small sample are mainly of the happy couple themselves.

Barrie Neil Photography

Statham Lodge ♥ Julie and Gavin

2010-06-12T15:58:00.001+01:00

Julie and Gavin had warned us that we might not be allowed to take many photographs during the service in St Anne''s Church in Sale, Cheshire. This would have been a great pity as the ceremony is obviously such an important part of a wedding and therefore really should be photographed.

Part of the problem I feel is inconsiderate photographers who either use flash (absolutely not necessary) or move around during the service which is extremely distracting (not necessary for us as there are two of us of course). Unfortunately, behaviour like this cvauses problems for other couples and photographers.

As it happened though, after a chat with the lovely vicar, we were told we could do what we liked. Of course, we just carried on in our own quiet, unobtrusive way and managed to get some beautiful shots of the ceremony without causing ANY disruption.

The reception was at Statham Lodge in Lymm. We love this hotel as it has great locations for photography and especially the extensive gardens and gorgeous gazebo.

Here are a few of the hundreds of photographs taken on this lovely day.

More photographs from Statham Lodge in Lymm and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Climb Every Mountain....

2010-06-05T15:36:00.020+01:00

Well... we clambered up a few steep hills. Mountains will have to be for another day.

We have been lucky enough to have been commissioned for a few jobs abroad recently and this was another request for photographs from a travel company.

We travelled to the area around Innsbruck. I have never been to Austria before and I have been completely smitten and cannot wait to go back again. It is such a beautiful country with absolutely breathtaking scenery and quaint attractive towns and cities.

We are not able to show you any of the photographs taken at this time as their use in promotional material by our client is imminent

Barrie Neil Photography

Heaton House Farm ♥ Amy and Scott

2010-06-04T15:23:00.018+01:00

A fantastic couple at a fantastic venue. Put the two together and you have a wedding truly made in heaven and a photographer's dream come true.

Amy is a stunning lady and looked unbelievable in her very sexy greyish coloured wedding dress. Scott is a professional footballer and so is a very fit man and looked extremely good in his suit. The venue is purpose built for weddings and so has absolutely everything you can imagine you would want for your wedding from elegant and spacious rooms to grounds to die for. Lake, trees, views for miles.. simply stunning!

Here are a few photographs from Amy and Scott's wonderful day.

More photographs from Heaton House Farm and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

The Office (Episode 2)

2010-05-24T15:14:00.015+01:00

Following on from our previous blog post, we travelled south for our friends at the Lifestyle Services Group (LSG) to their wholly owned subsidiary company called STAMS based in Hersham in Surrey.

As before, the requirement was to photograph the offices and the objects in them for a stock library of imagery they are building up. These will be images that can be used for the website, flyers, notices, press release in fact anywhere that images are required.

Here are a few of the photographs we took that day

Barrie Neil Photography

The Office

2010-05-20T14:52:00.031+01:00

Regular readers may have seen work we have previously been commissioned to provide by our great friends at the Lifestyle Services Group (LSG) based in Crewe in Cheshire.

They are in the process of revamping both their Internet and Intranet sites and commissioned us to photograph their working environment both in their Crewe offices and in a wholly owned subsidiary (STAMS) in Hersham, Surrey.

The requirement was to photograph the offices and the objects in them for a stock library of imagery they are building up. These will be images that can be used for the website, flyers, notices, press release in fact anywhere that images are required.

Here are a few samples to give you the idea of the photographs we produced.

Barrie Neil Photography

Busy doing nothing

2010-05-15T14:25:00.002+01:00

A chat with the mother-in-law a few minutes ago has prompted this post.

She asked where we were off to today for work and we mentioned we were not out on assignment anywhere. She responded with "Oh right, so you're not working today".

I pointed out that we were in the middle of editing some 10,000 photos from recent assignments which takes an enormous amount of time and energy and is in fact, extremely hard work.

I'm sure that people must think it is so easy being a photographer.. "you just turn up at a wedding for a few hours and your job is done". I wish it were so easy.

Using weddings as a good example, we spend hours in advance meeting the clients, planning the schedule for the day, planning the locations for the photos both if it is nice and weather and what we would do if is bad. Then there is the wedding day itself which usually starts very early travelling to the bride's home or wherever she is getting ready.

After the day ends for us, we travel home and start organising all the photographs and making sure we have taken security backups. My wedding day rarely ends before midnight.

After that, the editing of the photographs themselves, which usually number over 1000, can take 4 or 5 man days so that we give our clients the very best photographs produced with as much creativity as possible.

So next time you think it must be 'easy' to be a photographer, do please bear a thought for just how much work really does go into it

Barrie Neil Photography

Grilling

2010-05-01T14:21:00.000+01:00

I rarely get the opportunity for a holiday outside of the quieter winter months so when I had the opportunity to travel to the Gran Canaria in the beautiful Canary Islands for a photo assignment, I jumped at the chance to extend it to make a personal holiday as well.

The 1st to the 12th of May saw me sunbathing, swimming and doing all those other things you do on holiday. Oh yes, I did do a bit of work too.

Lovely!

Packing up

2010-04-21T14:14:00.004+01:00

Another regular client is Tetra Pak based near to Wrexham in North Wales.

Tetra Pak is the Scandinavian company that design and produce those incredibly packaging materials especially those for holding liquids of various kinds.

We've photographed many aspects of their process from printing to shaping and filling and I love watching the automated processes in action. This time we were there to photograph the management team with some of their currrent products.

Peckforton Castle ♥ Amy and Adrian

2010-04-17T14:02:00.014+01:00

St John's Church in Dukinfield near to Stockport is a wedding photographers dream as not only is it very beautiful but it has a gallery that overlooks the aisle so you can get some terrific aerial photographs of the ceremony.

Amy and Adrian showed their impeccable good taste in not only choosing this church but in holding their wedding reception at the spectacular Peckforton Castle near Tarporley using a gorgeous chauffeur driven Beauford car to get there.

There was hardly a cloud in the sky and the blue offset the sandstone of the castle beautifully. We stayed for the evening reception at this particular wedding and captured some lovely exteriors of the floodlit castle.

More photographs from Peckforton Castle and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Ho.. ho... Hoseasons

2010-04-13T13:56:00.003+01:00

When you get a telephone call from a travel company, your head immediately fills with images of working on white sandy beaches under a blazing tropical sun.

This image was quickly dispelled when instead, Nick at this particular travel firm for whom we have undertaken a number of previous commissions, brought me down to Earth by asking us to photograph a presentation to a Travel Agent in Chester.

Such is life but as it happens, this job was at our favourite travel agent in Chester, Deva Travel, who had received an award.

Quite a straightforward job although when there is very little company branding in evidence, getting the 'right' shot is never THAT easy

Peckforton Castle ♥ Emily and Craig

2010-04-12T09:20:00.001+01:00

Peckforton Castle is an absolutely stunning location for any kind of event but especially for a wedding. Set in hundreds of acres of woodland and accessed via a long and winding road that meanders through the trees, nobody can fail to be amazed by this stunning venue. We are very proud to have been asked to be preferred suppliers of photographic services to Peckforton Castle.

Emily and Craig are a lovely couple with a beautiful son who it had to be said, did steal the show more than a little. Craig is in the services and has been in Afghanistan so we were particularly proud to have been chosen by them as their photographer and to have been there for them on this day.

They chose to have a blessing that the consecrated chapel that is within the grounds of Peckforton Castle. The chapel is very beautiful and quite a few couples choose to use it and it certainly adds another lovely dimension to the day.

Since the wedding, we have been asked to photograph Emily's sister's wedding which is a great endorsement for us and more of Charlotte''s wedding later no doubt.

Here are a few of the many photographs taken on the day.

More photographs from Peckforton Castle and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Ruthin Castle ♥ Anne-Marie and Jim

2010-04-03T08:55:00.014+01:00

I've said it before but it's well worth repeating... I love photographing weddings. It's so good to be part of one of the most important days of a couple's life and helping to make it special for them and to provide them (and their friends and families) with photographic memories they can cherish forever.

The wedding of Anne-Marie and Jim was simply lovely. The gorgeous Anne-Marie looked stunning in her amazing dress. Her hair and make-up was beautiful as was that of the bridesmaids who were breathtaking in their blue dresses.

The men as ever, looked very smart and so many ushers? Why is it that there always seems to be more ushers than bridesmaids? You girls need to do something about that!

The location for the wedding was the sumptuous Ruthin Castle in Denbighshire, North Wales. We have a long and happy association with Ruthin Castle and are very good friends with Russell the wedding coordinator. The castle is a superb location for a wedding and so romantic.

A great day was had by everyone and even the weather co-operated with us. As usual, here are a few photographs from the hundreds taken on the day

More photographs from Ruthin Castle and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Tesco in Llandudno

2010-03-25T18:00:00.000Z

Second supermarket in one day... should we specialise?

Had a 'phone call to ask if we could take some generic photographs of some of the new counters and key staff at the huge Tesco supermarket in Llandudno Junction, North Wales.

This fitted in perfectly for us as it was between Menai Bridge and home (see previous blog entry) so after finishing our long photo shoot on Anglesey we stopped off at Tesco on our way home.

Really nice people here who were very obliging and we managed to get a nice selection of photographs even though it did seem that every customer had a mission to try and run me over when we were working outside

Here are a few of the photos from the shoot

Waitrose store opening

2010-03-25T14:18:00.005Z

The opening of a new shop is quite exciting and when it's a new Waitrose supermarket, then you know you are in for something special.

The 25th March 2010 saw us heading along the North Wales coast and across the Menai Bridge onto Anglesey. The new Waitrose store is within sight of the iconic bridge in the town of Menai Bridge itself.

Our brief was to capture both the exterior and interior fittings and filled shelves before the shop officially opened and then to photograph the activities and general excitement of a new store opening.

The store entrance and main sign

Store Manager, Gareth Hinds, outside his new store

Cutting the ribbon to officially open the store

The Sea Bass is locally sourced on Anglesey

Knickers again!

2010-03-24T14:06:00.003Z

Once more unto the breaches dear friend.. will the punning never end? (you can live in hope).

Yes - back to the ladies wear department of the John Lewis shop in Cheadle to photograph people and areas of the department we were not able to cover on our visit on the 5th March 2010.

I never knew so much fun could be had in Ladies Wear!

My new best friend - a bit quiet though!

Checking the plans of the new department

Sports Relief

2010-03-19T13:09:00.004Z

I mentioned a couple of days ago how nice the people at LSG were, well every year they allow their state of the art call centre in Crewe to be used for Sports Relief and Comic Relief (Red Nose Day). If that isn't enough, LSG staff from the most senior manager down volunteer to man the phones taking donations from the public.

Depending upon where you live, if you called in to donate the chances are your donation was taken here.

The atmosphere on the evening is fantastic and the guys here really do seem to get an enormous satisfaction in doing something really worth while. Here are a few photographs from the call centre during the 2010 Sports Relief event.

Ringing the changes

2010-03-17T12:46:00.003Z

Another of our valued regular clients is the Lifestyle Group (LSG). With head offices in Crewe in Cheshire they provide a variety of support services to the banking and mobile phone industries.

This commission was to photograph key people at their Crewe office as well as the offices themselves for use in recruitment material (printed, multimedia and on-line).

I have to say that I think the staff at LSG are some of the nicest people you could ever wish to meet and working there must be such fun. Everyone seems perpetually happy!

Knickers!

2010-03-05T12:22:00.002Z

In fact all manner of female clothing was the subject of this interesting commission from our friends at the John Lewis Partnership.

The superb Cheadle shop had been chosen by John Lewis to have a new concept in ladies wear retailing installed at the shop and this involved all new point of sale material and a complete refit of the shop floor.

It looks superb with its contemporary design.

Our brief was to photograph the sales are and point of sale materials and fittings as well as the partners in the ladies wear department. Here are a few of the photos we took during our visit.

Thanks to everyone in the department who made the shoot such fun

You wait for a bus then 3 come at once......

2010-03-01T12:08:00.005Z

One of our regular clients are Arriva Buses Wales and they have kept us quite busy lately as they are undergoing a huge programme of improvements to their fleet including making sure all of their buses have low rise floors making it easier for the elderly or disabled to enter and exit.

Well done Arriva

This event was held to mark three new vehicles going into service on St David's Day

The Mayor of Wrexham, Jim Kelly with Arriva Buses Wales MD, Michael Morton

Holocaust Memorial Day

2010-01-25T11:37:00.004Z

There have been few darker days in mankind's history than those during World War 2 and those who have not experienced it first hand cannot begin to imagine what it must have been like.

The Imperial War Museum North in Salford Quays marked Holocaust Memorial Day with a special exhibition of items, photographs, film and other materials associated witht the events of that period.

Our friends at the John Lewis Partnership sponsored a special exhibition featuring the luggage that refugees were allocated. Present during the opening of the exhibition were pupils from Radcliffe Riverside School and special guest was 'Jack', a survivor of the holocaust who was the only one of his family not to have been killed.

Part of the exhibition sponsored by John Lewis

Holocaust survivor 'Jack' with a pupil from Radcliffe Riverside school

The Queen Hotel, Chester ♥ Anneke and Anthony

2009-12-30T15:42:00.000Z

We had just enough time to recover from our Christmas celebrations before we were back to work and photographing the civil wedding ceremony of Anneke and Anthony at The Queen Hotel in Chester on the 30th December 2009.

The Queen Hotel is a lovely venue for a wedding and we have been there many times. It has recently undergone substantial refurbishment and redecoration and looks wonderful.

Talking of looking wonderful, Anneke was stunning as were her bridesmaids in wonderful dresses.

The weather was bitingly cold and a little damp and very windy, so Anneke and Anthony chose to have their photos indoors which was not a problem as the Queen Hotel has many fantastic locations we can use for photographs.

Here are a few of them for you to see

More photographs from The Queen Hotel, Chester and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Soughton Hall ♥ Sarah and Will

2009-12-18T14:40:00.000Z

If we thought the weather had been cold until now, the weather on Sarah and Will's wedding day (18th December 2009) showed that it could get much much colder. Mind you, it would take a lot more than cold weather to spoil everybody's enjoyment of what turned out to be a truly magnificent wedding.

Sarah's wedding dress was absolutely amazing - so elaborate and so stylish -as were those of the bridesmaid.

We started the day photographing Sarah and the girls as they made their final preparations in the bridal suite at Soughton Hall and then we travelled to Bangor-On-Dee Parish Church so we could capture the groom and his groomsmen greeting guests as they arrived for the service.

The service was amazing with Christmas carols being sung - we've never experienced that at a wedding before and it made the service extra special somehow. After some photographs at the church, we moved back to Soughton Hall where the guests were greeted with mulled wine.

A fantastic wedding and as usual, here are a few photographs from the day

More photographs from Soughton Hall and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Thornton Manor ♥ Louise and Darren

2009-12-11T14:06:00.000Z

The week after Joanne and Daniel's wonderful wedding, we were back at Thornton Manor on the 11th December 2009 for the wedding of Louise and Darren.

The wedding this time was a Civil Wedding with the ceremony taking place in front of a Registrar in the beautiful panelled dining room in Thornton Manor.

We had terrific fun photographing the wedding. The girls getting ready were laughing so much, I didn't think they would have the energy to make it to the ceremony (especially with the champagne that was being enjoyed in their room!).

The ceremony was lovely - Joanne was stunning and as she walked down the red carpet in the famous Lyme Walk, she took everybody's breath away. It was a cold and misty day but it has to be said, the mist created a wonderful mystical atmosphere for the photographs and that combined with the always tasteful Christmas decorations inside at Thornton Manor produced a wonderful setting for a magical wedding.

Here is a small selection of photographs from the day.

More photographs from Thornton Manor and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Thornton Manor ♥ Joanne and Daniel

2009-12-05T13:39:00.000Z

The first Saturday of December saw us photographing the wedding of Joanne and Daniel.

The ceremony was at St Joseph's RC Church in Upton on the Wirral and the reception was at the absolutely stunning venue of Thornton Manor in the picturesque village of Thornton Hough on the Wirral.

We are regulars at Thornton Manor and are delighted to be their recommended photographers which is fantastic as it is a glorious venue and nobody who holds their wedding celebrations there is ever disappointed.

Joanne and Daniel's wedding was a case in point. It was a brilliant day and everybody had a great time which is what we all want. On top of that, we produced hundreds of fab photos as a lasting memory of their special day. Here is a small selection from those we produced.

More photographs from Thornton Manor and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Inglewood Manor ♥ Bernadette and John

2009-11-28T13:08:00.000Z

The wedding of the gorgeous Bernadette to John took place on the 28th November 2009 at Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Liverpool with the reception held at the beautiful old black and white Inglewood Manor on the Wirral.

It was a really really cold day but what a fantastic wedding. The church service was wonderful and the priest clearly knew the families well which makes a huge difference as the service was very personal.

Inglewood Manor never fails to please and we managed to produce some wonderful photographs of the happy couple and their family and friends at this terrific venue.

Here are a few from the day for you to enjoy

More photographs from Inglewood Manor and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

So good we went there twice

2009-11-16T11:26:00.001Z

Thornton Manor of course.. the Queen of wedding venues in our opinion.

Had the great pleasure of visiting there twice last week. Thursday (12th November 2009) for the wedding ceremony and reception of Helen and Sadat and then again on Saturday (14th November 2009), for the wedding reception of Denise and Ian (the ceremony was at Christ Church, Moreton on the Wirral.

More details and some sample photographs very shortly

Thornton Manor ♥ Denise and Ian

2009-11-14T15:56:00.000Z

Two days after the great wedding of Helen and Sadat, we were back at Thornton Manor.

Denise's bridal preparations were in the bridal mews cottage at Thornton Manor and we had great fun photographing her there.

We all then moved on to meet Ian and the guests at lovely Christ Church in Moreton on the Wirral where the wedding ceremony took place. The ceremony was really lovely and after some photographs in the church and outside, everyone then travelled south to Thornton Manor for the reception. I hope everyone had as much fun as Neil and I did... what a great wedding!

It was a little wet unfortunately but this didn't dampen anybody's enthusiasm (though it did make the paving at the church very slippery as I found out!) and we all came away with some great memories and in our case, some fantastic photographs some of which are posted here.

More photographs from Thornton Manor and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Wedding at Soughton Hall

2009-11-13T12:07:00.004Z

As mentioned earlier, Saturday 7th November 2009 saw us covering the wedding of the gorgeous Jenny and David at Soughton Hall in Northop, Flintshire.

Soughton Hall is a stunning and dramatic former Bishop's Palace in North Wales and very close to the English border. The area has become quite well known as footballer Michael Owen lives literally next door!

Jenny looked absolutely amazing in one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen. I couldn't wait to see the reaction of the wedding gusts and her husband to be in particular.

The weather wasn't too kind to us but your expectations are never too high in November but we still managed to produce some beautiful photographs.

Everybody was so friendly and a delight to work with and I am sure they all, like us, had a terrific day.

Here are a couple of the photographs from the wedding. We'll post a few more photos over on our wedding blog at www.barrieneilweddings.blogspot.com

Soughton Hall ♥ Jenny and David

2009-11-13T11:56:00.000Z

As mentioned earlier, Saturday 7th November 2009 saw us covering the wedding of the gorgeous Jenny and David at Soughton Hall in Northop, Flintshire.

Soughton Hall is a stunning and dramatic former Bishop's Palace in North Wales and very close to the English border. The area has become quite well known as footballer Michael Owen lives literally next door!

Jenny looked absolutely amazing in one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen. I couldn't wait to see the reaction of the wedding gusts and her husband to be in particular.

The weather wasn't too kind to us but your expectations are never too high in November but we still managed to produce some beautiful photographs.

Everybody was so friendly and a delight to work with and I am sure they all, like us, had a terrific day.

As per usual, here is a small selection of photographs from the day

During the ceremony

Jenny signing the register

Just married

The Kiss (don't look!)

Jenny in the library (look at that dress)

Husband and wife

Jenny, David and the children outside Soughton Hall

More photographs from Soughton Hall and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Thornton Manor ♥ Helen and Sadat

2009-11-12T15:18:00.000Z

As mentioned previously, Thursday 12th November saw us at one of all time favourite venues, Thornton Manor in the pretty village of Thornton Hough on the Wirral.

Perhaps I should have titled this entry "The 2 Doctors" as both bride and groom are Doctors in Liverpool.

The wedding was a really lovely and went very well. There are many photographers around you will not cover late Autumn or Winter weddings but we feel it provides tremendous opportunities for moody photographs especially as the sun sets.

Thornton Manor is one of those venues that has both great grounds and tremendously sumptuous interiors making it the perfect place for a wedding and for wedding photography.

Here are a few photographs from the wedding

More photographs from Thornton Manor and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Wedding at Soughton Hall

2009-11-07T10:06:00.000Z

It's Saturday and we are about to set off for the wedding of Jenny and David at the glorious Soughton Hall in Northop, Flintshire, North Wales.

Soughton Hall is an old Bishop's Palace (these Bishops certainly know how to enjoy the good life) and is magnificent place for a wedding ceremony and reception.

The weather is looking good and we're looking forward to a great wedding

Wedding at Thornton Hall

2009-11-03T07:43:00.004Z

As I mentioned one a previous post, our first wedding after our short holiday saw us at Thornton Hall on the Wirral for the wedding of the fabulous Lisa and Richard.

There are some photographers out there who will not photograph Autumn and Winter weddings but we love them. The lighting and colours are really something special and despite what many people think, the weather is usually not that bad and you rarely get days when outdoor photography is not possible.

The day was perfect. Mild with very little breeze which meant the ceremony could be outdoors in the pagoda. Brilliant.

Everyone had a great time and Lisa looked absolutely stunning and not unlike Audrey Hepburn in a beautiful and very flattering dress. Enjoy your honeymoon guys.

Here are a couple of the photographs from the wedding. We'll post a few more photos over on our wedding blog at www.barrieneilweddings.blogspot.com

Thornton Hall ♥ Lisa and Richard

2009-11-03T07:34:00.000Z

As I mentioned one a previous post, our first wedding after our short holiday saw us at Thornton Hall on the Wirral for the wedding of the fabulous Lisa and Richard.

There are some photographers out there who will not photograph Autumn and Winter weddings but we love them. The lighting and colours are really something special and despite what many people think, the weather is usually not that bad and you rarely get days when outdoor photography is not possible.

The day was perfect. Mild with very little breeze which meant the ceremony could be outdoors in the pagoda. Brilliant.

Everyone had a great time and Lisa looked absolutely stunning and not unlike Audrey Hepburn in a beautiful and very flattering dress. Enjoy your honeymoon guys.

As usual, here are a few of the photographs we took on the day

The ceremony took place in the Pagoda

Just Married

Lisa and Richard in front of Lisa's favourite tree

Lisa and Richard with 'that' tree again

The happy couple

More photographs from Thornton Hall and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Wedding at Thornton Hall

2009-10-30T07:05:00.000Z

Our first wedding since our return from a brief holiday on the Greek Island of Crete (see our blog entry at www.barrieneil.blogspot.com for a few photographs).

Saturday, 7th November 2009 sees us at the extensive venue of Thornton Hall on the Wirral for the wedding of Lisa and Richard.

Neil and I are both looking forward to getting back into the swing of things again and this should be a good wedding with a very nice couple at a great venue

Back from Crete

2009-10-30T06:55:00.008Z

Kalimera

Back to normality after a fabulous week away in Northern Crete.

The weather was absolutely wonderful and I am so brown my own family don't recognise me (that's their excuse anyway).

Anyway, don't want to annoy you with my holiday stories (especially as Autumn kicks in here in the UK) but suffice to say Neil and I had a wonderful time of eating, the odd drinkie, swimming and sunbathing.

Here are just a few photos from our trip

The harbour at Sissi

Part of the remains at the ancient site at Knossos

The harbour and galleon at Agios Nikolaos

...and this week....

2009-10-19T07:20:00.002+01:00

... we are heading for some sunshine (we hope).

Our bags are packed and on Monday, we head to Manchester to do a little work then it's straight off to a airport for an overnight stay before an early morning flight to Crete.

We've never been to Crete before so we are really looking forward to it. One of our cameras is coming with us (naturally) so no doubt there will be a few photos. How good they will be could be dependent upon how good the local wine is on Crete.

In all seriousness though, we frequently do travel related photography so our journeys abroad are not just for pleasure as it affords us the opportunity to build our travel photo library with a variety of images for which there is constant demand

See you all soon.

Sir Steve Redgrave - sporting hero

2009-10-17T04:40:00.010+01:00

I've mentioned before elsewhere in this blog, but one of the enormous benefits of our profession is that we often get to meet some incredible people. Not all of them are 'famous' but just nice interesting people.

However yesterday (Friday, 16th October 2009) we had the opportunity to meet and photograph someone who is not just extremely famous and talented but a really nice person too - a winning combination.

I am of course, talking about 5 times Olympic Gold Medallist, Sir Steve Redgrave CBE.

The occasion was his attendance at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) Annual Congress at the BT Convention Centre in Liverpool where he gave the Founder's Lecture. He was an interesting and well informed speaker and his lecture went down very well with the 1200 delegates.

Here are a few photographs taken of Sir Steve during his lecture

Waitrose in Altrincham

2009-10-15T17:30:00.002+01:00

Today (Thursday, 15th October 2009) saw the opening of a new Waitrose store at Broadheath near Altrincham in Cheshire and as usual, we were on hand to capture all of the exciting activities that took place during the day.

This is one of my favourite shots from the day showing the store just after we arrived at the crack of dawn this morning. Who would have thought a supermarket could look so attractive

Busy week ahead

2009-10-14T16:35:00.003+01:00

Well, I survived my birthday on Monday (yes, I'm really that old). Thanks to everyone who sent me a "Happy Birthday" message.

Thursday, sees us at the opening of a brand new Waitrose store in Altrincham, Cheshire. These are very exciting events and the shops themselves are wonderful.

On Friday and Saturday, we are delighted to have been asked to photograph the proceedings of the CSP Congress in Liverpool. We have covered many events for the CSP (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy) and this year their Congress is at the ACC in Liverpool.

Not sure there is going to be too much blog activity next week as we are off to sunny (hopefully) Crete. Do you want a postcard?

Happy Birthday to me.......

2009-10-12T07:58:00.000+01:00

...and before you even think of asking, don't!

I'm not going to even think about work today but I can promise you I'll be eating lots of nice things

Wedding at Thornton Manor

2009-10-11T16:11:00.003+01:00

The last of our three weddings this week was on Saturday, 10th October 2009 and saw us once again at magnificent Thornton manor on the Wirral for the civil wedding of Sue and Matthew.

We'd met Sue and Matthew a couple of times before the wedding and they are a great 'fun' couple so we knew we were in for a great day - and so it turned out.

Sue looked amazing as did the bridesmaids in their hot pink dresses. The guys were not to be outdone though in their incredibly striking black suits with hot pink ties.

The venue of Thornton Manor is a photographer's dream as we have often mentioned and come rain or shine, couples getting married here are assured of a great wedding and great photos too.

Sue and Matthew are honeymooning in Thailand but as usual, I can show you a couple of the photographs from the wedding. We'll post a few more photos over on our wedding blog at www.barrieneilweddings.blogspot.com

Thornton Manor ♥ Sue and Matthew

2009-10-11T16:01:00.000+01:00

The last of our three weddings this week was on Saturday, 10th October 2009 and saw us once again at Thornton manor on the Wirral for the civil wedding of Sue and Matthew.

We'd met Sue and Matthew a couple of times before the wedding and they are a great 'fun' couple so we knew we were in for a great day - and so it turned out.

Sue looked amazing as did the bridesmaids in their hot pink dresses. The guys were not to be outdone though in their incredibly striking black suits with hot pink ties.

The venue of Thornton Manor is a photographer's dream as we have often mentioned and come rain or shine, couples getting married here are assured of a great wedding and great photos too.

Here are a small selection from the day. Sue and Matthew will see the many hundreds from the day when they return from their fab honeymoon in Thailand

Sue with her bridesmaids before they got ready

Matthew and his best man - just an little concerned

Sue all alone

Sue and Matthew stroll through the Lyme Walk

Sue and Matthew in the gardens
More photographs from Thornton Manor and other venues can be found both in this blog and on our main wedding website at www.barrieneilweddings.co.uk

Wedding at Llyndir Hall in Rossett

2009-10-11T11:43:00.003+01:00

Neil and I have been so very lucky in that without exception, all of the couples we have been privileged to photograph have been really lovely people.

Nichola and Andrew, whose wedding we photographed at Llyndir Hall in Rossett, North Wales on Friday 9th October 2009, are certainly no exception.

I don't think I have ever met anyone who smiles quite as much as the absolutely gorgeous Nichola and when she does, her whole face lights up. She has the most enormous smile and it's wonderful to see. Andrew is a lovely guy, so nice to be with and together, they make the perfect couple.

The weather forecast for the wedding was pretty grim with rain scheduled all day which obviously would have been such a great shame as the grounds of Llyndir Hall are delightful and particularly so in the Autumn. As it turned out, we had a beautiful day, just right for photography (we tend to be very lucky with weather at our weddings. I am convinced somebody looks after us!).

The happy couple will soon be off on their honeymoon (Dubai and the Maldives - oh what I would do for a bit of sun shine and relaxation right now). As usual, I can show you a couple of the photographs from the wedding. We'll post a few more photos over on our wedding blog at www.barrieneilweddings.blogspot.com