Copyright 2011 Kieron Galloway Photography

My wife was looking through my recent blog posts and drew my attention to the fact that I haven’t posted any bridal portraits!  These are usually her favourite photos when she sits and reviews the wedding shots with me.  Well, by way of correction, I thought I would post the stunning photo above from Katie and Lee’s recent wedding.

The venue was Warbrook House in Eversley, near Basingstoke.  And what a great venue it was!  Lots of opportunities for photos inside and out (including a beautiful lake).  The staff were great too.  At one point Katie, Lee and I were even chauffeur driven in a Golf Buddy through the woods, to get to the spot I desperate to take photos from. 

The wedding itself was fab, with lots of lovely people who made me feel like a close friend before the day was out!  Katie was delighted with the photos and sent me this after seeing the online proofs:

“Thank you so much, there are some really lovely pictures, we have really enjoyed looking through them all and its going to be so hard to choose the prints!”

Friends and family can view the password protected gallery by requesting the password from the Bride and Groom.

As the football season draws to a close the wedding session gets into full swing.  This was no more apparent than at Michelle and Trevor’s wedding which fell on the same day as the European Cup Final.  With Trevor a big Manchester United fan, there was a extra level of excitement and the first dance took place exactly at half time during the big match!  

If a wedding and cup final on the same day wasn’t enough for the guests, Michelle and Trevor also laid on a Casino and disco, ensuring the  celebrations lasted late into the evening.  A fantastic time was had by all!  The wedding venues were All Saints Church Basingstoke and the Holiday Inn Basingstoke.

You can view the private gallery by using the password supplied to the bride and groom – please contact them for details.

At 8am the heavens opened.  It was still  raining at 11am and looked sure to be my first wet wedding of the season.  However, someone must have been smiling on Sarah and Sam, because as soon as I got to Sarah’s parents house the sun came out and then stayed with us for virtually the rest of the day.  That was extra special, as the wedding ceremony was outside at Taplins Place, Hartley Wintney.

My first time at this venue and I had a field day with the photographs.  A lovely venue for an outdoor wedding, a great couple, and a really intimate feel.  It was also lovely to say hello to a few people I have seen at other weddings this year…it’s a small world! 

The rain did eventually come back but not until about 9pm, with the disco firmly under way and the Groom and Ushers enjoying cigars in the garden.

Full photos from the day will be online shortly.  If you were a guest at Sarah and Sam’s wedding please contact them directly for the password to the private gallery.

Copyright 2011 Kieron Galloway Photography

So come on – admit it.  You can’t fail to have been moved by yesterday’s Royal Wedding.  Catherine and William really did look in love throughout the day and looked remarkably calm considering the millions watching worldwide.  It made me reflect on just how privileged I am to experience so many special days.  Whilst every wedding is different, the one common theme is love.  I know – sounds gushy…but this is what weddings are about after all!  If you can’t shed a tear on a day like this, when can you? 

Anyway, reflecting on the Royal Wedding, I thought I would use this month’s post to talk about Chris and Claire’s wedding in early April.  The wedding and reception venue was the Holiday Inn, Basingstoke.  Claire did a tremendous job of decorating the venue and getting things ready.  I probably saw more ‘personal’ touches at this wedding than any other for the past few years.  Badges for the wedding party, personalised chocolates, photos from previous family weddings around the room, toys for the little ones…and the list goes on!

On the day itself the weather was kind to us and a great day was had by all.  Chris and Claire were also very patient as we trawled the grounds to capture ‘just one more’ shot!  The shot I have posted was Claire with her dad just before the ceremony.  It reminded me of the touching scenes as Catherine’s father walked her down the aisle at Westminster Abby yesterday.

You can view the private gallery by using the password supplied to the bride and groom – please contact them for details.

Claire’s feedback:

“The photos are all so fantastic and we are in the process of choosing.  Everyone Loves number 105, wardrobe malfunction!” 

In terms of the rest of this season I  have very limited availability in June, July and August 2011 – so get in touch soon if you are interested in wedding photography during these months.  I am also now actively taking bookings for 2012, with dates filling fast.

Copyright 2011 Kieron Galloway Photography

Spring is in full bloom and venues are looking gorgeous with the sun straddling through beds of daffodils.  Wedding season must be upon us!

I have spent some of early months this year updating the website, and in particular, working with my designers to try and improve my ‘handheld’ visibility.  Over the past 12 months Blackberries and iPhones have quickly become essential lifestyle tools in our household, and my research indicates more and more clients are seeking my services on handheld devices.  Sadly the current (main) website works on Flash so isn’t compatible with many of these devices, so I am now delighted to now have a mobile-ready website.  It needs a bit more work, but access my website from an iPhone and take a look – you should be automatically routed to the mobile version.  Even better, give me some feedback through this Blog!

I hope to build on the design of my own mobile website later this year, by offering clients a complimentary mini-mobile site, on which to share details of their wedding with friends and family.  If you are a current (or prospective) client and are  interested in piloting this then please let me know!

Coming back to the theme of this post, wedding Apps, I thought I would share some wedding apps recently recommended in the Sunday Times…I take no responsibility for the content or quality of these!!

• Royal Wedding App (iPhone) – for all things Will and Kate related
• The Wedding Planner by AW (iPhone, Nokia) – bridal-wear and wedding planning in one place
• Making the Bridegroom’s Speach (iPhone)  – one for the groom to ease those nerves
• Bridezilla Tamer (iPhone, Android) – a jokey app to keep the rest of the family sane through wedding planning

If you download any of these, please drop me a note and let me know what you think.  Enjoy!

Copyright 2010 Kieron Galloway Photography

January is usually a quiet month on the wedding front whilst people recover from Christmas and the new year.  I use the time to look over feedback from the previous year, and in particular, to review the results of my client satisfaction survey.  This is issued to all my clients once their contract is complete, e.g. the wedding album or photos are delivered.

I am delighted to say that my client feedback for 2010 was once again very pleasing:

• 100% of clients found their pre-wedding consultation Very Useful
• 100% of clients said they were Very Satisfied with my conduct during their wedding (e.g. punctuality, interactions with guests etc.)
• 100% of clients said they were Very Satisfied with my work following their wedding (e.g. photos, albums, follow-up etc.)
• 100% of clients said that they were Very Satisfied overall
• And crucially for my business, where a large proportion of work comes from referral, 100% said that they would recommend my services to friends or family

Clients reported being most pleased with the variety of shots taken, the quality of photography, the final wedding album and my ‘relaxed and friendly nature on the day’.  A great way to start the new year!

If you are interested in my services I would recommend meeting face-to-face.   Please use the Contact form on my Blog to arrange a date.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Copyright 2010 Kieron Galloway Photography

I take very few bookings in December as I like to spend time with my family during the festive break.  “Daddy’s not here for Christmas or new year” certainly wouldn’t wash with the kids (or the wife come to think of it)!!!

So, with the 2010 wedding season largely complete for me, I thought I would share my 3 favourite ideas from this year’s weddings.  Hopefully these will offer some inspiration for my new clients during 2011….

In third place -

• A modern take on an old idea.  I’ve often seen disposable cameras left on tables for guests to take pictures.   However, this year I saw one couple leave blank CDs on tables for guests to take home, burn their wedding photos onto, and return to the bride and groom.  Given the low cost of CDs and the fact that most guests now carry digital cameras to weddings, this struck me as a really good idea. 

The runner up -

• A little touch that made the wedding breakfast really special.  Instead of name cards for guests, one couple used mini-framed photos to dress the tables (see picture above).  They had taken these photos from Facebook profiles and printed at home.  The smile on everyone’s face as they sat down for the wedding breakfast really lit the room up!  A lovely, personal touch.

And the winner is -

• My favourite idea this year was the PodCast guest book.  To sit alongside the traditional guest book one couple gave the bridesmaid a digicam to create their very own wedding PodCast.  During the course of the evening the bridesmaid recorded a short, personal message from each guest/couple to the bride and groom.  I didn’t see the end product but I’m sure it raised a few laughs and will be treasured for many years to come – a really great idea!

I can’t wait to see what surprises my next set of weddings has in store!!

Copyright 2010 Kieron Galloway Photography

As 2010 draws to a close  I am delighted to announce my 2011 Wedding Photography Packages.  Unlike some wedding photographers I like to make my packages as clear as possible.  This ensures that when we meet in person to discuss your requirements the time can be spent showing you samples of my work, wedding albums, DVDs etc. without a nasty price surprise at the end.

As for this year, all of the wedding photography packages represent excellent value for money and can be tailored to meet your needs.  Prices start from £600 for the prints only package – already a popular option in terms of forward bookings for 2011.  My beautiful wedding album packages remain and I would urge all couples to at least consider a professional album.  All of my wedding albums are individually designed and then hand assembled with care for that extra touch of luxury – they really are a timeless way to capture your memories for generations to come.

The biggest change for 2011 is the addition of the Lilly iPad Package (named after my beautiful daughter Lilliana).  Having used an iPad since launch to showcase my portfolio, I have decided now is the time to offer my first exclusively digital package.  For those of you who want something a little different this may be it!  100 of your photos pre-loaded onto a brand new iPad (16GB Wi-Fi).  Not only will your photos look stunning on that glorious iPad screen - you will also be able to use the pre-loaded photos to make as many re-prints as you like (non-commercial use only).  An iPad and your photographs, two lovely things to look forward to when your get back from honeymoon!

You can access full details of my 2011 wedding photography packages on the main website or by clicking here.

Copyright 2010 Kieron Galloway Photography

Feedback fuels my work with most of my business coming from referrals.  I always review feedback, however, even I was blown away by the recent feedback from Lisa (below).  This is why I work so hard to ensure every wedding is a success – being a successful wedding photographer is about so such much more than just taking great photos!  The wedding venue was Norton Park Hotel, Sutton Scotney.

You can view the private gallery by using the password supplied to the bride and groom – please contact them for details.

Lisa’s feedback:

“The service that Kieron provided us before the wedding, the big day & after the wedding was excellent.  We could not fault him.  He was always really professional, friendly but also made me feel comfortable.  It is not easy having your photo’s taking and being centre of attention but Kieron put us at ease which made it so much more relaxed.
 
He listened to all of our ideas and also put in his own input.  My partner had a very large family which means lots of family shots to be achieved in minimal time on the day.  Kieron was never fazed by this, we got all the shots we wanted and they look excellent.  Some photographers we met leading up to the event wanted us to shorten our list so we are so glad that we picked Kieron.
 
On the day Kieron was well organized and was constantly on the go, he did not miss a thing.  I always originally thought we needed 2 photographers, but we did not need this as Kieron is hard working and captured all our special moments.  Kieron is passionate about his job and you can see he really enjoys capturing those special moments.
 
Kieron is also very good value for money and the photo’s he provided us with on the day were truly amazing, so good that I ended up buying all the files as I just could not pick.  The photo album was excellent, very professional, the outcome was fantastic.
 
Overall we were very impressed with the service that Kieron provided and we thank him for making the day run smoothly and for the excellent photos.”

Now in the middle of the wedding photography season and starting to deliver client albums.  Just dropped off Kat and Richard’s wedding album and have posted the design on my Facebook site (imbedded here) to show an example of my album designs. 

The wedding venues were St Mary’s Church Church Basingstoke and Audleys Wood Hotel Basingstoke.

You can view the private gallery by using the password supplied to the bride and groom – please contact them for details.

It’s a reflection of modern trends and available technology that more and more clients are asking for ‘file only’ options for their weddings.  I am happy to offer this, but I can’t help thinking that missing out on an album is something that many will regret in the future.  You really can’t beat a professionally designed and developed album, which is why I always take real examples to initial meetings with potential clients.  Many of my clients that opt for file only packages come back and order an album at a later date. 

Kat provided some lovely feedback after receiving her album: “(Kieron’s) Relaxed and friendly nature on the day was like having one of our friends there.  Fantastic album quality.“