Beautiful winter wedding at Beechfield House

On a glorious and sunny winters day, just a couple of days after Christmas, what better way to celebrate with your family and friends, than with a beautiful winter wedding. That's exactly what Becky and Andy did, set in the stunning gardens and hotel at Beechfield House, near Melksham.



I had met with them st Stourhead a few months ago for an engagement shoot, and as I entered the hotel it was lovely to see a selection of those photos in vintage style frames to welcome the wedding guests. For me, the biggest advantage of an engagement shoot is that it builds a better relationship between the happy couple and myself, so on the big day I am already a familiar and friendly face.



An engagement shoot also gives the couple much more confidence in front of the camera, as they have more experience in posing for me and have more confidence in their natural smile and posture. As soon as I photographed Becky and the bridesmaids final preparations it was clear that she was very comfortable and natural in front of the camera, and the images look stunning.

And when I saw Andy with his groomsmen awaiting the arrivals of guests, I was greeted again by a wonderfully friendly and natural smile. This was just the start of an incredible day, and it was a joy to share this special day with Becky and Andy, finished off in style with fireworks.

These are a selection of photos by Jamie McDine of Wiltshire Wedding Photography.

"Myself and Becky would love to say a 'super huge thank you' for taking the photos for our Wedding. We couldn't have met a nicer, considerate, friendly and professional guy like Jamie. If your looking to get married and you want someone to make you feel comfortable and take great pictures Jamie is your man." Andy & Becky

Beautiful Spring wedding at Stanton Manor

There are lots of wonderful venues across Wiltshire, Bath and Somerset, but this is one of our favourites for photographing a wedding.  Stanton Manor is tucked away in the village of Stanton St Quinton between Malmesbury and Chippenham.   We've photographed and filmed several weddings at Stanton Manor over the past 4 years, and in March 2014 Jamie returned to photograph Kristina and Darryl's big day.

What makes it such a great place to photograph is the large and light bridal suite, perfect for photographing the brides final preparations, as well as a simple yet stylish ceremony room and lots of period features throughout the venue. Best of all are the gardens, that offer a beautiful backdrop to your wedding photos and plenty of hidden locations to relax away from the eyes of your guests whilst we take your couple shots.

We had met with Kristina and Darryl for an engagement shoot at Stourhead a few months before and as a result they were both so natural and confident in front of the camera, as well as having an even better relationship with Jamie as the photographer.  A wonderful couple and a wonderful day at Stanton Manor.

Photos by Jamie McDine of Wiltshire Wedding Photography.

Engagement Photoshoot

One of the latest US trends to arrive in Britain is an engagement shoot. They are a great way for couples to practice posing for the camera and to build up a friendship with us as photographers - as a result they are so much more relaxed on their wedding day and know just how to pose for the camera.

Most couples are not used to standing in front of a camera for a few minutes, let alone all day, so an engagement shoot is a great way for them to feel more comfortable about smiling for the camera and to see that with a professional behind the camera and a little direction they can look great in pictures!

In fact, most couples that we photograph tend to say that they have no photographs of them together, as one or both of them doesn't like having their picture taken. So with an engagement shoot this barrier is smashed immediately as they grow in confidence.

So what do we do on an engagement shoot? We take couples somewhere locally that means something to them as a couple and have an hours photoshoot. We guide them into different poses that they are comfortable with and explain why we setup certain shots in the way we do, so that when it comes to it on the big day they are naturals!

They also bring along props that say something about their personalities, whether it is a bunch of balloons, a picnic basket or some scrabble tiles! And as a result we have a whole host of great photos, which we edit and then send to the couple on a disc in the highest quality.

The photos make perfect wedding invitations, and look great printed large to display on the wedding day. They also make lovely presents as a thank you to your parents, and look great on the living room wall, as well as your Facebook profile picture!

Here a selection of photos from a couple of recent engagement shoots. We photographed the wedding of the first couple last weekend, so will show you a few of their wedding photos in the near future - needless to say they were fantastic in front of the camera thanks to their engagement shoot, and have become good friends!