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Today I am pleased to introduce Jon Freeman from Jon Freeman Weddings. Jon has recently returned to London from Los Angeles where, for seventeen years, he worked for newspapers and magazines. From portraits of Hollywood stars to fashion and reportage he has worked in thirty countries for publications like the Sunday Times, Marie Claire, Guardian, Telegraph, You Magazine, New York Times, Paris Match and National Geographic.
Here is what Jon had to say........
What first interested you in photography?
I've never done, or wanted to do anything else. After leaving school I got a job in a news agency in the South West developing and printing black and white pictures. From there I worked my way up to photographer working for national newspapers and magazines. Then in the early 90's I moved to LA, California, and spent fifteen very happy years there. During that time I worked in thirty countries for every one from the Sunday Times to National Geographic. After meeting my partner in LA I moved home to London.
What was your inspiration for setting up your business?
After moving back to the UK with my partner (and two dogs) the kind of traveling just was not practical anymore. A few years ago I photographed a friend's wedding as a favour and found that it was great fun and very satisfying. I was very happy with the images, and more importantly so were the Bride and Groom! As a result I decided to set up a wedding photography business.
What do you consider to be your USP?
I think my background in news and magazine photography. While in LA I did a lot of celebrity studio and location shoots with people like Sylvester Stallone which was incredibly highly pressured. You learn to produce quality pictures very, very fast with minimum fuss. That translates well to weddings where, if you are not careful, the photographer can disrupt the day rather than enhance it.
How would you describe your photographic style?
A combination of photojournalism - catching great moments as they happen and beautiful portraits often using portable studio lighting. Flexibility is very important as well. Couples often have a strong idea of what they want and it is my job to give them exactly that. The whole day should be great fun and my role is to capture that.
What are the current wedding photography trends?
Elegant informality would describe it quite well. More ceremonies are taking place in interesting location like castles or private clubs with receptions that are most like great themed parties than traditional "speech and dinner" affairs. It's difficult to identify a trend except to say that the family line ups that used to dominate wedding photography look very old fashioned.
What are your top three tips to a bride and groom choosing a photographer?
First make sure that they are a competent professional. Check out the quality of pictures on the website. You do get what you pay for to a certain degree and there are some people who "do weddings" as a part time thing to make some extra money. Photographing a wedding well isn't easy and experience counts.
Do you like their style? Each photographer is different and if you like the examples on their website then that's a good start. Call and have a chat and arrange a meeting to discuss exactly what you want.
And most importantly don't trust a "keen amateur photographer" relative to do it!
Describe the best wedding you've ever worked on?
The most fun I had last year was photographing a wedding in the tiny village in North Devon where I grew up. I actually went to primary school with the groom many years ago. He is from a large local farming family and instead of limousines and Rolls Royces everyone arrived at the church in flower strewn trailers pulled by a parade of immaculately restored vintage tractors. The reception was at a local village hall and the whole thing was perfect. A great bunch of people having a fantastic time in their own very personal way. It was very "Darling Buds of May" and proved that the best weddings are what works for each couple.
I photographed elaborate weddings in stately homes and hugely expensive hotels last year but enjoyed that one the most.Which celebrity (past or present) wedding would you love to work on and why?
I've been fortunate enough to work with Hollywood stars and my favourite was Paul Newman - ridiculously good looking, down to earth and with a wicked sense of humour - a great combination.
To find out more information visit Jon Freeman Weddings.
Flowers can take up to 5-10% of your wedding budget so it is no surprise that they can turn an ordinary room into a striking wedding venue. Having to budget with your flowers does not mean that you cannot create the wow factor. Here are my top tips to help you get the most from your flowers.
- Check with your florist which flowers are in season as these will be cheaper. Even if you have your heart set on a particular flower there will normally be an alternative which looks similar and is cheaper e.g. Lisianthus rather than Roses, Iris rather than Orchids.
- Choose a few selective flowers to fit in with your specific theme and then use greenery to pad out your arrangements.
- Opt for large flowers which will take up more space within your arrangements and therefore you will need less of them e.g. hydrangea or Gerbera Daisy.
- If you have chosen a venue where you need tall flower arrangements on the tables this could end up taking a large chunk of your budget. Try having some small arrangements alternating on the tables with the tall ones and this will reduce your budget while still maintaining the height in your room.
- Find ways to re-use your arrangements more than once during your day e.g. move your church/civil ceremony flowers to your wedding reception to double up as table arrangements or favours or use the bridesmaid bouquets to decorate your cake table.
- Identify a realistic budget and be very specific when discussing this with your florist and they should be able to come up with ideas to fit within this.
- As a Mother of the Bride/Bridesmaid treat, arrange to go on a flower arranging course and do some of the flowers yourself. Depending on the scale of flowers you are looking for you need to make sure you are not trying to achieve too much so be realistic e.g. make your own button holes or the bridesmaid bouquets.
- Consider cheaper alternatives to flowers for your table arrangements e.g. potted plants for a summer fete themed wedding, tea pots and cup/saucers (which can be bought relatively cheaply from your local garden centre) that you can plant yourself or get a family member to help or fruit centre pieces which can double up as dessert or candles (depending on whether your venue will allow these).
- Providing you have a few green fingered relatives, ask them to grow flowers for you in the run up to your wedding. Flowers grown in pots or tubs can be used to decorate the grounds of your wedding venue and single stem flowers can be used in bouquets, as decorations for your cake or as favours tucked into napkins.
- If you are getting married in a church and there is more than one wedding on your day see if you can speak to the other brides to see if you can agree on the style/colour of flowers and then split the cost.
Photo credits:
Iris - Northern Shade Gardening
Orchid - Myspace
Lisianthus - Valley Flowers Inc
Rose - CJ Images
Should you invite children to your wedding? It is a topic that will rumble on for ever and always sparks debate with many differing views. I do not think there is ever a right or wrong answer, it is down to the individual and what you want for your wedding day.
Some couples will consider the family element of a wedding to be the most important with children being an integral part while others will want parents to be able to let their hair down without the worry of taking care of the little ones.
In the recent edition of Stylist Magazine, Zoe Williams gives her views on why children and weddings don't mix. Please click below to read the full article.
One of the first steps when planning your wedding, and sometimes the most difficult, is deciding on your theme or colour scheme. I recently came across a wonderful tool which I wanted to share with you. The Preston Bailey colour pallet picker is a fun way to come up with a knockout colour scheme in four easy steps to bring the wow factor to your special day.
Step 1 asks you to decide on your main colour, step 2 requests further information about the wedding in terms of how many guests, indoor or outside, the light source and the tone of the event.
Then, before showing you your final colour pallet your asked to choose a Preston Factor. Here is one that I came up with using Magenta as my main colour....
I'm not saying this tool will 100% provide you will all the answers but it will definitely give you the inspiration to help get your creative juices flowing. Why not give it a go.
The UK Alliance of Wedding Planners (UKAWP) was founded for one purpose: to promote professionalism in wedding planning. A wedding is the most personal and important event in a couple's life and those involved have a duty to act with integrity and honesty.
Having undertaken training with the UKAWP I am an associate member. This means that I have met strict entrance requirements and adhere to a strict code of ethics giving you the reassurance you are using a wedding planner you can rely on.
I was recently asked to answer a few questions for a members focus on their blog. To find out what I had to say please visit the UKAWP.
