If you have just started your wedding planning and are still looking for a wedding venue then you should come along and see Lanwades Hall its stunning architecture and setting will wow you!

Lanwades Hall is a large Tudor-style manor house sitting proudly at the end of a sweeping tree-lined driveway complete with striking wrought-iron gates and flanked by two mirrored gate-houses. Built in 1907, with the winnings of the 1898 Derby, the magnificent Hall is set in the middle of Lanwades Park which offers total privacy and exclusivity for your day.

The Hall’s terrace and sunken garden maintain the characteristics of the Tudor period with the terrace protected by a stone balustrade with twin flights of stone steps leading down to the delightful sunken garden. Flag stone paths lead around the garden to the brick pillared pergola which makes a superb location for champagne and canapés or even the whole wedding breakfast.

If you choose Lanwades Park as your wedding venue, you’ll be doing a wonderful thing for animals too as all profits go directly to the Animal Health trust charity which Lanwades Park is the home to.

Lanwades Park is located just outside Newmarket with easy access from the A14 and the A11. It is the perfect spot for a unique country wedding, a haven just 90 minutes away from London by car.

So if you can make it come and see us we will be happy to discuss your wedding photography, or anything else to do with weddings for that matter. See you there it promises to be a great day!

Married in recently at the beautiful Christ’s College in Cambridge, the texture of the brickwork, the narrow ‘back streets’ and the bustling market provided an amazing backdrop for the black and white documentary wedding photography that I am known for and Rock gave me the opportunity to do what I excel at by obliging with a walk through the streets with his grooms men to the ceremony venue. A good documentary wedding photographer will anticipate and seize moments as they occur with confidence; the Cambridge student hurrying by on his push bike and the street musician add a sense of depth and relevance to both the surroundings and the occasion in what is one of my favourite shots of Rock and his grooms men making their way to Christ’s College.

A key part of my work as a documentary wedding photographer is to ensure that couples are able to ‘relive’ the anticipation and joy of their day through the eyes of an ‘invited observer’. As

Melanie and her bridesmaid completed the finishing touches in their suite at the recently opened Varsity Hotel in Cambridge I was able to get some really relaxed bridal preparation shots of Melanie, utilising the great natural light that the dual aspect windows gave me. I particularly love the shot of her with her mum holding her bridal train – to capture someone when they are at their most thoughtful often provokes the most emotive of reactions from brides and grooms………

Rock’s sharp Ozwald Boateng dinner suit (I was quite taken with his Jeffery West shoes being a bit of a shoe fiend myself!) complemented the Grecian style of Melanie’s gown perfectly and made for some very stylish post ceremony documentary wedding photography shots. However, style aside the sheer unparalleled joy of both of them as they turn to their guests after taking their vows was amazing to capture.

With such a creative couple it was no surprise that they put together a day of celebration that was as individual as they are. Complete with ‘hoola hoop’ performer (apparently one of the best according to Simon Cowell!) the magician (see the interesting shot where he has placed a lit cigarette in a very fine pashmina belonging to the bridesmaid!) and the cross dressing DJ the day was rounded off in true party style………!

As a documentary wedding photographer this was near perfect – I was allowed the freedom and autonomy to capture their day in the way that I do best and with their full participation it made for some fantastic documentary wedding photography shots.

It had been some time since my last visit to Hengrave Hall with the beautiful wedding of Roger and Hanako and I always find it intriguing and exciting how one venue can feel so very different with each wedding. Maybe in part that has to do with the fact that I treat each wedding photography experience as ‘unique’ and that my clients are predominantly those who have their own sense of style and make their day so very individual – a perfect partnership for a documentary wedding photographer! 

As with most brides at Hengrave Hall, Catherine got ready in the beautiful Queen Elizabeth Chamber suite that overlooks the grounds – the space, proportions and style of the room lend themselves to getting some great candid bridal preparation shots although with so many people in the room and so much ‘stuff’ it can be a challenge for both bride and photographer! 

With both Catherine and Julian getting ready at the hall it also made it easy to capture some relaxed shots of Julian and his groomsmen getting ready – the billiard room is a very ‘masculine’ environment and is a perfect backdrop for these relaxed groom shots. 

Looking very elegant in a sleeveless beaded gown Catherine eventually made her way down the grand staircase to the ceremony to where Julian and their guests awaited and I have to say their pre-wedding photography shoot inCambridgehad certainly paid dividends. Julian and Catherine completely relaxed into their day letting me get the best from documenting everything as it happened and allowed time to capture the more intimate moments between them as they wandered through the beautifully landscaped gardens resplendent with spring daffodils that added a vivid splash of colour.

A fantastic way to start Easter……

Click here to see other fabulous wedding photography from Hengrave Hall

With an early start at The Inn at Woburn for bridal preparation shots this was going to be a long day but nonetheless enjoyable. The preparation time enabled me to get some candid preparation shots of Kate and her bridesmaids and capture the sense of nervous anticipation whilst my other photographer took some shots of Andy and his groomsmen including a shot reminiscent of the Beetles Abbey Road cover – only crossing the zebra crossing at Woburn in this case!

Arriving at Woburn church Kate looked stunning in her Sassi Holford dress and with her hair and make-up done by Emily Kent from The Wedding Hair Company – a wedding photographers dream; strikingly beautiful, poised and elegant, making my job very easy

The test for me was in the church – the priest had had poor experiences with photographers (read as experience with photographers not necessarily respecting the environment they are in and creating problems for other professional wedding photographers). I was severely restricted to where I could operate which also limited potential for photographs during Kate’s arrival and the ceremony – but I managed!

Following the ceremony everyone came back to Woburn Abbey Sculpture Gallery for the celebrations, including Andy celebrating with a spot of Sabrage, the art of by removing the top from champagne with a sabre, closely supervised by the toastmaster Garry Smith – a fantastic wedding photography shot to capture (which I did!).

I always do my research with a new venue and the Sculpture Gallery was no exception – I had also planned some more stylised wedding photography shots to complement my style of documentary wedding photography but these were somewhat thwarted by unforeseen building work at Woburn. However, with a keen eye for selective angles to avoid all the scaffolding we were still able to get some fantastic wedding photography shots especially in amongst the Daffodils in full bloom.

The celebrations were rounded off by an evening of dancing for Kate and Andy and their guests, leaving me with a considerable amount of images to view and edit and a great complement from Andy at the end of the night ‘you were ***** awesome!’

Here are a small selection of my favourite images from the day………..

Having already cancelled an earlier pre wedding photography shoot with Catherine and Julian due to extremely bad weather this day, though not brilliant, was markedly better; overcast  dry and very very cold!  Starting off on Trinity Lane we slowly made our way towards the “Backs” with a slight detour towards Kings Chapel for a few shots outside Clare College. 

Both appeared slightly nervous about the pre wedding photography shoot, Julian possible more so than Catherine, but with a few tips from me they both started to relax and enjoy themselves. Having a rapport with your photographer is really important, the pre wedding photography shoot helps to build that all important rapport and enables couples to just relax and let things flow on the day.

Catherine and Julian’s wedding is in April at the fabulous Hengrave hall in Suffolk, one of my favourite luxury wedding venues, which has an almost endless abundance of wedding photography opportunities amoungst it’s landscape gardens and intriguing architecture.

Click here to see other fabulous pre wedding photography shoots including destination pre wedding shoots in Paris and Florence

I was particularly delighted that Melanie and Rock chose me as their wedding photographer. Both Melanie and Rock are professional creative people and whilst it is always fantastic when anyone chooses you to photograph their day it is a particular compliment when another creative person chooses your work above all others – after all we creative types are very discerning and have a keen eye for what is technically and artistically ‘good’! For me it ranks pretty high on the list of professional compliments!

As usual the essence of the shoot is for a couple to relax, enjoy and get some advice from me on the basics how to stand and generally how to be relaxed enough to interact with each other naturally – I find this part usually helps couples come the day, if they can remember any of it!!

I had no such qualms about Melanie and Rock being able to relax – naturally comfortable with one another they were able to interact and let me get on with getting some fantastic pre-wedding photography shots (with a particularly glamorous edge as Melanie had just had a pre-wedding hair and make up trial)

Pre-wedding photography is becoming more popular and in some cultures such as in the Middle andFar East it is as important as the Wedding Day itself. It is a day in which you can relax with one another and a great excuse to either dress up or dress down according to your tastes. Pared down glamour is always popular but I must admit I do love photographing couples who have decided to go for full on glamour.

This year I am celebrating all things pre-wedding by offering destination pre-wedding photography in Florence, Italy. This is a stunning opportunity to have an on location pre-wedding photography shoot around the stunning renaissance city of Florence, home to some of the most magnificent architecture and breathtakingly romantic views – the view from Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset looking down on the Ponte Vecchio must surely be one of the most romantic views you should experience at least once in a life time…..

There are two exclusive weeks this summer with the first one not far away in June. Contact me on 0870 626 5200 or e-mail me at info@scott-wood.co.uk to find out more and reserve your place or visit pre-wedding photography on the website for more information

The day almost got off to a shaky start when David realised the rings had not been picked up – a timely reminder from yours truly made sure the rings made it to the ceremony – which goes to show that a good wedding photographer does more than take photographs during the day! 

With David arriving in a white Maserati the elegant style of the day was set (not withstanding guests trying to make rude words from the scrabble pieces that formed part of the scrabble theme). After a ceremony lit completely with tea lights David and Helen got the party started with a very individual ‘Bandaoke’ performance – eschewing the normal first dance they opted instead to perform a first song (very brave!), and rounded off the day with a grand display of fireworks. 

This was an early start to the wedding photography season for me and essentially it was a winter wedding. So for those of you planning a wedding later in the year I thought this would be a great opportunity to give you some tips that will ensure you get fantastic wedding photographs. 

There are many reasons why people will choose to get married in winter but quite often they forget that natural light will be at a premium so think about the time that you get married. As a documentary wedding photographer I work a lot with natural light but even someone as experienced as I am may have to use flash which gives a completely different feel to an image. 

Also think carefully about the style of photography that you want – the natural elements of documentary wedding photography like mine provide some great images but do be aware people may not be as dynamic as during a summer wedding – it is often too cold to go outside and people may just remain indoors thus limiting opportunities for guests to wander and mingle.

Let your photographer know about any special lighting being used – David and Helen used lots of tea lights which although very romantic do need handling properly from a photography perspective. Initially I looked at the design of the room in which the ceremony was going to be held and it was flooded with natural light – great, then the curtains were closed! Except for the masses of tea lights in combination with dimmed over head lighting the room was in near darkness. This could have posed problems to a less experienced photographer. Happily I knew Helen and David’s arrangements and whilst I could curse the loss of the natural light I was able to easily compensate.

 This is one location in the UK where I have always wanted to photograph a wedding so I was delighted when Andy and Kate chose me to cover their day. I often hold pre-wedding photography shoots at the actual wedding venue – it gives couples a chance to get comfortable with me and also with the venue. Quite often it is at a different time of year to when their wedding will be and is a great opportunity for an intimate and probably rare moment of time together in what is usually a hectic schedule in the run up to the big day. 

Woburn is truly a beautiful wedding venue and on a very cold but bright day we met for their pre-wedding shoot. The stark winter beauty of the grounds of the park at Woburn provided a great backdrop for the shoot and the light was just right particularly as I work predominantly with available natural light rather than relying on the use of flash

Blessed with a natural ease in front of the camera Andy and Kate made my job very easy, walking and sharing a few happy moments together as we made our way around the grounds. I particularly like the relaxed feel of the images taken on the bridge and black and white still remains my favourite medium for images – ever the photojournalist!

So if you are planning your own engagement or pre-wedding shoot here are a few tips:

I would normally recommend doing the pre-wedding photography shoot 6 to 8 weeks prior to the big day, this then gives time to edit and process the images whilst also giving you time to review and feed back. It also allows for rescheduling if the weather is bad.

For me the essence of the shoot is for a couple to relax, enjoy and get some advice from me on the basics how to stand and generally how to be relaxed enough to interact with each other naturally – I find this part usually helps couples come the day, if they can remember any of it!!.

Trust your wedding photographer to know the best locations to shoot – a good wedding photographer will know when and where the best light, best backdrops etc are.

Don’t let the fact that they may have not photographed at your venue before deter you from booking a favourite photographer – a good photographer always researches the venue before your day if that is the case and will know how to get the best from it!

If you have your own itinerary that you want to do let your wedding photographer know in plenty of time so that they can advise you on whether it will work.

Make the most of your pre-wedding photography shoot from a style perspective – it’s a great excuse to dress up!

It is of course very important to feel comfortable but there are a few tips that I normally give anyway as follows:

1. Decide as a couple what type of image you want to portray – for example pared down glamour or urban chic as a prelude to your wedding or something more country casual.
2. Coordinating with/complementing each others ‘look’ will give the shoot a more elegant feel (even if your style is more outgoing and quirky normally and you want to ‘strike a pose’ in the style of Vivien Westwood so long as the pair of you do it, it can work!)
3. If you are wearing a shirt I advise avoiding checks unless contained under a plain sweater and I would advise making sure it is ironed properly
4. If you are wearing make up it doesn’t need to be heavy but I advise brides that a slightly enhanced version of your normal look is a good idea – not a good idea to try anything new for pre wedding or wedding day!

You might wonder what the purpose or benefit of a pre-wedding photography shoot is and why you should consider having one! In my experience that is exactly what most couples initially think when offered a pre-wedding photography shoot!

When a couple gets engaged they have so many things to consider, not least of which is choosing a great wedding photographer that is right for their individual style and wedding.  Once booked however, most couples forget about their wedding photographer until a few weeks prior to their wedding day, when they are likely to meet with them again to go over the details of the day. From my point of view, I feel I can deliver a better wedding photography experience if we’ve had a chance to get to know each other better.

Great wedding photography takes skill and creativity – whenever I photograph a couple during a pre-wedding photography shoot, I use my skill and creativity to capture great images and put a couple at ease in readiness for their day, banishing any nerves they may have about being in front of a camera! After all most people have never had professional photos taken since they were at school!

As a documentary wedding photographer I aim to tell the story of the day in images that are candid and capture the moments as they happen. Unlike more formal styles of photography I will only give a direction where needed but there will be some times during the wedding day where you want a little more direction, for example photos with parents and grand parents. Since posing doesn’t come natural to most people, and as we generally have more time than on the actual wedding day, the pre-wedding photography shoot is a great opportunity to practice! I guide couples and give them some basic rules to help them look comfortable, spontaneous and of course romantic – to look as good as they really are; with a few simple pointers here and there which can make a world of difference to the end result.

The whole pre-wedding photography experience may feel awkward initially, but there is no pressure and pretty soon the fun and spontaneity of having a rare moment together before the wedding soon takes over. At the end of the session both the bride and groom are usually totally at ease about the photography on their wedding day and I have got a unique insight into how they interact and the type of images that the bride and groom really love.

To get the absolute best from a pre-wedding photography shoot I encourage couples to go to a little bit of effort when planning their time with me. Doing things a little bit different in terms of outfits and location will ensure you have a gorgeous pre-wedding photography shoot – for inspiration take a look at the romantic autumn pre-wedding photography shoot in Paris. Of course Paris is one of the most romantic locations in the world but your pre-wedding photography shoot can be done just about anywhere – at a favourite spot, the beach, the city or even your wedding venue!

Finally, when your pre-wedding photography shoot is completed your images will be finished using my own processing technique to provide you with a set of timeless beautiful portraits that will be uploaded to a secure website gallery for you to view and purchase if you wish.

This summer we are running two specific weeks inFlorence, Italy for pre-wedding photography – surely one of the most romantic places in the world to be photographed! You can find more details in the pre-wedding photography section of the website

I look forward to seeing you soon!