First pictures on the wedding day

I arrive at the house or hotel where the bride is getting ready, I often arrive about an hour before anyone even thinks about getting into the dress.
Why so early? Well I have to admit that part of it is down to wedding photographer's paranoia.
"I need an hour and a bit just in case something happens that I hadn't thought of"
(I think there is a good posting on this entire concept to follow soon)
Another reason is that everyone gets used to me being there, they stop reacting to me either by stopping and grinning at me or by bending forward at the waist while saying oops sorry.
The most important reason for being there is that I am allowed to get great pictures like these.

Wedding Insurance - What You Need To Know

Wedding Insurance - What You Need To Know

The Process of booking your wedding photographer 01

1. The initial meeting.
While most of my clients have seen me working at a friend's wedding or have at least been reccomended by someone they trust, this first meeting is still a new begining and can be a bit like a job interview where I meet the couple and find out about them as individuals and as a couple. I get to show them some of my work and get some feedback on what they like and what they don't like.
I want to know how they want their wedding to be. Quite often they don't really know what they want at this stage and it is important that I don't impose how I think their day should be, but listen carefully for clues. I ask lots of questions and quite often the question that I ask will lead to a set of responses that give me additional clues. An example would be when I once asked a bride if her mother would be wearing a hat? I asked this so that I could gauge the level of formality of the day.
The way she reacted to this question revealed that there was some tension between the bride and her mum which centred to some extent around the issue of the choice of hat. This led to a new set of questions about the relationship and set some clear guidelines as to who was my client and was calling the shots and who was not. The day was planned to perfection and while mums wishes were taken into account I was able to steer mum gently to allow me to fulfil the brides wishes.
The initial meeting often takes place at the couples residence although there is a lot of merit in meeting at the venue. It is great to get to walk around the real place where the wedding will be happening. We get to see the features together and I get to know why the couple chose this venue in the first place.
It is also a good idea to visit your venue on a cold and wet day because this can help to focus the mind and establish a workable wet weather program.
Quite often we find that the venue has so many great features that we could never be able to use them all but I feel it is very important that the couple have as many choices as possible throughout the day.

Alan Knox - Testimonials

I have been so fortunate to have been at the weddings of some great couples and I am very grateful that so many of them have appreciated what I do enough to write to me.
Below are a selection of letters and emails I have recieved.

"Hi Alan,

I just wanted to say a personal thank you for our fantastic wedding photos, it was such a perfect day and both James and I think you managed to capture that in the photographs you took, many of our guests commented on what a "lovely chap the photographer is" you really did fit in well whether it meant chatting to the grannies or getting pictures of the children! Whilst in Mauritius James and I decided to see if we could look at the photos and that was a fabulous evening where we sat with our drinks re living our wedding day.

Many many thanks once again, we are going to recommend you to everyone!!!!"

Natalie Meadley

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"Good morning Alan,

Well we are back from our honeymoon already!!! and just wanted to say thank you so much.
Everyone really enjoyed having such a friendly and creative photographer at the wedding.
I hope you also had a super day - it was definitely the best day of our lives and we had an amazing time."

Carol Almond

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"Hi Alan,

You rock! Those photos are fantastic, they are just what we had hoped for in our wildest dreams! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Thanks again!"

Jo and Alex

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"Alan,

Many thanks for you Professional help and assistance on Saturday.

Can only say 'Brilliant'

Thanks again."

Alan Pepperell
Father of the Bride

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"Dear Alan,

Now the dust has settled on the events of last week I just wanted to drop you a note to thank you most sincerely for an excellent job at Nicky and Phil's wedding last week. It was splendid having you there in the background and a source of advice when needed. I know everyone appreciated it.

We look forward with great expectation to the photos. How lucky were we with the weather so I hope this, and the setting added to the mood of it all. As you said it is about capturing the emotion and there was plenty of that!

Once again many thanks for an excellent job we wouldn't hesitate to recommend you and your reportage approach and that's even before we have seen the result!"

Richard Hunt
Father of the Bride

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"Hi Alan,

We've had a look at the photos and they are great! We would like to take this opportunity to thank you again for your photography throughout the day. You were fantastic and the photos really tell the story of our day.

Thank you!"

Nicky and Phil Dewhurst!!

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"Hi Alan,

Just a quick note to say a massive thank you for Saturday and the months running up to the wedding. You were amazing and helped to make the day even more special. The fact that you even had safety pins to fix my dress, you really did think of everything!!!!!!!

We were really impressed with the service you offered and had loads of compliments from our friends and family as to how professional and friendly you are. We have recommended you to our friends and really hope that you can make their days as special as you helped make ours.

We would love to be able to write a testimonial for the website (although i am sure you have them coming out of your ears!) So let us know if this is something that you would like and we will send something through.

Thanks again and speak very soon."

Lee and Laura
Mr and Mrs Parker

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"Hi Alan,

Wow what can I say we absolutely love them!!!! Thank you sooooo much they are awesome. Wouldn't change a thing so good, please change the password for our guests.

Thanks."

Mel & Greig

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"Hi Alan,

Wow, we are bowled over, what gorgeous pictures. You've not only got some fantastic pictures of us and our venue but of our guests as well and you really have captured the day for us. I can't even remember having my photo taken most of the time, but I guess that's where your skill comes into it. I'm quoting Simon word for word here - ' Tell the man he's a genius. (But he did have great material to work with.)'

Thank you for the lovely message you wrote in our guest book, it's great for us to have that reminder of you from our day.

You have really done us proud, Alan, we are thrilled, thank you, thank you, thank you."

Sarah and Simon

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"Dear Alan,

Thank you so much for all of the beautiful photographs you took at our wedding and for making the whole process so painless. We have received so many compliments from our guests about how great you were on the day and also about the photos on your site.

Thank you."

Sarah & Chris

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"To Alan,

We just want to thank you for being part of our special day by taking such fantastic pictures. We are delighted with them and so pleased that so many special memories of our wedding day were captured so beautifully.

Thank you."

Jim & Helen Holdaway

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"To Alan,

You did a sterling job as our photographer and the photos are everything we hoped for, you really captured the spirit and emotion of our special day. We have just started sorting through the photos to put some albums together for us and our families. I have already recommended you to a friend of a friend who I think has booked you for her wedding this summer. We wish you the best of luck for the future and hope to see you again at another wedding.

Many thanks."

Rob & Helen

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"Alan,

Just a quick note to say thank you so much for the wonderful photos you took on our wedding day. You also helped us out in so many other ways on the day- we really don't know what we'd have done without you.

Thank you so much."

Fiona & Daniel Parker

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"Alan,

Dean & I would like to thank you for the wonderful photos you took at our wedding. You covered the day perfectly."

Maxine & Dean

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"Hi Alan,

Thanks so much for all your hard work. The photos are fab and you were so helpful, Good luck and we will recommend you wherever possible."

Kate & Steven

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"Alan

It seems strange to send you one of your own photos, but we thought you'd like to see how we are using them! Thank you so so much for fantastic wedding photos, not only are we really pleased with the end result, it was also a pleasure to spend so much of our wedding day with you, we will definitely be recommending you to other people.

Best wishes for the future."

Charlotte & Darren Waite

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"Dear Alan,

We always knew our wedding day would be special, but being able to share it with our family & friends made it a day we will always remember, we just wanted to write and say a very big THANKYOU! for your massive contribution to our very special day, we had the most amazing time and really enjoyed your company throughout the day. The photographs are fantastic and very personal, they will provide us with treasured memories, we really appreciated all your hard work before & during the day to make it such a perfect occasion.

Love & many thanks again."

Melissa & Trevor

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"Alan,

Thankyou so much for capturing our wedding day in such style and so discreetly. We love the pictures..."

Ross & Jess McAulay

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"Dear Alan,

Thank you for all that you did to make our wedding day so very special. You were brilliant!"

Marisa & Sven

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"Hi Alan, it's Richard here, Richard and Maria from last night. It's 12.30 we're just off to the airport and we wanted to thank you so much for all you did yesterday, absolutely amazing.

I've never heard so many compliments for one person and it wasn't me, it was you who got all the compliments. Also the castle said that they had never worked with such a nice, professional and able photographer as you so that's a huge compliment. So thank you so much."

Richard & Maria

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"Dear Alan,

We just wanted to say thank you so much for helping to make our wedding day the best ever. At some points throughout the preparations I really don't know what I'd have done without you!!

You were a star!"

Katie & Mark

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"Dear Alan,

Nicola and I just wanted to say how pleased we are with all our lovely photos. We had a fantastic day and we think you have done extremely well in capturing this."

David & Nicola

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"Hi Alan,

We have yet to make our selection and from what I saw yesterday it looks like it’s going to be extremely difficult to make a decision as there are so many beautiful shots – we’re thrilled, really really thrilled – Thank you!"

Ian & Tamsin

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"Dear Alan,

I would like to thank you for all your hard work - people were very complimentary about your manner and style and most of us didn't realise you were taking photos a lot of the time!"

Richard & Caroline

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"Hi Alan,

I just wanted to say a massive thank you for photographing our day - considering we both hate having our photos taken neither of us minded in the slightest and we had a great time having them taken too! Everyone has commented on how wonderful you were throughout the day, and we are highly recommending you to anyone getting married anytime soon.

All our thanks."

Alexandra & Joseph

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"Alan,

What can we say apart from THANK YOU! An incredible day. Thank you so much for all your support and guidance in the run up to the wedding and on the day, we had so many compliments about you and are so pleased you were part of our special day."

Lawrence & Leah

Alan Knox

How do you tie a cravat

I arrived at the house where the groom and the ushers were getting ready. They struggled a bit with the cravats and ended up on google. so for anyone getting married soon and who isn't sure have a look at this:
Instructions for tying Self Tie Cravats and
Self Tie Scrunchie Ties
from www.tomsawyerwaistcoats.co.uk

Here are instructions for tying self tie formal cravats (that is, cravats which are worn over the shirt, for example at weddings).

I hope you find the instructions easy to follow.

Small world

I was at a wedding yesterday and as I moved towards the back of the church I saw a couple waving at me.
I had photographed their wedding a couple of years ago.
There was another couple who had wanted me to photograph their wedding last year but sadly I was already booked for their date.
I had worked with the video man on a wedding at some point and the florist gave me a card and I knew that we had worked together before.
One of the ushers had been a bestman at another wedding.
The wedding was about quite a distance from home they were in Berkshire and I am in Surrey.
During the speeches there was a telegram from a couple who couldn't make it from Australia because they are expecting their first child any day now. I had photographed their wedding too.
As a wedding photographer it is great when couples like what I do enough to reccomend me to their friends and I do love to see them again.

There is a bomb near the church. But don't worry I have a plan.

I arrived at the bride's house nice and early so I decided to do a final run to the church just to make sure that the road was clear.
Well as I arrived at the end of Church lane I discovered that the road was not clear.
The policeman told me that they had discovered an unexploded bomb near the church.
What are the chances of that happening. It has been there for 60 years and they find it on a Saturday morning a wedding day.
I got my map out and quickly discovered that all the alternative routes to the church were also closed.
As I drove off I was thinking of a plan B.
Is it legal to skip the wedding but have the reception anyway? What will the bride say?
Anyway I called the bestman and it was the groom who answered so I told him exactly what the situation was.
I think that I sounded calm and matter of fact.
He laughed because he knew that was just the sort of joke the bride's dad would try to pull and there was no way he was going to fall for it.
So I put on my very serious newsreader voice and told him again that there was a problem and this is what we should do.
Get the bestman to call the church again and again until the Vicar answers the phone. When that happens we will know that the road is clear because the vicarage is at the bottom of the hill, outside the cordon.
When we speak to him we simply ask if his 12.00 wedding is going ahead as planned or will there be a delay. Then we will know if our 2pm wedding will be on time.
Anyway we got the call to say that the road was now open and it only caused a slight delay in the earlier wedding and ours went without a hitch.

Been working on a new slideshow to put onto the website.
This is a test

Website Relaunch

We have been busy with the website which is about to be revamped. We have been selecting pictures for a new slideshow and laying out some new wedding books. The books are simple, stylish and avoid any of those techniques that will very soon become dated.
Samples will be uploaded shortly.

KID’S PORTRAIT CLUB

Children grow up faster than we would like, they seem to go from toddlers to teenagers in no time.

When you look back on their childhood wouldn’t it be nice to have a series of photographs showing every stage of them growing up?

Alan Knox’s KIDS PORTRAIT CLUB ensures against gaps in your family album.

Member benefits

· Prime time appointments 4pm-6pm members only

· Weekend appointments at discounted rates

· Free album maintained by us kept by you

· Discounted print offers

· You may stop at any time with no obligation

· Events and family days

Membership costs less than the average sitting yet covers the whole year and includes the first sitting as well as the album.

To arrange your first sitting please visit www.alanknox.co.uk

The 60 Second PPP Thing

My name is Alan Knox,

I’m a photographer, I provide pictures, photographs.

Pictures of people, products and places.

Professional pictures for people to purchase.

Poignant poetic pictures produced purely to improve the appearance of some pitiful place.

And powerful persuasive pictures promoting a product, purely for profit.

Reproduced onto pamphlets and postcards, portfolios and posters even the product packaging.

A panoramic picture of your premises can prove pretty persuasive to a potential purchaser.

And pictures of a powerful personality, your president perhaps or partner partaking in acts of pomp and pageantry, can produce perfect PR when published and printed in the paper.

And finally those photographs taken as a set of two, one before the transformation and another after the transformation is complete.

Some people call these before and after.

Personally I prefer Prior and Post.

I am Alan Knox

The purveyor of practically perfect pictures.

www.alanknox.co.uk

A Standard Wedding?

I was once asked how much I would charge to shoot a standard wedding?

A standard wedding? Who on earth would want their wedding to be described as standard?

Every bride is unique and every wedding is a special day, a day of magic, of romance, a day of joy to be remembered forever. Your wedding day is the result of much planning and deliberation, every little detail has been considered. After the day those memories will be captured and re-lived through the pictures.

It is important that you get to enjoy your own wedding day, so we use an informal style of photojournalistic or reportage photography so that you can spend time with your family and friends. This is greatly appreciated by those who don't want a bossy photographer to take over their day and spend far too long with everyone standing in a line saying cheese.

When you book me for your wedding you get me all day, you get my passion for wedding photography, you get my sense of fun.

I hope you like my pictures and I hope to see you in them soon.

www.alanknox.co.uk