So, on first glance this might not look like a typical wedding picture - but this was taken during bridal and wedding party preparations at a recent lovely wedding in Tarrant Monkton, Dorset.
The wedding party and bridal prep took place at the bride's family home, which when it was built way back when, had never been intended for such an onslaught of people! As a wedding photographer, photographing bridal prep in such an intimate space can always be a challenge - not just because of the lack of space, but because you always need to be mindful of the fact that you never want to be overly obtrusive, or detract in any way from the excitement of the moment - as well as the more practical matter of not getting in the way!
This photograph was taken during a small lull in proceedings during the wedding morning, where the flower girls were yet to put on their wedding finery. In this image, they are making their way downstairs to the kitchen to get something to eat before getting dressed - after all, you wouldn't want to get food all over your beautiful dress! It's a timely reminder to all of you that it's vitally important to get something substantial to eat on the wedding morning, as it's often a long time until the wedding breakfast... and even if you have canapes planned for the afternoon reception, the bride and groom often are in such demand that they miss out on the lovely nibbles.
I love this image because of the inverted symmetry in the actions of the two girls... both tying up their ponytails as they descend the staircase, both mid-step. It's tiny moments like this that I look out for during a wedding day, where a tiny story unfolds, or a pleasing visual moment presents itself. Wedding days are about the little moments as well as the big ones; and as a wedding photographer, it's my job to anticipate, see and document all of them.
