I know this day is about you. I try not to give you too much direction. When we go for the 'wedding couple' photos I want you to think of it as having a bit of time away from everyone else. It's a time for you both to have a giggle, go for a walk, being together before all the speeches and crowds again.
I enjoy the candid moments the most. I like story-telling, to capture those times when the Bride and Groom are elsewhere and would otherwise miss what is happening.
Scroll down to see my most frequently asked questions and my answers.
Phone me on 07828 467 753 or Email Me to discuss your needs.
That is entirely up to you. There will be no pressure from me for you to book when we first meet and I would suggest you talk everything over before you book. Once someone has booked a date, that date is gone and I can't let you have the same day. It is wiser to book once you have fixed the date.
Yes, I do. I personally have a standard DBS certificate, but I also work part-time as a support worker for adult carers and young carers so I also hold the enhanced certificate. A copy of both can be provided at any time.
Please tell the venue that I hold a £5 Million Pound professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Should a venue require evidence of this I am more than happy to provide copies.
Please tell them that I don't plug any equipment into their electric sockets. I am fully battery operated so PAT certificates are not required.
Don't panic, I already have one! Please tell the Venue to contact me and I will send a link to my risk assessment document.
Personally, I think it is a really important part of getting to know each other and to build trust. I know I am very easy going but you won't be sure of that until we meet. Having us all meet up gives us all the chance to get to know each other and discuss any wedding day photography ideas you may already have.
I'd also suggest another meet up closer to the wedding to run through any changes or new ideas.
Excellent, thank you. If I haven’t already provided you with a copy of my contract, contact me and I will send you a link to a copy for you to complete, upon receipt of the completed contract and the booking fee, I will confirm the booking of your wedding day.
I mostly cover weddings in Devon and Cornwall but I am open to travel further. I feel the huge responsibility I have in making sure I don't let you down. Because of this, I always leave home at least double or triple the amount of time needed to get there. In Torbay I leave an hour early, in Plymouth or Exeter I leave two hours early. Because of this, if the wedding is more than a two hour drive, I would need to stay in a hotel the night before. We can discuss this when we meet.
I will always try visit the venue in person or, if it is too far away, research the location online to make sure I know the best places to shoot from, for sunny or rainy days!
I love the 'capture the moment' shots and I like my photos to be storytelling. There is an art to photographing someone when they don't see you taking the photo. Those photos are priceless and are the type of photos I enjoy taking the most.
Most think we stride up to the wedding, take a few photos and we then go back home and everything is done. The reality is the actual wedding day is only a small part of my process. The editing of photos can take several days or more because I want each photo to look the very best. The price you pay is not only the wedding, the meetings and venue research, it's also to spend time making sure you'll have photos you'll remember for life.
That would be entirely up to you. I can be there from start to finish. I would suggest that I don't stay much after the first dance, as this is when smartphones tend to take over. You tell me what you'd like and we will work out a schedule between us.
It's very often a main part of the day for weddings so yes I do. I would suggest that no more than half a dozen should be scheduled and we can discuss this during our chat. It can be as formal as you want but I like to capture some 'off-the-cuff' shots if possible and if time allows.
It can be time-consuming and sometimes difficult to get everyone in the right place for the formal shots. I would strongly suggest that you have a nominated person (usually the loudest or most bossy person you know) to help me so we can get them done quickly so everyone can get back to the fun.
Yes, I created a post on my blog with some examples for a wedding photography shot list.
This is why it is so important for us to meet up prior to your wedding, not only for us to get to know each other but also for me to get a feel for how you are with having your photo taken. Honestly, you really don’t need to worry about anything, it’s not about me and my camera, it’s about you both. The only time you will really be in front of the camera is when we go for a walk to get some stunning photos of you both while you take some time out together, no false smiles, it’s my job to make you feel comfortable and inject a little bit of fun with my photography.
When the Bride looked at me and gave me this smile, I knew I was doing everything I say I can do.
Yes but only for the 8 hour wedding option. For the two smaller packages I can just snack on something and get my dinner straight after. I carry a LOT of equipment on my shoulders and back. The only time I get to sit down is for the meal. I need that break and meal to keep me going.
I ask that I am one of the very first to be fed so I am prepped and ready for the after-dinner speeches and activities. If I'm left until last I may miss key moments as I'm normally not in the same room as you and your guests. Some venues will completely ignore your request to feed me first, and feed me very last, so please keep this in mind.
No, I don't do either. I don't drink because I don't like not being in control. There are so many settings and considerations in photography. Impairing all those decisions is far too risky so I won't do anything that may harm my thought processes. My second photographers will not be drinking either for the same reasons.
All the rain will do is limit the places I can photograph you but that also doesn't mean we can't get 'rain-creative'. I will know before we get there where I will be taking the photos, whatever the weather. Incredibly, I've never had a wet wedding. Even on days with severe weather warnings, the clouds part as I pull up. There are rain shots I would LOVE on my portfolio so one day I may get them!
My absolute priority would be to reach out to other photographers to see if someone else can take over. I am very lucky in that I don't get colds, I have the flu jab and I rarely get ill. In my last job I had 3 days off in 6 years so it really is rare. Having a second photographer would be a very good option if this worries you.
I don’t want to stand out but I still need to be comfortable and agile. Many wedding photographers, myself included, prefer wearing all black. This makes it easier to remove ourselves from things like reflections in mirrors, things that we sometimes can't avoid because the angles will only work in one way. I'll be wearing a black shirt, black chinos, a tie, and the comfiest footwear I own. On hot summer days over 23c, the black shirt and tie will be replaced with a sky blue shirt and no tie.
I would never come to a wedding with just one camera, one lens or one SD card. I bring two cameras and both have two SD cards. Each photo I take writes to both cards at the same time. If one card fails the other should still have all the photos. I usually bring 5 lenses with me, for different parts of the day. I am using lighting more and more so that is also part of my day.
This is the photography equipment I will be bringing to your wedding:
You'll have a handful of (teaser) photos within 12-48 hours.
If you have a June-August Wedding, your photos will be ready within two weeks.
A Wedding outside of the main season will be delivered within one week.
I don't cut any corners with my editing. I just really enjoy that part of the job, so I happily spend 10 hours a day editing. The weeks or months for delivery you see from any other wedding photographers is simply because they don't or can't devote the time needed to edit a wedding in a decent time-frame. I make that time which is why you get your photos so quickly!
All weddings are different and things like the numbers of guests to photograph can vary from wedding to wedding. I won't guarantee a minimum because I want to be free to shoot quality and I will not to be forced into quantity. Unless you've hired the Chinese State Circus for the reception, with dancing elephants and fireworks, expect photos in the hundreds, not thousands.
One more important point; I won't deliver photos that have no emotion. The more emotion there is on the day, the more photos you'll receive. The most emotional wedding days I've photographed have received more than double the amount of photos compared to weddings with less emotion.
My price includes general retouching of each photo to pull out the best colours. It does not include editing the photo to remove things like; tan lines, running fake tans, Auntie holding up a giant iPad in your ceremony photos and so on. I can potentially do it but I'm really sorry to say, it isn't cheap and nor is it part of the wedding package.
The copyright always belongs to the photographer but as described in my contract, you are pretty much free to do with them as you wish but if you upload to places like social media, they must be untouched (no filters etc). I am happy to talk over this with you.
Would you like to hire me for your wedding?
Phone 07828 467 753 or Email Me.
"Wow where do I start, if you want a wedding photographer that is nothing short of incredible, Simon is your guy! Simon captured every moment of the day perfectly, and gave us wedding photos that were beyond what we could have hoped for or imagined. He had a vision for every photo, and they turned out amazing. On top of having such an amazing talent, Simon was joyful, attentive, and lovely on the day, and truly added to the occasion as a whole. My relatives and I can not stop boasting about how truly fantastic Simon is. Simon also was lovely to communicate with before and after the wedding, and sent our wedding photos over very promptly. If you are debating hiring Simon or looking for a solid wedding photographer, go with Simon, you will not regret it, I promise! I will include some of my wedding photos as an example of how amazingly talented Simon is, and how phenomenal our wedding photos themselves turned out. 12/10 can not recommend Simon Day photography enough!!" Christine
"This is too perfect. I can't stop looking at these. Brings back all the emotion. Thank you xxx "
Kate & James