On Saturday, 6th June I had the honour of photographing the beautiful wedding of Kirsty and Jamie. As I sit to compose this blog post, I’ve just calculated that, all told, I’ve dedicated more than 50 hours to the initial planning meeting, the wander around the wedding venues, the rehearsal, the day itself, the processing afterwards and then putting together proofing and public galleries for the couple to share. I tell you this not for pity but to put into context how hard I will work for my clients – and because I simply can’t imagine doing it any other way!

While I have shot a few weddings, up to now, I’ve not really gone out of my way to specifically target bookings, but that Saturday provided something of an epiphany for me: I absolutely LOVE photographing weddings, capturing as much of the day as is physically possible.

Weddings themselves are great, and there’s no better feeling as a photographer than fully immersing yourself in somebody else’s special day. They are times when new friendships are made and existing bonds strengthened. They are both very personal, yet at times quite public. They are emotional and highly charged. To be allowed to witness all sides of that is both an honour and a privilege. To be entrusted with recording those moments for posterity is hard to put into words, but it’s what I’ve come to realise I thrive upon.

That Saturday really defined how I WANT to do wedding photography. I WANT to tell the story of the whole day – the whole rollercoaster of emotions. The idea of rocking up at a venue just before the ceremony starts and then toddling off again before the wedding breakfast makes very little appeal to me; so much of the tale would be left untold, and that would, in my humble opinion, be a great shame and a waste.

Now I accept that this approach might not be what every couple is looking for, and, clearly, based on the amount of time it will take me to deliver such a product, I am not going to be able to commit to a huge number of weddings each year, and thus it is not a service I am going to be able to offer on the cheap. BUT, I will guarantee you that I will work my backside off to provide you with wonderful photographs from as many sides of your day as is physically possible.

You may not even realise you want this level of coverage before your big day, but, when you see the results afterwards, I am confident that you will be glad that you committed 100% to your wedding photography.

If in doubt, do it properly – you won’t ever be able to go back and repeat your perfect day!

So, to celebrate this lightbulb moment I want to give those of you who are getting married in 2016, and are currently looking for a photographer, the opportunity to win my services for the day!

The only conditions are that your wedding venue is within 60 miles of NN14 4HY, I have no existing commitments that day, and you’re happy for me to make use of some of the pictures for PR purposes.

To stand a chance of winning, either like my page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/eventandweddingphotographybykarldrage), or follow me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/KarlDragePhoto), and share this post (using the buttons at the bottom of the page). Then, when you’ve done that, send me a message with your name, the date of your wedding and where it will be held. Entries will close at 2359 hours on 31st July 2015, and a winner will be selected at random and notified on 1st August 2015.

And, what’s more, even if you’re not getting married in 2016, you can still win one of two free ‘family shoots’ just by liking my Facebook page or following me on Twitter and sharing this post. You’ll also need to send me a message with your name as your privacy settings may mean that I’m unable to see your ‘share’. Again, the winners will be drawn at random and notified on 1st August 2015.

What are you waiting for?! Get sharing, and good luck!!

Finally, my sincere thanks go to Kirsty and Jamie for allowing me to share just a few of the moments from their inspirational wedding day. And believe me when I tell you that this really is just the tip of the iceberg!

Karl

Terms & Conditions:

1) Your wedding venue MUST be within 60 miles of NN14 4HY

2) I must not have prior commitments on the day in question

3) You must be happy for me to use some of the pictures for PR purposes

4) You must have ‘liked’ my page on Facebook or followed me on Twitter

5) You must have shared this post

6) The prize has no cash alternative

7) The winning bride and groom will receive: a) pre-wedding meeting and shoot, b) personalised wedding photography plan, c) full wedding day coverage, d) a proofing gallery from which you are able to choose the images that will appear in your, e) Photobox Premium Photobook, f) fully-processed digital high-resolution copies of all of the images you select from your proofing gallery, g) password protected gallery/galleries that you can share with your family and friends and from which they will be able to purchase copies in a variety of formats

8) The winners of the family shoots will receive: a) 2-hour shoot at a venue of their choosing within a 60 mile radius of NN14 4HY, b) at least 20 fully-processed, digital high-resolution images on DVD, c) 5 prints of your choice at up to 18″ x 12″ or A3 & 10 prints of your choice at up to 12″ x 8″ or A4.