May 2010 | DIRK VAN DER WERFF - WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

CHOOSING YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER



GARETH AND KATHRYN WITH SOME OF THEIR CLOSEST FRIENDS OUTSIDE IN THE WARMTH LATE AT NIGHT AFTER THEIR AUTUMN WEDDING AT CRATHORNE HALL IN NORTH YORKSHIRE
ONE OF THE BRIDESMAIDS AT JAGDEEP'S SIKH WEDDING AT HARDWICK HALL HAD HER MAKE-UP FINISHED - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF
BRIDESMAIDS DO, WHAT BRIDESMAIDS HAVE TO DO - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF



I have a passion for photography - and a passion for weddings - the perfect match!
It's the hardest thing in the world choosing a wedding photographer, and you will probably NEVER commission another professional photographer again. That's why I'm here, to help you choose. Make the wrong cloice, and you live to regret it .... but make the right choice of wedding photographer and you will always cherish the photographs and remember your day as stress free, a joyful relaxed occasion surrounded by family and friends.
When I was married almost 25 years ago, weddings were a whole different ball game. Parents paid for the wedding and generally, everyone who ever slightly knew you was invited to YOUR wedding, even if you hardly had a memory of them!
Nowadays, thank goodness, it's a celebration, more than 'just' a wedding.
Couples get engaged and decide to make plans to marry at a much more mature age, late 20's or early thirties, often after a university education.
You have your own careers, you have your own home, you arrange and book your own holidays ... so you want to have the wedding YOU want to have - and often you both pay towards it as well!
You can invite the people YOU really want to invite. Your closest and best friends and your nearest and dearest relatives - and, hopefully, me!
Some couples are naturals in front of the camera.
Most are not.
So you need to feel confidence in your wedding photographer, and I will build that confidence with you through my website pages and my BLOG entries of the most recent weddings I cover, you will get a feel for my skills as a photographer, of my passion for YOUR wedding and for my love of photography and people.
I'm a people person, and in my career in magazines and newspapers before I set up my own business in 2003 I photographed royalty, celebrities, top rockstars and footballers and politicians and businessmen as well as the general public, children and all sorts of family occassions. I'm amiable, I'm nice. I smile a lot, and I'm very good with people.
I won't be bullying anyone, I won't be shouting at anyone, NOTHING is a problem and I ALWAYS remember that it's YOUR day, not the photographer's!
Building your confidence starts here, right now, by the way I present myself, my photography and my offers to help you along the way, every day if needs be for the next year, two years, maybe three years until your wedding.
I put my heart and soul into my weddings, I work very hard for six, eight, ten or twelve hours on the day of your celebration, maybe two days or longer for weekend weddings, Greek weddings, or Asian weddings. I'm available to meet you anytime, day, night, weekend, just give me a ring on my personal mobile, 0778 7150966.
You don't have to come to see me - and for the majority of my brides, who live all over the UK and abroad too, but who return to the north east, north Yorkshire or Cumbria to get married, I meet up with them on Facebook first often, and then when they visit the area before their wedding.
If we can meet at your chosen venue for coffee - that will be fine, otherwise I'll come to your home, and if you would like your parents to meet with me too (cause they're paying .... ) that's fine too. The more the merrier!
I cover weddings all across the north of England, but often travel elsewhere in Great Britain, Cheshire in September, Berkshire in October and Dumfries and Galloway in December this year ...... and more and more brides want to take their chosen photographers on their destination weddings across Europe and further afield. If that's what you would like, no problem!
I won't keep anyone hanging around and waiting for hours on end for photographs to be taken ... all my best photographs will come from you all chillin' out and having a great day of celebration.
Not that we will forget those groups needed by mums and dads and grandmas and grandads - it's just that generally I will do many of them AFTER the wedding breakfast, when folk have had a few drinks, they're more relaxed and amenable - and it will take just TEN MINUTES ! I will NOT take you away from your guests for ages .. maybe 15 minutes, usually after the wedding breakfast - just have a great day and I will record the fun!
I don't do 'production line' wedding photography ... every bride and groom and every wedding is SPECIAL to me, so I have limited dates available to cover weddings as most of my weddings from first meeting until the handover of an album take about 30-36 hours.
So I rarely take more than 30 - 35 bookings in a year.
That's to keep me fresh - and enthusiastic, so that you're NOT just ANOTHER bride. I come to your wedding keen and enthusiastic. I've come across sooo many wedding photographers over the last couple of decades who, when I ask how business is and how life is going, shock me and say: "I hate doing weddings ..."
That's because it's a production line .... scores and scores of weddings, sometimes hundreds or more and three weddings in a day using part-time photographers to fill in .....
I would hate that too.
After our initial meeting and you decide to go ahead with booking your wedding date, our next meeting will be the important - the pre-wedding portrait session. This usually takes place about 6-10 weeks before the wedding. We get to spend an hour or two at the beach, or at a country park or somewhere special to you.
Yes, you get a beautiful framed A4 portrait from out time together, or a signing board but the most important thing is that we get to spend an hour or more together, walking and chatting about your wedding, taking some photographs of the two of you interacting and having fun.
We may have first met two years ago .. so you will have forgotten what I look like (!) and I will have forgotten what you look like too .. so it's good to catch up so, come your BIG day, we're NOT strangers, you know the way I work and that 95% of your photographs are going to be natural and spontaneous.
There's no surprises, I'm there for you as well as for your parents and you can just get on and have a fantastic wedding, confident that I will capture all the fun and the ambiance and the details so that when you come back from your honeymoon you have a wonderful, relaxed record of the biggest day of your life!
My PRICES and PACKAGES are outlined HERE, but EVERYTHING  is FLEXIBLE.
Choosing a photographer and deciding on a budget to set aside is difficult, but if you want a full time professional photographer, with high quality images, great customer service and with whom you can build a relationship to feel comfortable on the day then expect to pay £1500.00 upwards.
You MIGHT find a friend or a student or a part-time wedding photographer (he's a heating engineer or a plasterer during the week ...) and they MIGHT do a good job, but is MIGHT good enough for the biggest day of your life?
All that emotional and financial investment in your day, with the possibility that the photographs may be poor, or may not turn out.
Hope this has helped .. if not, or you want to ask any more questions, just ring me, text me, Facebook me or e-mail me .. numbers are above.
After all, I've been to more weddings than most people!

DIRK VAN DER WERFF

TALLULAH LOVE WEDDING LINGERIE FOR A SPECIAL BRIDE





It's nice to post something fun every now and again - and today's the day!

My friend Michelle has a great new company called Tallulah Love, a new and exciting addition to the luxury lingerie market - and based in north east England too!

The range was first shown in Paris at the Salon International de la Lingerie show in January 2010. Michelle is the ex design director at Playboy Intimates UK with over 12 years experience in the Lingerie industry.

"Having worked in the industry for 12 years gaining my training working for Marks and Spencer's supplier Claremont I then went on to design for a UK fashion house who supplies to Topshop, Miss Selfridge and many others.

I realised I wanted to work in the Branded sector and was given the position of White Label Lingerie designer for Playboy Intimates. I worked with the team to create a 1950's style vintage line for Playboy and quickly progressed to Design Manager. I believe that this wealth of experience has given me a fabulous insight into what women and buyers want from lingerie. My burning desire to create my own line came around 5 years ago.

I finally took a leap of faith and 2 years ago I left Playboy to start working towards this goal to own and create my own lingerie brand. It's taken months of sourcing, designing, planning and soul searching to get to this point and I am so proud to say that my vision has become a reality.

"Tallulah Love is here". The range is very contemporary yet has a nod to vintage. The styling, marketing and branding all echo luxury glamour and the range is said to have a very “high end fashion” appeal.

Tallulah Love Luxury Lingerie’s first photo shoot was held in a wonderfully enchanting London town house which hasn’t been altered since 1847 and so was the perfect backdrop for the vintage inspired range.

The latest 2010 collection was shot at delightful boutique hotel 40 Winks...quoted as one of the world's most beautiful hotels by German Vogue.

If you want something a little bit different for your wedding lingerie, that's you ladies, not your fella! ... then have a look at Michelle's website or email her: michelle@tallulahlove.com

She would be absolutely delighted to hear from you!

TOTALLY BRILLIANT PHOTOGRAPHS BY LARA JADE.

DIRK VAN DER WERFF

WEDDING VENUE HEADLAM HALL AWARDED FOURTH AA STAR


Headlam Hall, one of the premier exclusive use wedding venues in the north of England, based in Teesdale has been awarded its fourth star by the AA in its most recent inspection.
Headlam Hall is a great venue, made even better by the quality of its staff, and was the wedding venue for Rhoanne and Andrew's wedding recently that I photographed, and also was the choice for Rachel and Jonathan's wedding recently.
The 17th century property, which has recently opened a new restaurant, refitted the hotel’s main kitchens, and refurbished the bedrooms in the Hall’s Coach House, is the first four star hotel in Teesdale.
Managing Director Thomas Robinson said he was proud of the hotel’s 4-star award.
“We are delighted that the AA has recognised the investment in facilities and hospitality we have undertaken here at Headlam over the last few years, and it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all the staff at Headlam Hall, Spa and Golf that we have been awarded the 4-stars.”
Dedication of the staff indeed .. well done to all, and if you would like me to be the official photographer at your Headlam Hall wedding, ring me in the office until 6pm on 01429 423165, or anytime on my mobile, 0778 7150966.
RING ME NOW !!  DATES GO QUICKLY ... CHECK YOUR DATE FOR 2012 / 2013 / 2014

DIRK VAN DER WERFF

Beamish Hall Wedding Photography for Anna and Neil

BEAMISH HALL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS:
THE KEYS TO THE WEDDING SUITE AT BEAMISH HALL
JIMMY CHOO SHOES AT THE READY FOR ANNA AT BEAMISH HALL IN NORTH EAST ENGLAND
ANNA ENJOYING HER HAIR SESSION BEFORE HER WEDDING
BEAMISH HALL COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL - READY FOR ANNA AND NEIL'S WEDDING
ANNA'S IAN STUART BRIDAL DRESS IS PREPARED FOR HER WEDDING TO NEIL - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF
CONTENT AND HAPPY - ANNA MAKES LAST MINUTE PREPARATIONS
ANNA\'S MUM IS HAPPY AND RELAXED AS SHE WAITS FOR THE CEREMONY TO BEGIN
ANNA AND HER FATHER HOT THE RED CARPET IN THE HALL AT BEAMISH
NEIL AND ANNA CAPTURED ON THE RED CARPET AS THEY LEAVE THE HALL AT BEAMISH AFTER THEIR CEREMONY - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
TIME FOR A LAUGH AS THE TENSION EVAPORATES AFTER THE CEREMONY
BIRDS OF PREY FROM THE BEAMISH WILD BIRDS CENTRE WERE PART OF THE CELEBRATIONS
FULL FLIGHT AS ONE OF THE BIRDS  COMES IN TO FEED - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF

RADIATING ... ANNA ENJOYING MEETING HER FRIENDS AND RELATIVES AT THE WEDDING BREAKFAST AT BEAMISH HALL
ANNA'S BEAUTIFUL WEDDING CAKE DECORATED BY HER MUM!
ANNA AND NEIL CHILL OUT AT BEAMISH HALL AFTER THEIR WEDDING BREAKFAST - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF

ALL MEAN AND MOODY ... THE BRIDE AND GROOM GET CLOSE IN THE GATHERING GLOOM AND CLOUDS AT BEAMISH HALL COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF
THE KISS ... NEIL AND ANNA  SEAL THEIR WEDDING VOWS WITH A KISS - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF
FUN AND LAUGHTER - THE STORY OF THEIR DAY





Anna and Neil - what a great couple, but I nearly didn't photograph their great family wedding at Beamish Hall Hotel.
I had a phone call and an e-mail about the same time to the office. It was another plea for help from a bride who had been 'let down' by another photographer, and their wedding was in 8 weeks time. Could I help?
Of course I could. Luckily, because I cover only 20-25 weddings a year, I have availability through the year in different weeks and months. It's great for me and for my brides, it means that I can concentrate on each bride and groom and wedding as individuals, you're not on a production line, you're not just another bride and groom!
I digress ... so, Anna and Neil, who had met in India while working, and who had settled in Essex and Kent decided they wanted to get married in the north east where Anna had family and thought that Beamish Hall would be a great location - too right, especially when their's was the only wedding on that day!
They had already decided from looking at my images on this BLOG and my website, that I was the guy for them! So, they paid a deposit the same day and we hooked up 3 weeks later when they were visiting the area.
We got on famously ... we did some photographs together, with Anna's mum at Beamish Hall as they made their last minute arrangement s and we dashed across to the Angel of the North to get some photographs there that would be suitable for using in their place settings on the BIG day!
So, on Sunday, we met for the second time - their great wedding celebrations at Beamish Hall. The hairdresser had dragged Anna from her bed at 7am, so I didn't feel too bad about things when I arrived on site about 9.30am to catch up with the madness and mayhem.
But it was all chilled out, all fun and games and Anna was the most laid back person there!
Neil, however, in texts and phone calls to me the day before, was in turmoil, bless him, so when he turned up in his father-in-law's Jaguar, he did look a little pasty faced!
He soon settled into the day with his brothers and friends and best man greeting him and letting him know that there was a van full of tissues for when he started crying with emotion of the day - it took about 20 seconds for the first sniffle!
Back upstairs, Anna was about to get into her dress with the help of mum and her friends. It was a fabulous Ian Stuart Bridal dress from Wild Brides in Sunderland and she looked stunning!
I had to worry Neil even more when I saw him soon after and told him he might need a paramedic when he saw Anna coming down the aisle in THAT dress!
Even the civil ceremony was full of fun and laughter, and I was able to get friends and relatives to join in the fun as I took a shot from the balcony in the main hall which Anna and Neil had requested.
Reception started with a demonstration from the guys who run the Birds of Prey Conservation Centre at Beamish which was very different to other weddings, and allowed us to get outside and have more fun with some stunning birds of prey and grab a few important family photos with mums and dads and grandparents for a few minutes.
Inside, the speeches were short and to the point and fun, the chefs excelled themselves with the wedding breakfast and were stunned to be rewarded by Neil with drinks all ound for the kitchen staff - they couldn't remember the last time that had ever happended to them - but it shows the sort of people that Neil and Anna are.
Anna and I and Neil managed to get 10 minutes to ourselves finally as we headed back outside and got some well deserved fresh air - and even theough it was overcast and grey, we created some fun photos together.
The evening reception was already underway and as the first dance loomed, I reflected on what a great day it had been. Full of fun and laughter, chilled out and relaxed.
Just the day that Anna and Neil had ordered!
I hope you enjoy this sneak peak of 23 photographs from the 400+ that documented their great day ..
If you would like me to be part of your wedding at Beamish Hall in County Durham, or elsewhere in the country or anywhere in the world because you love my style and relaxed photography - please tell me all about your plans, and don't lose your date!
Ring me in the office up to 6pm on 01429 423165 or on my mobile at anytime 0778 7150966.




READ MY WEDDING REVIEWS HERE
AND HERE
READ ABOUT COST / PRICES / INVESTMENT HERE



DIRK VAN DER WERFF