VERY HAPPY PEOPLE ..... | DIRK VAN DER WERFF - WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

VERY HAPPY PEOPLE .....

DIRK VAN DER WERFF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY REVIEWS:
Wedding photographers reviews of my services as a wedding photographer are my lifeblood ........ 

WE ALL KNOW THAT RECOMMENDATIONS ARE THE BEST FORM OF BUSINESS, AND THAT'S WHY THESE REVIEWS AND TESTIMONIALS ARE SO IMPORTANT.
PROSPECTIVE BRIDES AND GROOM - AND THEIR PARENTS, CAN READ WHAT MY CUSTOMERS (AND MANY OF THEM NOW FRIENDS...) HAVE TO SAY ABOUT ME AND THE WAY I WORK DURING A WEDDING.
If you wish to speak with any of my brides and grooms who have kindly written reviews, I would be happy to speak with them so that they can speak with you.



NORTH EAST WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER REVIEWS, NORTH YORKSHIRE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY REVIEWS:
NICOLLE AND WAYNE AT WYNYARD HALL

Latest wedding photography review is just in - from Nicolle, who married Wayne at Wynyard Hall.

Hello Bride/Groom to be!
If you are fortunate enough to have found Dirk’s blog or Facebook page and are reading this then you are probably not looking  for  your average run of the mill wedding photographer that does lots of cheesy posed shots and sticks out a mile on YOUR big day, if so then you have definitely come to the wrong place, luckily for you though there are a billion other wedding photographers out there that will fit your requirements, however there is only one DIRK VAN DER WERFF and he and he is definitely Werff it!! 
So if you are looking for beautiful, inspired, contemporary, relaxed, natural photographs that capture the very essence, emotion, detail and all those special moments of what truly is one of the best days of your lives, then stop looking you have found THE ONE!!

OUR STORY
Before our big day, we searched plenty of wedding websites, chatted to lots of photographers at wedding  fayres and plied through numerous glossy wedding  albums all beautifully presented of loved up newlyweds ‘glazing’ into each other eyes before we were lucky enough to find Dirk! 
Everything we had seen was all a little too ‘Stepfordesque’ for us, too samey, too showy, too much perfection not enough sentiment!  Dirks photos are different, the first time I stumbled across his blog and viewed his beautiful photos, I just knew this was our photographer.
Dirk's images really struck a chord, they put you in the picture, they are moving, emotive, beautiful, they are real photographs of you on your wedding day and the people who matter most to you enjoying your wedding day, they are not staged, the smiles and tears are all genuine and if like my husband you do not like having  your photo taken you will not feel uncomfortable and if like me you love it you will enjoy every moment and you will both feel completely relaxed and at ease and so will your guests!
WHAT’S NOT  TO LOVE ABOUT DIRK?
Dirk quite often gets lovingly referred to or confused for an ‘uncle’, which is not such a farfetched description as apart from keeping your ‘aunties’ entertained (he is very charming!), he does truly become a member of your family and a very special part of your wedding celebrations, Dirk has a very likable and friendly demeanour and ability to fit in in any situation, I wouldn’t say he blends into  the background as you definitely won’t forget Dirk, but he is so easygoing and has such an unobtrusive way of seamlessly capturing  the most amazing photos, you will forget that that is what he is actually there for and you may even wonder if he has taken any photographs at all, but the results are truly stunning and even years after your wedding day you will be able to relive those most precious moments as if you were actually back there, Dirk really captures the feelings of the day, the tears, the laughter, the funny bits and the emotional ones, and if you want them he’ll throw in a few posed shots too, the good old group photos and the family ones to satisfy the folks, the main thing with Dirk is that he doesn’t need any direction, you know you can just relax, enjoy your day and leave him to do what he does best!
MAKING THE COMMITTMENT!
OK so you’ve seen his blog and have read the rave reviews, so by now you have probably got that wonderful feeling  of having  found the most wonderfully talented wedding photographer out there, but this is really a big commitment and those butterflies could mean you are still a little anxious, but when you first meet or speak to Dirk he will totally put your mind at rest, the first thing he said to us was “I’m not everyone’s cup of tea”, so we still had time to change our minds even after he came all the way out to see us at Wayne’s parents house while we were visiting the North East.  Although I think meeting Dirk is like finding a puppy, you definitely don’t want to give him back and he certainly was our cup of tea! 
We knew straight away that we wanted Dirk to photograph our Wedding, from the moment we first viewed his work, meeting him just sealed the deal, but even then there was no hard sell, just a friendly chat over a cuppa in the garden.  From that moment on Dirk became a wonderful ally, always on hand to offer his expert advice on everything from Wedding DJs to videographers.  We also met up with Dirk for our pre-wedding shoot, which was such a lovely relaxed sunny afternoon followed by more tea and scones!  It really put Wayne at ease and he actually found himself enjoying having his photo taken and the results were brilliant and some of the best photos (save for our wedding ones) of us as a couple and we have the most beautiful mounted photo from the shoot that Dirk gave to us as a wedding present that was signed by all our guests and now takes pride of place in our home, such a wonderful gift, I still love reading all the lovely comments and well wishes every time I walk  past it!
HOME & AWAY
 If like us you do not live in the North East and are organising your wedding from a far and don’t have time to meet every photographer out there, then rest assured Dirk is only a phone call or email away and he is brilliant at getting back to you at all hours of the day or night.  Another thing with Dirk is there is never any pressure and he is always right on the ball.  I know couples who have had to quite literally chase their photographers down just to get a look at their Wedding photos, with Dirk just hours after your Wedding you will have a lovely blog spot filled with a selection of stunning photos that really encapsulate your day and by the time you get back from your honeymoon there will be a beautiful box with a full set of prints waiting for you to peruse at your leisure and share with your family and friends. 
He’ll also send you a disc with them all on too, although there is something really nice about being able to see and hold your pictures, we spent hours looking over ours while choosing our favourites for our wedding albums, the difficulty was we just couldn’t choose between them! And afterwards they made the most perfect individual ‘Thank you’ cards for each of our guests, all of whom had the utmost praise for Dirk.
THE BIG DAY
By the day of the Wedding, Dirk had become part of the furniture, he had even taken the time to get to meet the parents, siblings, bridesmaids and vicar before the day and came along to our Wedding rehearsal, so everyone knew Dirk and on the day he managed to effortlessly glide around the venue getting all the shots we wanted, from the wedding preparations to the guest arrivals.
I was so chilled out on the morning of the wedding, I hardly noticed Dirk come and go, but every so often he would be there giving me updates on the Groom and joining in on the bets as you how late I would be as well as helping out with the bridesmaids and complementing me on my dress.
I don’t even remember him taking any pictures, but the ones of us all getting ready are still some of my favourites, especially the ones of all the Groomsmen as it gives you a wonderful insight as to what they were up to while us girls were having our hair and makeup done and lacing up our dresses!  The rest of the day as people will tell you is all a bit of a whirl and you will spend most of it caught up in the fairytale and a dream like state, it will just fly by and you will wonder what happened to all that planning and the months of preparation, but when you see your photos Dirk will have captured it all in its full Technicolor splendour, and your dream day will be forever immortalised in his beautiful photos, all those little things, the details, the guests, the smiles, the gestures, your dress, the shoes, the flowers, the place names, the favours, things you missed or forgotten they’ll all be there, I sometimes look at our photos in wonder as to was that really us, did it really happen?  It is such a magical experience and Dirk really captures that magic like no one else.
WE DO!
Well as you can gather we cannot recommend Dirk highly enough and hope that this has helped you in making your decision, I know the reviews I read on here certainly helped me when I was a Bride-to-be, they and the love expressed here for Dirk are all completely genuine and most of the things I want to say about Dirk have already been said, he is an incredibly talented yet remarkably humble and down to earth ‘salt of the earth’ guy.
For us it really was the easiest decision we had to make in the run up to our wedding (that and deciding to get married of course)!  So what are you waiting for?  Now you have found the perfect partner all that’s left to do is say I DO and have the most fabulous wedding day and make some beautiful memories (that will be lovingly captured forever after), so once you’ve got your rings why not give Dirk one too, we did!
Enjoy a fabulous life together!
Lots of Love,
Nicolle & Wayne x
AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER...
OK so two years, a new house and a one year old daughter later, we finally got around to ordering our wedding  books, after apologising profusely to Dirk for my complete lack of organisation, he said ‘life happens’, too right it does, see I told you he was easygoing and not to mention has the patience of a Saint, once we got back to him with the erm umpteenth draft, (I did say we couldn’t choose between them) and gave Dirk the go head a couple of weeks later the most amazing wedding books arrived on our doorstep, they are beautiful, we don’t look too shabby either and it really was like being transported back in time to that special day and all those wonderful memories (and tears) came flooding back as if it were only yesterday.
A big, big  thank you to probably the best wedding photographer in the world! ;)
Uncle Dirk we love you, Wayne, Nic & Millie xxx
TELEPHONE ME ON 0778 7150966 - AND CHECK YOUR DATE .. ONLY LIMITED DATES ARE LEFT !!WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY 'SNEAK PEEK' HERE
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DURHAM CASTLE WEDDING AND NORTH EAST WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY REVIEW:
GARY AND JULIE DANCING AT DURHAM CASTLE AFTER THEIR WEDDING
NORTH EAST WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER REVIEW:
" .... We first saw Dirk's work when we saw his photographs on a friend's Facebook page. This was before we were even engaged.
When I saw the photographs I said  "Dirk is amazing" and that if we ever got married we wanted him to be our wedding photographer!
When we became engaged we still wanted to use Dirk, but we had a look at a few different photographers at wedding fairs 'just in case' but I was always comparing them to Dirk photographs.
I looked on his website and the photographs actually brought tears to my eyes and were just what we wanted, he captured natural images that really seemed to capture the emotion of the day, which to us was what it was all about. We didn't want loads of fake posed pictures which lots of other photographers offered.
Dirk was very helpful from day one. He travelled to see us for a chat and from that moment he made us both feel relaxed and he kept in touch all the time, and our pre wedding photoshoot was great fun. Dirk made it personal and so relaxed.
On the wedding day Dirk made everything so laid back in my parent's house while myself and my mum and the bridesmaids were getting ready. You really didn't feel like there was a photographer in your face all the time but the photos he captured were amazing. There is one photograph in particular of my mum in the mirror putting her hat on and she didn't even know it was being taken. 
He was chatting all day to guests and capturing them at their most relaxed. We're so glad we don't have loads of group photos were people have fake smiles. All of the smiles seem real, and we are SO happy with them all.
Our guests commented on how good he was and my cousin took his number to recommend to a friend.
The after service was great, and when we were on our honeymoon we could view the photographs. We had tears in our eyes looking at them in the airport on our way to the Maldives. They were fabulous....."
Thanks again Dirk, you captured the day perfectly and we would recommend you to anyone.
JULIE AND GARY
See all their 'Sneak Peek on Facebook HERE
Read the story of their day HERE
My website is HERE
MY Google+ page is HERE
DIRK VAN DER WERFF


WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY REVIEWS: VICKY AND STUART

This one is just in from Vicky and Stuart who were married at Close House Hotel in Northumberland!
" ..... After attending my best friend's wedding at Crathorne hall 2 years ago with Dirk 'performing' at his very best, the first comment I made to my husband-to-be was: "Dirk is definitely doing the photography at our wedding".
So, when were were engaged a year later, we were praying that he was free on the date we were to be married - luckily he was!
Prior to our wedding at Close House Hotel, we met for a pre-wedding portrait shoot (with a quick beer afterwards to chat about the forthcoming wedding.
He also came along to our dress rehearsal at the church one evening, where he took a great deal of time to get to know family members and friends, and even thought the wedding venue was more than an hour away from where he lived, he also visited it the night before the wedding to check things out. This reassured us that we had chosen a true professional!
On our wedding day Dirk was AMAZING. He was so easy to get a long with, a gentleman not just to us, but to family and friends - he was a lot of fun too!
Bearing in mind that my husband and I are not particularly keen to have photographs taken, Dirk made us feel at ease and comfortable as he captured a minimal amount of 'staged' shots and for the rest of the day just captured nice natural photographs which told the story of the day perfectly.
EVERYONE looked so happy and relaxed.

So .. If you are STILL choosing a photographer to capture your wedding day ... DO NOT look past this guy!
Dirk is, hands down one of the most personable, professional and talented photographers you could meet!
FACT !!!
Victoria and Stuart


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Wynyard hall Wedding Photography Review 2013 from Kevin and Rachel


WYNYARD HALL WEDDING REVIEW FROM KEVEN AND RACHEL'S DECEMBER WEDDING
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I loved being part of Rachel and Kevin's great day of wedding celebrations in December at Wynyard Hall.
Such a sweet couple with great family and friends.
Rachel has decided to embarrass me by writing a review of my performance as her wedding photographer!
"......As soon as we got engaged and started to think about our wedding plannning, I knew that wedding photography would play a big part of our day.
After all that planning, money and effort spent on the little details, it's only memories and the photographs which live on and last!

I started by just Googling for photographs of wedding venues I liked.
I came across Dirk's wedding blog and straight away knew that he was the wedding photographer I was after - his images were just perfect, capturing the atmosphere of the day and showing natural shots of special moments!
It also gave me a clear idea as to how he treats his brides and grooms, I knew we wouldn't feel like a number or just another booking in the diary, and I was right!

Dirk worked really hard with us, and our family to make us all feel comfortable long before the big day so that during the actual wedding it is almost as if Dirk is part of the family.
He is there when you wanted him to catch certain shots, but blends into the background too, catching all those natural shots, and this really makes for a relaxed atmosphere on the day, but also makes beautiful photographs.
Looking at mine there were so many photographs of moments I had forgotten, or of little details from the decor/venue which I had planned but hadn't remembered either, all beautifully shown in Dirk's photographs of our wedding at Wynyard Hall.

As you can tell I really can't recommend Dirk highly enough! 
But what made me realise I had made the right decision was on our pre-wed shoot.
A cold but sunny day in Osmotherly, me, the bride, slipped over and fell in mud on all fours, completely covering my smart white jeans...and Dirk didn't point and laugh!! 

Ever the professional, but with warm and a friendly approach, Dirk truly is made to photograph weddings, and if you want beautiful wedding photographs without being herded by some bossy photographer, then he is definitely the man for you!

Thanks Dirk, we will treasure our pictures for ever, I can't stop looking at them!!!..."
Rachel and Kevin
See the sneak peek of Rachel and Kevin's wedding at Wynyard Hall HERE
View lots of Dirk van der Werff's other Wynyard Hall Weddings HERE

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER REVIEW: JENNIFER AND SIMON

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Jennifer and Simon were married earlier this year, and what a great day of wedding celebration it was too at Earsdon and Tynemouth.
Jennifer has made me turn red with this glowing review, but I'm sure it will be of use to those brides and grooms to-be as they consider their wedding photography and their choise of wedding photographer.
".......For several months before Simon proposed I had sneakily started to look around the web for wedding venues in the North East. Naughty I know but having waited patiently for 6 years I wanted to be all prepared and ready to go when Simon proposed - and Simon expected nothing less from me!
The one website that kept popping up time and time again was Dirks blog and I was soon hooked, I used his site as a wedding brochure for all the venues and fell in love with the relaxed smiley nature of his photos. What I think though sealed the deal was his beautifully written personal accounts of the couples, and their kind words said in return. He sounded like he truly got to know the couples and the families in the year(s) leading up to the big day, so when we finally got engaged and set our date I thought of no one else to call for our photographer than Dirk.
From that first call I made to Dirk in January he made me feel relaxed and at ease. He was patient and understanding when I had to keep postponing our initial meeting due to my work abroad, and when my Chief Bridesmaid/future sister-in-law and I finally met up with Dirk at the Grand Hotel, Tynemouth exactly one year before the wedding, we instantly fell in love with him. It felt like we'd been friends for years and we swapped stories and laughter for a good 40mins before any of us had realised that we'd not even spoken about the wedding or photography. Needless to say I spoke with Simon evening and we hired Dirk without ever meeting another photographer.
Simon finally met Dirk in Scarborough on Valentines Day for our pre-wed photo-shoot; as Dirk explained it was really just some time to get to know each other better and get to feel a little bit more relaxed in front of "a strange man" with a camera. We had a wonderful time, it was my childhood home so I loved showing them both around the castle, harbour and south beach, and that we also came away with some fantastic photos of the two of us was just a bonus! After our day trip out together Simon came away happy that our wedding day was going to be captured naturally without too much fuss, we'd made the right decision with Dirk - as if there was ever any doubt?
Our wedding day went perfectly without a hitch and Dirk didn't miss a beat. He almost dissolved into the guests and got the most superb shots that people didn't even realise were being taken! He also keep us on track for the beach photos we so desperately wanted. The weather hadn't played ball after the church so just after desert Dirk came up to us on the top table to remind us that the sun would soon be setting, so we grabbed my wellies and invited the guests to forego there coffees if they'd like to join us for a brisk early March paddle. We're so glad we did, as with the last moments of the setting sun Dirk took some of the best photos of the day!
Dirk you are a true star and we can't thank you enough for capturing the story of our day so beautifully and making it eternal...."
How lovely ..  If you would like me to be your wedding photographer, ANYWHERE in the UK or abroad for a destination wedding - check your date now as I only photograph a limited amount of weddings each year, to make sure that you are never 'just another bride' ....
Ring now on 0778 7150966
DIRK VAN DER WERFF

MATFEN HALL WEDDING REVIEW:
ANNA AND WARREN IN THE GREAT HALL AT MATFEN HALL IN NORTHUMBERLAND DURING THEIR DECEMBER WEDDING

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I had a great time photographing Anna and Warren's special winter wedding in Northumberland and Matfen Hall in December .... HERE.
Anna had kindly penned a review of my performance as their wedding photographer!
".....When Warren asked me to marry him, I knew the one thing he’d want to look after in terms of wedding planning was the photography. However, whist doing my own research online, I’d already come across someone I was very keen on myself. I needn’t have worried though, Warren had identified the same person; we both were very sure that we wanted Dirk to photograph our big day!
One of the first things that attracted us to him was how natural his wedding photos looked. He seemed to catch all those important moments – and detail - without anything looking formal or staged. With both of us having lived in many different places, we were aware that a lot of our guests would be travelling a great distance and the last thing we wanted was to be taken away from our reception for lots of formal pics. I’d had my heart set on a late winter wedding which I knew would make it a bit of a challenge from a lighting point of view but from the moment we met Dirk for an informal chat at Matfen Hall (our reception venue), it was very clear that we were all very much on the same wavelength. We were just thrilled that he was available on our date.
Before the wedding, Dirk travelled up to my parents’ house in Northumberland, to take some pre-wedding photographs. After a nice chat and spot of lunch with my mum, we went up to take a look at the church we’d be getting married in in Felton. We both felt immediately at ease with him and just enjoyed messing around and being ourselves. Needless to say we were thrilled with the results.
Leading up to the day itself, the weather was pretty snowy but Dirk made it up no problem. Warren had been quite insistent that he wanted some photos of me getting ready and at the house Dirk literally blended in with the rest of the family. I’m sure he won’t mind me saying that he almost doubled up as a bridesmaid at times – giving us tips and even offering to carry some of the girls’ bits and pieces in his pockets!
Our day was as magical and Christmassy as we hoped and Dirk really managed to capture every special moment – from the mince pies in the church, to the guests crying with laughter at the speeches. We had some beautiful family shots taken by the open fire and Dirk ensured we were never away from our guests for more than a few seconds. To us Dirk wasn’t just a photographer, he was one of our wedding guests and I can honestly say I felt quite sad when it came to saying goodbye.
We arrived back from our honeymoon to our gorgeous presentation box of 500 photos. Not only do we have perfect memories from the day, we also have the most perfect photographs to go with them!...."

WYNYARD HALL WEDDING REVIEWS:
ALEX LOOKS SO HAPPY DURING HER WEDDING TO JON AT WYNYARD HALL COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL
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REVIEWS ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF MY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICES  - YOU ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR LAST WEDDING!
With that in mind ...... Here's Alexandra's review of my wedding photographer for her wedding to Jon at Wynyard hall last Autumn:
".......I read that Kate Moss changed the date of her wedding because her chosen photographer wasn’t available.  She figured that her wedding would last one day (or three in her case), but the photographs would last a lifetime.  And she was spot on.
When Jon and I booked our wedding, our chosen venue had no availability on a Saturday for 2 years.  So we booked it and waited.  I was dying to get started with the organising, but what can you do 2 years in advance?  But I did what anyone would do once their wedding is booked – I started reading bridal magazines, getting ideas, asking around for recommendations.
One part of my wedding that I really wasn’t looking forward to was having my picture taken.  I absolutely hate it!  Jon had been to weddings before where he’d been pushed here and there by a fussy photographer, so we agreed that we wanted someone who would be easy-going, taking mainly non-staged shots.  I remembered Dirk from (many) years ago at a family wedding, and I checked out his website and blog.  I thought the pictures were really wonderful, but that was only part of it; what if he was fussy, pushy ... annoying??  I decided to bite the bullet and I rang him.  Dirk has the knack of making you feel like you’ve known him forever.  We chatted easily and I knew I wanted to meet up.  He visited me at home, and he totally put me at ease.  He brought me some sample wedding albums to look at, and showed me more photos.  Although we got on famously, rather than pushing me into committing to a booking, he advised me to look around and check out some other photographers.  But you know what?  I didn’t want to.  When you meet a photographer that you just know is going to do their utmost for you, and who is friendly and likeable – you book them!
I told Jon I wanted to book Dirk, his only requirement was that he wouldn’t be getting dragged off every five minutes to have a picture taken.  This isn’t Dirk’s style, so Jon was happy.  Even though I had a two year wait, I had found my photographer!
On our wedding day I had stayed over at Wynyard Hall, and early on I got a text from Dirk letting me know that he was ‘on site.’  He came up to my room and chatted to me like an old friend, occasionally snapping an informal shot as I got ready.  Every now and again he would disappear down stairs, then reappear to take some more shots as my bridesmaids arrived and got ready.
Throughout our day, Dirk was everything we wanted in a photographer.  He was always present, and yet rarely noticed! Most of the time I didn’t even realise I was having my picture taken.  There are some lovely shots of us with our families that were more staged, but they were put together quickly, and were so relaxed that I actually enjoyed it!   Dirk stayed late into the evening, and we have some fabulous photographs of our entire day.  One of our friends hadn’t even realised that he was our photographer – he thought he was a relative, which I think speaks volumes.
When I saw all the photographs of our wedding, I couldn’t believe just how many there were, how good they all were, and how on earth I didn’t realise I was having my picture taken!  They were exactly what we wanted, and Jon and I are so pleased with them.
We finally got around to picking our favourites (no easy task), and Dirk was very accommodating when I asked him (a couple of times) if I could change my mind and switch things around.  We recently received our wedding album, and it is fantastic.  I love looking through it and remembering our day.  We are so glad we asked Dirk to share it with us – we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him in a heartbeat...."



BATH SPA HOTEL WEDDING PHOGRAPHER REVIEW

BATH SPA HOTEL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHS:
SALLY AND HER BRIDAL PARTY


BATH SPA HOTEL WEDDING PHOTOS:
SALLY AND ANDY HAVING FUN


BATH WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS:
HERE COMES THE CONFETTI!
MY Reviews are HERE
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CONTACT ME on 0778 7150966
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HOW LOVELY ......... 
I travelled to the five star Bath Spa Hotel to photograph Sally and Andy's special day in May .....
This is their review of my wedding photography services......
".....Dirk I cannot thank you enough for making our wedding in Bath so special.
You have such a gift and I knew instinctively and immediately upon meeting you that we would become firm friends - everyone at the wedding thought that you were a member of our family - you most certainly are now!!
I absolutely loved the whole day and it was such a pleasure to share such special elements of it with you!
We are so grateful to you for your tireless efforts - it was magical...
I simply cannot express the delight I feel knowing that you were there to photograph our day and create the most exquisite record for the future! I am happy to share my joy and delight at meeting you to any future bride!
It's curious but my heart almost misses a beat at the thought that we may NOT have found you!
You are without question or doubt a secret that must be shared!.......
Much love - Sal and Andy x


VIEW THE SNEAK PEEK OF THEIR WEDDING DAY HERE
READ ALL MY REVIEWS HERE
Ring me on 0778 7150966 and CHECK YOUR DATE and I will travel anywhere in the UK or abroad to photograph yourwedding naturally in a reportage style




KIRSTY AND CHRIS - A PERFECT COUPLE TO PHOTOGRAPH DURING THEIR WEDDING AT WYNYARD HALL
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SKYPE ME on ' aqphotos.com '

I photographed Kirsty and Chris' beautiful wedding at Wynyard Hall earlier in 2012, and Kirsty has been kind enough to pen a few words about the service I provided her and her husband Chris with on their wedding day
"...... We could not recommend Dirk van der Werff highly enough! 
He produced the most beautiful photographs and managed to capture the essence of the day in a way we could not have imagined. 
I can't stop looking at them!
Dirk was recommended to us by our best man Chris and his sister Jo, who had booked Dirk to capture her wedding photography at Crathorne Hall
Once we saw her photographs, we knew Dirk was THE wedding photographer we wanted, and after meeting him in person we just knew he would make our wedding day so special! 
All our friends and family were full of compliments for Dirk - he was so amazing on the day! 
When choosing a wedding photographer, you spend a lot of time looking at other people's wedding photographs and hope that yours will turn out just as well. 
Nothing compares to looking at your own and with Dirk, they will turn out even better, a perfect wedding photographer!
We were really impressed with our initial meeting and how clearly Dirk explained his relaxed and friendly approach to our big day at the wonderful Wynyard Hall, and found the pre-wedding portrait session on the beach at Saltburn really helpful in making us more at ease... and we also got some amazing photos too!
On our wedding day, Dirk was wonderful, we had so many comments from guests about how well he merged into the background yet captured everyone smiling. Looking at our photographs it's amazing how he managed to capture every moment. 
We were thrilled with the photography and would recommend Dirk as your wedding photographer in an instant......"

Kirsty and Christopher Mulcaster






Wynyard Hall Wedding Photographers Review from Helen and Daniel


WYNYARD HALL WEDDING REVIEW:
HELEN AND DANIEL ENJOY THE SNOWSTORM OF CONFETTI DURING THEIR MAGICAL MIDWEEK WEDDING AT WYNYARD HALL
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Helen and Daniel enjoyed a midweek wedding at Wynyard Hall during October, and have very kindly offered a review of my performance and photography ....

"...... Well, what can I say!

Amazing, Funny, Creative, Patient, Happy, Emotional, and stunning captures the most fantastic moments on camera that you wouldn’t think possible.

Dirk was recommended to us through a work colleague of my Dads, who had recently been married.   I looked on his website and instantly fell in love with his previous wedding photos, I just loved how natural they all were.  So Daniel and I arranged to meet Dirk for a chat.

As soon as we met Dirk the three of us just hit it off straight away, we had a good laugh and Dirk assured Daniel that he wouldn’t make him swing off any lampposts or do any ridiculous stunts or poses, Daniel was relived as he’s not keen on getting his photo taken at the best of times.  Dirk also suggested that we meet other photographers!!!

We thought he was crazy, but took his advice and we soon realised that Dirk WAS our photographer!

The pre-wedding shoot was a blast, we asked Dirk to join us on the beach as we walked our dog Poppy. We all had a great time and discovered Poppy was the most photogenic of us all!

Finally our big day arrived and Dirk was there every step of the way from the moment he arrived to the moment he left he was just buzzing with energy, cracking jokes making us all laugh and relaxed.

During the hustle and bustle of the bridal party getting ready, Dirk was on hand with no task too big or small.  “Dirk, have you got a tissue?”.

“Dirk, has Daniel arrived yet?
Is he looking ok?”
“Dirk, have you seen any lippy lying around?”
“Dirk, would you pop and see if the Page Boy and Flower Girl are ready?”
“Dirk would you mind……..”
Dirk can you just….” 
You could almost say that Dirk was my 5th bridesmaid!!! 

Dirk was fab, he kept us all calm, chilled out and relaxed.
Throughout the day I would catch him out of the corner of my eye taking photographs which were soon to become our only memories of the day.
When we saw our 'sneak peek' photographs on Dirk’s blog, we were over whelmed by how fantastic they were and how well Dirk had captured our story.

The only problem now is trying to select our favourites for the album - I wonder if I can choose them all?
We would just like to say a massive thank you Dirk for being apart of our special day and capturing the most wonderful memories.

Thank You....."

Helen & Daniel x 



NORTH EAST WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER REVIEW:
JO AND ALAN AT JUDGES COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL
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Reviews of my wedding photography is the lifeblood of my business.
I work hard to produce great relaxed natural images from your wedding, but customer service and customer experience, as well as trust and confidence is paramount.
Joanne and Alan dislike having their photograph taken so much, they don't even have any in the house.
I guess I changed their minds.....


"........ When we started our search for a wedding photographer we went through the usual steps of checking websites, reviews and of course photos!
However, Alan used to work at a company years ago that hired a photographer to take shots of the people at work, and even years later that photographer's name had stuck in his memory due to the quality and style of the photographs – Dirk Van Der Werff.
Even though at the time they weren’t wedding photographs it was a joy to find that weddings were now his specialty! We were looking for relaxed, happy and natural photographs of everyone attending – as to us the day is just as important for our friends and family as us, and Dirk fit this vision perfectly.
When it came to our initial meeting Dirk visited us at home and immediately felt like a friend, and even though our mind was set near enough there and then, he encouraged us to look around and check other photographers, which was refreshing.
We did check out other photographers, but nothing quite compared.
On the build-up to the big day itself we met once more for some pre-wedding photos in our home town, although we could have gone anywhere.
Unfortunately it was pouring down on the date arranged, so we had a coffee and a nice chat in a pub, thinking we’d have to abandon them altogether.
However, Dirk was happy to shuffle his diary and meet us the following day when it was glorious sunshine – that level of commitment really made us feel special and valued as clients.
As for the wedding itself,  there were nothing but compliments about Dirk. People actually went out of their way and came up to us to say what a wonderful photographer he was!
They all felt relaxed and happy, and having their photos taken was PART of the fun and not something to distract from it.
As for the printed photographs.... Everyone who has seen the wedding photographs have been amazed by them and we couldn’t be happier – in fact we think there should be a disclaimer on his site cautioning people that there’ll be so many good photos to choose from, selecting some for an album may take you a long long time!
From the photos you would not think that we do not like to have our photograph taken, we actually have no photographs on display in our house, but Dirk's photos will take pride of place on our wall.
So, from one single photograph of Alan at work to a superb collection of memories and happy faces on our wedding day years later..... 
Some might call it fate, we think it’s just an amazing talent shining through and leaving a lasting impression!
We’ll never forget our big day, and equally we’ll never forget our photographer Dirk van der Werff!

LOVE JO




REVIEWS OF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS:
JENNA AND DARREN DURING THEIR WEDDING CEREMONY AT REDWORTH HALL

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"....... When Darren and I became engaged we decided the two most important elements for us were the wedding venue and the wedding photographer.
Like many of Dirk's couples, we HATE having our photograph taken, so much so that after three years together we only had a handful of photographs as a couple, so for us the photographer was even more important than the dress (!) After an internet trawl we found Dirk's website, we were completely taken by all of the beautiful photographs – we knew we’d found our wedding photographer!
Meeting Dirk for the first time was like seeing an old friend, just a nice drink and a chat – there was no hard sell, no pressure and he even advised us to look around at other photographers before making a final decision.
In all honesty our gut instinct told us he was right for us and we booked him, but in the following months visiting wedding fairs we never met a photographer that had the same amazing personality or displayed images that evoked the same emotions from us that Dirk's did.
He was the best man for the job by far.
In the following months of planning, it was always nice to have Dirk available on Facebook and seeing him at wedding fairs, he is an absolute goldmine of contacts, inspiring ideas and industry knowledge and, on the day itself he was great to have around during the preparations - he’s especially good at distracting the more eccentric family members!
During the wedding we never needed to worry about where the photographer was or whether certain shots were being taken, we could just relax and enjoy our day whilst Dirk did his thing, not only did he absolutely work his socks off as a photographer but he mingled with our guests so well that most people thought we’d just hired a mate to do the pictures!
The final photographs were better than we could have ever anticipated and they brought back so many happy memories of our wedding day.
Dirk managed to capture on film every emotion we felt – nerves, excitement, anticipation, relief and most importantly of all LOVE, and we cannot thank him enough for providing us with these beautiful images that will remain long after memories fade.
Thank You!....."
JENNA AND DARREN






CRATHORNE HALL WEDDINGS REVIEW:
KATHRYN AND GARETH ON THE LAWN AT CRATHORNE HALL
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REVIEWS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY BUSINESS ....
IT GIVES MY POTENTIAL BRIDES AND GROOMS SOME OF THE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE THEY NEED TO PROCEED TO A MEETING......
So .. here's Kathryn's (much delayed!) review of my part in her and Gareth's wedding at Crathorne Hall!
".......It’s difficult to truly put into words how much Dirk was part of our big day…really how many other wedding photographers do you know would drive two hours across the country to do a pre-wedding shoot to get to know us… by climbing a mountain in the Lake District with us and his kit? 
Dirk, I’m sure you remember that day; we had such blustery fun taking you back to the spot in which we got engaged!
I think if we hadn’t worked it out beforehand we knew then that we had made the right choice in Dirk as our wedding photographer.
After Gareth proposed and I set about taking the reins to organise our wedding, as the groom, one of Gareth’s few tasks was to find a photographer. Our first meeting with Dirk at Crathorne Hall for a coffee was very relaxed and informal and seeing some of the recent wedding images he’d captured made our decision very easy.
After nearly three years of being married we still look back and agree Dirk was just fabulous on our wedding day.
On the run up to the wedding day Dirk was happy to spend as much time with us as we needed to discuss the photos and manage my general excitement. The day itself just happened, and our family and friends had a fabulous time. The sun shone as you wouldn’t believe for September – a photographer’s worst nightmare so I’m told, but this wasn’t in the least bit reflected in the pictures.
Looking back I barely remember Dirk being there, but he was and many of our guests commented that if he hadn’t been harbouring a camera or two they’d never have known he was our photographer. 
Dirk captured our wonderful day in a storyboard of images, each moment special to us and is a reminder of a day which we both cherish.
The hardest decision then was choosing from all of the great pictures for the album and Dirk’s patience as I kept changing my mind because I really was spoilt for choice! The end result a perfect album and a very happy couple. The framed picture of our mountain adventure as a wedding gift was a lovely touch.
I now realise how lucky we were when Dirk agreed to be our wedding photographer, thank you.
If there is a bride-to-be out there in need of a wedding photographer, I can’t recommend Dirk enough....."
How lovely !




ELLINGHAM HALL - THE VENUE FOR AMY AND FRASER'S WEDDING IN NORTHUMBERLAND


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I've photographed a number of lovely weddings at Ellingham Hall in Northumberland. This exclusive use wedding venue in the north east of England is VERY popular with families who wish to spend a long weekend over their wedding, with accomodation in lodges and the beautiful old hall.
Arriving on a Friday and having time to settle in, followed by a wedding on the Saturday and then a long lazy Sunday is a lot of people's idea of heaven.
The last wedding I photographed was back in December, when Amy and Fraser flew in from Calgary, Canada. Amy booked me after reading about the wedding of Liz and Steve whose wedding I covered in summer at Ellingham Hall - without even meeting me, that's confidence!
We all had a great day for a winter wedding and recently I received a lovely testimonial and review both from Amy and from her mum Christine.
Christine's first:
"When your daughter and her fiancee live thousands of miles away in Calgary, Canada and they are arranging their wedding day in England, there is plenty of scope for things to go wrong!
However, they made an excellent choice choosing Dirk for their special day having seen examples of his wedding photography on the internet.
While they were over in the UK for a visit in September, Dirk came to meet the happy couple and it was immediately obvious that he would be a pleasure to work with. He showed a genuine interest in who they were and so they relaxed in his company.
They ended his visit with a walk in the sunshine to take some pictures and he took a fabulous photograph which he presented framed to them on their wedding day.
He arrived early at Ellingham Hall in Northumberland, giving himself plenty of time to take pictures of the hall and decorations before the crowds descended. His presence throughout the day and evening was unintrusive when taking photographs, but several guests commented that he was easy to talk to and in fact some people thought he was a guest at the wedding!
 Wedding days are always a little stressful and when the bride and groom are still suffering from jetlag, there could have been some tension. But, Dirk put everyone at ease and captured some beautiful images which will evoke wonderful memories of a very special day'. 

Now Amy's kind words:
" .... Just wanted to say a big thank you for being our wedding photographer Dirk!
You were excellent and did exactly what we asked for. You made us feel comfortable on the day, let us be ourselves and produced some beautiful pictures.
It was so nice to know that we had an experience photographer onsite, it was one less thing to worry about and let us get on with the serious business of enjoying our big day!! Thank you again...."

AMY AND FRASER



CATHY'S MAGGIE SOTTERO DRESS

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CATHY AND DAVE WERE MARRIED AT BEAMISH PARK HOTEL ... BECAUSE OF THEIR JOBS, I WAS UNABLE TO BLOG THEIR WEDDING AS NORMAL - BUT I HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO USE ONE IMAGE TO GO WITH THEIR REVIEW!



".... When we first started looking for wedding photographers, we realised it wasn’t going to be easy.

All the websites of the photographers we stumbled across showed photograph upon photograph of formal, cheesy poses, brides and grooms peeping out from behind trees or set up ‘wacky’ faces from the bridal party.

Not exactly photos you’d want to have on your living room wall for years to come... 

In a moment of frustration, I think I typed something like ‘relaxed wedding photography, no cheesy poses’ into Google and Hey Presto, Dirk’s name came up!
From our first meeting, we knew we weren’t going to have to look anywhere else for our wedding photography.
Dirk knew exactly what we wanted, but answered all our questions, and he was even happy to meet the parents before the big day. Even though he encouraged us to look around and make sure we were happy with our choice, we didn’t bother, knowing that Dirk would do the job exactly as we wanted.
And Dirk didn’t disappoint!
Despite the torrential rain on our pre-wedding shoot, we had a fun and relaxed afternoon in Durham a few weeks before our wedding, and he settled all nerves by ensuring he stayed in contact right up until the big day.
I was so excited to get a text from him saying ‘I’m on site, will be there in a second!’ on the morning of our wedding, knowing that he would get some lovely shots right from when he arrived!
I’d read reviews on Dirk’s website about how well he fits in on the wedding day and sure enough, every single guest we spoke to after the wedding commented on him.
Everyone said what a lovely bloke he was – one guest even said ‘that was the only wedding photographer I’ve seen who I’ve actually liked – I usually want to punch them by the end of the day after they have made the guests wait around for three hours before herding them into some ridiculous formal pose’.
Dirk was the opposite – the group shots were taken in about a minute and every single person is smiling from ear to ear!
Dirk was with us from 11 until around 9 on the day of the wedding, and he was hard at work for every single second. He even became like a third bridesmaid (minus the dress…), helping me with flowers and gifts when I was looking a little overwhelmed!
He took us away during the lull before the disco for a maximum of five minutes to get some photographs of the two of us alone – nobody even noticed we had gone and they turned out to be some of our favourite pictures!
Because of our jobs, we had asked Dirk if he wouldn’t mind leaving our photographs off Facebook and his BLOG, and we were very grateful to him for respecting our wishes.
Our photographs were ready for viewing less than a week after the wedding, and a gorgeous box with over 600 photographs was waiting for us on our return from honeymoon.
We love every single picture as they are so relaxed and everyone looks so happy – the photographs really tell the story of the day and we’ve looked at them over and over again since the wedding.
Thank you, Dirk – we couldn’t have picked a better wedding photographer!


CHARLOTTE AND GRAEME'S WEDDING AT HOME
I photographed Charlotte's wedding to Graeme at Chester le Street and in a beautiful marquee at her parents home in Rickleton, Tyne and Wear


CHARLOTTE AND GRAEME IN THEIR MARQUEE DURING THEIR WEDDING
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"From the initial meeting with Dirk I just knew he had to be our photographer. My husband-to-be and myself were nearly sent to sleep by a couple of other photographers we had met, showing us weddings albums with photo after photo of 'posed' shots and the 'traditional family' photos. This is exactly what we didn't want, so when we met Dirk he was a breath of fresh air! He was so enthusiastic and took his time to talk to us and also listen to what we wanted from our photo's, and once we had looked through the examples of his work, we already had him booked.
We were quite nervous about the pre-wedding shoot we had planned a few weeks before the wedding but there was no need to be nervous at all, he put us at ease and we just spent the afternoon chatting away and getting to know each other.
LOVE IS IN THE AIR FOR CHARLOTTE AND GRAEME


CHARLOTTE FINISHED GETTING READY IN THE LIVING ROOM AT HOME BEFORE HEADING TO THE CHURCH AT CHESTER LE STREET
During the wedding day, Dirk arrived at my mum and dads house to get started. He captured some of my favourite shots during this time to our arrival at the church. The day went perfectly and this is reflected in our photos. At one point we were taken away to get some shots in a neighbouring garden - we had initially discussed with Dirk that we didn't want to be away from our guest too long or we might miss the action! Dirk understood this and we were only gone about 15 minutes. Dirk's entire day must of lasted at around 11 hours, from arriving at 11.30am to leaving at well past 10pm to get some action shots of the ceilidh.
BEST SHOT OF THE DAY ... CHARLOTTE TURNS HER BACK ON PHOTOGRAPHER DIRK VAN DER WERFF
Literally every guest we spoke to after the wedding commented on how fantastic he was throughout the day, saying what a great personality he has. Dirk isn't someone to fade into the background, he gets involved in the celebrations and talks to other guests. One guest even said she thought he was part of the family as he blended in so well.
Whilst on our honeymoon on Boracay Island in The Philippines we got word that Dirk had uploaded some of our photo's on Facebook.
Even though it was our honeymoon, we couldn't resist heading to the nearest internet café and logging on and we were over the moon with the results! 
CHARLOTTE AND GRAEME ENJOY THE CAELIDH IN THE MARQUEE AT THE END OF THEIR WEDDING CELEBRATIONS
Dirk must of known how excited we were to see the photos, so on the day we returned from our honeymoon, he travelled to our home that evening with 400+ final edited hard-copy proof prints in a presentation box of the photos he'd taken. They were better than we ever expected, and tell the story of our day in pictures!
I would recommend Dirk to anyone - particularly if your looking for more natural pictures.
Graeme's best man and fiancé were so impressed with Dirk that they have booked him for their wedding next year!"
CHARLOTTE FISHER
See a sneak peek of their wedding, posted the week after their BIG day .. HERE


CATHERINE AND GARY KESTER'S WEDDING REVIEW FROM TYNEMOUTH






Catherine and Gary on the beach at Tynemouth .... and image which made the front cover of their wedding books
Catherine's fabulous wedding Doc martin's especially painted for the occasion!





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I love photographing weddings in Tynemouth, there's such a lot of interesting churches and venues and hotels and some of my nicest photography in the last couple of years has been created at weddings in Tynemouth.
Last summer I photographed Catherine and Gary's wedding at The Grand Hotel Tynemouth and we had a ball, and as seems 'de rigeur' we ended up on Tynemouth Longsands one the speeches were over and everyone had had plenty of champagne!
Gary has kindly send a review of my performance as photographer at their wedding, and as he is a very talented videographer and photographer too, there was no pressure ... :)

"...Photography is something a lot of people misunderstand. I earn my living from it too so I know how easy some people think it is.
Given that anybody can buy a camera these days, even in things like their phones, surely this means that anybody can be a photographer, right? 
Wrong - and Dirk proves exactly why, because there’s much more to photography than just taking a picture. What Dirk did on the wedding day of Catherine and I was not just capture what was happening and where, but pressing his shutter at exactly the right moment and from exactly the right angle to crystallise everything into beautiful, artistic images that help us remember a day that, to be honest, was all a bit of a blur in our heads (when it’s your turn, you’ll see!)
Taking amazing photographs is only one of Dirk’s many skills, and his other skill is far less common, because throughout the day Dirk, while never stopping, was only visible when he needed to be.
Amazingly, he took everything he needed and that we wanted without ever making his presence felt, unless it was time to stage portraits and quick group shots or respond to requests, in which instances his friendly manner and good humour set people at ease and brought out their best for the photographs.
An intrusive or overbearing photographer can easily get in the way and slow things down, while one that is too timid may well miss something magical. Dirk is neither, and we can safely say that his presence was as professional as it was welcome and enjoyable.
Selecting the right wedding photographer is a big decision, and we made the right one.
So thank you Dirk for helping make our big day everything we wanted it to be, and for producing a portfolio of photographs and wedding books that has stunned all who have seen them.
We’re delighted!..."

Gary and Catherine Kester
See a sneak peek of their images, posted a few days after their wedding, HERE
Catherine and Gary have fun drawing a love-heart in the sand art Tynemouth



LEILA AND LEWIS' WEDDING REVIEW FROM SUNDERLAND GLASS CENTRE



LEILA AND LEWIS ON THEIR PRE-WEDDING SHOOT ON WHITBURN BEACH ONE EVENING - PHOTOGRAPHY BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
BLACK AND WHITE GIVES A WHOLE DIFFERENT FEELING TO THE IMAGES FROM THEIR PRE-WEDDING SHOOT
ONE OF THE MANY IMAGES I CREATED AT LEILA AND LEWIS' WEDDING AT SUNDERLAND INTERNATIONAL GLASS CENTRE
LEILA'S LOVELY DRESS FITS THIS WEDDING PORTRAIT ON TOP OF THE GLASS ROOF AT SUNDERLAND GLASS CENTRE PERFECTLY - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY


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Wedding reviews are very important to a bride when she is researching for a wedding photographer.
Reviews give a one-to-one impression of the hard work and personality and skills needed to be a top-class professional creative wedding photographer.
That's why I put such value on wedding reviews by brides and grooms - and often Mum's and dad's too, as often they pay towards the cost of the day's celebrations, sometimes in their entirety!
This week, Leila kindly wrote to me with a review of her and Lewis' summer Humanist wedding at Sunderland Glass Centre, one of the newer, more distinctive wedding venues in north east England.
It was an exciting day for more than a couple of reasons, it was my first Humanist wedding, indeed it was my first wedding photography commission at Sunderland Glass Centre and the modern, post-industrial setting made for some lovely photographs.
It being summer of course we had the weather too .... dark dramatic skies, heavy rainfall, skittish winds playing up and down the River Wear .... but what a great day Leila and Lewis had, and I had a lovely time with all their friends and relatives capturing the essence and fun of their great wedding day!
Leila writes: When we were seeking a wedding photographer, I searched literally dozens of photographers’ websites, and I must admit that Dirk’s grabbed me instantly. His photos stood out a mile, and those that came close were from photographers charging twice as much.
I loved the relaxed, natural, yet at the same time very precise feel of the photography. Relaxed doesn’t mean sloppy, but rather effectively and skilfully capturing the atmosphere of the wedding day, the exact moment people gasp or smile.
Once we had signed up, it was a bonus to have the pre-wedding photo shoot. This gave us a chance to get used to being photographed and to tell Dirk about what we wanted.
Our wedding was slightly unusual in some ways but Dirk was enthusiastic about doing something different. Our venue had an industrial feel and the weather on the day was dramatic and changeable, but rather than spoiling the day this added to it as Dirk used the setting to create lovely, unique images.
On the day we were married facing inwards in front of large glass windows so the lighting was a real challenge, but Dirk captured the ceremony fantastically and a year on the photos evoke the reality brilliantly.
During the day, Dirk blended in easily with the guests and was charming and polite with everyone. Some group shots were taken but these were arranged quickly and efficiently and were in keeping with the informal style.
After the wedding day, we were able to enjoy looking at our photos on honeymoon, just 4 days after the wedding. Everyone who has seen them has commented on how much they love the photography. We have found Dirk to be very professional and provide excellent service throughout.
We haven’t yet committed to a wedding album, but the main thing is that we have a set of fantastic photos that capture our wonderful day, and that we can enjoy forever....."
Many thanks indeed to a great couple and their family and friends - it was an absolute pleasure to be part of your day at Sunderland Glass Centre. If you would like me to be the official photographer at your wedding in Sunderland - or anywhere in the country, I would be delighted to hear about your plans! Telephone me in the office until 6pm on 01429 423165 or anytime on my mobile 0778 7150966 and tell me all about your BIG day!










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IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO RECEIVE A REVIEW OR TESTIMONIAL FOR ALL THE HARD WORK AND PHOTOGRAPHS I CREATE AT A WEDDING.

MANY OF MY BRIDES LIVE ABROAD OR AT THE FAR ENDS OF THE UK, COMING BACK TO THE NORTH EAST, CUMBRIA, THE BORDER REGION OR NORTH YORKSHIRE TO GET MARRIED.

This wedding review is from Nicola about her and Jonathan's wedding at Lanchester in Durham and at Van Mildert College - the university where they first met in Durham.

".... Planning a wedding can be a stressful time especially when the bride and groom are living 120 miles apart and the bride is 300 miles away from where she is getting married!

Choosing Dirk as our wedding photographer photographer however removed a massive part of this stress. He provided us with fantastic support before, during and after our wedding. With us living so far apart it could have been easy for a photographer to just leave it to the day and hope for the best but not Dirk!

Dirk came to my parent’s house to explain the various packages available to us. We were able to look at his previous weddings in full to get inspiration for our own wedding and we also looked at the types of wedding books available.

One of the reasons why our photographs are so special comes down to the fact that Dirk met us at the venue during a brief visit two months prior to our wedding.

He saw the church where my parents were also married and then looked around where our reception was being held. We then had some photographs taken around the lake and on Prebends Bridge which was special too us - and on our wedding day we stopped off there again to have some more photographs taken!

Getting to know Dirk before the big day helped us to feel relaxed and because of that we were very relaxed on our wedding day and Dirk felt more like a friend than our photographer.

One of the things we love most about our A3 wedding book is how it captures our whole day. Dirk was at my house whilst we were getting ready and photographed the build up to the grand event! He also did this at Jonathan's preparation 45 minutes away.

One of things we didn’t want was the guests hanging around whilst hundreds of photographs were being taken and although we had some group shots the majority just captured the special moments of the day. This helped make the entire day feel really calm.

We had a rather wet wedding day but I was determined to have some pictures taken by the river down in Durham. After the service Dirk followed us there and the results we feel were stunning. They really add to the uniqueness of the album and show the beauty of the city - and the photograph of us walking down the hill to the bridge with the Chinese student on her bike we chose for the front page of our wedding book!

Everyone wants to have the perfect wedding day but when the last glass of bubbly has been supped, the last crumb of cake gone and the thank you cards have been sent it can all appear to have been a bit of a dream.
You better be quick though as with a service like this he will definitely be booked up fast!
Your wedding book or album therefore needs to be able to bring back all the wonderful memories and transport you back to the time of your happy day.

We both feel our photographs do exactly that and everyone who has seen them has loved them.

We can’t thank Dirk enough for all his time and effort and would recommend him to any potential bride and groom.

Nic and Jon



THE IMAGE THAT ANNA AND NEIL CHOSE FOR THEIR WEDDING BOOK COVERS - PHOTOGRAPH BY DIRK VAN DER WERFF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Anna and Neil had a problem, a big problem with the photographer they had booked for their wedding at Beamish Hall ..... Luckily, I came to their rescue! This is their kind review of my performance at their great wedding at Beamish Hall in County Durham - a great wedding venue.

" .. We had chose our wedding date, booked the venue (Beamish Hall) and secured the registrar, the next step for us was – wedding photographer.
Living abroad and only spending a few days at a time in the UK, time was of the essence. We trawled the internet, made an appointment, and met the photographer.
We both agreed that this was one of the most important things we would spend our money on – it’s the one permanent reminder of the big day.
Roll on 18 months. We had relocated to the UK and it was time to get the final wheels in motion. We needed to book our pre-wedding shoot and contacted the photographer. To cut a (very) long story short, the company had ceased to trade, and not told anyone who had given their faith in them and deposit cheques!
So, it’s February, we’re getting married in May, and we have no photographer!
Back to the internet, everyone we knew was asking people they knew, looking at sites and making calls. Then, I came across Dirk’s blog and website and Facebook images. I have no idea how he escaped us the first time round, but here it was… the most natural, happy and captivating photos I’d seen!
Neil called Dirk, explaining the situation we were in, and how awkward his wife to be was around a camera! Amazingly Dirk was free on our big day and we quickly arranged to meet.
From that first hello, we thanked our lucky stars that we’d been let down by the previous guy. Dirk brought wedding book samples, which were amazing; talked through plans and ideas, and then got down to the pre wedding shoot… all on the same day! My Mum came too and he photographed her as well!
When we saw the images a couple of weeks later, we were over the moon.
In days leading up to our wedding, Dirk kept in contact and when he turned up at Beamish Hall on the day it was crazy – but good crazy!
He did what he needed to, never got in the way, and just joined in as part of the family.
He kept me informed of Neil’s progress in the morning, how many tears he’d cried, and assured me that he was composed in time!
We’d given no real direction, as we didn’t want a posed formal feel, however looking back Dirk seemed to have been everywhere, all of the time, but we hardly noticed. He fitted in with family easily, was a big hit with the female guests, and did his job with the minimum of fuss.
Over the next few weeks, Dirk kept in touch following through with everything as promised.. he couriered the presentation box of proof prints to our home in the south of England, and once we had selected our favourite two hundred images he designed out wedding books.
I must admit, I’m not always the easiest person to please, I found it difficult to say what exactly I wanted, but when presented with the 1st draft, I knew what I wanted changed, but Dirk stuck with us and gave Neil and I the most amazing story of our day.
Everyone who sees our books are amazed, even those who spent hours with us on the day, looked many times at the 500+ proofs, or saw the photos online; they all see something they forgot about, or hadn’t seen before.
Some even have a tear in their eye – and not just Neil!
Whether this is the first you’ve heard about Dirk, or you’ve met already, book him now!
I can guarantee (other than making the decision to actually get married) it will be the best decision you make!… ”
ANNA BRADY
DIRK VAN DER WERFF 2013