MICHAEL AND DAVID

Michael is a really good friend of mine, we were housemates at uni and have since shared many bottles of wine and time spent putting the world to rights. He is always laughing. David is his boyfriend and they are both exceptionally tall, i had to make use of tree trunks, funny tufts of grass and park benches to even try to get eye to eye. 

We had a wonder around Richmond Park one one freezing February afternoon. 

You don't have to be engaged, or anywhere near, to book a couple shoot. They're perfect for celebrating your togetherness at any time, any life stage. For more information about my Love Shoots visit My site

WALKS

I'm dreaming of sunnier days - when the trees have leaves, the flowers are in bloom and summer seems endless.

Happy Friday.

MICHAEL & DAVID

Coming soon...

AND THE WINNER IS...

...Amy and Matt,

who won me over with this entry - especially the Silent Disco (who doesn't love a Silent Disco?)

"About us...

Matt proposed the day before my 30th Birthday. Unfortunately PLAN A: shaving 'Marry Me' in to his Chest hair failed when the batteries were flat in his Electric Shaver. So he resorted to PLAN B:  One knee, Trevi Fountains, several hundred tourists and a proposal! Much to my embarrassment, but I still said yes.

In our 14 years together we’ve travelled the world together, our relationship survived long distance status whilst I was at university, we’ve calculated  attendance to over 40 weddings (yes we were invited and not wedding crashers!) and have been to more festivals than we can count on our fingers and toes. As a result we have accumulated many crazy friends which dictates that we need/ want a maaahooosive wedding.



So the Plan...?

Ceremony: Come rain or shine the ceremony will be outside with 140 guests to witness.  We plan to walk up the aisle together with our friends samba band in tow.



Reception: A marquee – our vision is to have this marquee crammed with friends, decked in primary colour: pom poms, streamers and ribbon. And lucky for us our friend is a window dresser so we're expecting it to look pretty fab!

All the above images via Pinterest - check out their Pinterest board on http://pinterest.com/bigleap/marry-arg/. Don't some of their ideas look awesome?

Evening DO: Another 150 guests will be invited to join us to party to a trendy but classic wedding disco. A camp fire will be available for those that need some time out. All guests are invited to pitch a tent if they so wish - Matt and I will be spending the night in a yurt at the venue (we couldn’t bare the thought of leaving the party).



What you can expect, camera fodder...:-A stunning back drop of rolling countryside;  beautiful people;  informal atmosphere; games of beach cricket; colour, colour and more colour; vast amounts of cake & food (my sister owns a cupcake shop); space hoppers; festoon lighting; late night partying; festival feel; camping; Mr & Mrs Yurt; boozy; silent disco and loads of happy guests that just love to party.



Why we deserve it....? We are paying for the whole shebang ourselves, the day is about sharing with our nearest and dearest of which there are many and the reality is our budget just can’t stretch enough for a pro tog, so we are currently relying on family and friends to act as our photographers on the day – would be great to have a professional on board. It's going to be beautiful.



Why Ellie Gillard...? Why this competition...?  I’ve seen a lot of these competitions through my planning process but this is the first I’ve entered because Ellie’s style of photography seems to match what our wedding is about. She describes her work as ‘a little bit alternative’ and being able to ‘catch those fleeting moments’ this for me is what weddings & photography should be about. Those posed photos are just not what Matt and I are about. Plus she has availability in her diary for the 3our date... it must be fate..?"

A well deserved winner - remember any new bookings can claim their Rock My Wedding discount if you confirm and book before 10th March. See here for the full terms and conditions! http://www.thelovelustlist.co.uk/blog/ellie-gillard-photography-20-discount/

MONA MARA

On a very cold day in January we ventured out into the woods to shoot the lookbook for new Jewellery brand MONA MARA. I really loved being involved with this project and the images make me swoon.

Art Direction: John J Lindsley
Styling: Zoe Jones
Make up: Violet Zeng
Model: Megan McMinn

THE WILD ONES

Suede's recent 6Music session at Maida Vale got me thinking...

I grew up on nineties indie, not just the obvious - Oasis, Cast and Blur (in fact not at all, except Blur) but those glamorous fringe-lurkers Suede and Pulp. Their songs spoke of the glamour of a London I had yet to get to know, a thrill in the down at heel and an epic sense of the self. Their romantic escapism was just what a teenage girl growing up in the Norwich suburbs wanted and needed. Suede were my obsession, I had posters of Brett Anderson on my wall and would make a weekly pilgrimage to Sainsburys - the only local outlet big enough to stock NME and the now defunct Melody Maker. 

I became obsessed with the (early) Manics - all blood, glitter and rage. They introduced me to some of my earliest literary loves as well as one of my favourite albums ever in the form of the oft-forgot Gold Against the Soul. Their sense that they'd broken out of Blackwood and into the big time cut through everything they did.

Watching it back now, the videos seems a little dated - all enhanced colour - but there's no way that I can listen to these lyrics with any real purpose and not cry, or even shed a little tear. I want everyone in love to feel a little bit like The Wild Ones. Shut your eyes and just listen.

That floppy haircut slayed a million girls (and boys) in the nineties.

Note - the carpet is the same as in the Overlook Hotel (The Shining - also another one of my favourites)

Me, and my best friend Tilly put together a fanzine (an actual printed fanzine) where we interviewed bands, drew the cover art and self published.

What does this have to do with what I do now? Well, both nothing and everything. Who I am, runs through everything I do. I am who I am, with my vision of the world, because of how I grew up, and I thought I'd like to share a little of that with you.

2013 AVAILABILITY UPDATE

Just thought it might be useful to do a little Saturday availability update for the summer, as I'm now booked on lots of key dates. Fridays are, in general, a lot freer but if you have one of these dates in mind or had considered getting in contact then do it now :)

Even if I don't have your date free still get in touch, it's always lovely to hear from you and all about your plans and I can send a list of other lovely photographers your way.

May 11th

June 8th

August 3rd

August 17th

August 31st

September 14th

September 21st

If you want to book June 8th, get in touch now and if you confirm before end of Feb I'll knock 15% off the price for you.