The following links will take you to Web sites for venues I have worked at and other vendors and suppliers that I have worked with and alongside. If I’ve enjoyed and appreciated something I’ll say so honestly, no added hyperbole!
Videographers
- Wedding Memories [Dorset, covering the whole South of England] Excellent, evocative wedding film-making with a non-obtrusive touch on the day. Worked alongside me at Beth & Daniel’s and Katie & Tom’s weddings.
Tipi & Marquee Hire
- World Inspired Tents [North Devon, supplying Tipis UK-wide] A highly friendly and efficient team offering Tipi hire across the UK. Their Web site is highly informative and visually rich. Tipis are great fun to party in and are highly photogenic! [See Megan & Wayne]
- Ernest G Hart [South of England] A family run business dealing in marquee and furniture hire for weddings and corporate events; they clearly understands their clients’ needs. [See Lucy & Steve, especially the concluding image!]
Caterers
- Relish Bournemouth based catering outfit that provide sumptuous fare utilising locally sourced Dorset produce. Relish fuelled me particularly well through one twelve hour wedding shoot. My stomach and taste buds look forward with glee to working with them again on another event.
Entertainment
- Matt Black An exceptionally talented comic genius and eclectic musical performer certain to get any party in a fantastic mood. I had the privilege of working alongside Matt at Lucy & Steve’s Holton Lee wedding and really hope to have the opportunity to work with him in future. He had me laughing so much I had to bump up the ISO on my camera to prevent my images from blurring.
- Dr. Disco Friendly smiley guys, had the floor full all night and the crowd asking for more at the end when I worked alongside them at Alison & Neville’s Royal Motor Yacht Club wedding party. I’ve since worked alongside Dr. Disco at Sarah & Nigel’s Bournemouth wedding too.
- Mighty Fine Entertainment Outside of nightclubs I’ve not come across a lighting rig as spectacular as DJ Mark’s, and his is a mobile set up. [See Christiane & Eric]
- The Indie Killers [UK nationwide] Fantastic musicians. Fantastic singers. True showmen. [See Beth & Stephen]
- Sound Circus kept the dance floor packed at Eleanor & David’s wedding. A happy, energetic band, they played two encores by popular demand then brought their kit back in from the van to play a third!
Flowers
- The Walled Garden at Mells UK wide suppliers of organically grown flowers, they’re an absolute delight to deal with. They provided the bouquet and flowers for Gabby & Gareth’s Dorset wedding.
Transport
- Discover Dorset An award winning Bournemouth based tour company that alongside regular scheduled tours to places of great natural beauty and historical significance around the region, offer custom made tours that provide for fantastic stag, hen and wedding party outings.
- Alex Cars [Gloucestershire] Their vintage Bedford Bus took the place of a wedding car on Megan & Wayne’s wedding day. An absolute delight!
Reception venues (most are also licensed for ceremonies)
- Symondsbury Manor [Dorset, on the border with Devon] I want to live in Symondsbury Manor. A beautiful, eclectic, highly creative old house with true personality. I can’t help but feel that the type of people that will like Symondsbury Manor are the type of people that will like the way I tell stories. [See Ruth & Hamish]
- The Andaz Hotel [London] Unsurpassed service in a high class, elegant environment that blends modern style with classical elegance. [See Christiane & Eric & Simon's MBE]
- Holton Lee [Purbeck, Dorset] Simply a magical place to stage your reception and tie the knot should you wish. Normally one would wish to do so prior to staging one’s reception, one imagines. I fell foul there of simple word reordering in order to add variety to a repeat listing! :~) [See Lucy & Steve]
- Arley Hall [Cheshire] Aside from making for a sumptuous and elegant venue, Arley Hall is staffed by a team of the most professional, friendly and helpful staff I’ve come across. [See Nic & Tom]
- The Royal Motor Yacht Club, Sandbanks [Poole, Dorset] Simply the most stunning views of Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island with a reception and evening party venue flanked on three sides by large floor to ceiling windows and exemplary service to go with the view. [See Alison & Neville]
- Langtry Lodge at the Langtry Manor Hotel [Bournemouth, Dorset] The Lodge itself is situated on a separate site just across the road from the Hotel and is quite simply a marvellous venue for receptions and evening parties, boasting a number of rooms of varying sizes to gather in as well as full bar facilities. Exclusive hire at particularly reasonable rates is possible. [See Emma & Ian]
- The Cumberland Hotel [Bournemouth, Dorset] Situated on the cliff tops of Bournemouth’s East Cliff district The Cumberland is s sumptuously decorated venue with a modern edge. I was especially impressed by the wedding organisation operation at this hotel when I worked there on a wedding day commission, and the venue catering was particularly appetising. [See Gabrielle & Bradley]
- Greyfriars House [near Guildford, Surrey] A lovely venue with a warm, homely feel yet plenty of space to roam. The view over the Surrey Hills is priceless. Fantastic, hospitable service too. [See Kim & Huw]
Ceremony venues
- The Willows [Bournemouth, Dorset] One of three venues accommodating marriage and civil partnership ceremonies in Bournemouth Town Hall, Dorset, The Willows makes for a relatively intimate and sumptuous environment. It’s well worth checking out the virtual tours for this venue. [See Emma & Ian and Louise & Nick]
- St. Peter’s Church [Parkstone, Poole, Dorset] Tucked away just behind the main street intersecting the picturesque district of Ashley Cross, Parkstone, Poole in Dorset, St. Peter’s Church has a somewhat fantastic interior and especially helpful and friendly officiants and volunteers. [See Alison & Neville and St. Peter's Church Architectural Test Shoot]
- Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart [Bournemouth, Dorset] A somewhat hidden treasure in the heart of Bournemouth, nestled amongst shops and offices towards the base of Richmond Hill the interior of this church is rich in detail and atmosphere. A true living church. [See Gabrielle & Bradley and Sacred Heart Architectural Test Shoot]
- Poole Guildhall [Poole, Dorset] An elegant venue for weddings, civil partnerships and other civic ceremonies in Poole, Dorset, with a refined and spacious interior boasting lofty ceilings and an amazing set of sweeping double staircases on the exterior that provides for evocative large group photographs. [See Sophie & Tom and Petia and Chris]
- The Old Marylebone Town Hall [London] A range of elegant ceremony rooms housed in a magnificent building and amongst the friendliest of registrars I’ve come across. Happy people! [See Sarah & Ben, Alex & Simon and Christiane & Eric]
Clothing
- AF Joy Wareham, Dorset based gentleman’s outfitters providing sales, fitting and hire of wedding day outfits. The firm maintains all that’s best about old fashioned service and combines this with a modern outlook and exemplary attention to customer satisfaction. Only a twenty minute hop by car from Bournemouth and Poole they are well worth a visit, and the town of Wareham itself makes for a nice spot to spend some time and provides access to the beautiful Isle of Purbeck.
- Austin Reed I used Austin Reed’s Bournemouth outlet to purchase shoes to carry me about on my wedding photography business and the salesperson’s attention to my eclectic requirements in this instance (I needed something very smart, yet exceptionally comfortable, with soles that provided good grip yet would be as silent as possible on various surfaces, and that I could slip off and back on again in the blink of an eye) led to a purchase that literally saved my feet on my next twelve hour wedding shoot. As such I vouch here specifically for their Westover Road branch in Bournemouth, Dorset.
Dutch Courage
- The Bermuda Triangle A stone’s throw from St. Peter’s Church in Ashley Cross, Parkstone, Poole in Dorset, The Bermuda Triangle lays on an exceptional range of traditional British real ales alongside German beers. The management are very helpful to boot.
- The Brunswick Hotel Located in a quiet corner of the Charminster district in Bournemouth, The Brunswick is a particularly well managed pub with some of the best bar staff to be found and has a high quality function room on offer for post-wedding parties and gatherings.
Useful miscellaneous planning resources
- Sunrise & Sunset Times Some of the best light manifests itself around sunrise and sunset and personally I like to try to get some portraits of the bride and groom alone around sunset time. Maybe use this useful resource to schedule the speeches and cutting of the cake so they allow for 20 minutes to catch some of that light while it lasts ;~)
Directories
- Easy Wedding Search A well designed and easy to navigate UK wide directory for all manner of wedding related services run by a site owner who really does pay attention to the user experience.
Contact Dorset wedding photographer Phillip Allen : phill@misterphill.com : 07870 696248
Global photographers I’ve enjoyed networking with online
Stefano Choi Photography – Austin Wedding Photographer – Austin Wedding Photographer
Ben Godkin Photo – Austin Wedding Photographer – Fine Art Wedding Photography & Portraiture
Wedding Photography by Alen Abdula – Photography for Inquisitive Minds
Lynette J – Dallas Wedding Photographer – Specializing in South Asian Wedding Photography
Amanda Basteen Photography – Des Moines Wedding Photographer – Professional Wedding & Portrait Photographer
Kristi Wright Photography – Austin Wedding Photographer – Modern Wedding Photography & Prtraiture
Chavvon & Larissa Photography – Dallas Wedding Photographers
Dekuji Photography – Melbourne Documentary Wedding Photographer
PIICX Photography – Wedding Photographer Austin – Wedding & Portrait Photography
Robb Duncan – Photographer – Melbourne and Geelong Wedding Photographer – Wedding & Portrait Photographer
Shy Photography – New Braunfels, San Antonio, Austin Wedding Photographer
JMx Photography – Saginaw Wedding Photographer – Wedding, Seniors & Family Portrait Photographer
Holly Birch Photography – Champaign-Urbana Wedding Photographer
James Murphy Photography – Rhode Island Wedding Photographer
Sweet Caroline Photo – Austin Wedding Photographer – Your friendly fine art wedding photographer
Your Perfect Wedding Photographer – London Wedding Photographers
