Dorset Wedding Photographer Phillip Allen

When I received an email from Emma & Ian asking me if I would photograph their wedding I slid off my sofa and collapsed onto the floor. I managed to type out and send a “yes” from my prone position and an hour later I responded more fully. It was somewhat akin to having Gordon Ramsay call and ask if you’ll do the catering for his wedding, except they’re not sweary like Mr Ramsay. You see, Emma & Ian constitute Bournemouth wedding photography outfit Big Bouquet. My initial reaction wasn’t simply based on the fact that they are wedding photographers but did have a great deal to do with the esteem in which I hold both their work itself and the outlook they present to the world via their Web site. When I first set about my venture in this field I researched the local market extensively and kept returning to their site. Eventually I found an entry on their blog mentioning the fact that they themselves would be getting married in October of this year. On reading this a concurrent chain of three punctuated thoughts ran through my head in rapid succession. The first was, “I wonder who’ll be photographing their wedding?”, the second was “I … would … so … love to shoot their wedding!” and the third was “Dream on Phill” and I laughed at my fleeting notion.

Over a period of several weeks I left the occasional comment on various of their blog entries, appreciative of what I was gaining from them in terms of learning, I received some comments on my blog in return, then I received their email and herein lays the outcome.

In the interim period between our making touch online and my photographing their wedding day Emma & Ian have provided me with immeasurable help with my practice. Emma’s guidance on post-processing has helped me rapidly raise the bar on the quality of my image making output. Ian’s advice on search engine optimisation has, in application, seen my Web site rise within a few small months from page seven of Google for my preferred search terms to a position where it bubbles around the top of page two and the bottom of page one. Both have advised me on work flow practices which have seen my turn around times shorten significantly. On top of all this they’ve also referred enquiries to me for dates on which they are already booked. All these are indications of their nature but also make fantastic business sense because there’s no doubt where my efforts will be directed in return as my venture develops.

Emma & Ian married at The Willows in Bournemouth Town Hall, celebrated at Ink Bar on Richmond Hill before sharing an intimate meal with their families, then partied into the night at Langtry Lodge.

I can’t express how happy I was to document their special day.

Unapologetically, this is going to be something of a long post! :~) View full post »