Hybrid Wedding Photography

We chose a great day for Hybrid Wedding Photography. Fiona & Carl’s wedding was at Dumbleton Hall Hotel and the inclusion of Storm Dennis ensured it was super action-packed…and not without its challenges. However, even with all the drama outside, this was a real stand out wedding for me. I say this was purely from how fun and amazingly cool everyone was…not to mention friendly too!! I was made to feel completely included throughout and I spent the whole day with a big smile on my face as I watched people having an amazing time.
I just wanted to mention how lovely Dumbleton Hall Hotel was for wedding photography too. This was my first visit and hopefully the first of many!! It’s a beautiful building and the grounds are stunning…perhaps I might be able to explore them more on my next trip! Thanks Dennis!
In all seriousness, I found the staff to be really friendly and massively helpful. Barry (Toastmaster) was always on hand and happy to help. We were able to work seamlessly together all-day and keep everything running as smoothly as possible. I know it’s never easy when there is a storm outside… 

I will just briefly explain what Hybrid Wedding Photography is for anyone who is not sure. Modern cameras are capable of recording, not only amazing photographs but also stunning videos too. At the flick of a switch, I can be shooting videos and then back to photos. While I cannot shoot a complete video in the same way a dedicated videographer can. I can shoot little snippets of video as I go through the day and then edit them together to create a short 3-4 minutes video montage, set to music.
It absolutely does not impede my ability to photograph the wedding at all. In fact, it allows me to show the wedding in a whole new perspective that I was unable to previously. For all the moments I simply have to be photographing, I have a camera on a tripod recording those must-have moments. Please enjoy the photography AND video I created for Fiona & Carl below and see what you think. 

Congratulations to the happy couple…and thank you for inviting me to your special day. It was a privilege to be involved! 

About Fiona & Carl… 

1) Please tell me how you first met?
We first met at Apples garage, I joked that my friend and I were going to kidnap Carl and go to Weston Super Mare when we went for a test ride. We were so busy flirting that we hadn’t noticed that my card payment hadn’t gone through! So when Carl phoned me up the next day … I thought that he was chasing me … nope! he just wanted payment for the four new tyres!! 😂😂
Anyways our paths crossed again sometime later, and this time Carl asked me out for dinner …. I needed my car fixing, so I said yes 😝😂
Here we are 19 years later ❤️❤️❤️

2) What’s the best meal you have eaten together?
So very many! …. as you know we like our food!
Eckington Manor, when Mark Stinchcombe Was head chef, our fab friend, and winner of Master Chef, the professionals, he has the “pallet of an angel” he is now at Severn and Wye smokery restaurant.
The Driftwood, in Cornwall, Chris Eden, great ‘thunder and lightning dessert ⛈
Malinova …… in Warsaw, I loved the balloons as much as the food! …. it was valentines, and the restaurant was filled with loads and loads of red hearts and balloons 🎈 … it was stunning, coupled with the restaurant’s fabulous food and Art Deco style.
The Oriental …. Bangkok, where we ate gold!✨
Vertigo at the Banyan Tree Hotel Bangkok, so very very high up! …it was the highest alfresco restaurant in the world 61 floors up!! Great food, and views (no mosquitoes that high either!)
The wilderness foraged food, we ate ants! 🐜 they have a strong lemon flavour!
Hide London, I loved the handbag stand 👌🏻
Dans le noir …. a meal in total darkness, served by blind people, such an interesting experience!
So many fabulous restaurants, too many to list!

 3) Could you give us the story of the proposal?
Why now?….. after 19 years!!

We got engaged fifteen years ago, on the 25th of September, my birthday! we were in Geneva, a gorgeous city.
It was Carl’s plan to propose to me by the Jet d’Eau the magnificent water jet on lake Geneva, that symbolises strength ambition and vitality, and is the tallest water jet in the world.
…… anyway, that didn’t happen.
It was my birthday…. I didn’t want to get the Jet d’Eau that day! 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️…
Option two a was splendid park ….. we were having a lovely romantic walk, but then a load of youths on skateboards interrupted our solitude. 🛹🚶🏼
Option three was back at the hotel room.
We were getting ready to go out to a sushi restaurant for my birthday meal. I had just finished applying my makeup 💄… whilst Carl was trying to set up the Taittinger champagne (that he had been lugging about all day! …. in a rucksack that I told him that he didn’t need! 😆😆)
Carl got down on one knee to propose, I was trying to get dressed, and I wondered what he was scrabbling about at!! 😂
He asked me to marry him, I said ‘Yes’ and I cried happy tears … ruining my makeup 😆😆
then we celebrated 🥂🍾🥂❤️

Why now? ….. after 19yrs!
A bit before Christmas 2018, I lost a diamond from my engagement ring, it was hardly surprising, as my ring was 15 years old, and I wore it constantly (whilst working with massage lotion).
Carl took it to a Jeweller, that had been recommended to him, to replace the diamond.
Christmas came and went, and I started to wonder when my ring would be ready. I pestered Carl.
Carl was struggling to get hold of the jeweller ….
Eventually, Carl phoned me to tell me that the jeweller had lost my ring!!!
I was upset, very upset. My engagement ring was obviously special to me, it wasn’t like I had a wedding ring.
The jeweller, wanted to make us an exact replica, he was mortified, (he had never before lost anyone’s jewellery in 27 yrs!) but I wasn’t keen … as it wouldn’t have been the same ring!
So, after tears and tantrums, I eventually decided that I wanted Carl to design me a totally different new replacement ring.
He did, it was beautiful.
When Carl gave me my correct size replacement ring, he got down on one knee and said

“You are the love of my life,
I really want to marry you!
Let’s set a date”

…. and here we are!

4) If you don’t mind sharing, can you tell me something quirky, funny or silly about your partner?
Fiona: I’ve learned not to let her get hungry!
Carl: Likes to look after me, even though I can look after myself.

5) What is your perfect day together?
Walking with our dog

6) Apart from the obvious, what are you most looking forward to on your wedding day? 
The feeling of love and celebration in the room

7) What was it that inspired you to go for the theme or the decor you chose for your wedding? 
The black swans at the Dumbleton Hall.

8) Please tell me one thing you wish you had known at the beginning of your wedding planning process, that you could pass on to future brides reading this blog?
It’s tricky having to rate friends and family (sometimes quite harshly) for the Guest List!  

9) When searching, what were you were looking for in a wedding venue? 
The Black Swans 🖤🖤🖤

Dumbleton Hall is the home to two amazing black swans.
They are such beautiful majestic creatures!
We fell in love with them!

10) Could you tell me the process you went through when you were looking for a wedding photographer?
Bridebook

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