Colin Mason Wedding Photography Surrey

Wedding Fair

2011-03-06T14:47:00.003Z

I will be exhibiting at the Highfield Park wedding fair on Sunday March 20th, 2011.

Highfield Park is a magnificent Queen Anne mansion set within 35 acres of parkland and rolling Hampshire countryside built in the 1700's.

Please feel free to come along and view my portfolios, I will be happy to see you there.

Entry is free!

Highfield Park
Church Lane
Heckfield
Hook
Hampshire,RG27 0LG

Story Book Design Service

2010-09-13T18:40:00.010+01:00

We are now happy to design and make Story Books for you even if we didn't photograph your wedding. If you have your wedding images on CD from your photographer we will be happy to quote for a design and make service.

We design and supply these amazing Italian made, hand crafted Story Book for you. These Story Books are now a 'must have' for any Bride. These GraphiStudio books will show off your wedding photographs with style and will amaze everyone who looks at your wedding photographs.

The Story Books are also available with an embedded photograph in an acrylic cover or leather covers with an inset photograph, the choice is yours. The leather covers can also have your names and wedding date de-bossed. The leather covers come in a wide choice of colours.

Please click here to see samples of the Story Books.

Please contact me if you have any questions on 0845 468 88 80

Colin Mason Wedding Photography Surrey

2010-09-12T10:08:00.005+01:00

There is now a new section to my website which shows wedding photographs taken by me at individual wedding venues. This can be accessed on my Home Page and Services Page by clicking on 'Wedding Photographer Surrey Venues' or click on the link below.

You can look at each individual venue to see wedding photographs I have taken and a description about the venue itself.

I will be adding more venues over the next few weeks so if your venue is not listed at the moment please contact me and I will add your venue as soon as possible.

http://www.colinmasonphotography.co.uk/?p=2527

Regards,

Colin

Colin Mason Wedding Photographer Surrey

Do I Need A Video Of My Wedding?

2010-08-19T09:19:00.004+01:00

If you are debating whether to book a videographer for your wedding then here is a question that may sway you to say yes.

If I was holding two boxes, one contains your great-grandparents' wedding photos, and the other contains their wedding video. You can open only one, which do you choose?

This question was asked at a wedding fair and the response was unanimously 'Video'. Maybe this will sway you to say yes to a videographer!

Cutting Edge Bride

2010-07-04T22:10:00.010+01:00

Are you tired of looking at wedding dresses that all look the same? Looking for something different and funky? Then try cutting edge brides. They have a range of dresses like no other wedding dress shop.

Visit their website to see more dresses.

cuttingedgebrides.com

Wedding Photography Special Offer

2010-06-23T16:49:00.003+01:00

We have managed to create this Wedding Photography Package for the Amazing Offer of £750 for those of you on a tight budget. This offer is for weddings taking place before March 31st, 2011.

This Amazing Offer of £750 includes:

Wedding Photography starting from 1 hour before the service photographing Groom and Guests arriving

Brides Arrival

The Service

Photographs of the Bride & Groom and Guests at the Venue

Group shots

Cutting the cake

Unlimited photographs taken

Photography finishes when you sit down for your wedding breakfast

After the wedding you will receive the proof images on CD. You will then be able to select 40 images of your choice to be Professionally Printed to the size of 8x6 inches.

Bridal Party preparing in the morning can be added for £100

Evening photography up to the first dance can also be added for the lower price of £100

Please call today for more details on 0845 468 88 80.

Colin Mason Wedding Photography Surrey

Children On Marriage

2010-06-23T16:45:00.001+01:00

I thought I would start this thread as a bit of fun. A recent survey asked children between 5 and 10 some questions about marriage and relationships. Here are the humorous responses.

Answers about getting married.

"You've got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. You know, football, she really should like football and she should keep the crisps and dips coming." Kristen, aged 10

" No person really decides before they grow up who they are going to marry. God decides it all way before and you get to find out later who you get stuck with." Aged 10

"Marriage is when you get to keep your girl and don't have to give her back to the parents." Eric, aged 6

"It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't need kind of trouble." Will, aged 7

" My mother says to look for someone that is kind...Thats what I'll do....I'll find somebody who's kinda tall and handsome." Carolyn, aged 8

What's is the right age to get married?

"Once I'm done with nursery, I'm going to find me a wife." Bert, Aged 5

Twenty three is the best aged to get married because you have known the person forever by then." Camille, aged 6

" No age is good to get married, I think you would be a fool to get married." Freddie, aged 6

How can a stranger tell if you are married?

"Well, you might have to guess when they are yelling at the same kids." Derrick, aged 8

What do most people do on dates?

"Dates are for having fun and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have if they listen long enough." Lynette, aged 8

"On the first date they tell each other lies and that usually gets get them interested enough to go for a second date." Martin, aged 9

When is it okay to kiss someone?

"When they're rich." Pam, aged 7

"The law says you have to be 18, so I don't want to break the law." Curtis, aged 7

"The rule goes like this. If you kiss someone you have to marry them, so I would only kiss when I wanted to settle down." Howard, aged 8

Is it better to be married or single?

"It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them." Anita, aged 9

How wold you make a marriage work?

"Tell your wife that she looks pretty even though she looks like a truck!!!!!!" Ricky, aged 10

Wedding Day Do's and Don'ts

2010-06-18T09:59:00.004+01:00

I was reading a wedding forum and a bride had mad a list of Do's and Don'ts for your wedding day. I think it's a good list and I thought I would share it with you. If you have any you would like to add then please leave your idea in the comments box and I will add them.

DO
*Expect the day to fly past
*Have breakfast. I didn't eat much, and when we arrived in the car I felt starving
*Put your shoes on before your dress if you have petticoats. I learnt this when going for fittings as I could hardly see my feet, let alone reach them!
*Do all the "old, new......" traditions. It makes it all feel really complete
*Expect to be nervous. I had been fine all the way up to getting my dress on, then I had a couple of tears. After that, I was fine again, but they were definitely needed
*Practise sitting in your dress. One slightly sticky moment when I got to the top of the aisle and we were seated, the petticoats in my skirt pushed against the chair and pushed it slightly away from me.
*Personalise the ceremony. Have readings and really take time picking the music. Most of our guests had never been to a civil ceremony, but they all thought it was beautiful and really personal.
*Delegate to and trust your bridesmaids and ushers. Mine really stepped up and I was so proud of them
*Have a photograph list. The time goes by so quickly, you want to make sure you get everything you want.
*Add another half hour to your allotted time for photos - you will run over
*Have 5 minutes to yourselves. Our hotel insisted on it with us, and it is so welcome as it's practically the only time you get to spend together in the whole day.
*Only cater for about 75% of guests for evening buffet. Most of the day people hardly ate anything after their big 3 course meal and wedding cake
*Have a band if you can afford it. Ours was a real talking point and everyone loved them
*Consummate on the night It makes it very very special. Even though we both drank all day, I think the adrenaline of the day takes over as neither of us were drunk

DON'T
*Expect to have a chance to see everyone
*Worry too much about the little things (decoration, favours, etc.). I didn't even notice them
*Think it won't change you. We have been together nearly 12 years and didn't expect a change, but we feel so much closer it's impossible to describe
*Wear complicated underwear. Going to the loo in a wedding dress is hard enough!
*Feel pressured into having children there if you don't want them. We didn't and no-one minded at all.
*Stress too much about the weather. The forecast a few days before our wedding was for the end of a hurricane to hit, but it was a glorious day
*Think that your dress won't get dirty. Mine was filthy. On that note, don't underestimate how much it will cost to get it cleaned. It was something I hadn't looked into it, and got a bit of a shock with the ?190 bill to have it cleaned and boxed!
*Worry about the number of evening guests. I did as ours dropped from 40 to just over 20, and not all of those turned up, but it didn't cause any issue (I was a bit worried the day guests may think "oh they haven't got many coming", but that never came out at all)

Unique Wedding Venues In London

2010-05-31T20:38:00.003+01:00

If you are looking for a venue that will make your guests talk about your wedding for years to come and budget is no object then have a look at Unique Venues Of London. They have breathtaking and unusual venues, but remember they are very expensive!

www.uniquevenuesoflondon.co.uk

Romantic Photography

2010-05-05T11:56:00.007+01:00

I'm always trying to add romance to my wedding photography and I have come up with a set of photographs below and I think they work quite well. Please leave your comments on whether they work for you?

Why use a makeup artist on your wedding day?

2010-04-25T22:30:00.006+01:00

Thanks to Katy from www.makeupbykaty.com for submitting this article. If it’s helped you, please let me know.

I’m sure that’s a question many brides-to-be have asked themselves. Or indeed, been asked by their fiancé/mother/mother-in-law?! “You do your own make-up every day? Why get someone in to do what you already do yourself?”

I’m going to take you through all the factors of bridal make-up and explain the hows and whys.

As a make-up artist with 14 years’ experience, I’ve done the make-up for more brides than I can count. Each one had an individually designed look. Some wanted dark smoky eyes, others wanted soft, barely there neutrals and everything imaginable inbetween. The one factor they all had in common? They all wanted to look their absolute best. The wedding day is the one day when looking perfect is imperative!

So you need to take into consideration these aspects;

Longevity- This make-up needs to last all day. And night!

You don’t want to be touching up your eyeshadow and re-concealing half way through the day. Good make-up artists have tricks a plenty up their sleeves when it comes to achieving that long stay finish. I always pay close attention to the skin and address any underlying issues before I even touch it with base! Then there’s setting the make-up without looking dry and powdery, stopping the eyes from creasing, liner from smudging.

Photography- Flash photography can have a huge effect on the make-up you wear.

It can change what looks like a natural make-up into a ‘nothing at all’ look! That smudge of kohl pencil and quick coat of mascara won’t stand up to the job. Without enough definition around the eyes, they’ll disappear (not literally, just photographically!). The art is having enough on so your features are defined but not so much that you feel over done. I have a technique where I press liner into the roots of the lash; this gives the right amount of depth just where it’s needed. Plus, it’s waterproof, of course!

When it comes to foundation, having a base on that doesn’t reflect well can lead to a washed out complexion. I’m a stickler for ensuring the skin looks as flawless as possible without even looking as though there is any make-up on. A make-up artist will have a variety of shades in his/her kit, that way, if you’ve had a spray tan or used a self tan at home, your face will match your body exactly. There’s nothing worse than your face looking like it’s stuck onto someone else’s body!

I painstakingly custom blend the foundation on the day to get the perfect shade and texture. Also, be very careful not to use light reflective products, unless they’re being used for clever highlighting and contouring, they can reflect back a white tone, especially around the eyes and can be spotted a mile off.

The look - We, as women, are super critical when we look in the mirror! It’s hard for us to be objective when it comes to our own faces. That’s why we so often get stuck in make-up ruts. A make-up artist looks at you differently.

I look at my client and I see the beauty in her face. I see what I want to enhance and emphasise, as opposed to what I want to cover. This gives a fresh take on styles and colours that you may have never thought of. A good make-up artist will bear what you do every day in mind and create you a look that combines your own style with new ideas. The idea is not to make you look like someone else, just a more polished, perfect version of you! Don’t be afraid to show clippings from magazines of make-up that you’ve seen. Sometimes it’s easier to show than to describe. That’s what trials are for!

Time - Don’t underestimate how manic the morning of your wedding can get! I like to take the bride off into another room to do her make-up. This gives her a break from the mayhem and lets her focus on the most important thing, herself!

It’s one of the things my brides always comment on, how relaxed they feel by the time their make-up is done. Between myself and the hairdresser, we get the bride ready first and then it’s time for the bridesmaids, mother-of- bride and everyone else! Then, when everyone is done, I return to the bride.

By this time, she’s hopefully had something to eat and drink. It’s time for a small sip of champagne and the last touch ups. I put her lips on last; check the bride has her touch up items in a little bag. I then have a look at her back, shoulders and arms for any blemishes that need camouflaging, get those covered and sealed and wait for the dress to be put on.

Finally, I take a picture on my digital camera to check there’s nothing reflecting badly with the flash. Then I show the bride so she can see how amazing she looks.

If you’d like to talk to Katy about your own wedding make-up, please feel free to drop her an e-mail on katy@makeupbykaty.com and have a look at her website to see more of her work www.makeupbykaty.com

Katy also writes a really informative and entertaining blog about all things beauty and make-up related www.makeupbykaty.blogspot.com

Pink Wedding Umbrella/Parasol

2010-04-09T10:37:00.004+01:00

What if it's too hot on your wedding day or if it rains. I have found these fantastic looking parasols which come in Pink or cream and I think they will look fantastic in wedding pictures come rain or shine. They only cost around £10 each.

Find A Gift

DIY Invitations

2010-04-06T21:48:00.002+01:00

About 40% of couple’s these days make their own wedding invitations as it’s a great way to save a little cash. It does also put a slightly more personal touch to your whole wedding too.

Here are some great places to get some ideas which previous clients have used. Please let me know your feedback if you use any of them:

www.weddingcrafter.co.uk – Inspiration and advice plus assemble kits and free templates.

www.craftcreations.com – Online shop for creative papers, stickers and accessories.

www.kookykards.com – Everything you’ll need from card blanks to Swarovski Crystals.

www.mandalayweddinginvitations.co.uk – By choosing our DIY wedding invitations, you get the wedding stationery half the normal price.

www.wedding-crafts.co.uk – Template downloads, invitation kits and lots more.

Wedding Cakes

2010-04-01T09:28:00.008+01:00

I was at a wedding fair last weekend and I was next to a cake stand that made the most amazing Cakes for weddings and parties. The company has a shop in Guildford and they are called Alexander Taylor Cakes. Below are a few pictures of their cakes and a link to their website.

www.alexandertaylorcakes.co.uk

Wedding Day Weather Worries

2010-03-22T11:28:00.005Z

I know how much Brides worry about the weather on their very special day. Over the many years that I have been covering weddings it's not very often that I have not been able to get outside shots of the Bride & Groom. It's not very often in this country that you will have rain all day long. Quite often, especially summer, it will rain on and off during the day. You may not have your wedding pictures taken when planned but most of the time you will have some pictures taken outside at some point in the day.

I have taken couples outside during the wedding breakfast when the rain has stopped or even late in the evening when the rain stops and the most amazing sunsets start to appear.

Please try not to worry about rain on the day, you will have to be really unlucky to have rain all day.

If you are still worried about the weather and really want fantastic pictures of yourself, try to book a venue with indoor areas that are good for photography and talk to your photographer about this. If you book a good photographer then you should still have lovely wedding pictures rain or shine.

Below are some shots I have taken inside venues. They can be as good as the pictures taken outside.

Traditional Wedding Album or Story Book?

2010-03-15T12:19:00.003Z

Traditional wedding albums are slowly dying out. They are being taken over by Story Books. I supply very few traditional albums these days.

What are Story Books?

Story Books are very versatile with the layout of the pictures. You can have 1 picture a page or multiple pictures a page. This means you can have your favourite pictures made large and the less important pictures made smaller in the book. Traditional albums are very bulky and heavy and restrictive with layout but Story Books are more manageable in size and will contain many more pictures from your wedding. Story Book are now a ‘must have’ for most brides today.

Here is a link to my website so you can see examples of Story Books I have designed.

www.colinmasonphotography.co.uk

And here is a link to the website of Graphi Studio who make the Story Books I have designed.

www.graphistudio.com

How to choose a wedding photographer.

2010-03-15T11:48:00.005Z

There are so many wedding photographers out there so I how do I decide which photographer to choose?

The first thing you should do is look on the internet, which you have probably done already. You will find there’s thousands of photographers out there so look at photographers websites to try to find three photographers which you like the style of and which are close to your budget. If a photographer is slightly over your budget do not rule them out at this stage.

The style of the photographs are the most important thing to find first. Your wedding photographs will only be taken once so if you like the style of a more expensive photographer ask them what they can provide for your budget. They may be willing to leave out the price of the album until after the wedding. Most couple take over a year to decide which photographs go into their album so you could defer the album payment until you have chosen the pictures for your album. You will have saved more money by then and you may wish to buy a better album. This is why I say the picture style must come first because you can always save for the extras at a later date but you cannot have your wedding photographs taken again!

Once you have made a shortlist send them an email asking these important questions below. This list will help you decide whether they are worth meeting:

1-Are you a full-time wedding photographer?
2-Are you insured?
3-Will VAT be added to your prices?
4-Do you charge for travel expenses?
5-If my wedding overruns will there be any extra charges?
6-Do you shoot Raw files or jpgs?
7-Do you have sample albums of a whole wedding from start to finish?
8-Do we choose the pictures that go into our album?
9-Are there any hidden extras that are not on your price list?
10-Could you send me your terms & conditions.

Here is an explanation as to why you should ask these questions:

Q1-There are many photographer out there who work during the week at another job and shoot weddings at the weekend to make some extra cash. This can cause problems with the amount of time it takes to see your wedding pictures. It can take months to get your photographs back because they don’t have the time to work on them. A full time photographer will have your pictures ready much quicker.

Q2- An insured photographer will be able to compensate you if anything happens to go wrong. You will also find that a bad photographer will not be able to get insurance. Ask to see a copy of the policy.

Q3-VAT can obviously inflate a quote.

Q4-Make sure there are no hidden travel expenses or hotel expenses. If they do charge for these as extras make sure you have a quote before you book them.

Q5-Many photographers will charge by the hour if a wedding overruns. Most weddings overrun and this could easily add hundreds of pounds of unexpected costs or missed photo opportunities if you don’t want to pay the extra.

Q6-Professional photographers will only shoot Raw files as these give a much better quality to the final print. If they only shoot jpegs they are not giving you the best quality and it will show their inexperience with digital photography.

Q7- Looking at sample wedding albums of single weddings from start to finish gives you a better indication of the consistency of their work throughout the day. If they only supply 1 or 2 pictures from each wedding this will not give you an idea of their consistency through a whole wedding so rule them out.

Q8-Some photographers will choose the pictures that go into your album without you having a say. You may end up with pictures in your album that you dislike. Make sure you choose the pictures for your album.

Q9-Make sure there are no hidden costs that are not on the price list.

Q10- Carefully read the terms and conditions. See how much you will be charged if you have to cancel or postpone your wedding.

Once you have made a shortlist of three photographers make appointments to see them to look at their portfolios. It is very important to get on with your photographer because you will spend most of your wedding day with them. If you feel uncomfortable with your photographer at the meeting you will feel much more uncomfortable with them on your wedding day.

Make sure you know what you are getting on your wedding day and what is supplied after like albums, prints, online gallery and CD’s of images

Once you have done all of the above you are in a much better position to make your decision.

I hope this has been of some help to you. Please ask any other question by leaving a message in the comments section below or send me an eamil and I will reply to your question.

Good luck,

Colin Mason
cmp.info@btinternet.com

Trash The Dress

2010-03-12T19:26:00.004Z

Are there any brides out there who would like to trash their dress. This is a fairly new phenomenon where brides trash their wedding dress after the wedding. This can be done by running into the sea or playing in a muddy field. I would love to photograph a mass trashing session and publish the pictures in a magazine. Please email me if you would like to do this.

Regards,

Colin

Answer your questions

2010-03-12T19:24:00.005Z

If you have any questions regarding wedding photography please ask here by clicking 'COMMENTS'