It's been a while since I last blogged, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy!

On the 18th June, I was photographer at the wedding of Kate & James who were married at St. Wilfrids Church, York, then on to St. Williams College for their wedding reception.

It as a great day, and brilliant weather (apart from a gusty breeze) and it was great to be back at St. Wilfrids Church which, although in the shadow of the super imposing York Minster, is deceiving and once inside it opens out into a wonderful, ornate church.

Then just last week I met up with Ruth & Peter for their Pre Wedding Photoshoot at a little know park in the centre of Leeds.  Ruth & Peter both did really well and admitted they didn't really know what to expect.  I think they are now more than fully prepared for their big day in August.

No rest for the wicked either, as in just under 2 weeks I'll be photographing the wedding of Jenny & Dan at the very beautiful Waterton Park nr. Wakefield.

Bye for now, Rich.

With less than 1 week to go until Kate & James tie the knot, I must admit to being excited to be out clicking again.  It's been 3 weeks since my last wedding shoot and I'm missing the fun and excitment of photographing a couples most special day.

Kate & James are to be married in York on Saturday 18th June, with their wedding ceremony at St. Wilfrids church, then on to St. Williams College for their wedding reception.

I'm really hoping for some good weather so that we can nip off to the York Minster Gardens to get some funky & artistic shots with the minster in the background.

I'll report back after the wedding with a blog update and of course some pics.

Byeeeee, Rich.

Well despite the weather forecast, it came good in the end and we managed to get outside for some photographs.  Lynne & Neil were married today at the very beautiful Goldsborough Hall.  We wish the all the very best for their future together.

It's been a long old time since I was last at Goldsborough, and it is one of my most favourite venues - and probably the very best in North Yorkshire when the sun shines.

The day started out a bit wet and dull, and even during the ceremony it was raining so immediately after the ceremony, Lynne and Neil spent some time with their guests in the Library.  But is wasn't long before the sun came out and we darted outside for some pics in the beautiful and grand grounds of Goldsborough Hall.

To see a small slideshow of some of the pics from the day, take a look here.

Bye for now, Rich.

Being a wedding photographer is not simple, it's not an easy job, and it certainly isn't easy money either.  And when it comes to choosing a wedding photographer, it's not simple, easy, or (in many cases) reasonably priced.

To try and take some of the pain out of the 'choosing a wedding photographer' process, I've listed my 10 Top Wedding Photography Tips' below.

1. Google is King : That's right, a simple search on Google will turn up thousands of wedding photographers, some good, some bad and some downright terrible.  My first top tip is to delve deeper than  just the first page of Google.  Some photographers spend their time taking great photographs, and not optimising their websites to appear on the 1st page of Google.  Delve deeper and you may just fine the perfect wedding photographer for your big day.
2. Meet & Greet : So you've short-listed a few photographers following your Google search, and you've made contact with them.  The next step is to meet them,  This is vitally important as you'll spend more time with your photographer on your big day than you will with anyone else, and you must be certain that you will all get along just fine on your big day.  It's a stressful day as it is, the last thing you need is a pushy photographer barking orders at you.
3. Money Talks : Well actually it doesn't, quality talks.  But if you like what you see (and you like the photographer) then it's time to discuss the packages and prices.  Don't be afraid of asking for a discount, and push for more.  If your wedding is on a weekday or out of season, then personally (as a seasoned wedding photographer) I'd rather be working than not.  Start at 50% discount (yes 50%) and see where you end up.
4. Free Extras : Simply put, you've agreed on a package and a price, now you should ask for some freebies, things like a free A2 canvas print, additional coverage of the first dance, ten free 10"x8" prints.  These all cost little or nothing to the photographer, but will add value to you and save you money.  Try it.  I defy any wedding photographer to lose a booking because they won't include some free prints into a package.
5. Paying a Deposit : This is vital.  Pay a sizeable deposit and then you are in a contract.  Your chosen photographer is booked for you, and you only, no stand-in photographer, no "2 weddings on one day" rubbish.  If you've booked him for the day, then you've booked him for the day.  A reasonable deposit to pay is 10%.  Warning : Some (like me) build into the contract that the fee is non-refundable.  Make an agreement that this is not the case, amend the contract (you should receive this in writing) and have both parties sign it.
6. It's Good to Talk : Keep in touch with your photographer.  Make sure (time and again) that the date is firmly inked in his diary.  Ask questions about the venue, group arrangements and timings, your photographer (if you've chosen well) will be vastly experienced and will be able to help you with your planning.
7. Lists Lists Lists : Make a list of all of the group arrangement you'd like.  There are a couple of rules however.  Keep it to a maximum of 10 groups.  More than 10 and you'll spend forever having group photos which will leave little time to mix and mingle.  Keep group shout to approx. 8 people (that's you two and three on either side).  This makes for a more pleasing arrangement and fills a 7"x5" photo perfectly.
8. Pre-Wedding Meeting : 2 weeks before your big day, meet, face to face with your wedding photographer, preferably at your chosen venue, to finalise the details of the day.  Provide your list of groups, and agree on timings and locations.  Your wedding photographer will make notes (to ensure that he knows what the arrangements are) and take notes (as in pound notes - yup, it's time to pay the balance).
9. Confirmation Please : So at your pre-wedding meeting, your wedding photographer made notes.  As him to confirm all of the detail back to you, in writing, so you can be certain that everything has been captured accurately.  Timings, locations, postcodes, names, special requirements, group shots - everything should be listed.  If it's wrong, tell him immediately.
10. Enjoy Your Big Day : It will be stressful, and it's will whizz by in a flash, but please enjoy your day.  Work with your photographer, and try to be accommodating.  Remember, you've paid hundreds or thousands for his expertise so you must allow him to 'run free' a little and be a bit bossy in order to meet your expectations.  If you chose well, you'll have fun, so will your guests and you're wedding photographer will be brilliant.

So there you go.  My Top Ten Wedding Photography Tips.  I could have written a Top Fifty I'm sure.  If you want to know more, just ask.  I'm friendly and will be happy to help.  Oh, and if you find any spelling mistakes, then I apologise - I've had a glass of wine !

Thanks, Rich.

Today my new website goes live.  I've transferred my domain name so that when you type in www.richardholgatephotography.co.uk it takes you to my new site, and I've even moved my email server.  I'm pretty chuffed.

My new site unfortunately doesn't allow me to provide an image proofing service, however this isn't so important as all of my packages now (in fact just the one package - the Essentials package) comes with all images on a disk.

Great !

...I must admit to being pretty chuffed with my new website.  Thanks to www.weebly.com I've been able to construct my new website with very little knowledge or experience - Thanks Weebly.

So the latest is, I've served notice on my old website www.richardholgatephotography.co.uk and in just 4 weeks time I'll be taking the necessary steps to point my domain to my new weebly site.

Now my current site is pretty well optimised (first page on google for some searches) so i'm pretty nervous that despite lots of optimising, my new site may fall down in the SEO stakes - Only time will tell - Wish me luck.

Over and out.... Rich. 

Well hello and welcome to my new website.

I recently chose to have a change of direction with my wedding photography, listening to couples and recognising that big, expensive photography packages were not necessarily what people wanted.  So I've changed my approach and simplified my offerings to just a single package, the Essentials package.

This basically provides the essential wedding photography coverage that most couples want, with all images taken provided in full resolution, free from copywrite on a DVD for your unlimited personal use.

Of course, should you wish to add on some extras, then of course this is possible.  The Essentials package costs just £400 and provides coverage from the Arrival at the Ceremony through to the start of the Wedding Breakfast.

And, if you book directly through the website you will be rewarded with a lovely 10% discount and free prints too.

Thanks for reading.  Rich.