We chat to Essex wedding photographer Bloomwood Photography

What makes your Essex wedding photography business different?
We are a family run photography business based in Essex, and specialise in weddings. We pride ourselves in offering a bespoke personal service, and really spend time to get to know our couples so that they are relaxed on the wedding day.

We limit the number of weddings we take on each year and include a pre-wedding shoot and face-to-face planning meeting with our main packages. This means by the time the big day comes around, couples feel relaxed around us and this creates far more natural photos – and it is a more enjoyable experience!

Why did you launch your business?
We originally ran a photography studio offering family and children portrait sessions in a controlled environment. Unbelievably we never intended to photograph weddings at first! Then about eight years ago a close friend was nervous about having photos taken on their wedding day and asked if we would do it for them to make them feel more at ease. We have never looked back and weddings now account for most of what we do!

It is great to be around people on one of the most special days of their lives, and it means we get to spend time with lots of lovely people at different beautiful venues. It is very rewarding and through the process we make many friends for life.

What's your favourite type of wedding to work on?
We are lucky to get bookings for all types of weddings, from local venues to abroad. But without doubt, the thing that makes a wedding special for us is the people. There is nothing better than an excited couple who have genuine friends and family that are good fun. It makes the whole day more enjoyable and often makes for the best photos!

What's your top tip for couples planning a wedding?
Feel confident enough to ask all the questions you want from your suppliers. It is your day and so you have to be happy with what you are getting. Don't just rush in based upon a first impression - make sure you ask to see samples of work and know exactly what you can expect for your day. It will make you feel more comfortable and reassured on the day knowing everything is clear in advance.

What's the most common question couples ask?
When asking about photography, couples almost always ask about what happens if the weather is bad. We explain that no two weddings are ever the same and they are choosing to book us because of our experience and judgement. In fact, a little bit of rain on a wedding day can result in more dramatic photos. But we make sure we have equipment to enable us to get creative and use flash indoors and get to know the best locations at a venue for every eventuality.

How have you handled the current coronavirus crisis as a business?
The current situation has had a devastating effect on peoples' wedding plans – like most areas of life. We have found that almost all of our weddings have had to be postponed to next year and there is still a lot of uncertainty. Whilst this would usually be a remarkably busy period for us, we have found ourselves with more time on our hands than usual.

On a positive note, this has given us the opportunity to try new things and focus on our development to ensure we are providing the best service to couples that we can. In that vein, we have recently become a qualified member of The Guild of Wedding Photographers. This has involved us reviewing our work and processes, to make sure we continue to deliver consistent, high quality photos to couples.

Emma & Ross Hammond
Bloomwood Photography 
www.bloomwoodphotography.co.uk/weddings
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