Kent Wedding Photographer - The beauty & power of one image

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I made this wedding portrait a few years ago. 1st August 2015 to be precise.

It is a beautiful yet simple image of the Grooms Nan looking up at her grandson on his wedding day. It’s an image that can not easily be recreated or posed. It’s a powerful candid image that started out as a standard group photo.

This one image has had more than a dozen people in tears in front of me when viewing it at wedding shows.

(I have a very large framed print of it)

It’s normally the mother of the ‘groom to be’. Not because they know the lady in the photograph but because they see their own mother in the image and wish that she could be at her sons wedding.

Images can be powerful for all sorts of reasons. Some beautiful and some not so beautiful. But when you can see & feel the emotion in a photograph it can be a magical thing.

When I made this image, there were others too of course that were very similar. I’d call them a series of images which led to this one standing out as ‘the one’ for me to use.

Here are some of the other images that lead to this beautiful moment…

Although I consider myself a candid, documentary wedding photographer, (which is why I believe I was able to see this happening and then record the image) and I do still shoot group photos. As the first image shows, they are an important part of the day and who knew that I would get the result I did if I hadn’t started with this image below.

So, it started off as a typical group photo of the bride & Groom with his Nan and just evolved from there. I had stopped talking long before i’d stop shooting.

And this is the last in the series that I made.

I think that there is a kind of cheekiness to this lady and a look of pure delight and love on her face and I believe she approved of her grandson getting married that day!

Below are some other candid photographs that make me smile from this wedding back in August, 2015…

How will Wedding Photography change after 2020? #COVID-19 #stayathome #livethedream #2020

Are you part of our NHS or Emergency Services? Special Offer - see more information here

This might sound like a tough question to answer - because it is - I hope it doesn’t change too much and for too long as I quite liked it as it was. I hope that wedding couples still see the benefit of having good quality wedding photography to look back at in years to come.

“Is having lots of experience and being good at what you do going to be good enough?“

Maybe...

“Do the awards you’ve got help you survive and attract new clients that love your work in the future?”

I hope so…

“Does positivity and belief in yourself help you keep going when it all seems to be for nothing?”

Yes, absolutely… I’ve been coming into the office almost every day since lockdown so that I can stay as focused & keep as positive as possible for when it starts to return back to some normality. Take a look at some lockdown photos i’ve made on my INSTAGRAM page - Macro photography is very interesting and makes you appreciate the little things.

Capturing the humour of a church service with candid moments like this is fun.

So, you have been wanting to get married for a couple of years and finally you book a date with your dream venue, you’ve tried on some beautiful dresses & cool looking suits and chosen your favourite wedding photographer. :) Now it’s time to get all the other pieces of this big wedding jigsaw puzzle in place and try to encourage your Fiance to look a little more interested in the colour of your seat covers you’ve spent £400.00 on.

All the invitations have been sent to your guests and the reliable 80% of them have RSVP’d - YES! Great! - you are now ready to come together for a massive celebration of two people, two families and hundreds of friends, all looking forward to meeting up at the same place on the same day to help celebrate this wonderful couple and special occasion.

Then…

#2020 #COVID-19 #STAYATHOME #NHS #EMERGENCYSERVICES #KEYWORKERS #GOV #FURLOUGH

I mean, who had ever heard of the word ‘Furlough’ before 2020?

Vicar waiting for the bride to get to church for her ceremony.

He will be waiting there a long time I think.

Lets just hope he can have a quiet word with his boss and sort this mess out soon!

It is easy to see how this affects people and our lifestyle. This really has affected everyone in some way. Some people will lose a little and some will lose a lot. Some people and businesses have gained out of it, with the way online usage has changed. Some have helped a little some have helped a lot. There are even those that have tried to gain out of others misery by preying on the weak and vulnerable.

But generally it’s times like these that people shine and stand up & help others. Especially the NHS and Emergency Services. We are all lucky there are people out there like this. I am sure you, like me know someone that works for the NHS or Emergency Services.

A Special Offer to say thank you to them is here.

I have friends and family who work with these great - yet under respected public services.

The Portraits above are some images from my Fire Brigade Project which I started in December, 2018 - I’d love to extend this to all Emergency Services and NHS staff in the future too if I can get access.

Stay focused… now back to weddings

If you are planning a small wedding or even looking to elope; just the two of you - and a photographer, I think going to be able to get married sooner than if you have a large wedding day planned with hundreds of guests. So maybe that is one way that the wedding industry will change in the short term. More people will have smaller weddings I think. Back in 2012, I was asked to photograph a small wedding with only 8 people and although it was very different to what I am used to it was still a lovely day with many opportunities to get some great photographs.

So why not contact me to find out if I am available to photograph your small wedding or elopement.

It will be different, but great fun.

So yes,

Weddings will change.

How?

For how long?

Who knows?

But as a photographer who shoots mainly in a candid, documentary style with the added bonus of some beautiful couple portraits, it’s really about you and your special day more than how many people are there.

Just let them enjoy the photographs!

Being a recommended Kent Wedding Photographer...

In this BLOG I take a closer look at two great wedding venues that I am lucky enough to be recommended by. I will showcase another two soon. Most of my wedding couples find me through their friends recommendations. Another way I get clients is being recommended by many Kent wedding venues, which is a real honour to be trusted by them. These venues are places I like to work at as they all have their own look and style. Here’s a look at the first two on the list - venues who recommend me: The Boathouse, Bexley and The Darenth, Sevenoaks. - Alphabetical order.

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“Have you worked at my venue before?”

Being recommended by a venue is great and if you are getting married in Kent, Essex and London, the chances are I have worked at your venue.

But there are so many I haven’t yet had the opportunity to see. Which is why I love wedding photography; because shooting at a new venue is very exciting too and as an experienced photographer, working somewhere new is a great opportunity to make photos that no one else has in their wedding album. So I am always looking to work with other venues in Kent, Essex, London too.

In fact I can work all over the UK! So get in touch and we can chat about your plans

Danson House, &

The Boathouse - Bexley, Kent

They make the perfect combination…

The Boathouse is the closest wedding venue to me and I grew up only a couple of miles away, so I know it well. Set in the beautiful Danson Park in the Borough of Bexley, Kent gives you and your wedding guests lots of outside space with lake views & lots of photo opportunities. There is a terrace out the back of The Boathouse too, which offers a great space to relax after the wedding breakfast and the speeches are all over. You do have the option to hold your wedding ceremony at The Boathouse too. However, lots of wedding ceremonies are held at the nearby Danson House, which is a beautiful Grade 1 listed Palladian villa built in 1766 by Sir John Boyd and is a historic landmark in Bexley.

You can learn more about Danson House - here.

It’s just a short walk from The Boathouse too, which is why they make the perfect combination.

** Look at this BLOG about my NHS & Emergency Services - SPECIAL OFFER **

The Darenth, Shoreham, Kent

You can hold your ceremony inside or outside at The Darenth

Attention to detail… This venue has been constantly improving and changing over the last 4 years and is almost unrecognisable. Kerry & Jason have really made this Kent wedding venue one to see. This should, without doubt be one to consider for your wedding. Every time I go there, something else has been improved, changed or been tweaked. The Darenth is just a short country walk from Shoreham, so when the time is right, you can take a few moments away from the party. It’s a lovely walk down to Shoreham & so we can make those special couple portraits I love to make - the best bit is, I work fast and discreet, so you won’t be away from your guests for long.

So if you haven’t seen this Kent wedding venue for a while speak to Kerry on 01959 522944 and take a look around.

You can see my last BLOG here from a wedding at The Darenth last December - 2019.

The Darenth Wedding Photographer - Kent Wedding Photographer

Lucy & Peters’ wedding of December 2019 was my last wedding of 2019 held at The Darenth in Shoreham, Sevenoaks, Kent, UK.

This is one of the venues I am recommended at - The Darenth - I love to work here and know it well.

** See my NHS & Emergency Services special offer here **

• Watch Lucy & Peter’s photo film below - turn the volume up.

PLAY

Lucy & Peter arriving at The Darenth

This wedding feels like a long time ago now due to the lockdown we are currently experiencing.

Strange times!

Lucy’s wedding day started at Tabsfield B&B in Eynsford, Kent, where Lucy, all her bridesmaids and close family were getting ready for her big day. Tabsfield B&B is a great place to start your wedding celebrations. There are lots of rooms with lots of space and beautiful grounds to use and it was close to their Church in Otford and their reception venue - The Darenth.

Below are some of my favourite story telling photographs of them all getting ready.

More candid photographs below from some of my favourite images during the Church service

Documentary, Candid Wedding Photography

All the photographs above were made in a candid, documentary style, telling the story of the wedding day without influencing what they did or when they did it, just watching & anticipating what I thought would happen.

I don’t interfere with how a wedding looks - I try to capture the natural flow and beauty of the day - Nobody likes a bossy photographer!

After the ceremony there is a bit of time for a few group photos of the couples nearest & dearest - which aren’t candid but I do feel they are very important images of people to document during a wedding and should be made in a friendly, happy way to really bring out the personalities of the people in them - some confetti too of course - if allowed - always check with the venue first.

After the vows have been said and the confetti has been left for someone else to clean up we all traveled onto The Darenth for the reception drinks and evening party.

I don’t think the driver liked me or my joke. :)

Before the meal we went outside to shoot some beautiful couple portraits of the Lucy & Peter.

Making candid, documentary photos really makes me happy. But as an experienced portrait photographer I love to make some portraits too - fusing these two styles together in a way that really compliments the candid images. Although these portraits are directed by me I still try to make them as natural as possible and they will blend in perfectly with your wedding album.

Of course there are many couples who do not want to have their portraits made in this way and the whole day can be candid; which for me as an award winning documentary photographer is great too.

To be honest, as long as i’m making portraits I don’t mind if they are candid or directed… I just love photographing weddings and people.

Time for the wedding breakfast and time for me to stop making photos for a while… Well sometimes!

Chef above & waitress below both hard at work during food service

Photographing the speeches can be tricky but enjoyable. You have spent all day with the Best Man and the Father of the Bride and one thing that is always on their mind are their speeches. They can’t think about anything else sometimes which is really interesting and funny to watch.

I get to know a bit more about the couple too with some great stories that are told; positive words of advice, funny stories & some sad ones too.

P - A - R - T - Y…..

If you got to the end of this wedding blog - thanks for reading!

As a thank you for getting to the bottom, if you like and follow me on social media (see links below) book me to photograph your wedding and pass my information on to a friend or relative that you know who may need a wedding photographer too. I will make your very own music slideshow of your wedding as a complimentary gift - like the one of Lucy & Peter’s at the top of this BLOG post - with the code: LUCY&PETERBLOG-MRP - you can see the cost & value of my wedding work using the link HERE.

Fill in the form below inc. the offer code and I’ll look forward to speaking to you about your wedding soon.

How do you choose your wedding photographer? →

Congratulations on your engagement

Finding the right wedding photographer can be hard and as soon as you start looking for venues you may be looking for your photographer too - there are lots of us out there...

Are you part of our NHS or Emergency Services? Special Offer - see more information here

How & when do you choose your wedding photographer

Me on a roof - photo credit: Colin Lavery

A great place to start is by sending them an enquiry form like the one below

Give them a ring…

My mobile number: 07970 668592

Or you could start by looking at their portfolio of images.

Websites, music slideshows photo films & social media posts are a great way to get an idea of style, quality and consistency of their work. I am an experienced wedding photographer based in Kent & I photographed my first wedding, which was an Essex wedding back in 2006 as an un-paid assistant.

Yes, get the violins out…

Fast forward 14 years, 2 Photographer of the Year Wedding Awards, (2019 and 2020) and hundreds of weddings under my belt and here we are.

Photographer of the Year - 2019

Kent, UK

Natural Wedding Photographer 2019 / 2020

Most of my couples tend to book me around 9 to 18 months before the wedding day. Some prefer to book 2 years or more in advance and some just a few months before.

Personally, I would recommend securing your wedding photographer as soon as you have found the one who’s work you love, so as not to be disappointed.

This is usually done by paying a booking fee to secure the date - remember to get a receipt for any money you spend and check the photographer has adequate business insurance too.

Website & Social media

Website: https://www.mattrockphotography.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattrockprophoto/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattRockPhotography/

A little side-note about this year...

2020 was going to be my busiest year for weddings since I started my photography business in 2006 - 14 years ago & the year 'Matt Rock Photography' was born.

Then the words COVID-19 started to infect our vocabulary, our ears and our country - Even the prime Minister, Bori Johnson caught it.

This is a very sad and scary time for many of us and a very busy time for others. Especially our NHS, Emergency Services & key workers. I have been lucky to stay safe with my family, which i'm thankful for; home schooling the kids, helping out other members of my family where I can and exercising in the garden too of course.

From a business point of view, it's been hard... The negative potential of this for my wife and I isn’t worth thinking about as we are both self employed. My wife’s business is in fitness & Yoga is an industry that has been affected really bad too. But we can't control it and the worst thing anyone can do is panic - so we carry on like everyone else and improve.

However, currently as of 30th April 2020, 50% of my couples this year have had their weddings moved to later in the year, re-booked to 2021 and of course there has been a couple of cancelations too. But I try to help out & find alternatives. The key to survival for me is that we all help each other out during this difficult time. We can all try to agree on a new wedding dates if needed and I will not be charging any fees to re-arrange wedding dates either. Working together will help everyone and we will get through it at some point in the future.

So, on that note, you must also make sure to look at wedding insurance and what it can offer you if the worst happens.

---

2020 is almost fully booked as there won’t be many dates left when we get back in to the swing of things.

2021 is looking busy too, so book early if you can. I think there will be more weddings coming over from many of the 2020 cancelations & postponements too.

When you have booked your photographer always get a receipt to prove what you have paid & get a signed contract too.

Wedding ceremony at the beautiful - St. Augustines, Westgate-on-sea, Kent

A couple of other ways that may help you choose your photographer are:

IS THERE CONSISTENCY IN THE PHOTOGRAPHERS WORK

Remember, your wedding will be completely different to any examples you see online - it’s your wedding after all. So when you look at a photographers portfolio you may not know the people in the photographs, but even someone else’s photographs can bring out that emotion that makes you want to ask what were they doing? How were they feeling? And why? So ask to look at galleries of whole weddings; start to finish. Are they consistent? Or do they look as if two or three photographers have done the job?

YOUR BUDGET

This is important too of course and only you know the answer to this question.

I have set fees which can also be tailored to your specific day and will cover most weddings which you can see here. You can book a full day - coverage only, or if you want to included a photo-book or an album, you can. There is also the option to have a midweek wedding coverage.

I work with a great wedding album lab that produces the very highest quality books and albums for which I design. The perfect way to show the kids and grandkids how great you looked ‘back then.’

RECOMMENDATIONS 

Did the photographer come recommended: by a friend, relative or venue?

I get recommended from previous clients who’s weddings I have shot and this year I am booked in to shoot my 7th wedding all from the same family from back in 2015. As well as that, being on the recommended list at seven wonderful Kent wedding venues is great too. I have been recommended by the staff at a venue called Southend Barns in Chichester (near Bognor Regis) after shooting there for the first time in 2016 - Beautiful venue and really friendly staff - see some photos below from 2018.

Southend Barns, Chichester - https://southendbarns.co.uk/weddings/ - 01243 641247

Finding your photographer from the suppliers list of a wedding venue is a great way to start. Even if the wedding is in another part of the country.

Matt Rock Photography can easily travel throughout the UK and Europe.  

CHAT TO YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER  

I often discuss the details of my clients wedding with them over a coffee or on the phone before they book. However when my name has come from a recommendation they will often secure the date after just a couple of emails which is great too.

Then I send out the contract, day plan and a list of other information I need.  

PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE

Make sure your photographer has enough professional insurance as most venues will need a certain level of cover to allow someone to work at the venue.

You can request to see my insurance details at any time - I’ll be happy to forward the information to you or send it direct to your venue.

The socials…

Website: https://www.mattrockphotography.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattRockPhotography/ -

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattrockprophoto/

MULTI AWARD WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER

Kent wedding Photographer of the year 2019

LTG Natural Photographer of the Year 2019 / 2020    

Good luck searching for your photographer

t: 07970 668592 - e: matt@mattrockphotography.com - w: www.mattrockphotography.com

To see my first ever BLOG dedicated to the NHS & Emergency Services click here.

Wedding Photographer - Special offer - NHS or Emergency Services?

Are you part of our NHS or Emergency Services?

MULTI AWARD WINNING WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

** Offer extended until 2025 **

Portrait Photography - Retired Firefighter

“Matt is an amazing photographer, from the moment I saw his work I wanted him to photograph our wedding and he didn’t disappoint! Everybody commented how polite, funny and professional he is!
I normally hate having my photos taken but with Matt I couldn’t feel more comfortable! Thank you so much Matt, I’ll say it again you are a legend ❤️. Love Mr & Mrs Freeman xx Ps: Izabella our daughter (6 years) says The Photos are sooo pretty ❤️ Xx”

— Chloe Freeman - 2021 Bride

** SPECIAL OFFER **

As a thank you from me to all our NHS & Emergency Services staff; including both the frontline staff & back office workers, I am offering as part of my Multi Award Winning Wedding Photography Service, some great complimentary products that will help make your wedding even more memorable.

If you are getting married in 2021, 2022 & 2023, now extended to 2024 & 2025 weddings - I am offering you some great complimentary goodies that will go perfectly with your wedding photographs & album.

• I AM NOW EXTENDING THIS OFFER UNTIL 2025!!

Documentary Wedding Photography

Leave your details below and we can chat more about your wedding plans.

Be sure to ask me about the special offer - EXTRA’S PACK.

Many members of my family and all of my immediate family have worked for the NHS and Emergency Services. My dad is a retired firefighter and my mum (now retired) worked for the NHS. So I do understand and know first hand what it is like to have family on the frontline.

• Irregular working hours

• Night shifts

• Interrupted sleep patterns

• Emergency overtime when you have booked a table at your favourite restaurant.

None of these things make it into the news & not many people think twice about it.

Until now…

It is apparent now - more than ever in my life time, due to the COVID-19 virus how much we all rely on these services and the people that are working in them. Without whom we would be in a worse situation right now.

Wedding Portrait - 2019

It is because of our NHS, Emergency Services and lots of other key workers that are keeping this country going that I am able to try and keep my own business ticking along during these hards times.

Pre-shoot at Allington Castle, Kent 2019

So with that in mind I want to do my little bit and say THANK YOU to our NHS & EMERGENCY SERVICES.

I am offering all our NHS & Emergency Services staff; including both the frontline staff & back office workers, a complimentary EXTRAS PACK with every full day wedding coverage;

This includes:

• A beautiful music photo-film

• A wedding Pre-shoot,

• A discounted print box

total value =

£590.00

If you are getting married in the near future and you qualify for this fantastic offer, or you have a colleague that is getting married, please get in touch and you will be able to get Award Winning Wedding Photography with even more value included. Proof of your employment will be needed at booking.

Spectacular view from Guys Hospital, London Bridge, looking over London from the 25th floor - 2019