Jo was awarded First Place in the Family Portrait category with this beautiful shot of Melanie & newborn Josie.

Jo’s skills as a portrait photographer were further confirmed when she claimed the title of Under 5s Portrait Photographer of the Year for the second year running with this beautiful study of Electra.

This beautiful photograph of newborn Josie won Jo an Award of Excellence.

Jo swept the board in the Wedding Photojournalism category, claiming 1st, 2nd and 3rd places AND an Award of Excellence!  The first placed photograph was this emotional shot of Jalpa with her grandmother at Braxted Park.

Second place was awarded to this happy photograph of Rebecca arriving at Canewdon Church for her big day.

This photograph captured all the fun of the Best Mens’ speech at Kirsty & Matt’s weddding at Prested Hall and was awarded 3rd place.

Not content with winning 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, Jo won an Award of Excellence for this lovely shot of Victoria’s preparations for her wedding at Boreham House.

The region introduced a new category of Bridal Party and we’re happy to announce that Jo claimed 1st and 2nd prize in this category too!

Nikki & Jordan’s Bridal Party at The Lawn, Rochford won first place while second place went to this unusual shot of Miriam & Matt’s wedding at The Barn Brasserie, Colchester.

Finally we were presented with three Awards of Excellence for these stunning images in the Classical Wedding Category.

Sarah & Gary at Hanbury Manor.

Beautiful Hannah at Hylands House, Chelmsford.

Nicola & Richard also at Hylands House, Chelmsford.

Where did your wedding take place and what made you choose that location?   “We chose Friern Manor primarily for their excellent service and professionalism.  It is also very pretty, with lots of places to relax during the day and the grounds are beautiful.”

What was your colour scheme?  ”We chose chocolate with mocha & orange.”  Did you have ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?’  ”Yes, I borrowed my sister’s old Celtic bangle, as we are from Irish decent.  My wedding jewellery was new and had been bought by my mum who sadly passed away before the wedding.  My Mala beads were blue as were the bows at the tops of my Jasper Conran stockings.”

Tell us about your dress? “It showed my curves off, and had a timeless elegance about it.”

Where did your groom get his suit?  ”Les wore a ceremonial suit from Jack Bunney’s in chocolate.  Not many places provided the colour we wanted and their service was first class.”  Did you buy each other wedding presents? “No, our day was about getting married and a commitment to each other in front of all our family and friends not about presents.”

Can you tell me about your wedding cake?  ”It had a very boozy and fruity bottom layer, chocolate fudge top layer, with mini ginger cup cakes around the base.  All our favourite flavours and colours and we designed it ourselves!  Dilly Dally gave us a small fruit cake made the same day as our fruit cake layer as she wanted to be sure we liked the taste and it was moist enough, we were really pleased she took the time to do that.”

What was your most useful source of wedding ideas and information?  ”The Internet, and a booklet from the Brentwood Registry Office.”  Tell us about a supplier who provided a first-class service.  ”It’s difficult to say, from the venue to Dilly Dally Cakes and the photographer Jo from Studio Rochford – it would be easier to say who didn’t give us a good service.”

Do you have any advice for future brides?  ”Set your budget but be flexible and have a little extra on the back burner. No matter what anyone says you will feel like you’re in a dream or a bubble. Take your time……with everything.”

Was Studio Rochford the right photographer for you?  ”Yes most definitely, I didn’t feel comfortable having a guy taking my photo and knew I would be able to relax after meeting Jo, plus we were a bit fussy as we enjoy photography ourselves and had an idea of the styles we liked . X X”

Bride Nicola tells us about her and Richard’s lovely wedding in Chelmsford…

Where did your wedding take place and what made you choose that location?  ~  We had our wedding at Hylands House in Chelmsford.  The venue is such a beautiful place and the gardens just made it the perfect venue.  We looked at lots of different places and Hylands ticked all of the boxes.

What was your colour scheme or wedding theme?  ~   Our theme was Alice in Wonderland and the colour that we chose was cornflower blue.

What was your dress like and why do you love it?  ~  My wedding dress was a Maggie Sottero design and was quite simplistic; it was ivory with a chiffon type bottom with a flower detail at the waist.

Tell us about your ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’  ~   My something blue was probably my bridesmaids- they were dressed in blue!  My something borrowed was my sister’s garter.  My something new was my necklace that Richard bought me for the day and my something old was a Sixpence that I put in my shoe for luck.

Where did your groom get his morning suit?  ~   The groom got his morning suit from Moss Bros.

Did you buy each other wedding presents?  ~   I bought Richard a watch.   Richard bought me a necklace and earrings to wear on the day (a last minute decision after he realised that I had bought him a present!! Haha!)

Can you tell me about your wedding cake?  ~  We had a three-tier fruit cake made by Simply Cakes.  It was delicious and was decorated with a detailed pattern (an embroidery effect) with three sugared flowers on the top, which were replicas of the flower that was on my wedding dress.

What was your most useful source of wedding ideas and information?  ~   I would have to say two places- firstly my friends, we attended a few weddings over the last two years and we not only had the benefit of their advice but also got to see how everything went on the day, so we had a good idea what we did and didn’t want and what was successful.  Secondly- Wedding magazines- they were a great source of information and I loved going through all of the different ones and tearing out the ideas that caught my eye so I could get inspiration for my own wedding.

Tell us about a supplier who provided a first-class service.  ~  Everyone was amazing, I have to say our florist Jades flowers did a fantastic job.  Beverley and her team were able to bring my ideas to life and everyone commented on how lovely the table decorations were.  Our caterers also did an amazing job, the food was delicious and the staff on the day were brilliant and made the day run smoothly.

Do you have any advice for future brides?  ~  Try not to worry about the little things, I worried about every last detail- I made the wedding invites and I tried to make every one perfect.  The day goes so quickly, so just savour every aspect and don’t allow the little things that don’t necessarily go to plan affect your day.

What was your favourite photograph and why did you like it?  ~  The picture with Richard sitting at the piano and me standing looking at him has to be my favourite of the day.  Although it’s quite hard to pick as Jo did some great shots on the day.

Was Studio Rochford the right photographer for you?  ~  Definitely.  We found Studio Rochford at the wedding fayre at Hylands House and they did an exceptional job.  It’s amazing for me to get a picture with my eyes actually open and I was really delighted with our final album.  Jo did a fantastic job on the day and went above and beyond, she helped co-ordinate the wedding party and helped with everyone’s buttonholes.  After being to a few weddings and witnessing a few photographers both Richard and I knew that we had made the right choice with Studio Rochford.

Where did your wedding take place and what made you choose that location? ~ Our ceremony was at Holy Family and All Saints Church in Witham (my local church) and our reception was at Le Talbooth restaurant in Colchester.  We chose the venue because it was the nicest that we looked around with the friendliest staff, and because it was a restaurant we knew the food would be good!

What was your colour scheme or wedding theme? ~ Forest green colour scheme, no real theme, a very traditional wedding.

What was your dress like and why do you love it? ~ My dress was ivory, A line, strapless, quite traditional.  There was beading work on the left side of the bodice, which was subtle but very pretty.  I loved it the second I put it on – it was elegant and flattering, and it felt really light so I was really comfortable in it!

Tell us about your ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’ ~ My something old, borrowed and blue was the garter that my mum wore when she married my dad.  I had a couple of other “borroweds” as well – my hair jewels were from my aunty and my veil was from a close friend.  And there was a small blue flower on my bra too!  My something new was my dress. 

Where did your groom get his morning suit? ~ Pronuptia in Birmingham

Did you buy each other wedding presents? ~ Our rings and the honeymoon were our presents to each other.

Can you tell me about your wedding cake? ~ We made it with Kit’s mum!  It was good fun and not as stressful as I’d thought, because Liz is so good at making cakes and she was really relaxed about it all.  Apparently the icing of the cakes was far more stressful though!  We just had plain white icing, and got the florist to decorate with flowers between the layers.

What was your most useful source of wedding ideas and information? ~ A mixture of friends, family and magazines – Kit’s older sister was invaluable, as were two of my close friends who got married the year before us.

Tell us about a supplier who provided a first-class service. ~ Absolutely everyone we dealt with did, we were so lucky!  The staff at Le Talbooth were fantastic, everyone went the extra mile – from silly things like checking with us that everything was ok on the day, from allowing us a few visits to show around our parents, to returning phone calls promptly and being upfront about payments.

Also, the service from Studio Rochford was impeccable.  Every single thing we could have asked for was provided for – from cups of tea when we came around to view the photos(!) to memorising the names of our close friends and family, they again, went the extra mile.

Do you have any advice for future brides? ~ Try not to get bogged down in the politics of planning the wedding – there will be aspects people disagree over, but remember that none of it is personal, and at the end of the day, it’s whether you and the groom have a good time that matters.  Most importantly, when the day arrives, allow yourself time to sit back and absorb it all, and go with the flow – little things may go wrong, but it doesn’t matter, just enjoy the whole day.

What was your favourite photograph and why did you like it? ~ The hardest decision I’ve made in a while (I have about fifteen favourites!) but I think favourite favourite is this simple picture of us together looking very happy.  My other favourites are the one of us in the church sitting down, where Kit’s looking over at me and the big group shot of everyone at the venue.

Was Studio Rochford the right photographer for you? ~ 100% perfect.  Couldn’t have asked for more!  Thank you so much.

]]> http://studiorochford.co.uk/blog/?feed=rss2&p=639 0 http://studiorochford.co.uk/blog/?p=625 http://studiorochford.co.uk/blog/?p=625#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:23:42 +0000 studiorochford http://www.studiorochford.co.uk/blog/?p=625 Continue reading →]]> We are loving our look-back at 2011 with some of our wonderful couples!  Today Laura share with us the thoughts and preparations behind her wedding day at Leez Priory.

Where did your wedding take place and what made you choose that location?

We decided to have our wedding at the gorgeous manor of Leez Priory, we decided to have it here purely because of the beautiful architecture of the building and landscapes of the surrounding lawns. As soon as we stepped into the venue we knew it was the one for our wedding.

What was your colour scheme or wedding theme?

 We had a vintage and garden theme. It was based around lace, sage green, and dusky pink, with vintage pearls, roses and ivy in the flowers.

What was your dress like and why do you love it?

 My dress was purely lace; it was a fish tail fit with a sweet heart neckline.  I loved it as it felt so couture; the lace said it all and it was the fit I always wanted.

Tell us about your ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

Something Old -  My Grandma’s Wedding band, she sadly passed away and I borrowed her wedding band from my mum to have in my bag all day.

Something New – My Jewellery and bag

Something Borrowed – My sister’s ring cushion from her wedding

Something Blue – My Garter which has blue ribbon on it! 

Where did your groom get his morning suit?

 He hired them from Moss Bros

Did you buy each other wedding presents?

 No as we had a honeymoon of a lifetime to go on so saving our pennies for Dubai and the Maldives!

Can you tell me about your wedding cake?

 It ran in with the theme of the wedding with lace detail, pearls, and pink roses on the top. The cake was a simple 3 tier cake, with the bottom being chocolate, middle sponge and top chocolate!

What was your most useful source of wedding ideas and information?

 Magazines!! I spent hundreds on them! Searching through them then cutting them up for my scrapbook!!

Tell us about a supplier who provided a first-class service.

 Supplier of our cake was fantastic she was very supportive and was well valued.

Do you have any advice for future brides?

Do not stress! What will be will be, and to search around for little bargains if you have a theme as it all adds up!

Was Studio Rochford the right photographer for you?

Yes you caught the feel of the wedding perfectly, we were blessed with the weather and the effort you took into capturing the most stunning pictures of the venue and capturing moments that we can treasure forever, we can not thank you enough.

What was your favourite photograph and why did you like it?

 I have 2! Portrait of us both as we never have professional pictures taken of us and it is truly perfect, then also one of us both walking away in black and white kissing as it just captures the moment perfectly.

Where did your wedding take place and what made you choose that location?

It took place at Highley Manor, West Sussex.  We chose the location as I had always wanted a manor house or stately home and the owners couldn’t have done enough to assist us.  Furthermore it was near a lot of our family and friends and we live close by as well.

What was your colour scheme or wedding theme?

Teal was my chosen colour, although getting all the shades to match as closely as possible was extremely difficult!

What was your dress like and why do you love it?

My dress was a Suzanne Neville ‘Fontaine’ dress and it was made of gorgeous silk, A line, sleeveless, full length.  I loved it because it was long enough for a start(!) fitted beautifully, and had added a little flower to the side of it to make it a bit more different to a standard dress of that design.

Tell us about your ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’

My something ‘new’ was pretty much everything I had on! But I treated the jewellery as that.  Something borrowed and blue was a garter I borrowed from a friend, which I didn’t actually end up wearing… and the something old was that I had borrowed my bridesmaid’s tiara that she used for her wedding.

Where did your groom get his morning suit?

The groom got his morning suit (with the Bride’s direction!) from our local Moss Bros and we got all the other suits from here too.

Did you buy each other wedding presents?

Not really, we’d spent enough on the wedding!  I did buy him a couple of jokey presents and he had bought a couple of jokey things for the speech but we had told each other we weren’t going to do that.

Can you tell me about your wedding cake?

I wanted to have a pretty simply cake but I didn’t want sponge so unfortunately had to get one made.  However it turned out beautifully and was a 4 tier ivory iced square cake with two tiers lemon drizzle and two chocolate.  I didn’t get any of the lemon drizzle but I’m told it was lovely!!

What was your most useful source of wedding ideas and information?

 This is really difficult as I spent ages online researching.  I wanted to make sure I was getting a good deal and to try not to be bankrupted, but at the same time I wanted things to be nice and look lovely.  I would say the most useful source is the internet but definitely magazines help get an idea of how things can look.

Tell us about a supplier who provided a first-class service.

Well naturally the photographer, which goes without saying!!!

But also the shop I bought my wedding dress – Truly Gorgeous in Chichester, West Sussex.  Sunay was fantastic – she knew what would look good on me and did her utmost to get it for me, and it fitted perfectly.  Would thoroughly recommend her.  Furthermore she wasn’t local to me – took me an hour to get there and she did her best to accommodate my working in the city and living an hour’s drive from the shop.

Do you have any advice for future brides?

I think I started planning a bit too soon, which meant I didn’t have the excited panic at the end of it but still managed to get stressed!  I would say just be organised, don’t let anybody bully you into doing something you don’t want, and if you want something (and can afford it) go for it!  I nearly got ready at the venue in an effort to save money on the cars, but in the end decided to get ready at my parents and get an old 1957 Bentley and I loved every minute of it and it was well worth the money.  Also, don’t be afraid to ask if people can knock money off.  I only started this towards the end of the purchasing which was a mistake.  Some people won’t do it, but it’s worth a try!

Was Studio Rochford the right photographer for you?

Most definitely.  We had gone with Studio Rochford because of family connections but in reality they were the one company that actually provided the service we were looking for.  We met with Jo when we came to visit initially who was incredibly helpful and gave us an idea as to how we would want our album.  Sally did a spectacular job on the day with an unruly family and a pre-wedding disorganised bride (in relation to photos!).  She said she was nervous but you would never have known!  My mum and her family (no relation on this side!) specifically commented on what a great job she (and her daughter) had done.  Would definitely recommend them!

What was your favourite photograph and why did you like it?

My favourite photograph is the one with Lee and I on the stairs looking up.  I love how my dress looks here and the contrast of it against the stairs.

Where did your wedding take place and what made you choose that location?  We got married at Sacred Heart Church in Southend and the wedding reception was at The Lawn, Rochford. We chose the church as it is Jordan’s family church and we chose The Lawn because we loved the style of the house and grounds and by chance it fitted perfectly with the horse and carriage.

What was your colour scheme or wedding theme?  Our colour scheme was purple as this is my favourite colour.

What was your dress like and why do you love it?  I chose my dress, as I knew it perfect for me when I first tried it on. It was a white A-line dress with sweetheart neckline. It had embroidery around the neckline, at the waist and base of the front and end of the train. I loved this dress as it gave me a lovely shape and made me feel very special in it.

Tell us about your ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’  My something old was a sixpence and a small silver horseshoe that my Mum sewed into the back of my dress. My new was all the clothes I wore, something borrowed were earrings, which my Mum had, and they matched exactly to the necklace I had bought and my something blue was the ribbon on the top of the horseshoe and the seamstress had sewn a bow into the bottom of my dress.

Where did your groom get his morning suit?  He got them from Del Tailors in Benfleet.

Did you buy each other wedding presents?  No we didn’t. At the time we didn’t have the money after paying out for everything else. We also felt that the day itself would give us more memories than any object could.

Can you tell me about your wedding cake?  I wanted a fairly traditional wedding so we went for a three tiered fruit cake, white icing, purple icing petals and the stand holding each tier had silk roses in them in purple and cream.

What was your most useful source of wedding ideas and information?  The Internet came in very handy to get ideas. We went to quite a few wedding fairs and these enabled us to speak to suppliers to get a feel of whether they were more set on what they did or whether they would take our ideas into consideration.

Do you have any advice for future brides?  Set yourself a budget and stick to it but most importantly enjoy the day and try to remember as much as possible as although you may not believe it when people say how fast the day goes…. it really does.

Tell us about a supplier who provided a first-class service.  It’s really difficult to narrow it down to just one supplier but the ones that really provided a first-class service were Ultimate entertainment: James was the DJ we used and he was brilliant.  When we booked him we had to select 20 of our favourite songs, then a few weeks before the wedding he met with us to get an idea of what type of music we wanted.  For us it was all about getting people on the dance floor!  Bridal Boutique is the other supplier who provided a first class service. There was no pressure to try the dresses on quickly and all the staff were so friendly that they greeted you as if you had been friends for a long time.

 Was Studio Rochford the right photographer for you?  Studio Rochford was definitely the right photographer for us. They had done the wedding photos for both my sister-in-law and a work colleague, so I’d met Jo before and seen the fantastic photos they take. Because Jo and Sally were so organised we got the photos done quickly which meant we could spend time talking to the guests. The photos that they took were all so lovely it made it very difficult to narrow them down to fit into the album. 

 What was your favourite photograph and why did you like it?  Jordan & I in the doorway to the Lawn. I love this photo because this is the point we were finally able to relax. Plus the colours show off my dress in great detail.