Meet the supplier - Kathryn Edwards Photography

This week we chatted to photographer Kathryn Edwards about how she started and a little about her engagement shoots.  This is part one of two.

Hello Kathryn Thank you for joining us and taking park in this 'getting to know you' chat for our blog.

Kathryn Edwards Photography

Tell us, when did you first fall in love with photography?

It was not until the ripe old age of 30! I’ve always appreciated photography. But I didn’t really pick up a camera until I turned 30 and was the guest at 9 weddings in one year! This is when I started taking an interest in photography. I can pinpoint it to one moment in fact. My friend was getting married in an outside pagan handfasting ceremony in Belgium. She hadn’t booked a photographer, but asked me to grab her camera from her car just before she walked down the aisle telling me to just give it to someone to take photos. I decided to be that someone. And fell in love with it. NB: I do not advocate this as a way to organise your wedding photography!

When did you buy your first camera and what model was it?

My first camera was an entry level DSLR back in 2008 (I am revealing my age now!) I believe it was a Canon 1000D. My interest in photography grew and I soon moved to the more professional level DSLR with a Canon 5D mark ii. I have since made the switch to Sony mirrorless.

How long have you been a wedding photographer?

I photographed my first ever wedding in 2011. And went full time in 2013. The same year my son was born, so that was an interesting year!

How would you describe your photography style.

My style is relaxed and natural with a dramatic and filmic mood to it. I am influenced by my love of theatre and film and really enjoy dramatic light in my photographs. I make use of natural light and shadow a lot.

Lisa & John

So tell us, who is your photography crush?

Now that would be telling ;-) But if you mean what photographers do I admire? Well I really love the dramatic sweeping landscapes mixed with intimate romance of Gabe McClintock (based in the States but travels all over the world) and closer to home up in Scotland with a similar vibe are The Kitcheners. I am also loving Lexi Laine’s underwater photography at the moment, and recently splashed out on a huge print for my office!

Ok, on to the job stuff, where can couples see your images? 

I blog regularly and pretty much all my weddings get featured on my website www.kathrynedwardsphotography.com I also post regularly to instagram @Kathrynphotos and Facebook www.facebook.com/kathrynedwardsphotographer

What is the best way for couples to get in touch with you?

Email is always best. I have a contact form on my website, or just use hello@kathrynedwardsphotography.com. I am more than happy for couples to ring for a natter as well, but I much prefer having an email too, then it's all there in writing and I don’t have to worry about storing the info in my head!

Can you explain your process of engaging with your clients and how you put them at ease on their wedding day?

I love to get to know my couples a bit before their big day. This is one of the reasons I offer an engagement shoot as it is really a wonderful way for us to get to know each other and also for them to feel comfortable in front of my camera. I tend to just relax them with my personality and having a natter and finding things we have in common. I am also a bit goofy, which helps. When your photographer is tripping up over her camera bag or forgetting to take the lens cap off the camera, it kind of puts your couples at ease. haha. I am not a very intimidating person (I don’t think) and I am all about embracing the awkwardness. But also I don’t go in for much posing, preferring couples to just be themselves. That is what I want to get out of them at the end of the day. I will find the good light, and get them to relax and the rest is just getting smiles and giggles and hoping my couples feel relaxed with me and each other.

Ayse, last minute preparations

OK let's talk about engagement shoots - it is engagement season after all, do you suggest the locations or do the couples?

Either. I have photographed engagement shoots in all sorts of places, rural and urban. If my couple have a special location they want to do it, then I go with them. But if they would like some ideas, I can point them to examples of various locations in and around Nottingham.

Can engagement shoots be inside or outside - considering the current Covid-19 situation.

I tend to shoot outside. I won’t shoot during a lockdown. But outside of lockdown restrictions, if we are sensible with social distancing, I am happy to shoot outside.

In the East Midlands we are surrounded by some beautiful countryside and venues, what backdrops do you look for when capturing couples ?

For me, it is less about backdrops and more about the light. I have photographed couples in the car park because the sunset poking through the trees was so lovely. I just got down low, and you would never know we were in a car park! I like quirky backdrops, and something a bit more unusual. I will gravitate towards the overgrown kitchen garden with a run down greenhouse with broken glass or a brick wall with moss on it over a posh gazebo.

Beccy & Tee

Do your engagement shoots come as part of a package?

I do offer engagement shoots as part of my top two packages or as an add on, and I highly recommend them. Especially if you are a bit shy in front of the camera. In fact nearly every single one of my couples say they are not used to having their photo taken and many feel a bit nervous. But 100% feel it to be a lot less stressful than they imagined after the engagement shoot with most really enjoying it. In fact one of my loveliest comments many years ago came from a bride who said she was really nervous about having her photo taken at her wedding and it turned out to be one of her favourite parts of the day. I think part of that is the opportunity to get away from all your guests and spend a moment alone with each other (and your photographer) and be told how wonderful you look, with squeals of delight from a goofy photographer getting excited about the light at this time of day!

Let's talk about trends? What trends are emerging in photography at the moment?

I’m not really one for following trends, though I think it's hard not to be influenced by them. I notice trends in weddings more than photography itself as photography styles are so varied. The reportage documentary style has been really popular in previous years. I am wondering if smaller pared back weddings will see a move to more stylised photography. I sit somewhere in the middle. Enjoying some documentary moments, but also really enjoying portraiture.

We hope you enjoyed hearing from Kathryn. In part 2 of our chat we talk about how things work on the day, look out for it on our blog at The Wedding Room.

The Buying Process - Covid Style

One of the most pleasurable yet difficult processes of working in a bridal boutique is when the time comes to choose the next seasons dresses from your designers. Alongside from ensuring we are able to offer our brides a diverse collection which hopefully offers a selection for a variety of ages, body shapes, style and fit, it is also a time for the designers to thank us for being their customer. These events are the designers ‘showcases’ and we have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to travel a little for this and to be, well let’s say a little ‘spoiled’. A perk of an already very rewarding job. But then Covid-19 happened and like so many of you, the way we work has had to change, including the process of buying our collection.

On Tuesday this week, we set off down the M1 to Milton Keynes to visit Justin Alexander, the designer of our ‘Lillian West’ collection. This is the first of this kind of event since March and we thought we would share how buying has changed.

Pre Covid-19 times these showcases would be part of a huge event featuring many different designers, there are two a year, one in Harrogate and one in London. Each designer has an area for their range and you arrive and browse at your leisure.  Refreshments are on tap, the rooms are styled to perfection and the dresses are being modelled by real woman so you have the opportunity to ask to see certain dresses on, see how they move, fit, catch the light (all the things that give a dress it’s magic). We would each make a shortlist of the ones we loved and then sit with a coffee (and a cake) and go through our lists, discussing the individual elements we loved for each design and how it would be a good addition to our current collection. Some we agree on and some we don’t but eventually we arrive at a final list (this takes some work). We sit down with our account manager and place our order, maybe enjoying a drink and a few sweets at the same time.  We get a little goody bag to take home and we are done – it is a stressful but very enjoyable process.

This time was a little different. Numbers are monitored so we must arrive at our allocated time, we put on our face coverings and use the hand gel and make our way to the exhibition room. Under the new guidelines the dresses sadly cannot be modelled by real people but are beautifully presented with all the details we need, images are available on iPads however the Wi-Fi is less than perfect, so this takes time.  As usual we have a list ready of the dresses, we think are potential, this is made beforehand from a presentation online (a bit like homework) so we have an idea of what we want to look at. We spend time together going over the dresses, feeling the fabric, checking how it will feel against the brides skin, notice the fine design details which make the dress unique and how ‘wearable’ it is in reality – there is a lot to consider.

After a good time focusing on the dresses, we take a break – but instead of refreshments laid on we have coffee vouchers so we head to the bar and order, we sit down, remove our face coverings and talk.  We get together a shortlist and return to check we’re happy with our selection, minds are often changed at this point so when were are happy we place our order – at this point we are already excited to take delivery of our dresses and see them on our brides, our job is done. 

Covid-19 HAS changed the way we buy, no doubt about it, it is different. But one thing we did find on this visit was the support and passion felt for the Wedding Industry. From talking to designers who were on hand to offer advice, to other boutique owners facing the same challenges we are, to the team working at Justin Alexander who’s roles have changed since the pandemic, everyone is feeling the same, which somehow gives comfort. One thing stands out, we are all looking forward to picking up where we left off in March. Maybe with a few lessons learned but with more passion and excitement than before.  After all, as we all keep being reminded, LOVE ISN’T CANCELLED.

Harrogate here we come...

 On Monday we will be visiting The Harrogate Bridal Show, the largest bridal trade show in the UK.  It's an exciting task to be choosing new dresses to have in store but as a newcomer to the industry I did not anticipate how difficult it would be.

We are lucky to be stockists of three very successful designers here at The Wedding Room - Stella York, Lillian West and Christina Wu. The brands work well  for our brides and we genuinely believe in the dresses we stock, however... we are on the lookout for something different to enhance our collection.  We have spent a good few hours browsing designers and styles, colours, fabrics and shapes and have just about agreed on what we want.

Mary and I do not always agree on which dresses we want.  The 'Boho' feel, the intricate and detailed fabrics and slightly quirky dresses shout to her while the clean, sleek lines of a fitted crepe number or the simple elegance of a dove satin whisper 'hello' to me.

I guess you will have to watch this space to see which way we go, follow us at  on Instagram or on Facebook to find out !

Lucy x