Boys Hall Wedding Photography

Congratulations to Anne & Steve married recently at Boys Hall in Ashford, Kent. This April has been about the wettest I can remember but we were really lucky to have a dry and sunny day.

Boys Hall is a 17th century Manor House situated in lovely surroundings just a mile or so from the center of Ashford. Boys Hall is one of Kent’s best kept secrets and is a truly beautiful wedding venue for an exclusive day. The recently added garden gazebo on the front lawn is a lovely place for an outdoor ceremony with the house making a grand backdrop. Set in three acres of landscaped gardens, it's a wedding photographers dream.

Guests wishing to stay overnight can book one of the several beautiful bedrooms available, all the rooms are individually furnished. Most have their own ensuite bathrooms and king-size beds.

For more information on the venue please visit http://www.boyshall.co.uk

Wedding Photography Packages available at http://www.davidblackshaw.com

Wedding Photography Prices and Products

News and Current Offers for April


As we now enter the busy Summer period I thought it would be a good time to recap on all current special offers and product availability. Throughout April the following offers will be available...


15% off Wedding Photography
2 for 1 Parents Albums
50% off Engagement Photography
50% off Cherish The Dress & Rock The Frock Sessions


We're also continuing the additional £50 discount for our Facebook Fans.

I have been busy designing and producing Wedding Albums and Coffee Table Books for both our own clients and couples that may have booked 'disc only' packages with another photographers.

Our album pricing has been simplified and is now the same whether we photographed your wedding or not. We can design and produce a Hard-Backed Printed 12x12 or 14x10 inch Coffee Table Book with 60 images for just £375. As long as you have full copyright permission and a disc of high resolution files, it shouldn't be a problem. Included in the price is a photo cover with names, venue and date, layout designs with page effects, unlimited B&W plus 1 set of changes without charge after the first proof. The 2 for 1 offer on Parent's versions and 50% discounts on extra copies would also be available.


Spring is a great time for Engagement and Cherish The Dress Photography sessions on location in and around Kent. I often take couples down to Hastings or Brighton as beach themed photos are always popular. These sessions last around 1-2 hours and are available this month for just £150. This includes all travel within Kent, an online gallery, plus 3 12x8 enlargements of your favourite shots. It is a great way for us to become familiar with each other, have fun and produce some great photography. Remember too that if we go on to photograph your wedding, then all those images will form part of your copyright free disc too!

That's about all for now. All offers run until the end of April and are available for all new bookings. We have limited dates left for this Summer especially at Weekends - 2013 & 2014 have good availability at present. As always, call or use the online enquiry form to check my availability for your wedding date. A deposit of £100 is all that is required to secure my professional services - I can only photograph one wedding at a time, key dates are usually taken well in advance and I never sub-contract out to part-timers or casual photographers.

For more details see our website at http://www.davidblackshaw.com or visit our Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/davidblackshawphotographer

40% OFF Mid-Week Wedding Photography

Many couples are now preferring a mid-week day for their wedding as an increasing amount of wedding venues offer discounts, typically around 20% off peak summer rates. Suppliers such as venue decorators and car hire firms also usually offer reduced rates meaning a smaller budget can stretch much further. There are only a few peak summer months to chose from, venues and top photographers are much in demand and we usually get booked a year to 18 months in advance for these key dates. Mid week weddings not only mean a substantial discount for you, but your guests will also appreciate an extra day off work too!


We offer our Storybook Package with the same comprehensive coverage at a substantial discount of up to 40%. This maybe reduced even further if the client doesn't need the full 8 hours photography.


Mid-Week Storybook Wedding Photography Package £660


Pre-wedding consultation & wedding venue visit

8 hours coverage starting with brides preparations
Fully edited high res disc with copyright
Web gallery




Offer available Mon-Thurs (excluding Bank Holidays) for all weddings in Kent. We always love to cover weddings further afield, however a small travel supplement does apply.


Call us on 01233 503638 or visit our Kent Wedding Photography website for further details or to check availability.

Wedding Photography News and February Offers

Wedding Photography News and Special Offers For February

New Wedding Photography offers for February are now available... Save £200 on our Storybook Wedding Photography plus all Parents Album are still available at 2 for 1. This month we'll also be offering half price Engagement, Cherish The Dress and Rock The Frock Photography either on locations around Kent or in the Ashford Studio.
We recently introduced a Facebook Fan discount of £50. To qualify for this please go to our page at facebook.com/davidblackshawphotographer and simply 'like' David Blackshaw Photographer. This is only available at the time of booking and applies to new bookings only. The discount will be applied when the full balance becomes due 4-6 weeks before the wedding.


We no longer include Wedding Albums as part of a Storybook package. We felt that it was better to reduce the base price whilst including full and comprehensive coverage as standard that included a fully edited disc. This will allow clients with a smaller budget to produce their own albums and products whilst still benefiting from stunning Professional Wedding Photography. The full range of albums and coffee table books are all available separately and can be added to a package at any time.

Engagement 'Love' Shoots

During February to celebrate Valentines I'll be offering Pre-Wedding Engagement photo shoots at half price. These sessions are suitable for all couples, not just those who are engaged
.
Engagement photo shoots are a great way to become more familiar with your photographer. They can be at your wedding venue, in the studio or in fact any location you think will be suitable.


They usually last between 1 and 2 hours depending on the location. Due to busy wedding schedules most weekends, pre wedding and engagement 'love' shoots would normally be scheduled for weekdays. However it maybe possible to arrange a Sunday if having a day off work causes problems with your boss!

I always encourage couples to bring along some props to personalise the photo shoot - something that is uniquely 'you' will do nicely. Sessions can be romantic, sexy, moody and with a big slice of fun too... It's all about self-expression! And there's no need to worry about the weather 'on this occasion' as we can always re-schedule.


Included in the session...


  ~  1-2 Hours photography on location or in the studio

   ~   3 of your favourite photographs from the session printed (12x8)

   ~   An online gallery with password for family & friends to view

   ~   Fully edited images on a high-res disc (£100 extra if we don't photograph your wedding)

Normally £300 but until further notice they will be just £150

Please see the website at www.davidblackshaw.com for further details or call and book now on 01233 503638

Choosing a Wedding Photographer

For most couples choosing a Wedding Photographer in Kent can be a pretty daunting task. After finding and securing your dream wedding venue it is probably the next most important decision you need to make.

There are many competent photographers in Kent, most will be able to record the day’s events successfully and produce a reasonably professional looking album. However, modern brides are now demanding so much more than just a series of posed formal portraits.  Today’s approach is more relaxed, leading to natural  spontaneous pictures: ones that capture all the emotion and tell the complete story of the day.

Almost all top professional now only shoot with digital equipment. This enables the photographer(s) to use just the one camera and concentrate solely on the day’s events.  Everything is taken in colour with any image also being available in black & white as required. Many photographers will also offer sepia toning, bi-colour and other digital effects.

The Package

Photographers will normally offer several types of packages to suit your requirements. These consist of a fixed amount of hour’s coverage, usually starting at home with the brides preparations and continue through to the wedding breakfast. Coverage can then be extended to include speeches, the first dance and all the evenings celebrations.

Something Extra

Engagement and cherish the dress shoots are now becoming more and more popular following trends in the US. These are usually arranged about a year before the wedding and often take place at the actual venue. Ask your photographer if he’s willing to include this as part of your package and perhaps have the pictures incorporated into the wedding album.
Another increasing trend is to have all the images put onto a disc so you and your guests can view slideshows on TV and even print off their own pictures. You would need copyright permission so expect to pay around £300 or so for the privilege. Alternatively have a web gallery so that friends and family living abroad can view and purchase online.

Wedding Albums

Just as equipment technology advances, presentation has also evolved. Now albums are designed around pictures, enabling individual one-off bespoke masterpieces to be created.  Particularly in-vogue currently are digital magazine style albums where multiple images are used and printed as a single page. As these are becoming increasingly popular prices will drop and they are no longer just the sole domain of the high-end customer. Outside the UK he best albums come from Italy and New Zealand, ask your photographer if he has client status with one of these companies.


And Finally…

Remember that your photographer will be with you throughout probably the most important day of your life. It is therefore important that you develop a special relationship which will be key to producing natural, relaxed pictures on the day.
If you approach a large studio, rather than an individual professional, ask to speak to the actual photographer who will be covering your wedding and see examples of his work, including a complete recent wedding.
About a month before your wedding you should again meet with your photographer and go through all the details and timings of the day. It is vitally important at this stage they know the exact style and coverage you require.

David Blackshaw is a Professional Wedding Photographer based in Ashford, Kent. Visit the website at http://www.davidblackshaw.com

The Kent Wedding Diary Launched!

Launched Today... The Kent Wedding Diary

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