After a stint at the Oakdene Forest Park Wedding Fayre, New Forest in a couple of weeks time (more details to come, as soon as I remember which table number we were allocated)our wedding season starts again. It has been difficult not to get a little apprehensive this week about our early spring weddings. We really hope that this weather clears up before then and that any chance of snow is completely obliterated. Whilst it would make for some rather pretty location shots the practicality of slippery roads and cancelled venues wouldn't be fun.

January and February is traditionally a quiet time for UK weddings and the past month has given us a good chance for some early spring cleaning - finishing off all those odd little jobs like updating our website!

You'll find a couple of changes to the Big Bouquet site if you take the time to poke around. First of all, we've made it a little easier to read up our presentation options and find out about the sizes and prices of books and albums as well as more in-depth details of our Royalty-Free Archive DVD. Our new financial year starts at the beginning of November, so, if you're currently looking into planning a 2010 wedding, as long as you book the day with us with a securing deposit, we will honour these prices, even if they rise after then.

We want to make sure that you know a bit more about us, too! With that in mind, I've put together more insightful 'About Us' blurb so you can take a glance at Ian and I and find out more about what makes us tick! After all, booking a wedding photographer isn't just about the price - it's about finding someone you really feel comfortable with too - we think that's the potion for beautiful, relaxed and fun wedding photography. We'll give you a nudge when that's up so you can take a nose.

Until then....

Emma - BB

We'll never pressure you into buying a presentation product, but it's recommended that you think carefully about how you will want to remember your wedding in years to come. Pritt Sticking your own prints into an album bought from Superdrug may seem like a great economical saving, but is it something you will treasure when you're of pension age?

We understand that it can be a bit confusing checking out lots of different wedding photographers and finding out about the cost of their albums. That's why we thought we'd give you a basic "Album or Book" comparison.

Of course, there's nothing stopping you getting both but it's good to realise the pros and cons of each.

Deluxe Feature Albums

This is the ultimate way to remember your wedding. These jaw-dropping albums are designed specifically for you and put together by skilled craftsmen (not us...scalpels and photographers don't mix) especially for you.


You can make sure this album is tailored to your every need. You get to choose everything from the cover material of your album to the page type. So, if your wedding has a colour theme, we can pretty much guarantee this can be represented in your album. Don't worry though - although the number of choices are staggering we can work through each option with you in a dedicated album consultation to make it very simple and clear.



These Deluxe Albums aren't something you will want to keep on your coffee table. They're something to be treasured and treated with care. With that in mind you can also order special carry cases and display boxes if you want to keep it safe and in storage.

Hardback Presentation Books

Whilst the Deluxe Albums are something you will probably only unwrap and view now and again, the Hardback Presentation Books are a good alternative for keeping on your bookshelf!

Because these are more affordable than the Deluxe Feature Albums you may be more inclined to order several copies to hand out to family and friends. Plus, if the unfortunate spilt cup of tea does occur, it's not a disaster! Extra copies can be ordered without any fuss.



These books comes in three different sizes - 7x7", 10x8" and 13x11". Every book has a photo front and can include up to 80 different leaf pages.

Don't underestimate the power of these books - they may seem like a budget option, but the quality has to be seen to be believed. We love them!



We give every couple the chance to preview their unique books and albums before it goes to press so you can have your say on the final design without any fuss. We do this by posting an animation of the book online so it’s possible to flick through each page – just like the real item!

We bring along all these presentation options to our consultations, so feel free to ask to take a closer look! We'll also be happy to suggest the best choice for you taking into account your budget and the scale of your wedding day.

We thought we better keep you up to speed with our availability in Autumn as we're starting to get quite a few enquiries for Sept/Oct 09.

As we're getting married ourselves in the first week of October (and obviously need some time to prepare and go on honeymoon we're taking an unusually long 'a month and a bit break'. So, to save your time placing an enquiry for wedding photography only to be told we're not around here's our availability as it stands currently:


1st - 3rd September 2009 - Available
4th September 2009 - Booked
5th September 2009 - Booked
6th - 13th September 2009 - Available
14th September - 23rd October - Unavailable
24th September onwards - Business as usual!

As always, if you're enquiring for a date outside of this period (including all you 2010 people) the best way to get in touch with us is through our 'Contact Us' page. After submitting this form, if we're free on your day we will give you a call back to arrange a no obligations consultation. Here, we can talk about your wedding requirements, show you your options and a portfolio and provide you with a quote for your day there and then.

Just before Christmas, on a perfect crisp, sunny December day we shot our first (but certainly not our last - we're back in September) wedding at the Salvation Army Hall in Boscombe, Bournemouth for the wedding of Gemma and Jo.

Things kicked off with Emma heading over to get some prep shots over at Gemma parent's house, whilst Ian set up at the Hall. Really keeping with a winter wonderland theme the beautiful bridesmaids were dressed in strapless gold dresses, which really helped reflect the golden sun of that day.







With music playing (excuse the pun) such an important part in Gemma and Jo's lives the ceremony was soundtracked with the rousing Boscombe Salvation Army brass band, really firing out those carols. Of course, with the room decorated up with a sparkling Christmas tree it was a wedding ceremony that felt very different and special with real 'Pomp and Circumstance'.





After a bit of confetti-throwing outside of the Salvation Army Hall we made our way down to the Menzies East Cliff Court Hotel on the top of the Bournemouth Overcliff. The sun was setting fast as we made our way for a quick couple shoot down in the gardens of the Russell Cotes Museum, but that golden light really added to that winter wonderland feel. We love the fact that the photos look obviously wintery with that underlying blue light that you can't help but pick up on a cold, late afternoon in December.







Kudos to Gemma and her bridesmaids for tolerating those near artic conditions with glamourous applomb.

Leaving the couple to their meal we warmed our cockles with a cup of tea and then headed back for the speeches down in the reception room at the East Cliff Court Hotel. It was completely pitch black outside by then, so unfortunately we couldn't take a look at the great view the hotel provides. However,having reign of several rooms (and bars) of the hotel the reception had a real cosy feel as everyone got the party into full swing!



Posted with many thanks and congratulations to Mr and Mrs Hinchliffe

On the 22nd February a brand new Wedding Exhibition is to be held at Oakdene Forest Park, St Leonards in association with with wedding co-ordinators Buzzzy Bee Events. Situated in the Hampshire countryside on the outskirts of Ringwood it's a popular destination for a wedding venue , capable of catering for  up to 350 guests.

This wedding fayre will be an invaluable event giving couples the opportunity to check out products, services and suppliers for their wedding.


Big Bouquet will have its own stand at the fayre and we will be available to chat about your wedding requirements, show you our products and portfolio and even carry out consultations to provide you with a detailed quote for your wedding photography package.

The Oakdene Forest Park Wedding Fayre will be open to the public from 10am until 4.00pm with free admission and free parking.

A Fashion Show will take place between 12.00pm and 2.00pm showing off a selection of bridal gowns.

Come and Visit Oakdene Forest Park set in 55 Acres of stunning Forest Commission Land perfect for your wedding reception. The Wedding Exhibition is organised by Buzzzy Bee Events and is aimed for every budget and we promise to make sure that there is something for every couple!

If you would like further information then please contact Buzzzy Bee Events on 01202 578790 or 07843 662770.

Alternatively, you can check out directions to the venue, here.

As we welcome the New Year it's difficult not to look back and reflect on what was an exciting, successful and fun year for Big Bouquet Wedding Photography.

So, as we wrap up 2008, as is the tradition to get all sentimental and compile all those 'Top What Not' lists, we've drafted together our own Big Bouquet Top 3 Charts...

Most Memorable Moments of 2008

1. Celeb-snapping Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy at our July Kingston Maurward wedding
2. An impromptu wedding photo shoot on Gibraltar rock
3. Successfully completing a long-distance commission from Perth, Australia

Favourite Venues of 2008

1. Chaffeymoor Grange - Bourton, Dorset
2. Caleta Hotel - Catalan Bay, Gibraltar
3. Lainston House - Winchester

Venues we're most looking forward to in 2009

1. Wimborne Minster - Wimborne, Dorset
2. Compton Acres - Poole, Dorset
3. Langtry Manor - Bournemouth, Dorset

Our doors are now open for both 2009 and 2010 weddings and we welcome all your enquiries. The best way to do this is through our Contact Us page. Let us know a bit more about your wedding day, venue and the type of wedding photography you're after and we'll get back to you to arrange a free consultation.

A Happy New Year to you all

We’ve sent an email out to our booked couples planning to get married at The Orchid Hotel, Bournemouth, Dorset, but thought we should post on here as the sooner everyone is clear about the situation the better.

The Asian-inspired boutique hotel on Gervis Road in Bournemouth is under administration. Administrators have pledged that they will honour existing bookings at the hotel, which is currently for sale.

Speaking to the press, a spokesperson for the administrator company, PriceaterhouseCoopers, said:

“The administration does not affect any consumer’s statutory rights. This administrators recognise that many customers who have pre-booked the hotel for functions in 2009 will have concerns regarding the future of the Orchid Hotel.

“The administrators are concentrating their efforts on finding a suitable buyer for the hotel as a going concern in order that these functions can proceed as planned.”

We send our wishes and send the best of luck to those who have book their wedding at the hotel.

In this time of economic uncertainty we urge everyone – no matter how small their ceremony is to look into taking out dedicated wedding insurance. Whilst it’s not going to stop the unavoidable stress that circumstances such as this can cause, you will have better peace of mind financially.

Marks and Spencer caught our eye with their wedding coverage starting from £59. The good news is that there’s no excess should you have to make a claim.

We're a little behind with the blog posts at the mo, but hope to keep you up to date with our most recent weddings by next week.

We had our last wedding photography job of the year the weekend just gone and are beginning to wind down in preparation for the Christmas season. To be honest, with the weather getting...well, crisp to say the least, that can only be a good thing - minus 1-degrees centigrade is certainly no kind of weather to be out and about in a strapless bridal gown (girls...you put the likes of Ranulph Fiennes to shame).

Around a month ago now, just as the cars were starting to frost up in the mornings and the evenings began to have a distinct bonfire smell about them, we made our way up to Guildford, Surrey for the wedding of Tracey and Jake. The wedding was to take place at the National Trust property, Clandon Park - a Venetian-inspired mansion house built in the Early 1730s. We'd already had a good look around the building with Tracey and Jake before the wedding, although as it's a residence that's open to the public it was still a pleasant surprise to see the house without wandering members of the public and...ahem.. slightly aloof NT volunteers.

One of the most challenging parts of shooting in a National Trust property is, as you would expect with any historic and treasured building, there are a lot of rules and regulations to adhere to. Ladies (even the bride) had to fix on protective caps onto their stilettos to protect the ancient marble floor. Flash was also strictly prohibited in the Tapestry Room acting as the ceremony venue. However, although that meant that the shots maybe weren't as bright as we'd liked them to be, it gave us the opportunity to snap up some gorgeously rich, natural light photographs.

We met up with Tracey for her preparation shots at The Talbot Inn - just a short drive away from Clandon Park, where we got there in plenty of time to capture her prep right from the very beginnings of her make-up. And, after capturing the excited bridal party getting ready in the hotel room we made our way to meet with Jake, best man, ushers and set up in the Tapestry Room.

The elaborate Marble Hall played host to the drinks reception and after some fizz and hot toddies (deliciously warm and spicy white mulled wine), we braced the cold for a few shots around the grounds of Clandon Park.

The reception took place downstairs in the restaurant (in what we presume was the old house scullery and kitchens), completely transformed from the last time we visited there. With its pure white walls and supporting archways it had a nice cosy feel about it - just right for the speeches and meal.

We have to say, Tracey and Jake - you win the award for the best table names we've ever seen. Inspired by some classic 80s films like 'The Goonies', 'The Burbs' and 'Dirty Dancing', the bridal party were seated on the 'Cocktail' table. Brilliant.

Finally, the party huddled together in Tom Tit's Stable for the bride and groom's first dance, heralding the start of their evening reception and disco, where we managed to capture some skilful Michael Jackson-esque dancing from the groom before we headed off back to Dorset.

Posted with many thanks and congratulations to Mr and Mrs Taylor.

We're not ashamed to say that we were fairly apprehensive as we made our way through the steep and windy roads through deepest, darkest Dorset for the wedding of Zina and Chris - and for good reason.

Despite making a point of seeing our couples at least twice before their wedding, recceing the ceremony venue and getting to know the duo well before their big day, here we were travelling to a location we'd never even heard of before Zina and Chris got in contact, we'd never met the aforementioned bride and groom at all and only spoken to them over the phone and to top it all off...it was getting dark and quick about it too.

Zina and Chris were travelling back to the UK from Perth, Australia to get married at the stunningly beautiful Chaffeymoor Grange, close to the Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset border. They'd never been to the venue either, so at least that was something!

As soon as we arrived we were instantly put at ease. Bridesmaids were leisurely walking around in elegant silk pyjamas, grabbing themselves mugs of tea and the venue room looked absolutely breathtaking lit with flickering tealights and a roaring wood fire.

A brief session with the girls and a stunning and supremely organised Zina, gave us the opportunity to snap up some prep shots before we made our way down to the intimate and cosy oak room.

Everything about Zina and Chris' wedding screamed 'relaxed, fun and sophisticated' and with the help of a very accommodating registrar and a beautifully modest ceremony we were able to capture some pleasing natural shots. When we were first asked to shoot this wedding we were a little concerned about photographing an evening wedding, especially as there would be limited lighting. However, after seeing the results we're egging on another enquiry like this.

After a few light canapés and an impressive amount of booze it was time for the speeches and some of the most energetic and 'give it your all' dancing we've seen in a long time.

We were so taken aback with how wonderful the set-up was at Chaffeymoor Grange and the mindblowing decor, friendly house staff, easy going couple and equally bubbly guests made this one a real pleasure.

Don't hesitate to get in contact if you too are getting married at Chaffeymoor Grange - it's become one of our firm favourites.

Posted with many thanks and congratulations to Mr and Mrs Reeves.

Just a quickie to let you know about a wonderfully cheap but sophisticated photo album we clapped our eyes on this weekend.

Whilst we offer the most gorgeous digital photo books and stunning traditional photo albums we appreciate that it can be an expensive investment and something you may want to spend a little more time saving up for. With our new Pick and Mix way of pricing up shooting package and presentation options we offer our couples the chance to pass over their own, more modest album which we then adorn with a set of final BB shots. We call it 'Your choice album' and it's a budget way of getting an album you can treasure (a steal option at £90).

Obviously finding and passing over your final wedding album is up to you with this option, and we don't pass any judgement on the quality or the style of album book.

As a little hint though, we spotted a beautiful album in trusty old WH Smiths at the weekend. Part of a new Baroque Stationery range that includes a cute little recipe file, jewellery box and (I got my eye on this), a toasty little luxury hot water bottle, there's also a large Baroque Photo Album. Featuring natural coloured pages with felt baroque 'flocking' and a gold spine, the album is capable of holding 6x4" and 5x7" photos.

This stock photo really doesn't do it justice (especially considering it's priced £24.99).

For those who can't face a high street visit (and with all the Christmas bits and bobs out already, that's fair enough) it's available to purchase online, here - along with all the other lovely Baroque bits that would be great as pressies for someone else.  If my memory serves me right, in-store they're currently doing a BOGOHP (that's Buy One Get One Half Price) deal too!

We've had a secret to keep since Spring this year. When we initially went to visit Michelle and Alan to talk about their wedding day we went through the usual motions of working through our Day Schedule to make sure we knew everything we could about their photographic needs. But as we worked through the day bit by bit, trying to get a sense of what our couple were after there were initially a lot of blanks.


"Sorry I was a little cagey about when we'd want the photography to start," said Michelle over the phone, a couple of days after. "You see, I'm planning to arrive on horse and cart and I'd really like the shots to start from me meeting the horses. Alan doesn't and mustn't know anything about it though."

So it was with painstaking precision we worked through all our admin before the wedding, making sure that the Groom wasn't accidentally told about his equestrian treat. On the wedding day itself, Ian made his way to meet the bride for some pre-ceremony shots (dodging horsey doo doos and whoopsies, so he tells me) whilst I set up at the wonderfully colourful St Marks Church.

When we met up for our pre-ceremony consultation summer was almost over already, but during that time the weather had really turned chilly and autumnal. The vibrant oranges and browns of the trees surrounding the church were set off wonderfully by the brides choice of vivid orange bouquet, given a tropical spritz with tiny little pineapples!

As the bride and groom carried out quite a wind-swept horse and carriage trek to their reception venue - the Marsham Court Hotel on Russell Cotes road - we rushed ahead in our much warmer car to meet them as they dismounted to meet their guests and treat the horses to some well-earned polos. There we snapped up some of the reception (including a Rudyard Kipling-inspired cake complete with trumpeting elephants), and managed to whisk over the road for an impromptu photo shoot on the overcliff overlooking Swanage and the Purbecks just in time before the rain started.

Posted with thanks and congratulations to Michelle and Alan Jacobs

Canford Magna Church sits within the grounds of Canford School - tucked away from bustling roads and surrounded by glorious woodland and a quaint little river. The church itself is the oldest building in the Borough of Poole and the most beautiful example of a traditional chapel.. so, what better way to start the wedding off than to ditch those cream Rolls Royces or silver Jags and hire a VW Campervan instead? We liked their style!


The weather on Matt and Emily's wedding day couldn't have been better and we were bathed in wonderful sunlight, which flooded through the church windows to give everything a cosy feel.

Canford Magna Church were very accommodating and gave us the opportunity to take ceremony shots both from the Organ Pit and the front of the service in the South Aisle of the church - a rare treat for church photography, especially as we could move around the front aisle hidden from view by the congregation!

It sometimes seems a shame that church rules and regulations hinder ceremony photography, so it was wonderful to see that, in such a well-established, traditional chapel, the Minister was so laid back and happy to give Matt and Emily the service they wanted.

Luckily, we narrowly avoided some maintenance work on the church, meaning that the beautiful building was free from scaffolding and we didn't have to go on a hunt for different locations for the family and friends shots.



Before they headed off towards the ocean for a reception near the water we took the time to have a little wander around the generous church grounds and capture a few photos before the couple served up the Champagne in their camper van and chuggered away. It was a relatively short day for us, being a Packages & Prices page job - but for being such a fantastic venue we hope we get the opportunity to go back again.

On November 1st we're changing the way we do things here at Big Bouquet. Not only will there be some tweaks to our prices (both up and down), but there will be more choice when it comes to booking and tailoring packages to your day.


A full run-down of the alterations will be posted here soon, but to be one of the first you can sign up to our newsletter by using the 'Subscribe' feature on our home page.

All weddings booked before the 1st November will have the 2007/2008 price list and packages honoured - even if your wedding is in 2009. If you want to make full use of our current packages & prices then you need to hurry and arrange a consultation with us. You can do this by filling out the easy form on our Contact Us page.

More news to follow...

On a cold and frosty January morning we headed out to Bristol on a speculative consultation for Jo and Ross. When we got chatting Jo admitted she felt a little foolish for getting a photographer all the way from Bournemouth to come out to see them, especially as she was getting married in Gibraltar! It was no bother - we love going somewhere different to meet with couples. Not only that but Ikea was only a five minute drive from their house, and the prospect of going somewhere warm and sunny was just the tonic whilst we were wrapped up in thick winter coats and scarves.

It was pure coincidence that the hotel venue in question - The Caleta Hotel, Gibraltar had previously been the location for a childhood holiday - fifteen years ago or so! It felt strange to know exactly what the location was like so far away but it proved handy, especially as the couple were only to visit the place for the first time a couple of days before their wedding (meaning we couldn't do our usual consultation one month before to recce the venue).

Bags packed and equipment successfully piled onto a crammed and chaotic Easyjet plane, when we touched ground at Gibraltar airport (a bit more like an elaborate shed) we knew this was going to be testing for both our backs and our deodorant. Damn - it was hot!


A leisurely day before the wedding meant that we had a good wander around the hotel and catch up with the bride and groom. With a lot of communication between us for months nothing was too much of a surprise and we found plenty of good locations and fine-tuned the day's shooting prep. In the afternoon we even managed to wander into town for a shandy and to go visit those cheeky little monkeys on the Rock.

The morning was great fun - splitting off so one of us photographed the groom's party and the other the bridal preparations it was an early start, but this meant that the heat was just right for the wonderful outdoor ceremony. Things started heating up a little later, peaking to around 34-degrees plenty of stamina was needed - dressed in lightweight cotton we could only imagine what is what like to be donned in a three-piece suit or wedding dress (stunning though they looked).

Just after the ceremony we were taken aside and told about a little surprise the Bride's mother had arranged for the wedding party - we were to go on a little trip up the Rock in a minibus but we weren't allowed to mentioned it to the Bride and Groom all day! So, after all the speeches (the funniest we've ever seen) we quick changed into the second costume of the day (it really was that sticky) and went up onto 'Monkey Rock' for a fun, spontaneous shoot. The Botanical Gardens looked like they were padlocked up but we kept ourselves entertained nevertheless.

We only had one nice day down here last week, but by George - where better to spend it than the Harbour Heights Hotel in Sandbanks, Poole.

Being a mid-weeker Darren and Sharon's wedding was everything it should have been - relaxed, thoughtful and fun! A good job too seeing as they were such a pleasure to be around.

Although we were only there for a Confetti package, as Sharon was only getting ready upstairs Emma snuck up to her room for a few prep shots before the ceremony took place and to meet their incredibly adorable son, Frank who helped with all sorts of things like dishing out the confetti! The bridal suite was fantastic as we could spy on the wedding party (including the Groom) before we made our way downstairs.
With such a beautiful view on such a glorious day we came away feeling like we'd just nipped off to Cannes, and as for Daz and Shaz's fragrant BBQ. Well, we thought we'd leave them to it before we filled our camera bags with the inticing cous cous and burgers!

Azure-coloured skies unfortunately ceased for our next wedding a couple of days after - but we'll have to give you the low down on that later. We're bustling about now packing our bags and getting the sunscreen at the ready for a wedding shoot in Gibraltar this week... Weddings, monkeys and tax free wine - our three favourite things.

When you start planning your wedding months in advance you can never guess what the weather will do on the day. Being a UK wedding photographer it's inevitable in our first consultation with prospective couples the chat always comes round to what the weather will be like come the time of the wedding.

For some bizarre reason, Big Bouquet tends to be quite blessed when it comes to wedding shoots. We guess Bournemouth and Poole are considered to be the 'costa del sol' of England, but nevertheless we're still pretty damn lucky most of the time. Clouds have been known to part, and we've even seen hail storms cease only for the most beautiful rainbow-filled sunny skies to grace our presence as soon as we got our cameras out after a ceremony.


It would be a lie to say that rain doesn't dampen a wedding day a little (literally), but a wedding we shot this weekend at Kingston Maurward in Dorchester just went to prove that a bit of drizzle, or an unexpected downpour doesn't mean that you chance of having fun and colourful wedding photographs goes down the drain.

With our beautiful waterproof parasol umbrellas in our armoury and a bit of a 'oh.. what the hell, let's go outside' attitude from our bride and groom we will do our very best to make sure that your wedding photos aren't taken in a crowded and gloomy hotel room if we're denied perfect photography conditions.

(With thanks and congratulations to Sam and Mike)

If you found our wedding blog useful and want more of the same then take a look at these handy links courtesy of Bridalwave. The actual post is getting on a bit now but there's still plenty of relevant helpful blogs to be had here with content from wedding planners to etiquette specialists and general journos.

We like to make your experience with Big Bouquet Wedding Photography run as smooth possible . Whether you've just booked us or are waiting for your final presentation package you can now access your own Big Bouquet Personal Account.


From today we will be providing all of our couples with their own username and password to log into their unique personal page. From here, not only will you be able to view all of your essential data like shooting start and finish times on your wedding day, you'll also be able to keep up to speed with your payment status, pay off part of, or all of your balance and also access any final album or book proof movie.

This page will also double up as your gallery preview page. After your wedding we will give you a nudge to let you know that your images are up for preview and all you have to do is log-on to your Personal Account.

Simple!

As wedding season kicks into action, now's the time to start planning the smaller details of your wedding. If you haven't already spoken to a florist about your floral arrangements and bouquets, here's a few local florists in the area that you may want to check out:

Lansdowne Florist, Bournemouth, Dorset 
By Arrangement Florist, Westbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset 
Gloriosa - Wedding Flowers of Bournemouth, Bournemouth, Dorset 
Simonis Florists, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset 
Serenta Flowers, Bournemouth, Dorset 
Penn Hill Flowers, Poole, Dorset 
Amore Creative Floristry, Bournemouth, Dorset 
The Bay Tree Florist, Lower Parkstone, Poole, Dorset 
Edwards and Co, Poole Dorset

Big Bouquet is based in Bournemouth, but we can travel around the country to photograph your wedding.

If you were working with a wedding photographer who shot all their images using film ask them if you can buy the original negatives or slides off of them and they'd probably laugh in your face. Big Bouquet captures all wedding photographs using two professional Nikon Digital SLR cameras, so this means that we are not only able to easy offer you both black and white and colour versions of your shots, but we can also supply you with the full res end images along with your final presentation.

So how does this benefit you? Well, say for example you accidentally split a huge mug of tea over your original images, if you have a disc containing all your original images you can easily print off another copy or hand it over to a developers to get a few re-prints - as easy as that!

Our Royalty-Free DVD discs work in two ways; Pop the disc into your DVD player and you can sit back and remember your wedding day through from start to finish with our bespoke slideshow. This is great if you have friends over as you can pop it on in the background and have a good natter remembering moments from the photographs. Put the disc into your computer and you can easily access a picture folder containing all the final shots from your presentation package.

You're free to share and copy your disc among your family and friends, so it's easy enough to make a back-up and pass one over to your mum for safe-keeping. All we ask is that you don't sell your photographs on without seeking our permission first!

Opt for our Biggest Bouquet package and you will receive a Royalty-Free DVD in your package as standard. However, the discs can be purchased as an extra on top of any packages for a set price of £75 and you can order these after your wedding too. If at a later date you wish you'd order one we keep all of our couples images on secure back-up so we can send one out to you if you drop us a line!

What better way to say 'thank you' to your bridesmaids, best man or even your parents than present them with a little keepsake from your wedding day.

If you want to show your appreciation but don't have the budget to get some extra coffee table books or albums made up then our new 'Thank You' books could be just the ticket. OK, so they're not the most glamorous photography books in the world but with a clear protective front page and ultra glossy pages your wedding photographs will still look fabulous. The wirobind fastening also means they will withstand being flicked through for years to come - far better than an extra set of photos.

These 6" x 8" books are a real bargain at only £18 each, but if you have a few wedding party members to show your appreciation to you can also make use of our 4 for £60 offer.

As with all of our presentation option products, you don't have to place your order before your wedding. With your own Big Bouquet log-in account your wedding photos will be accessible for a whole year after your big day, so if a couple of months down the line you fancied a few extras all you'd have to do is give us a shout!

If you choose our Big Bunch or Biggest Bouquet packages you automatically receive a stunning professional 13 x 11" hardback presentation book as part of your final presentation. It's possible to order extra copies of these books for your bridesmaids or proud parents for up to one year after your ceremony just by dropping us a line.

Keen to offer you as much choice as possible when it comes to presentation options, we're pleased to announce that our pro presentation books are now available in softback as well, for a reduced price. The softback books include the same professional standard of paper quality, printed with the sheen you'd expect to see in a premium coffee table book, but with the added bonus of it being lighter and a little thinner.

Available in three different sizes, prices for the Softback books start at £30 for a square 7"x7" to £50 for a large 13" x 11". With all of our presentation books you get up to 80 pages, each book uniquely designed to suit your own photos. We even provide a handy pre-press check service so you can approve your book before it gets printed.

For more information visit our Presentation options page.

Seeing all you lovely couples getting excited about your big day has stirred up some love in the Big Bouquet headquarters. Ian - the Big Bouquet partner and I have decided to get hitched ourselves, so although it's not until next year expect to see plenty of extra invaluable links and tips on the blog as I take even more of an interest in all the wedding malarkey!

Only one small problem... We haven't a clue who's going to be our photographer!

 

As well as sorting out a photographer, a wedding just aint a wedding without your custom-made bouquets and other flower arrangements to brighten up the day.


If you are based in London and are on the look out for a great florists then check out Arenaflowers.com. By cutting out the middle man, ditching the wholeseller and purchasing their flowers direct from growers they're able to offer flowers at a very competitive price. They're also the first UK florist to be part of the Fair Flowers Fair Plants (FPP) Organisation, meaning that all the flowers are from a good ethical source - that's what we like to hear!

You can view their full range of Designer Wedding Flowers, Bridal Bouquets, Table Arrangements and Buttonholes on their site, here.

If you're getting married abroad, or even just away from home, the last thing you should do is fold and shove your beloved wedding dress into a suitcase - not unless you want to recreate Princess Diana's creased meringue. Plus, if the Terminal 5 shambles of an airport is anything to go by you're going to want to know exactly where you luggage is going!


The Empty Box Company have some perfect Wedding Travel Boxes designed to fit snugly into overhead lockers or for car or train journeys. They come in all sorts of sizes and patterns and are available from £28.90 to just under £50!

Take a look at the full range here