Yes. I’m based in Somerset, close to Frome, and photograph weddings in Bath, Bristol, Somerset and neighbouring Wiltshire. I’m happy to discuss weddings further afield too. My approach is relaxed and documentary: you spend the day with your people, and I photograph the moments as they happen. I take on just ten weddings a year, with each one quoted personally.

Very much so. I’ve photographed more than 800 weddings at Orchardleigh House near Frome, from the Island Church to the Ballroom and the celebrations in between. I’ve also photographed many weddings at Elmhay Park. Those are places I know well, but the most important thing is that you get to enjoy your day without spending it posing for photographs. You can also see a real Orchardleigh wedding story to get a feel for the photographs and film.

Because I’ve chosen to do fewer weddings — not because I’m offering less. I used to charge £1,800, and after photographing more than a thousand weddings, I’ve decided to take on just ten a year, for the enjoyment of being there. My usual Wedding Story quotation is now £850.

You still get me. The same photographer, the same experience, the same approach, the same care with every image and the same commitment to making your day feel like your day. It isn’t a stripped-down version of what I used to offer. I simply want to photograph a smaller number of weddings and enjoy every one of them. I’ll confirm the exact price, coverage and any requested extras personally before you book.

Because, after more than a thousand weddings, I know that wedding days don’t run to a stopwatch. Speeches overrun. A room takes longer to turn around. The band or DJ needs more time to set up, so the first dance starts late. Should I pack away halfway through the speeches because an eight-hour package has expired? Or miss the first dance because the timings changed? That’s not how I want to work.

I’d rather agree the story of the day with you: arriving well ahead of the ceremony, capturing the celebrations and speeches, and staying for the first dance and start of the evening party. We’ll agree the coverage and a sensible finish time before you book, and I’ll be flexible about ordinary changes to the running order where I reasonably can. You can concentrate on your wedding, not on watching the clock.

Not at all. I spent many years as a recommended photographer at Orchardleigh House, where I’ve photographed more than 800 weddings. Traditionally, those recommendations were often about knowing the venue, producing good work and fitting naturally into the day.

Today, some venues charge suppliers to appear on preferred lists. That’s their choice, but I’ve never paid for a recommendation and I’m not going to start. Not appearing on a list doesn’t tell you how experienced a photographer is or how good their photographs are. Look at real weddings, read genuine reviews, and choose someone you feel comfortable having around on your day. That matters far more than a name on a leaflet.

Some awards are genuinely judged on the photographs, and that recognition can be deserved. Others involve entry fees, public votes or collecting client reviews. So I wouldn't choose a photographer on the strength of an award badge alone.

I'd rather you look at real weddings, genuine reviews and the way I work. Ask to see more than a handful of favourite pictures. Choose someone whose work you love and whose personality makes you feel comfortable. You're booking a photographer to capture your day, not a trophy for the mantelpiece.

I’d much rather you were enjoying the party than standing in a line while someone goes looking for Aunt Mabel. Your wedding day passes quickly enough without spending a big chunk of it waiting for photographs.

If you’d like a few group photographs, of course I’ll take them. My recommendation is to keep the list to five at most, decide which combinations matter to you beforehand, and ask someone who knows your guests to help gather them. We can make those photographs, then get you straight back to your people.

For the two of you, we can slip away for around 10–15 minutes for a few relaxed portraits. A little gentle direction when it helps, then back to the celebration. The rest is about real moments as they happen.

Couples often ask me this. After documenting over a thousand weddings, my honest answer is that you don’t have to. Whatever the wedding checklists say, those quieter hours can be some of the most personal moments of your day — just you, your closest family and friends, and that lovely mixture of nerves, laughter and excitement.

Give yourselves room to relax, breathe it all in and enjoy being together. There’s something lovely about a morning that belongs to you, without a photographer in the room. A few phone photographs taken by the people you love can become wonderful little memories of their own.

If preparation photographs really matter to you, just ask. I can arrange them by special request for one of the couple, at the venue where your ceremony takes place. I can cover both of you only if you’re getting ready in the same building at that venue, with preparation spaces in the same immediate area and timings that allow. I don’t travel to private homes, rented accommodation or other getting-ready locations away from the ceremony venue.

My priority is to be at your ceremony location nice and early — at least two hours before the ceremony begins — to photograph the setting, the details and the anticipation as everyone arrives. Any preparation coverage needs to fit around that, so I’m ready for the part of the day that brings everyone together.

I arrive at the ceremony location at least two hours before the ceremony, ready to photograph the setting, the little details and the anticipation as people arrive. The Wedding Story follows the ceremony, the celebrations, speeches, cake cutting and first dance, through to the beginning of your evening party.

We’ll agree the exact coverage and finish time before you book, so you know what’s included. If you choose Moving Moments too, I capture short filmed highlights alongside your photographs — a collection of memories, rather than a full-length wedding film.

You receive all the successful photographs from your day, beautifully edited, in a private online gallery. There’s no fixed number to hit and no good photographs held back just to fit a package. Every wedding has its own rhythm, people and moments.

Your gallery is delivered within two weeks, with no watermarks or download restrictions. You can share it with your family and friends and enjoy the story together.

Start by sending me your date, venue and a little about your plans. I’ll check availability and confirm the price and coverage with you personally. Once everything is agreed, I’ll send your private booking link to check your details, sign the agreement and pay the £280 booking fee.

The booking fee is part of your total, not an extra charge. Your date is confirmed once the agreement is signed and the fee is received. The remaining balance is due 28 days before the wedding. Nearer the day, I’ll send your private final-details page so you can check your timings and plans before paying the balance.

If you book within 28 days of the wedding, the balance is due when Michael requests it through your private final-details page.