February 20, 2010
This darling wedding day shoot makes me all happy and smiley (even through my hangover gah!) Russian photographer Nelly Suleymanova has a real knack for capturing her clients at their most beautiful...and hello, white lace tights? - Yeah amazing! Credit: Re-VisionRead more...
February 19, 2010
Ashley & Hunter's wedding had me smitten as soon as I saw it. They went for a fun fair theme with brightly coloured and fun pinwheels, noise makers, rock candy, pumpkins and a BBQ from Buz n Neds Barbecue. This pair both have a self-confessed obsession with shoes so Ashley wore an amazing pair from Betsey Johnson with a Marylin Monroe portrait on the sole and Hunter wore red, black and white high top Vans that matched their brightly colored wedding...the bridesmaids even wore red pumps to match. Ashley dress and veil were XX and teamed it with an amazing antique brooch which she found at Ant Hill Antiques in Carytown in Richmond, Va. Their flowers were vibrant and sunny to match the theme and the bridesmaids all wore their own purple mis-matched dresses.Read more...
February 19, 2010
Emma & Mattias' urban & gritty engagement session in Hackney Wick (the East End of London) have inspired me no end. I not only love the rough 'n ready, graffiti style shots (which are fast becoming a bit of a McNeil signature) but the wonderful heart shots send my heart a-flutter. I asked David how this images came about and he told me that as they were wondering down the street, looking for locations, they came across a hall where a Valentines night was being set up. They asked nicely if they would use their heart covered wall as a backdrop and the lovely people said yes. Aren't the results fabulous? Another photographic win for my friend David I feel! Thanks to David for sending these over today Credit: David McNeilRead more...
February 18, 2010
What have you been loving this week? Here's my top picks from blog land, the interweb and everywhere in between ♥ Unbridaled - I would imagine that every Rock n Roll Bride can recognise this situation! ♥ Top 10 wedding trends for 2010 ♥ The uber popular Paloma's Nest have relaunched their website and are offering free worldwide shipping on all orders placed before 1st March! ♥ I've been seeing Catbird NYC all over blog land this week. I can see why. This is my persoanl pick. LOVE ♥ Katie & Josh's Eco-Chic wedding ♥ Remember the lesbians ♥ Stripes & tulle ♥ Check out Gingerlily's amazing images and comment on her blog for the chance to win your own print ♥ Heart-shaped - darling vintage valentines decorRead more...
February 18, 2010
I was sent a collection of bridal fashion shoots from Italian photographer Joanne Dunn the other day and I have to say I fell in love immediately. She describes her work as “personal fusion photography—the punk of wedding photography", and boy can I see why. These chicks are certainly Rock n Roll baby! The Italians are notoriously painfully stylish and ahead of the game and these shots definitely prove that to me - the black and white palate, the crimped hair, the tiered dress - all scream high fashion bridal style for 2010. Thanks to Joanne for sharing these with me. I look forward to seeing more of you in future!Read more...
February 17, 2010
Who are you and what do you do? I'm Dylan McBurney and I'm a photographer. Where are you based and what cities/countries are you available to work in? I live in Carrickfergus just outside Belfast, Northern Ireland with my wife Caroline and daughter Corrina and I photograph weddings across Ireland, France and elsewhere in Europe. You’re the first person I’ve interviewed from Northern Ireland? What is the wedding industry like over there? Northern Ireland is a pretty cool place to get married. The people are renowned for their friendliness. That's what I love most about working here. Do you get to work with a lot of great clients? Fortunately the type of clients we attract are very much into photography and they can understand why my pictures look different to other people’s pictures. A lot of our clients have a relationship with the visual and creative arts - we seem to cover a lot of architects and musician’s weddings. How would you describe your photography? Unobtrusive, journalistic and moment-oriented. I shoot with my emotions - I like to capture the feeling between people and that’s generally not something you can pose or stage. Who/what are your biggest influences? Whose work do you really admire? Henri Cartier-Bresson for his sense of composition and timing. Garry Winogrand for his ability to make pictures out of the chaos of the street. And Joel Meyerowitz, again for his street pictures, but also for his fine art colour work of which I'm a big fan. Do you have an ethos to which you stand by in regards to your photography? I like photographs that tell stories. To do that, you have to be in the background, quietly observing and then reacting to what's happening in front of you. What about formal group photographs? My formals are quick to do and my clients appreciate that. I usually cover about six to seven groups if required - often in a session lasting less than fifteen minutes. Most of my coverage is documentary. At a wedding I'm a reactive soul and I see my role as one of documenting what's going on rather than trying to direct things. How many weddings do you average per year? I shoot about 40 weddings each year. What or who made you get into photography? Seeing Lance Mercer's black and white documentary pictures of the band Pearl Jam in the 1990's inspired me to pick up a camera. Great pictures of a great band! Did you go to school to study photography? Only a part time City and Guilds course at my local college. My tutor was great though - he was a big fan of Cartier-Bresson, Don McCullin and others. I’ve found that that grounding in social documentary photography has served me well. I learned a lot about photographic theory and black and white darkroom work. Apart from photography, what drives you? What are you passionate about? Are you able to bring this into your wedding photography? I'm completely in love with Caroline. We married in her hometown in Brittany, France in September, 2003. Every week when I photograph my client’s weddings I’m reminded of our own wedding that day - all of the friends and family gathered together, all of the emotions, joy and happiness. And I think of all the precious moments that came and went in the blink of an eye. Who or what are your perfect clients? My clients all seem to be really good at living in the moment. Fortunately that's what's important to them and to me also. What do you love about weddings? No two weddings are the same because the dynamics of the relationships are always unique and I just love that. What do you think makes a great Rock n Roll wedding? Didn't John Lennon say the essence of rock and roll was to 'be here now'? I've always thought that that was a great declaration for having a great wedding! What would you say your greatest achievement has been to date? Hands down - meeting Caroline and getting her to marry me. Any real Rock and Roll moments that you can share with us? Going to check out of our hotel room in Rotterdam last year Caroline and I actually bumped into all of the members of Pearl Jam in the corridor (who unknown to us, were also checking out of the very same hotel at the very same time!). We got to chat about their tour, their new album and managed to successfully invite them back to Belfast to play a show later this year - something I’m really looking forward to! How important is an awesome website to your business? It's the single most important part of any photography business. In my opinion it's your shop window. I'm amazed at how many photographers have such poor sites. How important is Photoshop to your final images? It's absolutely essential. Every single image out of the camera goes through Photoshop at some stage, although I don't do anything that I couldn't do in the darkroom.Read more...
February 17, 2010
I've got a second British post for your today - and this time it's Miriam & Bruce's art deco/speakeasy/1920s-30s inspired wedding. The event took place at The Brickhouse, Brick Lane, London which is in the heart of the city's uber cool East End and was complete with monochromatic colour scheme, gambling tables and cheeky burlesque entertainment. Miriam & Bruce had a humanist ceremony in front of their guests before kicking off a night of unashamed debauchery! Female guests were treated to a black or white feather fan on arrival, and the gents mini bottles of Jack Daniels and chocolate cigars. Miriam wore a dress and ostrich feather shrug from the fabulous Joanna Fleming Design and birdcage veil from Jane Taylor Millinery. Credit: Eye Imagine Wedding Planners: Grant-Riley WeddingsRead more...
February 17, 2010
This cute West London engagement shoot delighted me ever so much as I work very near here - in fact I drive past the modern building featured in some of the shots everyday and think how much nicer it looks than the studios where I work! Aren't Sarah-Jane & Mitul just adorable? Thanks to Laura for sharing theseRead more...
February 16, 2010
few weeks ago I was offered a couple of tickets to attend The Designer Wedding show in Battersea, London. The event took place from last Friday - Sunday so my friend (and photographer extraordinaire) David McNeil and I thought we'd go check it out in the hope to be inspired, have fun and to actually real-life-meet some of the amazing UK wedding vendors that we've met online. Today I want to share a few of my highlights and photographs from the event so you can see what fun we had. I definitely did and I even got to meet a bunch of Rock n Roll Bride readers. It was the first event I've been to where I actually got recognised which was surreal but certainly nice! Here are some of my (and David's) faves. ♥ Magpie Vintage undoubtedly had one of the busiest stalls of the day. I've wanted to meet Lisa & Tania for ages now and The Designer Wedding show proved to be the perfect opportunity. I wondered up to their stand hoping they'd spot the pink hair and know it was me and as soon as I was within 20 feet I was greeted by Lisa with a massive hug and an "oh my god you look so young!" (haha way to suck up Lisa - you go girl!) and " oh you simply must wear this necklace!" She the proceeded to drape a beautiful powder pink and teal green reclaimed vintage gem around my neck which I was lucky enough to walk around with all day (and yes I did remember to return it after!) ♥ Abbey of Sugalily Stationary and I have been chatting online for months now so it was great to finally meet her in real life. I fell in love with not only her but with her beautiful creations in paper, ribbon and sparkly bits. From retro to classic, colourful to muted, Abbey's display was one of the most indearing there..and she had cupcakes! Now who could say no to that!? ♥ Myself and David had waaaay too much fun at the Booth Nation/Glitterbooth. As we walked past I was instantly drawn to the 8 foot, silver glitter-covered photo booth. We were greeted by Seamus who immediately told us to hop in and give it a go, and inside only a bloomin' built in wind machine (you can see we had fun with that!) I swear to god, if I was getting married again I would totally have one of these. Awesome!Read more...
February 15, 2010
Oh squeeeeal! I'm not sure I can say anything more intellectual about Luke & Charis' wedding, in fact I think only 'squeeeal' will cover it. So. Much. Awesome! "This couple was married in a barn at Sharon Rose Farm in Greenville SC" photographer Anna told me "The bride is a hair stylist, the groom is a drummer - so the music and the style was fabulous and original. I thought what was so rock n roll about this wedding was that the bride made surprise stick-on tattoos to replicate her new husband's favorite tattoo on his arm, and all the guests had a mini tattoos during the reception just like the groom!" Charis wore a dress from David's Bridal and she asked her bridesmaids to simply pick their own black dress. When Charis and her bridesmaids walked into the venue someone said, "It looks like an anthropologie catalogue just walked in!" The ceremony and reception were held in a beautiful red renovated horse barn. It was such a nice mix of rustic farm, elegant chandeliers and vintage flare. There were mason jars with wild flowers, and baskets of peanuts on cocktail tables as guests mingled and sipped lemonade before the entering the barn. An old typewriter was used as a to write notes to the bride and groom, and a sweet bird cage to put them in. Just sit back and enjoy these - I know you will! Thanks to Anna for sharing this amazing wedding with us Credit: Anna Naphtali PhotographyRead more...
February 15, 2010
Valentines may be over for another year but I'm all still about sharing the love. Aaron & Angela's engagement shoot fills me with so much joy that there was no way I wasn't going to post it. Aren't those letters and words just awesome?! And don't even get me started on the beach scene with the glitterball prop - faaabulous. Yey to love love love! Thanks to Ryan & Randall for sharing these with usRead more...
February 14, 2010
February 14, 2010
This subtly sexy pin up shoot is perfect for a Valentines day post. I hope your all having a great day and even if you didn't get a card (ahem - yes Gareth is in the dog house!) I trust your day will be filled with love and laughter. Thanks StacyRead more...
February 13, 2010
How do I even begin to describe a wedding like this? Eco? Hippy Chic? Organic? Ourdoorsy? Woodland nymph-like? Musical? Midsummer Night's Dream-esque? None of these words seem to do any kinda of justice to this beautiful wedding. Samuel & Jessica were married in Moravian falls at Pennel Horse farm. They wanted they day to have a raw and natural feel with a bit of mystical charm and simplicity. "They defined their wedding by what they love and not what tradition says to do", photographer Shelley told me "so they combined some common elements of the wedding ceremony, seasoned with of a little bit of hippie, funk, vintage and organic charm. Every little thing was a reflection of who they are as individuals and as a couple." Their bridal/groomal parties were huge and the woods were filled with light and music from the lanterns they all carried and the drums they played. The ceremony was a really emotional one (as you can see from the video below) the pair washed each other's feet and Sam even sang and played guitar to his new wife. The reception looks like a blast! The guests ate great organic food and they danced into the night around a giant bonfire. Jessica's dress was by Amalia Cararra. She bought her dress at "Stardust Celebrations" in Dallas, Texas, where she she was spotted by the creators of a new reality show on WEtv called "Girl Meets Dress." The couple's love story will be aired March 9th as the premier episode! Be sure to check out a snippet of their wedding video below as a little sneaky peak! Thanks to Shelley, Jess & Sam for sharing their a.m.a.z.i.n.g ceremony and wedding with us (and yes, there are over 100 photographs in this post but I had to include them all!)Read more...
February 13, 2010
After swooning over all the vintage gorgeousness at The Designer Wedding show yesterday (full blog post including photographs and links to my favourite exhibitors soon!) when the awesome Ian Johnson sent me this art deco wedding I jumped at the chance to feature it asap! Thanks to Ian for sharing these with us. LOVE!Read more...
February 12, 2010
Bonnie & Rod's 195os inspired wedding was held at Malcolm's Of Maleny in Queensland, Australia. When I asked photographer Julian what made this pair rock n roll, he had the perfect answer for me... "Bonnie was born and raised in Australia and in short, is a singer. Rod was born and raised in Mississippi and had never been to Australia before -- They met over the Internet through each other's music, Rod being a Guitarist in a band without a singer. Bonnie was asked by Rod to record a singing part to a piece he had recorded. And the rest, as they say, is history. He flew over and met her, they dated and then, obviously, married. All because of Rock And Roll, literally." Thanks to Julian for sharing this fabulous wedding with usRead more...
February 12, 2010
Melanie's bride shoot has a fabulously sexy feel, especially with the contrast between herself and the derelict locations. Her dress was by Chic Star and was not actually a wedding dress but doesn't it look wonderful for the photo shoot? "The venue was an old abandoned warehouse yard and some near by deserted railroad tracks" photographer Keira told me. "The theme of the shoot was to portray a confident, edgy bride. She is pictured, alone, amongst an abandoned industrial background that is currently being taken over by nature (lots of prickly brush, vines taking over man made objects, along with pieces of glass and old rusty objects, etc ) The photos are meant to be pretty yet at the same time somewhat gritty and daring." Thanks to Keira for sharing this shoot with usRead more...
February 12, 2010
February 11, 2010
February 11, 2010