This weekend I had the pleasure of catching up with one of my previous brides – the gorgeous Fiona Connolly.

The gorgeous Fiona with her Groom Neil

We had such a great time finding the wedding dress of her dreams that now, after their wedding her lovely Husband, Neil treated her to a day full of treating herself to a fab new look!

Because of my background in fashion, they asked me to help with the wardrobe update – Yippee! A whole day of shopping – and that’s exactly what we did. Shopped until we (almost) dropped!

We started the day by going through her existing wardrobe to see what patterns she follows when choosing her clothes – for Fiona it was cap sleeves. She also had very separate looks for work and leisure – and surprisingly they were totally different looks altogether. She really wanted to start showing her personality through her clothes rather than wearing things because she thought they were appropriate for the office – she needed to inject some ‘Fiona’ back into her work life! I believe it is very easy to get into a ‘uniform’ state of mind, and especially for her as she is incredibly successful in her field. She felt that because she knew her role inside out she almost went onto auto pilot – including when she got dressed for work. First impressions were established, her reputation was great and therefore did as we all do – got comfortable & stopped trying as hard to please herself in order to make herself feel good.

It was funny being an outsider looking in to someone elses wardrobe, trying to appreciate their thought processes when they get ready. We also discovered that when she had an item from some time ago she held onto it regardless of whether the style was still right, or didn’t fit anymore. I guess it really is hard to throw something away that you’ve loved and felt good in – even if it doesn’t give you that ‘feel good’ factor anymore. I just loved her ruthlessness when throwing things on the ‘get rid’ pile!

We then discovered her ultimate favourites, her feel good outfits, fat day clothes, skinny day clothes – what fun! Oh, and the most gorgeous Paul Smith shirt I’ve seen! This lady has style! I realised all we had to do was release her inner fox back into the world! Yeah!

Then it was time to hit the shops! Off to the Bullring in Birmingham where we were in and out of fitting rooms and stores like women on a mission! Fiona was the best to go shopping with! Instant decisions, an easy sense of how to bring the look from her head onto the girl in the fitting room mirror. Fab! She was comfortable enough to try on many different looks, even ones where she wasn’t entirely sure she would like the result.

I think she did realise that she liked what she saw in the mirror once she was in the right cuts and the right dress size. Like a lot of women out there she was inclined to buy clothes too big as she thought she was bigger than she really is. Fiona discovered that she is a perfect size 12 and has a figure a lot of us would dream of having.

Then it was time for lunch – 2 & 1/2 hours and a bottle of white later (thank you Fee!) we emerged ready to hit the shoe shops! She was wowed in the end by the Kurt Geiger department in Selfridges where the fabulous Richard looked after us. If you’re ever in the area, you simply must stop by and let him talk you into treating yourself. He’s so good at making you be bad! I love that he really listens to what your needs are and can advise on the value for money side of their brands. I have been talked into being naughty in the Louboutin section by him before now though!

After this it was time to hit the make-up counters and we saw the incredibly talented Grahame on the YSL counter. He is amazing at enhancing your best bits and I think I might be a little bit in love – with his lip-gloss collection.

It was a great day and we reluctantly got on our train home at 7.30pm after having found the most perfect red lips to pout, laughed a lot and shopped our way through the best Saturday!

As a wedding planner I never dreamed I would be asked to do a stylist service but I am so glad I was – I loved it!

Thank you Neil and Fiona for such a fab day! xx

Ok – so I know this is a ’lil bit self indulgent but I just wanted to say a lovely big thank you to Geoff & Mark at J.R. Press for all their fabulous work on my blog design.

They are genius at web work and I am delighted with their design expertise! They hadn’t worked on a Wedding Planning website before and they really captured my style perfectly first time! (Although I am still a bit embarrassed when I see my picture come up – I’m trusting your judgement on this though guys!x)

I love, love, love it! Thank you Geoff & Mark!

You can contact the fab team at J.R. Press through their website www.jrpress.co.uk

Elliot Patching is a photographer based in the midlands and works country wide. This guy is so cool and relaxed it was a real pleasure to spend the afternoon talking to him about his work. Here’s what he had to say…

Eliott Patching's style

- Tell us about you. Where you’ve been, why you’re fabulous?

Ha! Fabulous! That’s a new one! Well, I started my life in photography working as a Formula One photographer. But after some years I decided this wasn’t for me. I did enjoy my time there and I was lucky enough to visit some great places (China, Malaysia, Singapore, Bahrain to name a few) but I just had no time for a social life. I noticed while I was doing this though that I had a bit of a natural flair for portraits. I’ve always been ambitious so decided to leave and set up my own company – one of the things I had always wanted to do. Since then I’ve been enjoying life and I think this is reflected in my work. I love shooting weddings so much. It gives me the opportunity to be creative and constantly push my boundaries attempting to find something different. It’s this originality, I think, that helps me stand out from other photographers.

- Tell us a little bit about your company and why it’s special.

Relaxed portraits, amazing moments and cool details. That’s what I’m all about. I like to have fun when I’m shooting. Why be uptight?! All of the best shots come from clients being relaxed.

Honesty is a key thing for me as well. If I haven’t been given enough time to get a shot I’ll say. I know how important the images I produce are to clients so its important we get everything right before the day. I like to be as hands on as possible and iron out any problems that may occur as early as I possibly can. I think the combination of honesty, planning and having a chilled out personality are the three key things that enable me to build a great rapport with clients and that’s the reason why I get recommendations and happy couples.

Relaxed and Happy!

- Where do you find your inspiration?

I would be lying if I said I don’t draw inspiration from other photographers. I do. I think as long as you harness this inspiration and put your own twist onto the shot then that’s ok. Simply copying someone else’s work is not cool in my book. I get real enjoyment of seeing a shot and creating it. If I copied someone else I just wouldn’t get that feeling.

Also, I find it very difficult to switch out of “photographer mode”. Whether I’m walking down a street or driving in the car I am constantly scouting areas for shoots. If I see some nice light I am just desperate to stand someone, ANYONE, in it and take some shots of them! It’s my girlfriend that I usually inconvenience! I suppose you could say I am inspired by anything and everything.

- What style do you specialise in?

Bit of a mixture really. I think there are three types of wedding photographer out there. Reportage, Formal and what I would describe as “Arty”. If you are looking for formal, I’m not your man. Just standing clients and posing them isn’t my thing. For me, it’s all about natural expressions. I think of myself as a third eye, documenting the big day from start to finish so the shots tell a story. I want my clients to be able to relive the day again and again for years to come through the shots I take. In addition to this, like I said before, I love doing something a little different – using light and location to create something spectacular.

So I would say I’m mainly reportage, with a bit of art thrown in for good measure!

- What is the best wedding you’ve ever been to?

Each wedding is great in its own special way. That’s what excites me. You never quite know what you are going to get, so it’s tough for me to set one apart from all the others.

Having said this, there was one I did fairly recently actually at Blenheim Palace. The location is just superb. The Bride worked for Wedding Magazine so with her experience, everything about it was stunning. All the little details had so much care and attention put into them. Couple all this with an enthusiastic bride and groom and you have a great wedding to shoot.

- What is your absolute favourite picture you’ve ever taken?

That is such a tough question! I’m simply not sure! Not to over complicate things but there are so many factors that go into deciding which is my favourite. For me it’s not just about the end result – it’s also about the thought process that went into it. I have two motor sport ones and two wedding ones. Is that allowed?!

Eliott's Favourite Pictures

copyright sutton images

Eliott's Favourite Pictures

copyright sutton images

- Does working with a Wedding Planner have an impact on your day?

Wedding planners are great. The day always seems to run more smoothly when they are employed. I wouldn’t say it changes the way in which I work though. I just do my thing!

- What advice can you give to a bride and groom who may be feeling anxious about their wedding photos being taken?

Firstly, try to get the photographer you want. If you like their style, then that’s the sort of thing they should produce on the day.

Secondly, RELAX! CHILL! I personally offer a complimentary engagement shoot with all of my packages. This is aimed at relaxing the couple before the big day and also for the clients to see the way in which I work. No surprises! I’ve had people who were horribly nervous at the engagement shoot but incredibly relaxed on the day. I’d like to think this is a combination of the prior shoot and maybe a touch of Champagne!

Thanks for taking the time to see us Elliot – we think you’re fab!

If you’d like to get in touch with Elliot, you can do so through his website www.ewpphotography.com

One of Eliott's arty shots!