Contemporary Weddings by Murakami Photography

Blogging Hiatus; Mind The Gap :)

2011-10-30T17:00:00.006Z

Hi Faithful Readers and Web Surfers of All Persuasions,

Up to this point we have been duplicating entries on the blog and facebook, recently we are finding clients and potential clients love the facebook format (over 800 'likes' of Murakami Facebook Page at time of writing!). Initially we were unconvinced by facebook and indeed it's not perfect but it does allow a lot of interaction and client feedback which is so important to what we do. We've also turned on the reviews page so our clients can post and everyone can read Murakami Photography Reviews :)

Reports of the blogs death are greatly exaggerated and we will be back! In the meantime browse some of the 50+ weddings and pre-wedding sessions on the blog, the drop down menu at the top of this page provides easy access to some of the most recent. Then head on over to public facebook albums (60+ albums and counting!) - we very much welcome your comments!

You don't need a facebook account to visit you are very welcome to view new images and our latest news via facebook :)

As always, if you're getting married and love photography we'd love to hear from you, we can be contacted by phone 07771 560912 and 01202 519659 or email us (Teri and David!) at lovephoto@murakamiphotography.com

Much Love
T&D XXX

Vintage Inspired Barn Wedding Reception

2010-10-25T13:11:00.004+01:00

The long awaited Part II (read Part I first Highcliffe Castle Wedding Ceremony) :)

Laura and Dave's wedding day continued at the barn wedding reception location of The Three Tuns but not before a small detour to a pumpkin patch, yep somewhat random but totally in keeping with Laura and Dave and their slightly quirky nature (which we love by the way!).

On arrival at the reception guests (and us!) were WOW'd by the shear amount of beautiful rustic and vintage inspired details Laura and Dave had created. I know it was many evenings and weekends and over the course of a years and it paid off in style! Not only did all the many details fit amazingly well with the venue they brought a smile to guests faces and helped continue the mood for the rest of the day. Relaxed, fun, personal, warm are all adjectives that fit with Laura and Dave's day, totally enjoyable for them, their families and guests (and us!).

Thank you guys for inviting Teri and I to be part of your day and wish you both an amazing future together! :)

Neat to have a desserts table but even better when everything is made by friends and family, the kind of personal touch that brings family and friends together (it looked great and tasted even better!)

Dave hand made the vintage style dresser specially for the wedding, totally amazing

When Teri saw the cowboy hats hanging up there had to be a photo!

Beautiful natural light within the rustic barn, a great wedding party and a definite vintage treatment to the processing from Teri

Laura's wild flower bouquet and complimentary table centers were a perfect touch

Highcliffe Castle Wedding of Laura and Dave

2010-10-10T11:00:00.013+01:00

Laura and Dave's October wedding was a brilliant day, the kind of perfect wedding day we want for all couples, relaxed, fun, enjoyable, unhurried, memorable, beautiful, the list goes on! The wedding ceremony itself took place in one of our favourite local Dorset wedding ceremony venues Highcliffe Castle, always a pleasure to photograph with Highcliffe Castle's wonderful double height windows no matter the weather outside. The wedding fun continued with the reception at a little known (well to us at least!) reception venue of The Three Tuns at Bransgore. The reception was a short drive away and truly a hidden gem, The Three Tuns don't advertise and you could easily drive past without noticing, once inside the venue though it's a perfect place for a relaxed and enjoyable day.

One of the joys Teri and I have of wedding photography is meeting new people, getting to know them, being taken in as new friends who will share their wedding day is something very special and getting to know Laura and Dave was no exception.

When we first met with Laura and Dave their energy and enthusiasm for their upcoming wedding was obvious and without knowing any further details we already knew it was going to be a wonderful wedding day.

Unusually we are going to split Laura and Dave's wedding blog entry into two posts, mostly due to the large number of images (Teri always has a hard time making a selection and in this case there are so many details we wanted to share I had to agree!).

Without further ado, welcome to Laura and Dave's wedding images, many congratulations guys, you definitely rocked it! ;)

** Update ** Part II online! Vintage Barn Wedding Reception :)

Not many brides take a night course in floristry but I think it totally paid off, the wildflower bouquet, in fact all the wedding flowers were simply amazing.

What a great use of a bold colour choice for the bridesmaids yellow dresses, being October you could have expected a slightly dull and chilly day and the yellow really brightened up the day (it really was like a warm day in late summer as it happens!)

Having both Teri and I photograph unobtrusively during the ceremony gives a real dual perspective and Highcliffe Castle really benefits from images taken from the back. You can just make Teri out discreetly hidden behind the flowers at the front :)

One of the traditional 'must have' shots of the wedding, always makes a fun photograph for us to capture the guests enjoying the day :)

Highcliffe has a number of rules to which couples must adhere, no traditional throwing of the confetti. In any case, bubbles are way more interesting to look at!

Now when we photographed Laura and Dave's wedding everyone (including us!) LOVED Laura's ensemble, the lace bolero really worked, we could not have guessed at the time Kate Middleton dress designers would take inspiration from Laura's attire. No I am not writing with pre-cognisance, I have back dated this post so we catch up with some of our 2010 weddings :)

With a quick snuzzle they were off, not straight to the reception, no, there was a stop we had to make on the way, you'll have to wait till part two to see where, I will just say, it's October, not far from All Hallows' Eve ;)

Athelhampton Wedding with Poole Guildhall Ceremony, Steph and Giles

2010-09-06T08:00:00.002+01:00

I love the kind of mornings when I wake up and see a bit of blue sky peeking through my lace curtains. It's especially wonderful when it's a wedding day. So I was really happy to have one of those mornings on the day of Stephanie and Giles's wedding day, it meant beautiful weather for one of the sweetest couples we have ever met. It meant also we would get to use the many areas around their stunning wedding reception venue of Athelhampton House.

We started the day at Stephanie's parents house, where Steph and her bridesmaids were getting ready. David headed off to spend time with Giles and the guys. As usual, I went around to check for little things that I thought would have a lot of meaning to Steph. I noticed a little hankie on the bed, Steph explained to me that she embroidered her name on it when she was a little girl. Of course in blue, just perfect for her wedding day. I loved that and feel it's so special to include such sweet things on the day and in the wedding photographs. Then Steph showed me where her dress was hanging and the very clever contraption her father made to store it in, I had to laugh, it was just brilliant!

Steph's dress was a stunning Priscilla of Boston Wedding Dress, it needed it's own room! One of our top tips for a great wedding day is to include things which are personal and individual to you; Steph had the very clever idea of having pockets sewn into her wedding dress, what a wonderful idea and we are starting to hear more about wedding dresses with pockets so I think Steph has started something of a revolution :) It was great fun being with Steph and getting to know the family and bridesmaids before we all set off for the wedding ceremony at the Guildhall in Poole where Giles would be waiting.

There are wedding cars and there are wedding cars. When I saw the car Steph's dad had arranged it was just adorable, a vintage 1961 Morris Minor convertible in light sage green, my only concern was that Steph's dress was bigger than the car! After lots of giggles, Steph and her dad climbed in and we were off!

I love weddings at the Guildhall in Poole because of how beautiful the room is, the quality of light that bounces around it. It seemed especially effervescent for Steph and Giles's wedding. Or maybe it is Steph and Giles that made it so. Either way, it was a touching, a beautiful ceremony, which featured a reading by her lovely mum.

After the ceremony, it was time to head to the reception at Athelhampton House, one of our favourite Dorset Wedding Venues. Laura and the team at Athelhampton always create such a warm and inviting environment for their couples and this wedding was no exception. I can't praise them enough. David and I arrived first, with Steph and Giles a close second, which was perfect as it meant we could have a bit of extra time for photos of the two of them around the house and gardens. The gardens for Athelhampton House Weddings never cease to inspire, they are truly stunning at all times of the year.

As we met up with the gathering of family and guests who had arrived while we were exploring the gardens, Steph and Giles were greeted with champers and their requested special treat of pineapple and cheese. We always say that it's the people who really make weddings so special, seeing the love and friendships that all come together to celebrate the start of a new family. It was very touching to see Steph and Giles being surrounded by that love, as their guests expressed their joy for them.

As wonderful as the day started, it continued into the evening, with lots of lovely speeches, dancing, and hugs. It was truly a special day. Thank you to Steph and Giles for allowing David and I to be part of your wedding day. We loved being there, and hope that as you look back at the images we captured, it always brings that lovely sunshine filled day back to you. It was epic :) Much love and happiness for the future to you both!

Quick shout out to Jenny of Miss Ingredient for her amazing cake creation, we didn't include too many images of the cake below but it was stunning and a work of art Miss Ingredient :)

David's picture of Giles looking very stylish in the morning is made even more memorable because of the stuffed fish :)

Steph's wedding dress complete with pockets :)

Yes there is a good reason (and a great story) for the 1970's style nibbles!

Rhinefield House Wedding Photography, New Forest, Farrha and Ben

2010-08-23T09:00:00.003+01:00

Farrha and Ben choose Rhinefield House in the New Forest for their wedding and as they are based outside Hampshire Rhinefield was also the place we first met. What immediately struck us about Farrha and Ben was their energy and enthusiasm, which to be fair they needed as they were planning the wedding with only a few months to go!

Teri and I knew after spending time with Farrha and Ben on their engagement session the wedding was going to be a lot of fun to photograph. Several surprises, there always is a new way of seeing a venue even when you know it well, we were able to use the private apartments upstairs (thanks to a lovely couple who invited all of us into their home!). The Turkish smoking room made an amazing setting for the romantic nighttime images of Farrha and Ben creating a wonderful end to a brilliant day.

It is always a pleasure to photograph weddings at Rhinefield House, still one of our favourite New Forest venues, the light, the beautiful interiors, the manicured lawns the beautiful facade all work together to create a stunning backdrop and add a certain wow factor for wedding couples and their guests. Farrha and Ben's wedding is the first of this years weddings at this venue, we'll be back again for a winter wedding!

Wish Farrha and Ben very many congratulations from Teri and I! :)

New Forest Wedding Photography at Whitley Ridge, Anna and Ian

2010-08-15T12:00:00.002+01:00

Anna and Ian's August wedding at Whitley Ridge in the New Forest was the first time Teri and I have photographed a wedding at this New Forest Wedding Venue and we had a blast!

The wedding and reception took place at the beautiful Whitley Ridge Manor House near Brockenhurst and there was a very relaxed and intimate feel to the day, having just a small number of family and friends.

One of the fun things Anna and Ian had asked was for a re-creation of a treasured family photograph taken nearly 100 years ago. While we don't often so formally pose group shots it can be fun and the aged sepia effect Teri added made the wedding photo very similar in tint and tone with the 100 year old image Anna had shown us.

Whitley Ridge itself is a wonderful venue, a hotel with a manor house feel and wonderful landscaped grounds for the romantic shots with Anna and Ian, the timing could not have worked out better as we managed to capture the warm evening sunlight.

Wishing Anna and Ian very many congratulations from Teri and I! :)

Carly and Lee Pre-Wedding Engagement Session near Kingston Maurward

2010-08-01T09:00:00.003+01:00

It's no secret that we love doing environmental engagement sessions. With Carly and Lee, we knew it was going to be extra special. I don't even think I can put into words how much fun it was to hang out with them, and be treated by Lee's serenading Carly on the beach.

Carly is going to be a stunning bride, and Lee is going to be a very striking groom. They are without a doubt going to bring the fun factor to their wedding next June at Kingston Maurward House near Dorchester. Music will be very important, as it's a huge part of Lee's life. We love this set of images, and can't wait for the wedding. So allow me to introduce Carly and Lee!

David and I have a busy few months lined up with some amazing couples, if we get chance through the summer to update the blog we will, otherwise check back around Christmas when we start the big updates. The facebook page tends to be updated slightly more often so do check that as well :)

Highcliffe Castle Wedding in Dorset, Claire and Golam

2010-07-26T09:30:00.002+01:00

Claire and Golam's wedding at Highcliffe Castle proved to be a lot of fun! Highcliffe is one of our favourite Dorset wedding venues and we love photographing wedding ceremonies there. The light is fantastic, large double height windows line two sides of the ceremony room and give a real sense of space and openness.

The refurbished Christchurch Harbour Hotel is where both Claire and Golam and their families stayed the night before and where they all got ready. The normal precautions applied during the morning where scheduling ensured they did not inadvertently see each other before the ceremony.

Reception was just a short journey back to the Christchurch Harbour Hotel but not before stopping at Highcliffe for the Romantic shots of Claire and Golam. Being the last wedding of the day meant there was no rush for time and we were able to use the castle as well as the beach at Highcliffe for their photography. We don't always get to use the beach but we were able to make use of the amazing castle doors, no matter the weather there are plenty of options both inside and outside the castle to create beautiful wedding photos.

We wish Claire and Golam a wonderful future together, many congratulations!

Teri and I will be returning to Highcliffe Castle for two more weddings this year, if we get chance through the summer to update the blog we will, otherwise check back toward Christmas when we start the big updates :)

Sweet Home Alabama, Part 2, The Barefoot Bride! Mandi and Brandon's Wedding!

2010-07-23T19:00:00.001+01:00

It was a glorious day for a wedding. Sun was bright in the sky, gentle breezes coming down from the mountain, and the excitement in the air was electric.

Mandi and Brandon's choice of the Foundation Ranch near Oxford Alabama is an idyllic location for a wedding. Stunning views behind the mansion, with a lake and mountain that the sun would set behind, tall trees looming over the ceremony space in an almost cathredral like manner. Simply stunning.

Mandi chose a classic black and white theme, with alot of crafty touches that her creative mom Syndi fashioned for the reception. One of my favorite touches was a little black and white cameo brooch that Mandi was going to use in her bouquet. Unfortunatly, the brooch went missing weeks before the wedding. Teri spent the day before the wedding helping Syndi with center pieces for the tables, when Syndi struck gold, and discovered the errant brooch! Deciding to keep that a secret surprise for Mandi on the wedding day, Teri enlisted David's help from 5000 miles away to do a couple of images to go inside the brooch of Mandi's grandparents and her parents. This had been something Mandi had wanted to do, but with the brooch missing,, well, this was a last minute surprise for her! The photos of Syndi giving the bouquet to Mandi and Mandi's emotional reaction was really something.

The boys stayed in the gameroom playing pool and chilling out before the ceremony. It was such a relaxed and fun atmosphere.

The ceremony was at sunset, which gave the girls plenty of time to get ready. Their dresses were gorgeous black grecian style, and they all carried a single white rose. Bride and bridesmaids were barefoot, it was just so elegant.

Mandi chose a vintage lace fishtail style gown and birdcage veil, with her hair swept up to one side. Shoes were by 'mother nature', as she was a barefoot bride.

The sunset created an almost mystical look thru the steamy mist that was coming off the lake behind the ceremony. It was just beautiful, emotional and joyeous.

Best wishes to Mandi and Brandon, much love from Teri and David.

Sweet Home Alabama, Mandi and Brandon Engaged!

2010-07-22T08:00:00.001+01:00

It's not a well known fact that Teri was born in Alabama, USA (yes, she's a true southern belle!). So going there for the wedding of Mandi and Brandon was a really special treat, both artistically and on a personal level; Mandi is family!

With the wedding day the very next day, we got to use the beautiful Foundation Ranch near Oxford Alabama for the session. This being the venue for the wedding, Teri hung around and got to help with the finishing touches on the wedding day decor using her mad hot glue gun skills.

Amazing location, a beautiful sweet bride, handsome groom, a mountain backdrop and best of all, warm gorgeous light. More of their engagement images on facebook Mandi and Brandon Engaged! :)

**Update Mandi and Brandon's wedding images are now on the blog Mandi and Brandon Married! :)

Pre Wedding Session at Whitley Ridge in the New Forest with Anna and Ian

2010-07-19T09:00:00.005+01:00

Anna and Ian choose Whitley Ridge Manor House Hotel in the New Forest for their wedding, it is such a beautiful location we decided to use the hotel and it's grounds for their pre wedding engagement session.

Recently we have been scheduling engagement and portrait sessions toward the late afternoon and early evening, being predominately natural light photographers we can catch the warm sunlight shortly before sunset. The engagement session could not have been timed more perfectly, the light 1/2 hour before sunset was beautifully soft and warm and worked amazingly well for the type of dreamy sunset images we'd planned to create.

Totally looking forward to the wedding, Anna and Ian on seeing the engagement images are so excited about their wedding photography they've suggested an hour for the romantic shots just before sunset. Fingers crossed for the weather but Whitley Ridge has so many cool areas inside and out I know we're going to have a blast, can't wait!

**Update** Anna and Ian's wedding pictures now online! New Forest Wedding at Whitley Ridge :)

Cyprus Destination Wedding Photos, Laura and Darren

2010-07-15T21:00:00.019+01:00

Being referred by clients to their friends is always special. We met Laura at two of our weddings (each within a week of the other!). First at Mel and Lee's rocking medieval wedding at Portland Castle (everyone in full costumes, including David and I), and I remember Laura singing karaoke (yes, I do remember you singing Laura, LOL). We met up with Laura again the next week at Gemma and James sweet English vintage countryside wedding in Weymouth. We laughed about meeting again at another wedding, and she mentioned that when she gets married to her fiance Darren, it would be in Cyprus where they have connections.

I half joked with her that we'd love to come shoot it. Fast forward to a year later, and we were sitting with them discussing their amazing plans to get married in Ayia Napa at the Grecian Sands Hotel.

We did a little pre-wedding session before heading off to Cyprus, and right away, I knew that this was going to be one of the most fun couples we have worked with. Full of sunshine and laughter. A few of those images can be viewed on our facebook page.

I have so much affection and love for Laura and Darren, as well as their family and friends who embraced David and I the week we spent with them in Cyprus. It was definitely a very special experience being there with them. Darren's sister and her family currently live in Cyprus, as does Laura's Grandmother, so it was a nice family reunion of sorts as well as a wedding. We had some wonderful nights out getting to know everyone. I almost feel I should do a report of what a great time we had with them in Cyprus, but for now, let's just jump ahead to the day of the ceremony.

David was meeting up with Darren and his best man, Tom at our hotel, The Bella Napa, across the road from where Laura was getting ready at the Grecian Sands. From the photos David took, he and the guys had a blast before the ceremony, I don't know what was going on with the oversized sunglasses, apparently wedding guest Joel from Bournemouth produced those, and they now have legendary status, lol.

Back at the Grecian Sands, I applied Laura's make up, and bridesmaid Karen styled her hair. The atmosphere was happy and calm. Louise, Laura's mom made Bellini's for us all, which was much appreciated! Claire, Laura's sister and bridesmaid, along with her adorable little girls kept the party lively with their sweet laughter. To protect the innocent, I won't mention the bouquet incident, but will just say Karen is hysterical!

Laura was an absolute vision in her stunning Maggie Sottero wedding gown. I loved the men in their creamy beige linen suits and flipflops!

The ceremony itself was lovely, with the gorgeous Cyprus sunshine and blue waters as a backdrop. I loved how the white tarpin over the ceremony area diffused the sun, and created the perfect sort of light. Laura was the epitome of calm, until the music "Heaven" started to play, signaling her entrance thru the garden toward where Darren was waiting to marry her. But only a tiny wobble, and she was on her with with her father Grahame by her side. I think it can be said they looked amazing as they came down the garden stairs. The smile Laura flashed Darren still makes me smile as I look at it again. The ceremony was performed by family friend Maria, who the family have known for 20 years in visiting Cyprus. Her brothers own Tofini's and Evinos, the latter which Laura and Darren used for their evening reception. The food was amazing! But I'm jumping ahead there, lol.

By the time the happy couple were pronounced 'man and wife', there was not a dry eye in sight. It was very emotional.

Inside the Grecian Sands, drinks and canapes were set up, while we waited for the rooftop terrace to signal that it was time to head up for the wedding breakfast, which was a gorgeous spread and a barbeque. We kept the little ones entertained with 'tickle sticks' while we waited,, lol. The wedding breakfast was epic! I don't think I have ever seen so much meat! I suspect all of us brought back a few more pounds on us than when we left, lol. Speeches were emotional, with father of the bride, Grahame revealing a bit about Laura's childhood, he had everyone both laughing and crying at the same time. The blissful groom, Darren was next, and his love for Laura was evident throughout his emotive words. Gifts were given to the special people involved in their day, and then it was time for Bestman Tom's speech. Something he had been really looking forward to,, hehe. He did a fabulous job, and was rewarded with a kiss by his own fiance Kate.

After the wedding breakfast, everyone headed to their rooms to refresh and then head to Tofini's to gather for drinks before going down the road to Evino's for the evening meal and a bit of dancing.

We snuck off with Laura and Darren to make good use of the beautiful Cyprus sunset to capture the romantic wedding images of them. If you look closely at the image of them standing on the cliffs, you will see another couple sitting below them,, the man was serenading his girlfriend while playing his guitar, and happened to be playing Laura's entrance song 'Heaven' when she and Darren were just above them, that my friends is serendipity :) I joked that I planned that for them, LOL.

It's such a joy when two people so in love trust you to capture their day as Laura and Darren trusted us. From David and I, thank you again for bringing us into the fold and trusting us to document the wedding. I know you will have a long and happy life together, and look forward to seeing your family grow.

Congrats again to Laura and Darren!

Teri

1950's Vintage Themed Pre Wedding Engagement Session, Valerie and Jamie

2010-07-11T19:30:00.005+01:00

Engagement sessions, like wedding photography should be fun and Valerie's and Jamie's pre-wedding session was no exception!

David and I always include an engagement session before the wedding, it's a great way to get to know our couples a little. We get to create beautiful, natural, and creative images for them and that builds a lot of trust as they know they are going to look great in their wedding images. Couples also get to see how we work and get to know us better, on the wedding day they are looking forward to us photographing them rather than worrying about being photographed. It's very much a win-win situation and something we believe is so valuable we do not charge an additional fee for the session :)

We love photographing engagement sessions and were one of the first wedding photographers in the UK to include them with our wedding packages. They are always fun and present a lot of creative options for us to try out new ideas. Thankfully our clients love them too and we often work closely with couples to create a series of images they have envisioned. Wedding photography for us is very much a team effort and we are totally open to ideas, encouraging our clients to be involved in all parts of the photographic process. When everyone gets involved the session really takes off with one idea sparking another, Valerie's and Jamie's session is a perfect example of that process in action.

Valerie's and Jamie's Athelhampton House wedding is this August and for the wedding they are going with an authentic 1950's vintage wedding theme, not fancy dress, real live vintage! We all agreed it would be great fun for the pre-wedding session to go with a very playful 1950's theme. Oh boy, oh boy! As soon as we caught up with Val and Jamie at one of our favorite hang outs and saw the effort they'd put in we knew this was going to a great session!

A huge thank you to Val and Jamie for being such great sports and allowing David and I to be part of the start of something fantastic! We can't wait for the wedding!

Great Fosters Wedding Photography, Clare and Michael

2009-10-19T11:00:00.007+01:00

Our first wedding at Great Fosters near Windsor was amazing, Clare and Michael had been looking forward to the wedding day with such excitement. Teri and I had already visited the Surrey wedding venue with them for the engagement session and their enthusiam was infectious!

Great Fosters near London is a 16th century grade 1 listed manor house hotel with stunning gardens and a rustic barn which is ideal for the wedding breakfast. The hotel is split (similar to Rhinefield) so the wedding party and guests feel like they have the place to themselves. The inside of the Manor House has the impression of stepping back in time, oak panelled hallways and rooms, creaking floorboards and stone mullion leaded windows create a wonderful backdrop.

Though Teri and I are based in Dorset, we are always happy to travel to photograph weddings, Great Fosters is just about an hour away from us so almost local (some wedding venues in Dorset are more than an hours journey!).

It was difficult to keep the number of displayed images to a reasonable amount, I could have included a lot more of the fun evening pictures from the wedding. Clare and Michael asked guests to bring fun 'dress-up' items. By the time Teri and I left a little after the first dance all the dress up items were being worn on the dance floor, the guests had a great time.

Amazing day and a great pleasure to be trusted with creating the wedding images, thank you Clare and Michael for letting us be part of your day.

Many Congratulations!!

Corfe Castle Vintage Themed Wedding of Teresa and Giles

2009-10-12T11:59:00.006+01:00

Teresa and Giles's Dorset wedding ceremony at St Edward, King and Martyr, Corfe Castle was one of the more intimate weddings of the year. Tersa and the bridesmaids went with a vintage wedding dress theme and Giles and the guys wore full morning suits and top hats for a more traditional feel.

After the ceremony the wedding car made the very short journey across the road to Mortons House Hotel in Corfe Village for the wedding reception. The guests (and Teri and I) walked the short distance, one of the most relaxed and informal weddings of the year so far.

We have photographed at the church in Corfe several times and we love the mix of natural light and candle light but this was our first time photographing a wedding reception at Mortons Hotel, the hotel is not large but worked beautifully for the number of guests. Outside space on the patio where the drinks reception was served was perfect and the sun shone and you wouldn't have guessed it was October.

Thank you Teresa and Giles and familes for allowing us to be part of your day, it was a real pleasure and look forward to seeing you both again soon! :)

Many Congratulations!!

Dorset Wedding Photography Compton Acres, Nicky and Dan

2009-09-28T11:00:00.015+01:00

Nicky and Dan's wedding at Compton Acres Italian Villa was our second visit to this stunning venue in 2009 and Teri and I are already booked to photograph at the Dorset wedding venue in 2010. As one of Compton Acres recommended photographers we have photographed there many times and it still remains one of our favourite wedding venues. The team at Compton Acres (Laura!) job and Beales catering always do a great job :)

In the morning Teri hooked up with Nicky getting ready at her parents and I met Dan and the guys at the New Beehive in Canford Cliffs (a pub that is within walking distance!). As always the Poole registrars were relaxed and the ceremony was one of the most relaxed and fun of the year. Just after the ceremony we sneaked Nicky and Dan into the Japanese Gardens for some quick romantic alone photographs. The requested group shots were taken as they fitted in with the day, great advantage to having the ceremony and reception at the same venue is you have total flexibility to fit in any photography as the day naturally unfolds.

We always say to couples, it's not just about picking a great venue, a great wedding is about the couple, their families and friends and the joy of sharing their wedding with them. Nicky and Dan's day was perfect, really lovely couple and a pleasure for Teri and I to be part of their day.

Many Congratulations Nicky and Dan!! :)

Lulworth Castle Wedding with Wedding Ceremony at St Mary's Chapel, Seb and Selina

2009-09-21T09:00:00.008+01:00

Seb and Selina's wedding at Lulworth Castle will be the first of our two trips to Lulworth Castle this year. This wedding was the first time Teri and I have photographed at Lulworth's St Mary's Chapel, just a short walk from the castle. The chapel is 18th century and has the most interesting interior decor, the stunning duck egg blue painted ceilings and the sage green pews with large windows create an amazing space for the wedding ceremony.

In the morning the weather was set for fair, Selina her family and bridesmaids getting ready with Teri at the Harbour Heights hotel, I went over to see Seb and the guys at Lulworth. I think Seb must hold our current record for number of ushers! While we waited for guests to arrive at the chapel in the morning I thought it might make a cool shot to get all 13 ushers, the 2 best men and Seb upstairs in the chapel. I started to get a little concerned we wouldn't fit everyone upstairs but we just about made it :)

As always the team at Lulworth Castle put on an amazing day, it was a pleasure for Teri and I to photograph and be involved in the wedding, Seb and Selina, their families and friends made us feel very welcome. Teri and I wish Seb and Selina many congratulations!!

Quick shouts, amazing contemporary wedding cake provided by Cakes By Suzanne, great to see Alan from Barnes Wedding Cars again, they always do such an amazing job!

If you are thinking of having a wedding at Lulworth then each year there's a Lulworth Castle Wedding Fair that's worth a visit :)

Poole Guildhall Wedding and Harbour Heights Wedding Reception, Emma and Stuart

2009-09-14T11:00:00.015+01:00

Emma and Stuart's September wedding at the Poole Guildhall with the wedding reception at Harbour Heights was a lot of fun. So many weddings (especially the ceremony) can look good in black and white but between Stuart's orange shirt, Emma's amazing wedding shoes and the bridemaid's colourful wedding dresses and orange flowers there was a lot of colour to capture!

Being September and still in the holiday season getting down the beach for the beautiful alone images was going to be a mission, Teri and I dropped our car off at Harbour Heights and we all piled into the 1960's splitscreen camper for the trip to the beach.

The day was rounded off perfectly when everyone was treated to amazing sunset views across Poole harbour from Harbour Heights.

Thank you Emma and Stuart for allowing Teri and I to be part of your wedding day. Many Congratulations! :)

Athelhampton House Wedding In Dorset, Daniel and Clare

2009-08-24T11:00:00.010+01:00

It's the case that for us, every wedding special and unique. Each of our couples have so much love and affection for each other, that it inspires us to pull out all the stops!

Daniel and Clare's Wedding at Athelhampton House in Dorset was no exception. We started off the day with Clare where she was getting ready with her bridesmaids at Kingston Maurward Manor House, a stunning Elizabethan 'E' plan manor house, not far from their wedding venue at Athelhampton. Such a gorgeous location for any bride to spend the morning of her wedding :) I wore an extra hat and used my background as a make up artist to skillfully do Clare's make up. Soft and elegant was the order of the day. David stayed a bit to photograph some of the make up process before visiting Daniel and the guys getting ready at the White House across the road from the manor.

The ceremony was held in the Great Hall inside main house, a Dorset manor house with a rich and interesting history. Athelhampton gardens and the house itself are open to the public and well worth a visit. We knew the gardens were going to be a feature of the day, and we kept an eagle eye on the sky to make much use of it before any showers. We encouraged Dan and Clare to just take a stroll around the gardens, enjoying their first stunned moments as a married couple and David and I photographed as they explored the grounds.

The day could not have been more perfect, an adorable couple, great families, warm friends and a great band to end the evening with.

Best Wishes to Dan and Clare!

Teri

Quick shouts, another amazing cake creation from www.cakesbylisanotley.co.uk and the beautiful wedding car provided by Christine and Reg of www.barnesweddings.co.uk :)

Great Fosters Pre Wedding Photography, Clare and Michael

2009-08-17T15:00:00.005+01:00

It's always a great feeling when we are recommended by our clients to their friends, Clare and Michael were introduced to us by Claire and Darrell (who's wedding we photographed in Berkshire at Lillibrooke Manor last year).

Great Fosters in Egham is just about an hour from where we are based and since the wedding would be at Great Fosters Hotel we suggested to use the wedding venue as one of the locations for the pre-wedding photography. We met up at Clare's parents house in Egham and photographed around the garden then headed over to Great Fosters.

I think we spent more time chatting, finding out about Clare and Michael's wedding plans and exploring Great Fosters with them than we did taking pictures! Getting together was a lot of fun and everyone is really excited about the wedding, it's going to be an amazing day.

It is wonderful to photograph two people so in love, we can't wait for the wedding!

*Update* Clare and Michael's wedding photos are now on the blog Great Fosters Wedding Photography :)

Wedding Photography in Dorset at Up Cerne Manor House, Charlie and Hay Ming

2009-08-10T11:00:00.013+01:00

What an amazing day we had with Charlie and Hay Ming! We started the day at Charlie's parent's cottage, which has the warmest feeling about it. Every time we visit there, I feel like it's walking into a 'hug', it's just got that kind of feeling about it. But that could also be because Linda (Charlie's mum) and Charlie are such warm people, that I get that feeling when I am around them.

Often, we are asked if we have photographed certain venues. While it can be nice to have photographed at a venue, prior to a wedding, it's not essential since we are able to work out very quickly what we need to do in order to capture the wedding day, with the time constraints, lighting issues, and layout of the venue. A wonderful example of how we have to be able to photograph a wedding day, regardless if we have been at the venue before is the wedding day of Charlie and Hay Ming.

Charlie and Hay Ming's wedding ceremony was at Holy Trinity Church in Dorchester, with the ceremony conducted by Father John Rice. The reception was to be at a privately owned Dorset Manor House called Up Cerne Manor. Because it is a private home, it was not possible to visit it before the wedding day. So it was a surprise how amazing it was, and presented some exciting options for us. So while it's good to get to visit a venue before the day, when that isn't an option, I like to think that we rise to the occasion with style, and finesse.

Charlie and Hay Ming personalized the manor with framed wedding images of their parents, and other close family members. It was a lovely touch. One image of Charlie's parents wedding, where they had their little westie dog in the photo with them was a big favorite. We tried to duplicate that shot with Charlie and Hay Ming's dog, which resulted in alot of fun, lol.

What can we say about Charlie's gown and veil, there aren't enough words. Designed by Elie Saab, both gown and veil could have been made just for Charlie, she made them both look stunning. When we got to Upcerne Manor, and we saw the grand staircase there, (which Linda had been telling us was awesome and she was right!), we knew that we had to take advantage of it for some dramatic shots.

The day ended in fireworks, and cigars all round, which Hay Ming insisted David enjoy a cigar with him,, an offer David couldn't refuse. :)

It was one of the most fun, joyeous weddings we have ever been part of. Charlie and Hay Ming made us feel like part of their families, and I can't say enough how much David and I loved being part of the day.

Amazing wedding cake by Lisa Notley www.cakesbylisanotley.co.uk our favourite wedding cake lady :)

Sandbanks Beach Pre Wedding Photography, Michelle and Max

2009-08-10T09:00:00.001+01:00

Michelle and Max wanted to include the beach in their pre-wedding or engagement session so we met up not far from Sandbanks near Bournemouth and used the wooded areas as well as the beachy scenes to give a nice variation to the images.

Teri has applied a contemporary style to the image processing, it's becoming very popular with our clients and looks beautiful in large prints!

Looking forward to seeing Michelle and Max for their Exeter wedding in December :)

Beach Wedding Hengistbury Head Bournemouth, Evelyn and Tim

2009-08-09T19:30:00.003+01:00

When we first met with Evelyn and Tim it was very clear their wedding plans were something different to what many of our couples might consider. With a plan to ride on the noddy train at Hengistbury Head with all the wedding guests meant that it would be a wedding few guests could forget! It's one of those plans that would not have been quite as much fun given some of last years weather but as it turned out the weather was perfect, blue skies and a few fluffy clouds!

The Willows Room choosen by Evelyn and Tim at Bournemouth Town Hall has such beautiful natural light and the beach images we loved as well. The day was topped off by a really lovely meal at Tim's parents with Evelyn's father doing an amazing job of carving the suckling pigs.

Thank you guys for allowing Teri and I to be part of your wedding day, many congratulations! :)

Oxford College Wedding at Keble Chapel, Hannah and Ross

2009-08-04T09:00:00.006+01:00

We always say to couples Teri and I are happy to travel to photograph weddings, Hannah and Ross's wedding at Keble College Chapel in Oxford is a perfect example. We first met Hannah when she was in Dorset visiting family in the area, Hannah and Ross live near London and Ross went to University at Keble College and always wanted to get married in Keble's beautiful College Chapel.

Dorset does have some amazing churches, Wimborne Minster, Milton Abbey Weddings, Christchurch Priory and a little further afield Salisbury Cathedral but Keble's Chapel is really stunning. The high ceiling, columns the colourful and intricate mosaic tiling made a beautiful backdrop for the wedding service.

Many congratulations Hannah and Ross!

Sandbanks Pre Wedding With Selina and Seb

2009-08-03T11:00:00.004+01:00

Teri and I met up with Selina and Seb for their pre-wedding session, as is sometimes the case we agreed to met up with no fixed plan for photography locations, just a general area and a meeting place and time.

Selina and Seb were great fun, we knew they wanted to include the beach in their pre-wedding images and so we headed over to Sandbanks and the area by the chain ferry as there are beachhuts and the dunes there make for a beautiful backdrop. Teri has applied a digital process to give contemporary look to the last couple of images which works really well, in fact Selina and Seb picked the second the last image of them in silhouette against the sky to have framed in washed oak which looks amazing.

Looking forward to blogging their Lulworth Castle Wedding which should be a lot of fun as it is one of our favourite Dorset wedding venues! :)

*Update* Selina and Seb's wedding images are now on the blog, see Wedding at Lulworth Castle in Dorset :)

*Update* Selina and Seb's wedding images are now on the blog, see Wedding at Lulworth Castle in Dorset :)

New Forest Wedding Photography Encore Session Lynsey and Steven

2009-08-01T17:00:00.012+01:00

It's been another busy summer here at Murakami Photography, but we are back, and have many exciting blog entries to make! Knowing where to begin is the hard part, lol. We have been blessed to photograph some amazing portrait sessions and weddings this summer, so I think it's time to share :)

To get the ball rolling again, I wanted to blog a lovely couple we met at Lisa and Simon's Bournemouth wedding in April 2008. Lynsey and Steven are an amazing couple, not just because they are from Scotland ;) They married just a few months ago, and while we weren't able to photograph their wedding, we had talked about getting together for a post wedding Encore session whenever they had the time. They were down recently to visit Lisa and Simon, as well as baby Ruby (Congrats again to Lisa and Simon on the newest family member!)

An Encore photo shoot is our take on the 'Trash the Dress, Rock the Frock, Cherish the Dress' type photo sessions. Rather than trashing any dresses, we approach this as a fun way to create lasting memories of the newlyweds in their wedding outfits. To us it's about cool photos in a location that perhaps wasn't possible on the wedding day, either due to distance (Scotland to the New Forest on a wedding day is a bit prohibitive, lol) or perhaps lack of time available on the wedding day to do an extended photo session. The end result is a collection of images that are cherished and displayed so children and future generations will be able to see you were fun and occasionally a little cool ;)

Lyns loved the images we took of Claire and Darrell in the New Forest near Rhinefield House so we planned to use that location. The area is a beautiful part of the New Forest and we know it well from previous wedding photography at Rhinefield House Hotel. We are often commissioned to photograph in the same venues but never see things the same way, the weather, the light and the couple are always different and bring something unique that inspires us. Once I saw Steven in his kilt, I knew this session would be different. It was going to be much more dramatic and mystical. We could not plan to have such a fantastic sunset so when we noticed the sky was starting to colour up we headed out onto the moorland to take full advantage.

Thank you to Lynsey and Steven for being so wonderful and easy to photograph. Also a huge thanks to Lisa and Simon for allowing to us to meet up at her house and providing a place for Lynsey to change into her wedding gown. It was great to see everyone all together again and David and I to meet Ruby for the first time :)

So, with no more delays, here is a selection from Lynsey and Steven's New Forest post wedding Encore session! Hope you enjoy!

Careys Manor New Forest Wedding, Stephanie and Dean

2009-07-18T11:00:00.012+01:00

Stephanie and Dean's chose Careys Manor House for their New Forest Wedding. The ceremony room is unusual with a square skylight in the ceiling and pine roof timbers which give a modern feel while keeping in line with the style of the old manor.

The weather it has to be said was changeable but it didn't dampen anyones enthusiasm and we did manage to get outside for some groups shots and quicky shots with Steph and Dean. We also made use of the beautiful stairwell within the Manor for some of the romantic alone shots :)

Many Congratulations Steph and Dean!

Athelhampton House and Dorset Beach Pre Wedding Clare and Dan

2009-07-12T18:00:00.005+01:00

Clare and Dan live in London but like many of our clients have family locally to Dorset. Their wedding will be at Athelhampton House later this year so we took the opportunity to meet up at the Manor for the start of the engagement session. On the wedding day itself there's often not time to wander and explore so the pre-wedding session can be a good time to get clients ideas for how they'd like to use the venue for their photography.

Teri and I often suggest to have 2 locations for the engagement session and Clare and Dan's second choice were the beaches over toward Sandbanks.

It was great to finally meet Clare and Dan and everyone had a great time, looking forward to the wedding! :)

*Update* Daniel and Clare's wedding images are now on the blog, see Wedding at Athelhampton House in Dorset :)

New Forest Wedding Burley Manor, Leanne and Marcus

2009-06-07T14:00:00.006+01:00

Leanne and Marcus's wedding took place at the beautiful red brick church of St Michael And All Angels, Hinton with New Forest wedding reception at Burley Manor House Hotel. Leanne and the bridesmaids got ready at the Manor and it provided stunning natural light in the bridal preparation room for Teri to create some beautiful romantic getting ready images.

Thank you guys for letting Teri and I be part of your day, many congratulations!! :)

Kingston Country Barn Wedding in Dorset, Emily and Dean

2009-05-24T11:00:00.013+01:00

Emily and Dean's wedding took place at the Kingston Country Courtyard Barn, nestled in the Dorset countryside overlooking Corfe Castle. It was our first wedding at the old Barn and we loved the relaxed atmosphere, the whole setting worked really well as a wedding venue. Wedding guests accommodation was within Kingston Country Courtyard which means the whole place was taken over with family and friends of Emily and Dean.

Beautiful wedding flowers provided by Dorset florists www.poundburyflorist.co.uk
The amazing chocolate wedding cake was provided by our favourite wedding cake lady Lisa Notley, she does amazing work and totally recommended http://www.cakesbylisanotley.co.uk
Kingston Country Courtyard is a great venue for Dorset weddings and run by two amazing people, Bobbie and Tim, visit the website www.kingstoncountrycourtyard.com :)

Sometimes there's time in the evening for a quick walk out and about and with the amazing sunset we totally knew we had to take advantage!

Thank you guys for letting Teri and I be part of your day, many congratulations!! :)

Check out their wedding gallery on our public facebook page Emily and Dean Married!

Pre Wedding Photography Corfe Castle, Ruth and Ian

2009-05-19T15:00:00.007+01:00

Ruth and Ian's pre wedding photography session started at Corfe Castle in Dorset, it's a beautiful area for photos. Hard to resist using the castle itself as it's such a neat structure with lots of interesting ruins. Ruth and Ian had never been around the castle so it was good fun to use somewhere for the engagement images they had not visited.

The second location we went out into the countryside toward Lulworth Cove, unusual weather conditions made for some different images, one minute it was bright sun the next we were in thick fog!

Looking forward to seeing you both again in Kent for the wedding this June! :)

Check out their gallery on our public facebook page Ruth and Ian Engagement and leave a comment :)

The Repercussion Band Shoot, Dorset

2009-05-17T21:00:00.003+01:00

Something slightly different!

We love photographing weddings in and around Dorset, Hampshire and the New Forest. Dan and Becky, of our wedding couples from last year asked if we would photograph their band, we thought it would be something a little different, it turned out to be very different..

Dan knows a local farmer and he was happy for us to photograph around his farm, farmer Alan and we came to know him was slightly bemused about us going into the cow field but not as bemused as the cows!

Teri sustained a cow related clothing incident but all in all everyone enjoyed the experience :)

Check out the bands music via their website The Repercussion

Bournemouth Church Wedding Reception at Royal Bath Hotel, Sherri-Louise and Geoff

2009-05-16T18:00:00.005+01:00

Sherri-Louise and Geoffs Bournemouth Wedding with reception at the beautiful Royal Bath Hotel above Bournemouth Beach was a pleasure to photograph. The ceremony took place at a church just around the corner from Sherri-Louises parents house at Moordown St Johns, the church there has the most amazing light coming in from a large ornate window at the back of the church.

We knew Sherri-Louise and Geoff wanted to use Bournemouth Beach for the wedding photos so not long after arriving at the hotel we nipped down to the beach for the romantic alone shots.

Teri and I love photographing weddings at the Royal Bath Hotel, the hotel has very high ceilings in the classic style of a grand Victorian hotel. We made use of the entrance hall with it's central chandelier for some cool inside shots before the couple went in for the evening reception in the grand ballroom.

Congratulations!! :)

Dorset Engagement Photography, Emma and Geoff

2009-05-12T14:00:00.002+01:00

Getting together with Emma and Geoff for their engagement session meant going into the 'real' Dorset, out towards Dorchester and into the countryside. They are very much rooted in the country so it made perfect sense to use Geoff's farm for their e-session!

As well Emma and Geoff we wanted to include some of their animals, Zippy is Geoff's working dog and amazingly well trained (Zippy is very apt as she didn't stop moving!) and Emma's horse made a quick appearence.

When we first met with Emma and Geoff there were two turkeys, one called Bernard and the other called Matthews. Sadly Matthews did not make it past Christmas but Bernard was very friendly and wouldn't leave Teri alone! :)

Lulworth Beach Pre Wedding Photography With Charlie and Hay Ming

2009-04-22T08:30:00.009+01:00

Charlie and Hay Ming are based over near Dorchester and one of their favourite places is Lulworth Cove, we met up there for some fun beach images then on to the second location, a group of deserted houses near to Lulworth Castle.

The weather started off as bright sun and blue skies, the next moment it was hailing and we all beat a hasty retreat to the pub in Lulworth while the hail passed.

Looking forward to seeing Charlie and Hay Ming at the end of May, Wedding ceremony at Holy Trinity Church in Dorchester then on to an amazing private Dorset Manor House wedding venue near to the Cerne Giant, very cool, can't wait! :)

Update: Charlie and Hay Ming's wedding images are now on the blog Up Cerne Manor House Wedding :)

Update: Charlie and Hay Ming's wedding images are now on the blog Up Cerne Manor House Wedding :)

New Forest Wedding Encore Session with Claire and Darrell

2009-04-20T11:00:00.003+01:00

Claire and Darrell were such fun on their wedding we asked if they would be interested in an Encore Post Wedding Session. One of the locations they suggested for the session was one of their (and our!) favourite places, The New Forest!

Other photographers, particularly in the US have variously called these sessions Trash the Dress (no really, though we could never imagine doing anything that would cause damage!) or Cherish The Dress or Romance The Dress.

Well to us it's not about the dress (trashing it or otherwise!). It's about creating some beautiful images that perhaps were not possible on the wedding day and having total fun with the photography. I'm sure if Claire and Darrell had their wedding ceremony within the New Forest we would have gone out for some forest wedding photographs!

Putting Claire on the Redwood tree stump was Darrells idea and it worked really well, to the extend that an older couple out for a walk in the forest came up and asked if we mind they take some pictures of Claire. If you can go out and create photographs that make people smile as they walk past it makes everyone smile.

Teri processed some of the images to make them look more unusual, on the day of the session we knew that Darrell's wellies and Claire wearing heavy boots under her beautiful pink wedding dress would make for some fun post wedding images. The first image below has a daguerreotype style treatment we (well me mostly!) have titled 'Russian Peasants' as it looks like they are returning from a hard day working in the fields :)

Claire and Darrell's wedding photographs are also on the blog, Wedding at Lillibrooke Manor

Thanks for Claire and Darrell for being so much fun, the session was a blast and we got to try out some new ideas, thanks guys! :)

Beach Pre Wedding Session, Steph and Dean

2009-04-18T18:00:00.006+01:00

We love using the natural environment and when Steph mentioned they'd like to have images that included the beaches around Bournemouth we suggested one of our favourite spots over by Sandbanks. The beach huts and sea grass work beautifully for vibrant lifestyle images and the pre-wedding portrait session.

On the day Steph wore a deep primary colour which in strong sunlight works brilliantly, Teri topped off their ensemble by suggesting a bright plastic windmill for fun shots of them together.

We all had a great time at the beach and on the way back to Bournemouth stopped off at another of our favourite places, Upton House and Country Estate, we love using the architecture there and the stucco plaster walls and columns give almost a Mediterranean feel despite being in Dorset!

Looking forward to see Steph and Dean soon for their summer wedding in the New Forest wedding venue of Careys Manor in July! :)

Please leave a comment below or via our public facebook page at Facebook Murakami Photography :)

Update: Steph and Dean's wedding images are now online New Forest Wedding Photos :)

Leanne and Marcus Engagement Session

2009-04-17T11:00:00.008+01:00

We met up with Leanne and Marcus over at Christchurch Quay near the Bandstand and chatted about their wedding plans and what they are looking for from their wedding photography. The wedding is in June this year with the wedding ceremony at St Michael and All Angels in Hinton and the reception at the Burley Manor Hotel in the New Forest.

I think we overworked Leanne and Marcus, normally for the pre wedding engagement sessions we suggest to have 2 locations in mind and they normally run to about 3 hours maximum. More than that and it can get tiring, they both held up really well though as we flitted between Rhinefield's ornamental drive and Highcliffe castle and the beach at Highcliffe. We stopped along the way at St Michael and All Angels in Hinton to check out the church, really cute red brick church on the A35 as you head out from Christchurch towards Rhinefield House.

Teri and I know The Burley Manor at Burley but will go over about 2 weeks before the wedding and make sure it is how we remember it! We love the New Forest and feel very lucky to live so close to such a beautiful area of the country, so far this year we have five New Forest Weddings booked and already for next year we are on track to photograph more than five!

Look forward to seeing Leanne and Marcus in June! :)

Please leave a comment below or via our public facebook page at Facebook Murakami Photography

Update: Leanne and Marcus's wedding now blogged Burley Manor New Forest Wedding :)

Teri getting the perfect angle for her speciality shot of the couple in front of the stunning wooden castle doors at Highcliffe Castle :)

Update: Leanne and Marcus's wedding now blogged Burley Manor New Forest Wedding :)

Compton Acres Wedding Italian Villa, Tina and Dave

2009-04-15T20:00:00.002+01:00

Tina and Dave's spring wedding at Compton Acres Italian Villa near Sandbanks in Dorset was the perfect day for a wedding, blue skys and warm but not hot. Guests had literally come from all over the world to be there and that is a special thing to be part of in itself.

The whole wedding day was relaxed and well paced. Dave rocked up to the wedding venue at Compton Acres a full 2 hours plus before the ceremony to make sure he wasn't late arriving! Most of the guests arrived via an iconic london bus and Tina and her father Malcom making their entrance courtesy of an old fashioned 7 seater convertible wedding car supplied by local Bournemouth company Barnes Wedding Cars.

One of the things we love about the Italian Villa near Sandbanks are the beautiful gardens, there's always something in bloom and no matter the time of year one or more of the formal gardens has colour and interest. The cherry blossoms were in bloom in the Japanese Gardens which made a perfect backdrop for the romantic wedding images with Tina and Dave.

The full wedding gallery will go online just as soon as we are able to get together with Tina and Dave after their honeymoon. Congratulations, have a wonderful time and thank you for letting Teri and I be part of your day :)

Please leave a comment below or via our public facebook page at Facebook Murakami Photography

Wedding Venue: www.the-italian-villa.co.uk

Orchardleigh House Wedding Somerset, Victoria and Jon

2009-03-25T17:00:00.010Z

Orchardleigh House was the Somerset wedding venue chosen by Victoria and Jon, the wedding ceremony itself was at All Saints Church in Lullington as the church within Orchardleigh Estate itself was not big enough for all the wedding guests!

The weather for the day started with clear sky, a small amount of rain just before the ceremony and the rest of the day was dry. Umbrellas at a wedding can make for some fun shots and the grooms party waiting outside the church for the bride and bridesmaids to arrive was one such image from the day.

It was a pleasure to photograph Victoria and Jon's wedding, many of the guests had flown in from South Africa and were able to stay at the stables accommodation within the estate.

Teri and I wish Victoria and Jon all the best for their married life! :)

Compton Acres Pre Wedding Photography, Tina and Dave

2009-03-21T16:15:00.006Z

The first part of Dave and Tina's pre-wedding engagement session was at Compton Acres Italian Villa near Sandbanks. It was a good chance to look round and get their ideas on places within the wedding venue to use for their wedding in April this year.

We have photographed weddings at Dorset's Compton Acres many times and are one of their recommended wedding vendors so it's always a pleasure to visit there and photograph. The gardens and the flower borders at the Italian Villa are very well maintained, no matter what time of year there's always something in bloom and the venue always looks beautiful.

The second location we included as part of the engagement session was along the beach from Bournemouth, it's near to where Dave and Tina had their very first date and a special place for them.

The purple heather in the ornamental garden was in full bloom and made for a beautiful backdrop for some of the pre-wedding images, that was the image choosen by Dave and Tina for the signing image at their wedding reception.

Teri and I are looking forward to the wedding in April and hoping the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom for some of the more romantic wedding photographs!

Update: Tina and Dave's wedding photographs are now on the blog, click Wedding Photography at Compton Acres :)

Bournemouth Beach and Gardens, Pre-Wedding Sherri-Louise and Geoff

2009-03-05T15:00:00.007Z

February is not everyones ideal time of year for a beach portrait session but that's what we did with Sherri-Louise and Geoff! Geoff proposed to Sherri-Louise near Swanage, in fact half way up the hill walking towards Old Harry Rocks! We knew we had to include Old Harry in the pre-wedding engagement session somehow :)

The session started off just across from Sandbanks near the Poole harbour chain ferry, that side of the harbour are sand dunes and one of our favourite places for beach photography sessions. Though much of the dunes are fenched off to protect them from erosion we found a section that was open to add a soft sea grass foreground with Old Harry Rocks behind.

The second location is also special to Sherri-Louise and Geoff, Bournemouth Gardens and Bournemouth Beach, after a quick game of Pooh Sticks (a tradition whenever they visit the gardens!) we made full use of the Chinese Lanterns they had up in the gardens to add some winter colour.

Teri and I are really looking forward to the wedding in April with wedding reception at the Royal Bath Hotel, Sherri-Louise and Geoff have requested wedding images on Bournemouth beach with the full wedding party! :)

UPDATE: Sherri-Louise and Geoff's Wedding photography at the Royal Bath and Bournemouth Beach :)

Rhinefield House New Forest Winter Wedding

2009-03-02T08:00:00.001Z

Rhinefield House in the New Forest was the wedding venue Emma and Mark chose for their magical winter wedding. There's something special about Christmas even for big kids, so having a winter Christmas themed wedding worked perfectly within the setting of the oak panelled Grand Hall at Rhinefield Hotel in Hampshire.

Even though we have photographed many times at Rhinefield House, we always like to scope out wedding venues a little ahead of time if we are able. About 2 weeks before the wedding I popped down to see the wedding co-ordinator and have a good look round. At that time the large curtains were closed behind the Christmas tree in the Grand Hall and I asked if on the day they could be opened. This worked out perfectly for the ceremony images as from the back the Christmas tree was illuminated against the large window and from the front there was beautiful soft natural light for the couple throughout the wedding service.

We love photographing weddings and environmental portraits in the New Forest, Rhinefield Hotel is known as the "Jewel in the Forest" and though there are other great wedding venues in the New Forest the tree lined approach and romantic Gothic facade makes a beautiful backdrop for wedding images.

Emma and Mark picked the shortest day of the year for their wedding, the winter solstice (December 21st) the weather on the day could not have been better. Based on the rain through the summer we would recommend a lot more winter weddings! I think Mark was secretly wishing for a bit of snow but in the end it was very mild and we were able to use the outside for both the romantic alone shots and the semi-formal family images.

After the first dance we went outside with Emma and Mark to take some evening images with the hotel in the background and even then it didn't feel cold! A perfect finish to a magical day in the New Forest :)

Teri Gets Her 'L'!

2009-02-20T11:00:00.000Z

Teri is now a Qualified Master Photographer as recognised by the Master Photographers Association. This achievement recognises Teri's ability to photograph weddings to an established level of skill and competence.

The Licentiate (LMPA) Wedding category award is gained by submitting a panel of images from recent weddings. The panel is then judged by respected members of the MPA and if of sufficiently high quality the award is given.

The gestation period on Teri's wedding panel was longer than most applicants, Teri first joined the MPA in 2006 but held off submitting her qualifying panel until this years Focus on Imaging. This patient approach reflects more than anything Teri's overriding passion to present only the very best work of which she is capable. Kudos to her for taking the plunge and putting up her images to be judged. I don't think the verdict was ever in doubt but me believing her panel is award worthy and her gaining the award itself are worlds apart!

It's not often I get the chance to write about Teri's work so I will take this opportunity to say what it is I find special about her images. I count myself as good with people (I'd be in the wrong job if it was otherwise!) having said that I count Teri as amazing with people. She has a rare ability to instantly connect with wedding guests, family of the couple and the wedding couple themselves that is very special and I would say pretty unique, it always shows in her images and I am very lucky to work with her.

Sandwiched somewhere between the details of the day, the story telling of the getting ready, the wedding ceremony, the formal group images, the cool portraits of the newlyweds, the evening reception and first dance are the relaxed intimate portraits of the couples family and close friends. It's this last type of image that are often overlooked in a lot of the wedding coverage we have seen and it is those very images that become more and more special over time. Beautiful informal portraits of the people that really matter, not just because they were there on the day of the wedding, they are valued as images in their own right and become treasured pictures of loved ones.

A small selection of Teri's successful panel below :)

2008 Quicky Review

2009-01-10T10:00:00.000Z

2008 been an amazing year and we'd like to thank all our couples, past, present and future for letting us be part of their wedding days and trusting us to record one of the most important days in their lives, it is special to us and a privilege, thank you :)

The first thing which springs to mind about the 2008 weddings is how much it rained in the summer months, mid-week would be fine and come the weekend it rained, luckily there was always a break in the weather when we could go outside for some shots. One of the outdoor ceremony weddings the heavens opened literally just as champagne was served after the ceremony, enough of the English pre-occupation with the weather though! We're both looking forward to a drier 2009 :)

Though Teri and I rarely enter our work for competitions I decided to enter the MPA (Master Photographers Association) Wessex region print competition, neither of us really expecting too much on the first time of entering. Truly in shock when I was awarded 3 of the top honours, MPA Wessex Wedding Photographer of the Year 2008, MPA Wessex Licentiate Photographer of the Year 2008 as well as a Highly Commended in the Fashion and Glamour section of the competition.

I really didn't expect to win anything and I was struck speechless when presented with the trophy for the Wedding Photographer of the Year and seeing the names of previous winners, all Fellows of the MPA, including photographers who have mentored Teri and I and who inspire us to create Art as well as improve our craft.

There is always more to learn of course, during November we attended a 3 day seminar with one of Australias most talented photographers David A. Williams (Master of Photography and Accolade of Lifetime Photographic Excellence WPPI). We have some cool things we are working on for 2009 ;)

Teri's Bridal Boudoir Photography has become even more popular and she continues to produce amazing work (the ones I'm allowed to see!). I hope she enters some of the images into next years print competition as she deserves recognition :)

Wedding venues, one of the questions occasionally asked by prospective clients is "have you photographed at our wedding venue?", very often the answer is yes and we can show images or a sample album. We have become preferred suppliers to two of our favourite Dorset venues, Kingston Maurward and Compton Acres Italian Villa. Not only are they both leading Dorset Wedding Venues but they are exceptionally well run and photographing at each is always a pleasure.

Remains for me to thank again all our 2008 couples and their families and wedding guests for letting Teri and I share in their special days. We're really looking forward to 2009 (already we are way ahead on bookings!) and look forward to taking more great images of amazing people :)

Wish all a happy and healthy 2009!

Return of the Teri (Jedi)

2009-01-08T19:01:00.000Z

It's not often we take images of each other at weddings (most of the time we don't appear in any of the wedding images!) but as we were setting up the lighting to take a couple of Darrell with the light sabre Teri volunteered to be a stand-in.

Claire and Darrel's wedding images are also on the blog: Lillibrooke Manor Wedding Berkshire

It's currently her facebook avatar :)

A Pink Wedding Gown and a Star Wars Lightsabre

2009-01-08T19:00:00.010Z

Darrell and Claire's wedding at Lillibrooke Manor in Berkshire, was one of the most heartwarming wedding celebrations of the summer.

We knew that Claire and Darrell's wedding was going to be a blast when we first met them, due to the fun engagement session with did with them in April. The idea of featuring their dogs Flo and Mavis, and the Star Wars recreation image was a big clue.

I don't know who was more excited and anxious for this wedding day to arrive, Claire or myself. It's always amazing when a Bride chooses a dress that is out of the ordinary, but Claire took it to another level with a gorgeous Maggie Sottero gown in a rich dusky pink with beaded corseted bodice. On the laces of the bodice, Claire laced in two rings you will see in the photos below, one was her grandmother's wedding band, the other was a little toy ring Darrell gave her when he proposed. A very unique and sweet touch. But that dress! She was breathtakingly beautiful in it.

The inside story about the Pink Wedding Dress, is that Claire loves anything Pink. Anything. Seriously. So much so that Darrell teased her weeks before the wedding saying "You didn't get a pink dress now did you?" Kudos to Claire for keeping that secret as well as she did, LOL. That wasn't the only secret Claire kept from Darrell however, more about that later ;)

The day of the wedding, was one of the rare Saturday's in August 2008 that didn't get rain. There was a strange orb in the sky that glowed bright and warm. We arrived at Claire's house as the Best Man, David, had just finished styling Claire's hair. Yep, the Best Man. Even before I did Claire's make up, she looked incredible. Claire and her Stepfather Chris waved the bridesmaids off as they zoomed away in the skyblue VW 1960's Camper Van that Darrell arranged as the wedding car from Dubs & Bugs. Then David and I followed them to Lillybrooke Manor where the wedding was to take place.

There was so much excitement in the air, as we all waited outside the venue for the van with Claire to arrive. When the music was cued for the bridesmaids (The Prime Minister's song from Love Actually), the guests thought it was to be a nice, subdued ceremony. But once the bridesmaids were in place, The Theme from Star Wars started, and that set the tone for the rest of the day, joy, fun and happiness for two very special people. So much laughter, it was very infectious.

There were just too many wonderful moments to write about them all here, but a few favorites for me were the speeches, When Chris (Claire's Stepfather) finished his, I don't think there was a dry eye anywhere, including myself, Darrell's speech really showed the deep love and playfulness he has for his new wife, and David (the best man aka hairstylist extraordinaire) killed us all with his speech, which included all of Darrell's former partners/lovers/romantic interests turning in their key's, raised eyebrows as a couple of dudes turned theirs in reluctantly, lol.

Another great moment was the cake cutting with Darrell's light saber, that was a first for us, and it was great!

David and I love to capture images of all the little details that went into the day, from the flowers, the table settings, favours, place cards, etc. But as we were photographing the interior of the Barn where the wedding breakfast and reception was to be held, we noticed that a female guest had laid her black hat on the bar. It made for a fun photo we thought. Later we found out that it didn't belong to anyone there and no one at the venue knew where it came from, it actually ended up vanishing by the end of the evening, so this is the 'haunted' wedding hat below, lol.

Both Claire and Darrell have families that were just amazing, especially Darrell's grandad (who is nearly 100 years old), who was one of the youngest at heart on the day. I lost count of how many sweet young things I caught him flirting with! I was so pleased that there were 5 generations represented at the wedding on Darrell's side.

Lillibrooke Manor in Berkshire was such a wonderful venue, the owners of the manor, Joseph and Mary (yep, for real), were the sweetest people ever, and so welcoming. Just lovely people.

Congratulations again to Claire and Darrell, can't wait to see you when we Trash Claire's gorgeous pink wedding dress!!!

*Update* Claire and Darrells 'Trash The Pink Wedding Dress Session' New Forest Wedding Encore Photography Session :)

Teri

*Update* Claire and Darrell Trash the Pink Wedding Dress in the Forest!

Bournemouth Winter Wedding at the Miramar Hotel, Jenny and Darren

2008-12-27T20:00:00.005Z

The first of our December weddings from this year (2008!).

Both the ceremony and reception were at the Miramar Hotel in Bournemouth, there was a festive Christmas theme with candles which worked really well with the colours Jenny and Darren had chosen.

Normally the weather is the weather and everyone has a great time no matter, winter weddings are often dry but this was a warm day as well as having a blue sky in December, perfect! :)

Morning was spent with Teri going over to visit with the bridal party at Salon 1336 in Parkstone while I met up with the guys at the hotel.

We knew Jenny and Darren definitely wanted to use the beach for some of the wedding images so we all jumped into the wedding car directly after the ceremony. Daylight is always at a premium for winter weddings so we didn't spent long at the beach just enough to get some cool pics then back to the hotel to warm up.

Music was a large part of the day, Jenny herself plays in a Dorset based string quartet Bravado String Quartet and 3 members of her quartet (plus a stand in!) played throughout the wedding day. The musical theme went right through to Jenny's dads band playing at the reception, we loved the live music and the fact that everyone playing was a friend of Jenny and Darrens made it even more special.

Quick shout also to Alex and Paula the videographers at Jenny and Darren's Miramar Beach Wedding in Bournemouth, they were a pleasure to work with Wedding Videographers in Bournemouth :)

Portland Castle Dorset Medieval Wedding Mel and Lee

2008-12-19T20:00:00.000Z

We wanted to go back and blog a few more weddings from this summer, it's been an amazing year and we'd like to thank all our couples for letting us be part of their wedding days, it is special to us and a privilege, thank you :)

Mel and Lee's Wedding at Portland Castle in Dorset was the most unusual 2008 wedding and one of the most fun and relaxed, both Teri and I dressed in medieval costume for the occasion (I'm sure we would have felt out of place if we hadn't!).

Mel's medieval wedding dress was custom made by The Costume Company who also supplied Lee's suit of armour and the majority of the wedding guests costumes, they did a great job and the craftmanship on all the costumes was top notch.

Everyone looked amazing and really entered into the spirit of the day, Portland Castle was perfect as a Medieval Wedding venue. Built in 1539 by Henry VIII to defend the harbour against possible French and Spanish invasion, it's later history includes Civil war sieges and use a prison by Oliver Cromwell.

Anna and William, Beach Pre-Wedding Shoot

2008-11-14T10:49:00.007Z

Hengistbury Head nature reserve and beach provides a lot of neat areas for engagement images and Anna and Will were up for a ride on the land train and didn't mind going off the beaten track a little :)

Umbrellas have become a mini theme during 2008, being featured in quite a few weddings and pre-wedding shoots!

Travels With My Camera (Italy!)

2008-11-12T23:09:00.014Z

Ahh,, they say that Italian is the language of love, it's not hard to see why once you've been to Italy and met the people there :)

I got to 'discover' Italy myself this past September as I tagged along with Zoe Richards to participate in photographing the wonderfully romantic destination wedding of Jules and Mick. As I get time I'll write a few blog entries covering the adventures Zoe and I had, as well as a few favorite images from Jules and Mick's pre wedding session in the glorious medieval hillside village of Castellabate on Friday and their wedding in the amazing Castellabate Castle on saturday.

So now for a few personal images from Italy. It's rare these days that I get time to shoot for fun, but it was hard to put my camera down. If you do plan to visit Italy, I highly recommend a visit to Castellabate. The views from the top of the hillside, where the Castle looms over Santa Maria, is absolutely breathtaking.

Teri

Change can be a good thing :)

2008-11-12T18:28:00.002Z

Hey all!

David and I wanted to give a huge thanks to those you have sent us email comments about the new look for the blog.

The feedback had been incredible, it's great to hear others as excited about the changes as we are :) There is more to come!

Changes have been in the works for a while, but as the summer and early autumn was so crazy busy, we are only just
finding the time to work on the list of improvements and updates to the blog, and websites. :)

There will be a plethora of entries made during November, as David and I catch everyone up on all of the happenings from the past summer, so put on your running shoes and be prepared to keep up!

Teri

Jenny & Darren Pre-Wedding Shoot New Forest

2008-10-19T20:00:00.006+01:00

Autumn is once again upon us and if it wasn't for the cold and the rain it's probably my favourite time of year (kinda hard to forget about the weather).

Jenny and Darren knew they wanted to include the Autumn colours and where better than the New Forest national park in Hampshire. We stopped off along way for a hot chocolate at Rhinefield House which made a neat backdrop for the after-dark images.

Shortly after the image with the pony was taken it decided to charge toward Teri, ok well it was a gentle charge but it was pretty insistent to get past. No person or animal was injured during the engagement shoot, thankfully! :)

Update: Jenny and Darren's wedding images now up on the blog Miramar Hotel Wedding in Bournemouth :)

Update: Jenny and Darren's wedding images now up on the blog Miramar Hotel Wedding in Bournemouth :)

Tanya & Dave Highcliffe Castle Wedding Dorset

2008-06-12T14:00:00.002+01:00

Tanya and Daves wedding ceremony was at the stunning Highcliffe Castle near Christchurch in Dorset. The castle provides a beautiful backdrop for romantic images and the ceremony room makes for an impressive area for the important part of the day.

After the ceremony guests made their way to the The Old Barn venue not far away in New Milton for a fun and relaxed wedding breakfast. The night went with a swing with music provided by the best man's band!

Kathy & David Wedding St Micheal and Dudsbury Golf Course

2008-05-29T08:00:00.021+01:00

Kathy and David's wedding was at St Michael and All Angels in Verwood. Not only is the church visually beautiful with it's intricate paintwork, the joy of the ceremony with music provided by Kathy and David's friends made for a very happy start to their married life.

The wedding car picked up Kathy in the morning and took the newlyweds to Dudsbury Golf Club for the wedding reception was provided by Reg and Christine at Barnes Wedding Cars

Dudsbury Golf Club made a great backdrop for the romantic wedding portraits and as is customary there Teri went with the couple to the far side of the golf course in golf carts for some romantic images at bridge and lake. Kathy's wedding veil worked wonderfully in the light breeze to create some stunning images to feature in their wedding album.

Everyone had a great time and the day was rounded off when nearly all the guests took to the dance floor for a reprise of timewarp underneath the impressive chandelier in the main reception room.

Gemma and James Pre-Wedding Session

2008-05-28T20:00:00.003+01:00

We knew we wanted some fun engagement images of Gemma and James to include the third family member Daisy a bouncy 8 month old Golden Retriever. When Gemma and James mentioned they liked the graffiti wall pictures we'd shown from a previous engagement shoot and that James was a keen skateboarder we knew that had to be part of the shoot.

We finished up at Hengisbury Head, it's 1 pound for adults and 20p for Daisy to travel on the land train from the car park and since we wanted some sunset images we didn't mind the walk back as the train stops running at 6pm (varies).

Some great images, Teri used our portable softbox for the image of Gemma and James against the sky and though I got some neat images of the couple one of my favourites is of Daisy pouncing onto a coke bottle just before she shot off to find one of us to throw it again for her :)

Suz and Ryan's Beach Pre Wedding Shoot

2008-05-25T22:00:00.003+01:00

We met up with Suz and Ryan midday near the Bournemouth end of Sandbanks beach, on their wedding day they knew they wanted some wedding images on the beach so the engagement session provided a good warm up. Since we were close to their wedding reception venue at the Miramar hotel we took a quick look round with them just to double check the layout is as we remembered it (it hadn't changed much though now the civil ceremonies are on the front lawn rather than the back as they used to be).

We finished off the day by taking Suz and Ryan to Upton Country Park, so many of our couples love the images we shoot there and it's a great venue, we always try to bring out something new even when we've shot an engagement or wedding venue many times.

Suz and Ryan were good sports and it was great to chat and get to know them better over a spot of lunch near the pier at Bournemouth :)

Teri in action, most members of the public don't even notice us, only very occasionally do we get asked "Is that someone famous?"

Toni and Lee Dorset Engagement Portraits

2008-05-20T22:00:00.000+01:00

We met with Toni and Lee and all we had to go on was their thoughts to include images with woods a castle and beach, luckily all three are within easy driving distance of us in Bournemouth so we met up with them near Sandbanks in Poole and the shoot began!

There's a cool woodland area not far from Wareham called Blue Pool, Teri and I have shot there a few times so know how it has loads of neat areas to photograph within, then on the way to Studland beach we stopped off for a few cheeky shots with Corfe Castle in the background, finally finishing off near the nudist beach (yes we saw some actual live nudists - not that we were watching out for them you understand!).

A fun day and starting late in the afternoon meant we shot through till sunset which made for a neat backdrop to some of the images at the end of the day.

Lisa & Simon Bournemouth Wedding

2008-05-13T22:00:00.013+01:00

Lisa and Simon's wedding was at the Orchid Hotel in Bournemouth, the hotel itself has a really funky feel to it and Lisa's choice of wedding colours really matched in well with the decor. The vintage theme of the wedding was carried out in every aspect of the day. The attention to detail from the handmade guestbook, to the brooch on the wedding cake was just beautiful. The bridesmaids wore hairpins and pearl necklaces that were handmade by Lisa herself. The past year spent wedding planning, spurred Lisa on to create her own line of jewellery, Lou Lou Belle Bridal Jewellery I am one of her biggest fans :)

I don't think I am biased when I say that Lisa was a gorgeous bride. She was truly radiant, and I think Lisa would agree that Simon was a dashing and handsome groom. But what really touched me, is that you could just see the love they have for each other, after being together for 11 years, their love is inspirational.

After the drinks reception, and group photographs, we were able to slip off for a short trip down to the beach. The light underneath the pier made for some dramatic portraits. It was great fun to see the reactions of the busy beach crowd, when they saw the happy couple strolling on the sand. Mothers whispering to their daughters about how happy they were because they just got married, lol. It was so adorable.

It was such an honour to be part of Lisa and Simon's big day. Can't wait for them to get back from Hawaii!

Kathy & David Engagement Session

2008-05-05T11:00:00.003+01:00

We met Kathy and David over at their house near Verwood so we could start off the session by including their dog Kera. Neither Teri or I knew until later but Kera and the walk we were about to go on was actually a recreation of the day David proposed to Kathy! :)

The second part of the shoot was in the New Forest, it is one of our favourite places and though we tend to visit during the week it wasn't too busy. We got some neat shots making use of the availble light and the giant redwoods made amazing backdrops for some of the engagement portraits.

Jo & Richard Engagement Session

2008-05-01T19:54:00.000+01:00

We met up with Jo and Richard at Corfe Castle Railway station on Sunday as Richard is a fan of steam trains and it made for a great backdrop for the start of the engagement portraits session.

Using two locations for the engagement images gives everyone a chance to relax and we were able to fit in a visit to Hardy's cottage near Dorchester not far from where the wedding will be held. Richard and Jo are huge fans of Thomas Hardy, enough so that they are getting married in the same church as Thomas himself, real dedication!

We got a bit arty here, Jo and Richard stood still while the train pulled out of Corfe Castle Railway Station, slowing the shutter speed allowed the train to blur :)

Charlotte & Allan Engagement Session

2008-04-29T21:42:00.012+01:00

We met up with Charlotte and Allan at Compton Acres, it's a great venue for photography and since their wedding will be there it allowed us to hear their ideas for using Compton Acres and it's stunning grounds for their wedding photography.

It's April so there was some rain to contend with, between showers we got some beautiful images :)

Charlotte had requested a special image, a nighttime shot set against the backdrop of a lit building. There's plenty of options around Dorset but we suggested Rhinefield House in the New Forest. Rhinefield House is well known to us and is very popular for New Forest weddings so we knew it would be great for the shot Charlotte had in mind.

After Compton Acres we stopped off with Charlotte and Allan at the Cat and Fiddle for a bite to eat while we waited for it to get dark. It was a great opportunity to get to know them both better and by the time we were done eating the light outside was perfect for the second part of the shoot at Rhinefield House Hotel.

A great day and some stunning images :)

Mel & Lee Engagement Session

2008-04-21T16:14:00.000+01:00

This April seems to have every seasons weather, some really hot days, some snow and yes a lot of April showers!

Tyneham village between Corfe Castle and Lulworth Castle was the venue chosen by Mel and Lee for their engagement session. The village and chalk downland around the Purbeck Hills, were commandeered just before Christmas 1943 by the then War Office for use as firing ranges for training troops. Approximately 200 people were displaced, these days it is almost a tourist attraction, only accessible when the Army is not using the range.

Normally if the weather isn't looking good we're happy to reschedule but Mel and Lee were adamant they didn't mind a little rain so we went ahead and it brightened up nicely as the afternoon went on :)

Teri and I are looking forward to a less than usual wedding in June, the wedding ceremony will be held in Portland Castle and Mel and Lee will be dressed in full Medieval costume. That's neat but the best thing is all guests will be dressed up as well, I think Teri has promised for us to go in Medieval garb also (let's hope there's no incriminating pictures taken of me!).

Claire & Darrell Engagement Session

2008-04-19T11:52:00.002+01:00

Teri and I are often asked if we can include family members in the engagement sessions we offer, our reply is always YES!

We visited several locations, the last image was taken at Kimmeridge Bay which created just the right backdrop. The roman villa location is actually Upton House between Poole and Wareham, as well as being able to book weddings at Upton Country Park the house and gardens are open to the public and managed by the Poole council.

Claire and Darrell are big Starwars fans (well Darrell more so as when we first met he showed us his lightsabre!) needless to say their engagement session was going to be a lot of fun :)

**Update** Claire and Darrell's wedding images are now online Star Wars Wedding including Clare's Pink Wedding Dress! :)

Family members Mavis and Flo

Yes, it's our homage to the Starwars poster featuring Mavis as Darth Vader and Flo and Mavis together at the bottom as droids! The idea for the image was Teri's but Claire and Darrell were enthusiastic and totally up for creating a fun image, great fun! :)

David Gets His 'L'!

2008-03-28T21:05:00.000Z

David is now a qualified member of the Master Photographers Association having submitted his qualifying panel at Focus On Imaging 2008 Europe's biggest annual imaging show for members of the photographic community.

The Licentiate (LMPA) award represents an established level of skill and competence and was gained by submitting a panel of images from recent weddings. The panel is then judged by respected members of the MPA and the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP).

David's panel was of sufficiently high quality to be featured in the Master Photographers Association magazine as a two page spread showing all David's images and a page of text about how we work. His panel is also 'on tour' and will be shown all around the UK in talks given by the MPA to photographers who wish to become qualified.

Well done David! He worked really hard throughout 2007 and the recognition for his work is very well deserved :)

*Special mention to mutli award winning Dorset photographer Kevin Wilson, his experiance and skill mentoring both David and I over the last few years is something that has helped us grow as photographers, thank you Kevin!

A small selection of David's LMPA qualifying panel images below :)

Featured Attraction! Jody and Daniel's slideshow

2007-07-30T17:39:00.000+01:00

http://slideshow.murakamiportraits.com/ss_daniel_jody_2007/

To follow up with Jody and Daniel's wedding in Wales, here is a little slideshow of the day. We got so lucky with the weather that weekend. We had planned to do a few images out on the beach, but previous to the wedding day, the wind was blowing gales, so it was uncertain if we would get the chance. But it all worked out beautifully. Fabulous couple, two fabulous families coming together, and a fabulous day.

Enjoy the slideshow :)

Teri

Daniel and Jody's Wedding, Wales

2007-07-11T23:11:00.000+01:00

About to take a serious dive into Daniel and Jody's wedding day images, but here are a handful to get the juices flowing. I will do a more in depth report on the magical 07/07/07 wedding as I add new images to the blog and the Gallery.

But I just want to thank the families of both Daniel and Jody for making David and I feel so comfortable and welcome the entire weekend. I especially want to thank Daniel's mother, Helen for having us over for the lovely barbeque. It was great to meet everyone before the wedding. :)

Anyway, here are a few teaser images, alot more to come!

Teri and David

Charity and Mark, a Roman Style Trash the Dress!

2007-07-11T16:24:00.000+01:00

David and I have just returned home from Wales, where in addition to being there to photograph Jody and Daniel's wedding, we met up with Charity and Mark for a fun session and tour of Southern Wales. The whole weekend was a blast, and I can't wait to finish work on the images. Here are a few from Charity and Mark, who by the way, are the best tour guides in Wales! Also, Mark knows where the best ice cream can be found, so that makes him a star in my book :)

A Roman Goddess and her guy ;)

Teri

Petition regarding Civil Ceremonies and Photography

2007-06-26T17:38:00.001+01:00

To all my clients, please take a moment to read the purpose of this petition, and add your signature to it. I want to thank my friend Duncan Kerridge for taking this on as a personal mission. It's always frustrating for my couples when I am unable to cover the ceremony, when a registrar has banned photography from the ceremony. So hopefully this will bring to their attention that not only is there no actual law banning photography during a civil ceremony, there is no just reason for an individual registrar to take that away from the couple.

Quote from petition:

Coverage of civil wedding ceremonies by professional wedding photographers is currently not allowed in many parts of UK.

Where photography is allowed, it is often restricted to a few photos of the exchange of rings, and a setup photo of the signing of the marriage register.

Many couples opt to use a documentary photographer for their wedding, who takes photographs throughout the day, with little or no posing of the couple, aiming to record a story of the day.

The ban on photography during Civil Ceremonies leaves a gap in the coverage of the wedding, usually one of the most emotional and important parts of the day for the couple.

There is no law in the UK banning photography during these events, but instead it is left to the whim of the district or registrar presiding.

This petition is for the government to issue guidelines instructing all registrars offices to allow professional photography throughout ceremonies.

To view and sign the petition:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ceremonyphotos/?signed=ae66072.2e8b1a

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Teri Murakami

Jo and Rob

2007-06-14T22:27:00.000+01:00

Netley Abbey provided a gorgeous setting for Jo and Rob's pre-wedding day shoot. We met up at their flat, and I did a make up trial with the beautiful Jo before we headed out :) Luckily for us the weather held up, and the rain didn't start until we were done with the shoot, yea!

I really enjoyed this shoot, even tho we had a furry intruder at one point, LOL.

Can't wait for the wedding on July 14th,, my first with men in kilts! Woo! :)

The 'Secret' is out!

2007-06-11T23:45:00.001+01:00

Shhh...

Secrets!

It's been a trend recently for Brides to have a boudoir type photoshoot in secret and create an album to present to their new husbands when they jet off to their honeymoon. This has been written about in countless newspapers and magazines across the US. But it's really taken off here in the UK!

I have to mention the Regeti's, as being the Godfather and Godmother of the current trend. Their Marathons in the US have taken Boudoir to a whole new level of gorgeousness. I have always loved vintage pin-up style art, so combined with the current 'Boudoir' trend, I felt inspired to create this service for my own brides and their friends. So the 'Secret' started to hatch.

I mentioned the idea to two of my lovely brides, and they were excited to be the first to be treated to a Secret Shoot. The idea is to use a romantic setting, in a beautiful boutique hotel, and create editorial style images, using natural light. It was great fun for all of us, and the results were absolutely stunning!

Here is one of the slideshows from the first 'Secrets' shoot :)

http://slideshow.murakamisecrets.co.uk/lisa_june_2007/

The lovely Lisa was so excited about it, she posted it on Hitched, and as a result, I am scheduling more Secret Shoots for the summer and autumn. Dates to be announced, and I will be giving first choice to those who's names I already have.

We also are launching the Secrets site, which David has worked really hard on for me :)

http://www.murakamisecrets.co.uk/

I will add a few single images later, and some of the other gorgeous bride, but at the moment, her images need to remain 'Secret' ;)

Teri

Jody and Daniel, Part 3, The Beach!

2007-05-17T23:39:00.000+01:00

We finally got to have the day at the beach with Jody and Daniel. The weather was perfect, and the beach was deserted!