What a day for celebration the fourth of July is: Independence Day, Alice Day and today is the 4th birthday of Hanami Dream weddings and special occasions!
four years since my first styled shoot
Yes, today marks four years since I published my first styled photo shoot under the umbrella of Hanami Dream. After that Alice in Wonderland shoot in 2014, came the Wizard of Oz, followed by a Wind in the Willows wedding in 2016. Last year saw the addition of 3 more styled bridal shoots: a modern Edwardian Secret Garden themed wedding, a real break from tradition with a Festival style wedding and also a lovely winter Journey to the Centre of the Earth themed wedding. I’m enjoying working with some amazing local suppliers!
Photography by Squib Photography
four years since my first tweet
From my first tweet in 2014, to a steadily increasing readership (and social media following) with around 1,100 unique page views a month on average. Plus a combined social media network of over 5,400 followers and ongoing promotion and networking means this is ever growing.
four years since my first blog post
It’s crazy to think how much has evolved over the past four years; now 310 blog posts later and this year I won the Event and Wedding category at the UK Blog Awards after being a finalist for the previous two years running, I’m now a Certified Wedding and Event Planner, and have recently had one of my shoots featured in Your Glos & Wilts Wedding magazine.
four years of further accolades
I’m really pleased to continue to add to my honoured collection of accolades, which include #QueenOf Wedding Inspiration by The Royal Connection, the #SmartSocial award from Marketme, #BrightPig’s Business of the Week, WOW Winner picked by Jacqueline Gold CBE. As well as winning Theo Paphitis’s #SBS (Small Business Sunday).
I am an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Certified Wedding and Event Planner with the UKAWEP.
Plus I launched #UKWedLunch nearly 2 years ago, as well as being a guest host on #BrideHour.
four years more experience
My focus has been on developing the blog commercially, as well as providing inspiration to brides and grooms in the Cotswolds. Plus I’ve continued to combine my previous 13 years of marketing experience, with my local knowledge, in the scope of the wedding industry. It has been great to provide marketing consultation to some local, independent wedding businesses in and around Witney, Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds. I’ve been affectionately titled the Wedding Inspector – a bit like the Alex Polizzi of the local wedding industry!
work with Hanami Dream
I look forward to working with more local wedding professionals, services and venues #keepitlocal. And I can’t wait to produce more styled photo shoots and have more opportunities to collaborate with local suppliers.
Please get in touch if you’d like to advertise on the blog, submit your own wedding details, would like to collaborate on a shoot, write a guest post or need some marketing advice and guidance. Together we can build the local wedding industry and inspire brides and grooms for their special day.
Happy birthday to Hanami Dream – definitely time for cake now!
I am absolutely delighted (and still somewhat overwhelmed) to share the amazing news that my wedding blog has won the Individual Wedding and Events UK Blog Award this year! I am completely over the moon.
The news is only just sinking in and I’m feeling pretty darn chuffed to be brandishing this shiny badge!
announcement of the UK Blog Award winners
Last month, one Friday evening, I sat down on my back step with the bifolds open, enjoying the warm evening air, hunched over my phone trying to follow the results from the UK Blog Awards 2018. Sadly I wasn’t able to physically attend the award ceremony this year and, whilst I’m pleased to have avoided the big smoke of our capital city in the midst of a minor heat wave, I’m disappointed that I wasn’t there for the announcement of the UK Blog Awards and to hear my company name be called out as a winner.
My wedding blog has come so far … from highly commended in 2016, to winning in 2018. I’m pleased that this time my company name was pronounced correctly at the ceremony, though a little disappointed that my big moment was marred by a glaring typo in my name on the big screen. Nevertheless, this doesn’t take away from the fact that my wedding blog was chosen to be the individual winner this year.
Despite my best social media stalking, it was tricky to follow who was winning the awards on the night and they seemed to be whizzing through the categories. Then out of the blue, someone sent me a congratulations tweet. I wasn’t quite sure what this meant. Had I got highly commended, had I actually won, or was it just a prank?
I spent ages trawling through twitter for confirmation. I felt that I couldn’t get too excited until I knew for sure. Then a couple of other bloggers from my category very kindly tagged me in their Instagram stories and included shots of the big screen showing my name as the winner. It was the confirmation that I needed but then I was in shock!
why I entered the UK Blog Awards
My tutor, from my time studying with the UK Academy of Wedding & Event Planners, gave me some brilliant advice. She said to play to my strengths, enter competitions, have a niche and fit my business around my life.
Three years later and I’m combining my photo shoot experience and marketing background with my passion for weddings and supporting local businesses.
I’ve also entered the UK Blog Awards for the last 3 years and have been lucky enough to be a finalist each year. I was honoured to get a highly commended in the events category in 2016. However, against stiff competition, last year I returned home empty handed.
I guess I kind of fell out of love with blogging and twitter for a while after this knock. And this was wrong as I had forgotten to look at what I had done rather than what I hadn’t achieved. I didn’t take my own advice and ‘look at the donut instead of the hole!’
It was whilst I was on holiday, that I took a step back and looked at where my strengths lie and what I am really good at. I stopped worrying and looking at what others were doing and concentrated on my own stuff and focused on what I do best – creating my own content.
So, last year I organised three wonderful styled wedding photo shoots. It is really important to me that my blog creates wedding inspiration in the beautiful Cotswolds. The uniqueness of the blog comes from showcasing my own beautiful and inspirational, trend-led styled wedding shoots, collaborating with local venues and innovative wedding suppliers.
That is why I’m so pleased to have won the UK Blog Awards in a year when I’ve been doing what I enjoy best – showcasing my own content and keeping it local.
what it means to be a winner at the UK Blog Awards 2018
Just being a finalist in the UK Blog Awards for a third year gave me a huge sense of achievement, it is great recognition and a wonderful testament to the level of support shown by my readers.
For full disclosure, I want you to know that I didn’t pay to enter these awards. I nominated my own blog and then it was down to a public vote to get through to the finals. Out of 4,000 entries and nominations I was one of only 6 bloggers in my category. So I was pretty chuffed and honoured to even be considered alongside the calibre of my fellow finalists in the Individual Wedding and Events category.
Then a judge picked one winner and one highly commended blog from the 6 finalists in my category.
To win the category is most definitely the icing on the cake and I can’t wait to see where this recognition will take the blog. You can see all the winners and highly commended blogs from the night at the UK Blog Awards website.
It is great to have another reason to shout about my business and to connect with other professionals in the blogging world, wedding industry and local businesses. This added promotion not only gives my blog extra exposure, but I’m pleased it also showcases the stunning venues and highly talented wedding industry professionals from small, local and independent businesses, that my blog supports in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside of the Cotswolds.
why I blog about weddings
In a nutshell, I love weddings! How wonderful to have all the people you care about, from different walks of your life, in the same room at the same time on your wedding day!
I get to combine my passion for weddings with my skills and experience of organising amazing styled photo shoots. In particular, I love the unique detail shots. After all, it’s all the little details that bring any event to life.
My local Cotswold wedding blog compiles, creates and collates inspiration, providing couples with wedding planning tips, tools, trends and traditions to celebrate their personal milestones.
Since 2014, this blog has evolved (and continues to) wherever new opportunities and avenues take me. The possibilities are really exciting and my blog conveniently fits around my family commitments and lifestyle.
The beauty of blogging is that I can work anywhere, at any time and write about the things that really interest me. I’m a big fan of local wedding businesses and I support and promote them whenever I can.
thank you for your ongoing support
A massive thank you to everyone who reads and shares this blog. And thank you very much for your votes to get it to the finals in the UK Blog Awards again.
Thank you also to my incredible family and friends for their unending support.
A special thanks goes to my wonderful webmaster at Wondernet (and the best boss I’ve ever had) – his advice and teaching have played an important part throughout my whole career.
development of the blog
I’m still feeling fairly chuffed about the UK Blog Award win at the moment. More importantly I’m now spurred on to develop the blog further. Being alongside such amazing blogs has given me the chance to re-evaluate things again, providing an impetus to continue to improve it and a challenge to think about further evolution.
work with Hanami Dream
Now is also a great time to look forward to working with more local wedding professionals, services and venues. And I can’t wait to produce more styled photo shoots and have opportunities to collaborate with local suppliers.
Please get in touch if you’d like to advertise on this award winning blog, submit your own wedding details, would like to collaborate on a shoot, write a guest post or need some marketing advice and guidance.
Many thanks for your support and here’s to more exciting times ahead!
Top tips on getting your wedding photographs picture perfect
After choosing a venue, the next important supplier to pick is the wedding photographer (and often the second most expensive element too). After all, this is the supplier who will be immortalising your special day and creating the keep sake to look back on in years to come. So it is vital you get this part right if you want to have amazing wedding photographs on your mantel piece.
Hire a professional photographer
Don’t dismiss the need for a professional photographer or think that you can just rely on people’s iPhone snaps. Nothing beats professional photographs!
When you’re looking around, please bear in mind that just because someone has a decent camera, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they can take good photos. However, advancement in technology does at least mean that there is more chance of getting it right.
Digital photography makes such a difference to capturing special days like weddings. There are so many advantages of having digital photography, no more so than having instant results. There’s no waiting around to get the photos developed, so the photographer can see what they are capturing straight away and make any adjustments as they go along. Hopefully this means more reliability and less surprises, plus more shots can be taken (as you’re not limited to a certain number of rolls of film) and you could change between colour and black/white images more easily. It also means that photos can be edited, backed up, stored, and shared with others online afterwards.
Photography style
Photographers may offer different styles of shots in their wedding photography repertoire. Think about the style of photos you want and pick a photographer who has this style in their portfolio whether that be formal, candid or reportage:
Formal shots = this is the more posed stuff, perhaps with groups of people in scenes and is likely to be staged, with everyone looking at the camera
Candid shots = these are a bit more relaxed and are more about catching a moment in time
Reportage = this style tells a story and follows the main events throughout day in an informal manner
Practice makes perfect
Consider having an engagement shoot so that you can get comfortable in front of the camera with your photographer before the big day. Plus this will give you a chance to recce some good photo locations at your venue too.
Think about contingency plans – what happens if the photographer can’t do your wedding at the last minute? Do they have a stand in? Check what your insurance covers and ask your venue if they have a designated space for group shots in case it rains. It’s always best to plan for the worst, hope for the best.
Checklist for selecting the right photographer for you
Here are some other things that it is worth checking when you are considering the photographer to hire for your wedding day:
Portfolio – take a look at their previous work and any weddings they’ve shot before
Style – does their style of shots suit how you’d like to have your photos taken?
Ability – are they able to do the style that you’d like?
Qualifications – are they a member of the Association of Photographers, British Institute of Professional Photography, Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers?
Testimonials – what have previous couples had to say about them?
Award – have they won anything for their work?
Experience – how long have they been shooting weddings?
Familiarity with venue – have they done any weddings at your chosen venue before?
Availability – can they do your chosen date?
Turn around time – how quickly will you get your photos back after the wedding?
Insurance / contingency – what happens if they can’t do your wedding at the last minute?
Presentation – does how they dress and carry themselves fit with the style of your day?
Personality – do you gel with them? Would you want them to be at your wedding with you?
Cost – how much do they charge, for how long and what is included in the price?
Is an album included in cost? How many photographs are in the album?
What other expenses are included/additional? Travel? Food?
Help your wedding photographer get the best results
Share the schedule or running order of the day with your photographer so they don’t miss key moments. Look after your photographer and don’t forget to feed them – it’s a long day for them too!
A good photographer will already know the shots that they would capture for a wedding day. However, it’s good to put together a shot list for your more obscure requests. Think about the shots you’d like to sum up the day (formal, candid and details).
You may well go for a mixture of colour and black/white, plus a combination of formal and informal shots to give you a good representation of the day, as well as some group shots to keep the older relatives happy too!
It’s a good idea to nominate a couple of your most reliable attendants in charge of rounding people up for the big group shots. Have the giant group photo of all the guests taken from up high. That way you’ll be able to see everyone’s faces and fit them all in.
Suggested wedding photography shot list:
Shots to sum up the day
getting dressed
getting ready to walk down the aisle
close ups of couple individually just before the big entrance
exchanging vows and rings
the first kiss
walking up the aisle after the ceremony together
getting showered in confetti
in the wedding car leaving the ceremony
chatting to guests
the toasts
couple sharing a private moment
the first dance
cutting of the cake
tossing of bouquet / lantern release
The formal shots
couple individually
couple signing the marriage certificate
couple outside the service venue
couple with each set of parents
couple with both sets of parents
couple with each of their immediate families (grandparents, siblings etc)
with the bridesmaids
with the best man and ushers
couple with any special friends
the entire wedding party
reception shots per table
The candid shots
wedding party getting ready with hair and make up
big reveal to rest of wedding party
couple’s first glimpse of each other
wedding party making their way to, and arriving at, the ceremony
guests arriving/with drinks before the reception
the couple chatting to friends and family
receiving line
entrance of newlyweds to the reception
guests signing the guestbook
guests dancing
entertainers/musicians
The detail shots
clothes hanging on the wardrobe or bedpost
close ups of dress, shoes, accessories
wedding rings resting on an invitation
close up of the couple holding hands (focus on the rings)
close ups of wedding details (stationery, favours, place cards, table settings, table plan)
the guestbook
the cake before being cut
bouquet and floral arrangements
close up of the wedding car/transport
room all set up
Wedding guests taking photographs
You may want to remind your guests politely to make sure that they don’t block the photographer on the day. And also consider having a unplugged wedding so you can see their faces (not their phones) when you look back on your photographs. Perhaps, chose a moment in the ceremony when guests can take their own photos.
Strike a pose
Above all, you want to look good in these momentous photos so here are some final tips for being picture perfect:
Hold your flowers by your belly buttons to make a nice shape with your arms
Keep your arms slightly away from your sides to give you biceps room to breath for a flattering look
Take phones and keys out of trouser pockets to give a better line
Get plenty of full length shots of the dress
Avoid the midday sun (and squinty eyes!)
Use the best ‘golden hour’ light 1 hour before sunset for some amazing shots!
Smile with your eyes!
Sign up to receive the latest wedding planning tips, tools, trends and traditions straight to your inbox.
I was over the moon to be approached by a beautiful local venue last year (via a great photography partner) to style their wedding venue in order to show it off in a new light and provide all involved with wonderful lifestyle imagery.
I always have a number of ideas swilling around inside my head that are waiting for the right venue and season to utilise a certain theme. I’d had this particular theme in mind for a while and it had evolved and I had time to mull it over a long time before I’d even visited the venue for the first time. As soon as I saw Oxleaze Barn, I noticed all the blue accents around the 1700s barn and farm, so I knew that this theme would work perfectly there.
Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne (published in 1864) features an expedition to Iceland and exploration through volcanic tunnels. (See some of my previous styled shoots based on other classic books.) The Icelandic edge took me to cold, icy places and this wintry theme seamlessly fitted a modern winter styled barn wedding. I especially wanted to emphasise that this wedding venue was available year round, thanks to their underfloor heating, and wanted the images to exude warmth and play on the hygge trend with a relaxed and intimate vibe. Plus it was great to have the opportunity to showcase the evergreen and expanse of their garden.
I also wanted to include nods to the book with the inclusion of volcanic rock themes through slick agate, intricate hollow geode or timeless marble.
Styled shoot
It is really important to me that my blog creates wedding inspiration in the beautiful Cotswolds. The uniqueness of the blog comes from showcasing my own beautiful and inspirational, trend-led styled wedding shoots, collaborating with local venues and innovative wedding suppliers.
Before starting Hanami Dream in 2014, I worked for over 6 years for an international clothing brand where I planned and managed photo shoots in some fabulous locations around the world. Now I get to combine my wonderful experience with my passion for weddings whilst supporting local businesses.
A styled shoot takes almost as much time and effort to produce as a wedding day and entails bringing together everything from many different suppliers.
For me the process always starts visually. Firstly on Pinterest where I collate my thoughts, then secondly on paper where I sketch out a floor plan, each scene and how every element will come together on a tablescape. Sometimes I have an idea of a product and I search for the best local supplier to provide that item. Other times, I see something that someone has created and I file it away for the most suitable shoot in the future.
The beauty of styled shoots (versus a real life wedding) is that it is a great opportunity to be a little more extravagant and really show off what you’ve always wanted to do. You can indulge your fantasies with new trends or products that couples may not have seen yet or something really unusual.
This styled shoot was a collaboration of like minded people that created great things together but perhaps didn’t have the budget to produce this kind of work if they all worked independently.
And most importantly, the suppliers I used are all local to the venue. This means that for anyone planning their wedding at this venue, this look and feel is completely achievable and realistic. The images might be Pinterest worthy but they are not unattainable.
Whether it is a styled shoot or a real life wedding day, the key is that each event is personal and tailor made.
Brief
We are very lucky to live in a beautiful part of the UK and are surrounded by some seriously talented wedding venues, professionals and suppliers. It was brilliant that so many wanted to be involved in this shoot and they certainly didn’t disappoint with the products that they provided.
They were all given the same brief of what I was trying to achieve:
volcanic rock elements to make a statement at this wintery wedding alongside grey, icy blue, gold and white accents coupled with acres of tulle and delicate airplants
I also provided them with my collated vision and ideas on my Pinterest board.
The themes I wanted to encapsulate included:
winter
modern
industrial
tactile
ethereal
delicate
hygge
The colour palette followed the Spring 2018 trend colours of grey, blue and lilac, alongside gold and white accents including:
Little Boy Blue
Pink Lavender
Ultra Violet
Almost Mauve
Alongside neutrals of:
Sailor Blue
Harbor Mist
Coconut Milk
Designs
The creative suppliers worked wonders in transforming my overflowing pot of ideas and pairing it down in to realistic and achievable products for us to showcase.
Usually each shoot starts with a muse or product that sparks the theme and everything flows from that element. For this shoot, it was some marbled concrete pots, concrete coasters, concrete letters, and concrete table numbers. Unfortunately due to ill health, the supplier wasn’t able to provide these items in the end for the shoot. However this marble look and feel was present on other elements.
Cake design – I wasn’t sure that a Cotswold barn wedding was the right setting for a geode cake, so marble made the perfect theme for the cake. The Pretty Cake Company never fail to impress with their spectacular cakes and exquisite replica flower sugar work. And the beauty for this shoot included 4 different tier heights and the cascade of flowers matched the real ones immaculately.
Stationery design – Continuing my quest to present novel alternatives to paper stationery, I initially was keen to utilise actual shards of agate for table numbers and place names. Sourcing these locally, economically and timely proved harder than first planned. Thankfully, the incredibly talented Emerald Paper Design was able to create trompe-l’œil card replicas to give the same look and feel along with her beautiful gold calligraphy. The whole suite featured geode style watercolour stationery with gold accents and a navy envelope.
Flowers – despite my love of flowers, I’m discovering that a lot of my briefs recently have become almost ‘anti-flowers’ (ie just foliage, paper flowers, plants in pots) and this shoot focused heavily on succulents and air plants. Succulents are certainly one of my own fascinations and I’ve even started to propagate some for my own terrarium at home. For this shoot, I wanted the bouquets to feel modern and give a contrast against all the soft tulle. I loved the use of delicate air plants (a wonderful evolution on the succulent trend) and glass suspended baubles. Plus Enchanted Floristry brought along their amazing moongate that helped encapsulate the sense of entering a volcanic tunnel.
Jewellery – It was brilliant to work with We Three Kings and their pieces echoed the colours and accents incredibly.
Suppliers
It’s the little details that bring any event to life and this was made possible by the wonderful local suppliers who provided their time, services, venue and products for free. Together we showcased the amazing talent that our part of the UK has to offer the wedding industry.
Despite the snow machine not materialising and a last minute change of models, the finished result was well worth the effort again.
Dress – From the outset, I wanted to include a blue dress in this shoot. Ideally I wanted a bridal separate like the Sweet Caroline Norma J separates but these aren’t readily stocked in local dress supplier shops. However thanks to Fairytale Occasions we were able to demonstrate a blue dress alongside a full tactile tulle white dress.
Lighting – Oakwood Events are an absolutely amazing company – friendly, reliable and highly sought after. Despite their really busy schedule, I was fortunate enough to involve their services again and showcase a brand new addition to their portfolio (which they sped through the design process especially for this shoot). It’s like they can read my mind! And luckily they don’t think my ideas are too crazy! I love that these displays give an industrial feel which is a great contrast with the relaxed vibe in the room.
Please do get in touch, if you are a local venue, wedding supplier or photographer and are looking to collaborate on a styled bridal shoot in the future.
There’s no doubt about it, social media has changed (and continues to shape the way) we communicate, our relationships, our society and culture. It is a part of our every day lives and so it’s no wonder that you’ll want to think about the role that social media will play on your wedding day too.
About a third of the world uses some sort of social media. And the age of technology that we live in has meant that we are rarely uncontactable. There is a sense of urgency in our communicating and the need to share. Social media has enabled us to publish and share our lives not only with our nearest and dearest but to a wider audience too. We can share events, connect with people and it certainly has made the world feel like a smaller place.
I believe that social media has also made the news more relevant and accessible to more people, as well as personalising and interacting with announcements.
We are now living in the moment (all be it a digital one) with a need for things to be instant and live. We are also becoming more visual in our communications and video is the king of social media right now.
Whether you are going to embrace social media or shun it for your wedding, here are my top ten tips and modern day etiquette suggestions to make the most of social media on your special day.
Top tips for social media at your wedding day:
Make sure you keep things personal – perhaps tell your closest family and friends in person before changing your status on social media or posting an engagement ring photo.
Don’t rely on social media for all your wedding communications – think about your guest list as it may cover people from a variety of generations and technological abilities. Not everyone will have access or regular use of social media. A physical invitation will mean everyone on your list gets the same message.
Don’t overshare on social media – keep an element of surprise beforehand. Also you don’t want to make any of your social media followers feel left out if they haven’t been invited to your big day.
If you feel like going tech free then have an unplugged wedding – just make sure you set expectations with your guests early on.
Create a hashtag or a personalised Snapchat filter – share the # on your invitations, order of service and on signs around the reception. Then collect images on a social media wall at the reception or an online wedding album.
Use Facebook live or Periscope – for those guests that can’t make it (or live far away) consider streaming your wedding live so that they can still experience the day.
Give a selfie stick as wedding favours – instead of the old disposable cameras on each table at the reception, give guests a selfie stick or a list of photos to try and capture.
Etiquette tip – guests should wait until after the bride or groom have posted anything before putting up shots of the happy couple.
Keep a traditional photographer – nothing beats professional photographs! And guests, please make sure that you don’t block the photographer on the day. The couple want to see your faces not your phones when they look back on their photographs. Chose a moment in the ceremony when guests can take their own photos.
Enjoy the moment – above all remember to live the day and not just be recording events. Put the phone down for one day and make the most of having all the people you love in one room at the same time to celebrate your special day.
“Thank you so much for sending everything over – the images are fantastic. What a brilliant collaboration the shoot was and the proof is in the pudding, I’m so pleased it is being so well received.
Well done you for pulling it all together so seamlessly, it was a pleasure working with you.”
“Many thanks for your structured reports and recommendations.
Lyn and I are impressed with the personal touch to your thought process and feel you … will be ideal mentors to guide us through the social media mine fields.”
Checklist for selecting the right photographer for you
Help your wedding photographer get the best results
Designs
There’s no doubt about it, social media has changed (and continues to shape the way) we communicate, our relationships, our society and culture. It is a part of our every day lives and so it’s no wonder that you’ll want to think about the role that social media will play on your wedding day too.
About a third of the world uses some sort of social media. And the age of technology that we live in has meant that we are rarely uncontactable. There is a sense of urgency in our communicating and the need to share. Social media has enabled us to publish and share our lives not only with our nearest and dearest but to a wider audience too. We can share events, connect with people and it certainly has made the world feel like a smaller place.
Whether you are going to embrace social media or shun it for your wedding, here are my top ten tips and modern day etiquette suggestions to make the most of social media on your special day.
“Many thanks for your structured reports and recommendations.