Many congratulations on your engagement and forth-coming wedding. The choosing of a photographer is a major decision that couples have to make during the exciting planning process of their wedding. It’s a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly because once the day has been and gone, it’s the images that have been captured that enable couples to relive their special day time and time again. At Stuart Hay Photography we are passionate about wedding photography and we would be delighted if you would consider commissioning us to photograph your special day.
Stuart Hay LBIPP is a highly experienced qualified member of the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) whose photographed in excess of 2,000 weddings at numerous venues throughout Shropshire and indeed the whole of the UK during over 30 years of being in professional practice. Through our wealth of knowledge and experience, our aim is to provide you with a perfect, timeless, creative visual record of your special day as it unfolded, which will bring back fond memories and that will be treasured for many years to come.
The excellent quality of Stuart’s wedding photography has been recognised nationally with several prizes having been awarded in the following national print competitions:
- Fujifilm Wedding & Portrait Awards
- BIPP Midland Region Annual Print Competition
- BIPP National Annual Print Competition
- British Professional Photography Annual Awards
In addition to having his work recognised nationally, Stuart has gained an enviable reputation locally for his professionalism, excellent quality of his images, reliability and customer service by his peers and local businesses. The quality of his work is such that Stuart is recommended by many wedding suppliers and reception venues in Shropshire, including the prestigious and highly acclaimed award winning Rowton Castle Hotel near Shrewsbury where he has been recommended for over 25 years.
Examples of our wedding photography can be seen within the Galleries section of our website. Further images, including customer comments, can also be found on our Reviews page, Facebook page, Instagram page and on Google.
It is generally accepted within our profession that there are 4 main recognised styles of wedding photography:
Classical
These images form the core of most wedding photo shoots and typically include such shots as the traditional parents’, family, friends and bridal party groups plus the classical, timeless portraits of the happy couple together. In such shots great attention to detail is given to the choice of background, the positioning of the people and where applicable, to the way the bride’s dress is laid out to make it look perfect.
Documentary or Reportage
The capturing of those impromptu moments as they happen. The images produced are as a result of being in the right place at the right time to photograph what's in front of the camera without any direction from the photographer.
Informal
Although similar to documentary or reportage photography, informal shots often include fun images which have been created and directed by the photographer. Typical examples could include walking, running, jumping and confetti shots.
Contemporary
Posed, yet very creative images where particular attention is given to the judicious choice of camera angle, lens type, focus point, lighting and the arrangement of the subjects within the composition.
At Stuart Hay Photography we endeavour to combine all 4 recognised styles of photography and are able to adapt our style according to our clients’ requirements and preferences, subject to the prevailing weather conditions, available light and surroundings.
At Stuart Hay Photography we offer a totally reliable, friendly, professional service which is coupled with a wide range of choice and flexibility in terms of image capturing, previewing, image sizes, print sizes, colour tone, image quantities, digital image options and album types and styles.
Whilst some couples will require full coverage of their day from the bridal preparations right through to the first dance, others will prefer a more minimal approach to the photography and will concentrate on the most important parts of the day which generally take place from an hour prior to the ceremony up until 2 hours after its ended. Our wedding day coverage, which is totally flexible, is suitable for register office, civil and church weddings.
Depending upon the couple’s requirements and the package option booked, the photographic coverage on a wedding day can typically include the following:
- Individual portraits of each partner and group shots with their attendants and parents at the family home or venue prior to the wedding ceremony.
- Photographs taken at the register office, venue or church before, during (if permitted) and after the wedding ceremony.
- Photographs taken at the reception including portraits of the couple as well as group photographs with their attendants, parents, families and friends. We normally conclude the main part of the day with a posed photograph of the cutting of the cake which is taken prior to the commencement of the receiving line and wedding breakfast.
- Photographs taken during the speeches and evening party up to and including the first dance.
Depending upon the package option purchased, as a minimum, the photography usually commences 1 hour prior to the start of the ceremony. The duration of most civil ceremonies is half an hour whereas for church weddings they normally last an hour. The photography after the end of the ceremony, up until the posed cutting of the cake photograph which is taken before the receiving line and wedding breakfast, usually takes 1½-2 hours to complete. These timings are approximate and exclude any travelling times that may be necessary in travelling between venues.
For weddings being held at one venue and within Shropshire, the standard attendance fee is included within the prices quoted for the various package options detailed within our Wedding Photography Brochure. The standard attendance fee includes the following:
- The number of hours of coverage stated for each package option. The minimum coverage is from approximately 1 hour prior to the start of the ceremony up to and including a posed photograph of the cutting of the cake which is taken approximately 2 hours after it's ended and before the commencement of the receiving line and wedding breakfast.
- The taking of the stated number of photographs in RAW format (no upper limit).
- The editing and colour-correction of the RAW images and the conversion of these to jpegs.
- The creation of a password protected gallery of all the edited images within the Customer Area of our website. Prints and digital images may be purchased on-line.
Additional attendance fees apply in the following situations:
- Weddings being held outside Shropshire.
- Church weddings.
- For those couples requiring a greater coverage than what’s included within each of the package options. Typically this can include bride’s home visit, bridal preparation shots, photographs taken during the speeches and the evening party up to and including the first dance.
Additional attendance fees are charged at the rate of £75.00 per hour or part thereof. Please kindly note that with the exception of the Premium Package, coverage after the posed cutting of the cake photograph, which is taken before the receiving line and wedding breakfast, is by prior arrangement and is subject to availability. The fees charged cover the additional time spent on the wedding day and that in editing and colour-correcting the RAW images produced afterwards.
Stuart Hay Photography is a digital based business. Only the finest quality professional digital cameras are used. To enable images of the very highest technical quality to ultimately be produced, all images are captured in RAW format, edited and subsequently fully colour-corrected prior to converting them to jpeg images. The RAW images and the jpeg images, that are used for the production of all orders, are guaranteed to be kept on our computer systems for a maximum of 12 months from the date of the wedding. We are more than happy to answer any queries you may have regarding image capture and are willing to advise you based upon our wealth of experience and your personal preferences, requirements and expectations.
Once edited and colour-corrected the images, which are password protected, are uploaded onto the Customer Area of our website for a maximum period of one month from the date of the wedding. This period may be extended by prior arrangement. The images can be viewed in colour, black and white and sepia. Digital images and individual prints up to 36”x24” in size may be purchased on-line. Thank you cards, albums and framed prints may be ordered by contacting the studio directly.
A full set of low resolution images is included within the Daytime Package and Premium Package. For the Midweek Package an optional full set of low resolution images written to CD or a personalised USB stick is available to purchase. These images, which measure 1,000 pixels @ 72 dpi in the longest dimension, are suitable for viewing on a computer monitor, tablet or smart ‘phone and for use on social media. Such images aren't suitable, nor intended, for printing.
Option 1 – Midweek Package
This is a package designed specifically for those couples having a small midweek wedding taking place Monday to Thursday and whose requirements are more minimal in terms of the coverage required and the number of images supplied.
Package Details
- Available for civil weddings taking place Monday to Thursday (excluding public holidays) and which have a maximum of 60 daytime guests attending.
- Up to 3½ hours coverage at one venue from 1 hour prior to the ceremony and up to a maximum of 2 hours after it has finished. We usually conclude with a posed cutting of the cake photograph which is taken prior to the commencement of the receiving line and wedding breakfast.
- Typically, 300-400 photographs are taken (although no upper limit).
- The creation of a password protected on-line gallery of all the edited images within the Customer Area of our website. Prints and digital images may be purchased on-line.
- 40, fully colour-corrected high resolution (printable) images are supplied in colour on a USB stick which includes a leatherette presentation box.
- The USB stick and presentation box can be supplied personalised with up to 2 lines of text.
Option 2 - Daytime Package
This is a non-album option whereby all the photographs that appear in our clients’ gallery within the Customer Area of our website are fully colour-corrected and then supplied as non-copyright protected high resolution (printable) images on a USB stick.
Package Details
- Up to 5 hours coverage at one venue from 2 hours prior to the ceremony and up to a maximum of 2½ hours after it has finished is included. We usually conclude with a posed cutting of the cake photograph which is taken prior to the commencement of the receiving line and wedding breakfast.
- Typically, 500-600 photographs are taken (although no upper limit).
- The creation of a password protected on-line gallery of all the edited images within the Customer Area of our website. Prints and digital images may be purchased on-line.
- All the edited and fully colour-corrected high resolution (printable) images are supplied in colour on a USB stick which can be supplied personalised with up to 2 lines of text.
- A full set of low resolution (non-printable) images is also included.
- The USB stick is supplied in a leatherette presentation box which can be supplied personalised with up to 2 lines of text.
Option 3 - Premium Package
Designed for discerning clients, this option includes all day coverage, a full set of high resolution (printable) images written to USB stick, a large print ready for framing and an individually designed Bellissimo album.
Package Details
- Up to 10 hours coverage at one venue from 2½ hours prior to the ceremony and up to and including the first dance.
- Typically, 700-800 photographs are taken (although no upper limit).
- The creation of a password protected on-line gallery of all the edited images within the Customer Area of our website. Prints and digital images may be purchased on-line.
- All the edited and fully colour-corrected high resolution (printable) images are supplied in colour on a USB stick which can be supplied personalised with up to 2 lines of text.
- A full set of low resolution (non-printable) images is also included.
- The USB stick is supplied in a leatherette or premium leather presentation box which can be supplied personalised with up to 2 lines of text.
- A 20”x14” print from the Gallery Collection is supplied on art board ready for framing.
- An individually designed, 40 page, 12”x12” Bellissimo Perfetto or Fine Art album which is supplied with a premium album cover.
A Wedding Photography Brochure is available in PDF format which details our wedding day coverage, image capturing, previewing, package options and prices. Please telephone the studio directly, or complete the enquiry form, which can be found on the Contact Us page and we'll be delighted to discuss your requirements and send you full pricing information.
An extensive range of package options, based on our wealth of experience are offered, enabling couples to choose the package option that best suits their requirements. If none of these are just right, then we’d be more than happy to design a bespoke package for you.
We actively encourage our clients to visit the studio (preferably prior to booking our services) in order to discuss their personal requirements and view our display albums. Contrary to what some people may say, all photographers (even those from the same studio) are unique individual artistic people who differ greatly in style, repertoire and quality. Studios and photographers also differ greatly in the equipment that they use to capture and process the images, in the range of products offered and in the level of customer service and satisfaction that they deliver and aspire to. Through our meetings, we build up a good rapport and trust with our clients which in turn results in them feeling more comfortable and relaxed during the photography session on their special day.
Usually, we see our wedding clients at least once, if not twice, prior to their wedding. The first meeting usually takes place prior to booking our services or soon after so doing. The second meeting normally takes place a couple of weeks prior to the wedding. For those living away from the area, if its more convenient, the second meeting can be replaced with a questionnaire which is e-mailed to our clients.
At our meetings, which are based on our wealth of experience, we discuss things such as timings, what to expect during the ceremony, our repertoire and our knowledge of the venue(s) when it comes to photographic possibilities and opportunities in different weather conditions and at different times of the year. We are more than happy to advise you and give you tips in order to try and ensure that the photography session runs smoothly and as anticipated.
Our opening hours for appointments are generally as follows:
Monday: 0900-1100
Tuesday: 0900-1100
Wednesday: 0900-1930
Thursday: 0900-1100
Friday: Closed for appointments
Saturday: 0900-1100
Sunday: 0900-1100
All appointments are subject to availability. When making appointments its always best, wherever possible, to give the studio a call on either our landline number or on Stuart's mobile number.
Rowton Castle Finishing Touches Package
For Rowton Castle customers who have purchased the Finishing Touches Package, to book our services for your special day, you will need to complete a Wedding Photography Booking Form which will be sent to you upon request. A booking confirmation is sent by e-mail upon receipt of the completed, signed and dated form.
Direct Bookings
To book our services for your special day, you will need to complete a Wedding Photography Booking Form, which will be sent to you upon request, and pay a £250.00 non-returnable deposit. A receipt for the deposit, plus a booking confirmation, is sent by e-mail upon receipt of the completed, signed and dated form.
Unlike many of our competitors, at Stuart Hay Photography we do not employ part-time or unqualified photographers to photograph weddings. In order to avoid disappointment, early booking is recommended as we have to work on a first come, first served, basis. Many couples book our services 1-2 years prior to their wedding day.
Couples are actively encouraged to visit the studio in order to view the full range of display albums and discuss their particular requirements.
Please telephone the studio directly, or complete the enquiry form, which can be found on the Contact Us page and we'll be delighted to send you a booking form in the post to complete.