The 18th October 2009 is a date I will always remember; not only because it is very close my birthday (which was great fun thanks to some good friends) but also because it was when I had great fun covering Jeni and Ryan's wedding in Hunton Park near Watford.

I remember I had a bad foot so I thought it was going to give me grief all day, but thankfully the Lord gave me some grace and I was fine! I arrived at Jeni's house with much anticipation. Once again, the glorious sun was out to greet our Bride and to make our photos look better!

In case you don't know, I am Chinese born and raised in England; I am part of a demographic known as a B.B.C. (British Born Chinese). So it came as no surprise what to expect from Jeni and Ryan's wedding, or so I thought. It was a mix of traditional Chinese culture with a pinch of Western flavour. Jeni looked amazing as she was preparing in the morning. She was very relaxed and laughing throughout the morning. My ever faithful photography partner Kelly was there to cover most of her preparation shots in the kitchen while I covered the rest of the house. There were spots of Chinese tradition everywhere as well as the normal franticness of a wedding morning with lots of decisions, questions and readiness to be sorted.

Now one major difference with a Chinese wedding are the 'games' or rituals that have to be played out. In this case Ryan was not permitted to enter the house until the bridesmaids had been satisfied he is worthy; this involves Ryan performing dares and answering questions. Even though it was sunny, it was very cold. I sent Kelly out to cover the men while they were outside not knowing how long the girls would take to even answer the door. Consequently Kelly got very chilly but some great shots! Wedding Photography is as much about anticipation as it is about taking the shot, in this case it was worth it.

Then it was time for the Chinese Tea Ceremony. This is a customary ritual that invites close family and friends to share a cup of chinese tea, this just involves a sip so I had to be quick to capture the shots! I had to put myself into a tight corner of the room with no room to maneuver.

After a short drive to Hunton Park we arrive just before the the Bridal car. The front of Hunton Park is an idelic classic english house so it made sense to take some photos using it as the background.

In the meantime I asked my assistant to cover shots of the breakfast marquee. It's important to capture the table settings before they are disturbed by the guests. In the meantime I stuck with the Bride and Groom.

Because I shoot quick (I strongly oppose taking ages over a photo session), we made up time so we had a window to do a few more impromptue group shots in the garden grounds. This was a bit problematic as the sun was continually chaning the light and the clouds meant I had to adjust the colour balance, in the end I just stuck it on 'cloudy' on my Nikon.

Next, it was time for another Chinese Tea Ceremony in one of the hotel rooms; again it proved a small challenge to take the shots because there were lots of people in there, and those involved in the tea ceremony were always changing positions.

Before we knew it, it was time for Jeni to change into her traditional Western Bridal dress. I couldn't follow but Jeni said it would be ok for Kelly (my assistant) to go and cover that. Having a female photography partner really does offer a level of discretion for the entire wedding itself.

The room where the ceremony was held was perfect as it had large crossed windows on three sides and a large glass roof. During the ceremony it was easy to capture the event because we didn't have to worry about available light; it is a constant judgement and problem when shooting inside traditional churches because they are often darker than a photographer would like, and because we cannot use flashes that often proves 'tricky'.

After the ceremony was the formal group shots. Jeni wanted the shots to be done in the garden by the stairs. I decided it would be best to setup the camera and then have Kelly take the shots while I people manage; organizing a large wedding group is tricky because of the speed things have to be done. Fortunately, because of the system Kelly and I have, we completed all the group photos without any problems.

The rest of the day went without a hitch. We had already planned our photographic positions for the speeches and the cake cutting. All that was left was the first dance.

The first dance was amazing. I got some great shots of the dance using a variety of lenses, also having the second photographer there was a massive bonus as it meant I didn't have to move about which can be distracting to the couple and the guests.

If you have any questions about your Wedding Photography requirements then please contact me and I will get back to you as soon as possible.