NOEL DEASINGTON - CAPTURING PERFECT MOMENTS MAGICALLY

I'm so happy to have Noel Deasington join us for the first time this year.  I've long been a fan of his work so it feels really special to be able to show you what he's all about.

He's a lovely chap who's passion for his work shines through in every image.  His pictures somehow seem to capture a moment in time that feels slightly other-worldly and magical. I love the way they somehow feel vintage and of another time even though they're modern settings - you know you will look back on his photos and all the emotion of your own wonderful day will come flooding back. 

Noel has an amazing eye for people and really captures aspects of his subjects' personalities, whether they're posing for a photo or he catches them unawares.  There's real joy in his wedding photos but not just that, his backdrops are gorgeous - stunning landscapes, beautiful venues or a mirrored reflection - all draw your eye and make you want to look for longer.

In his own words "There are so many amazing moments at weddings and I want to capture them all.  It's my passion and it's a privilege to be part of the most important celebration of your life ... I tell the story of your wedding from start to finish and take creative and unique portraits through the day."

His weddings have been featured on-line, including on, Rock n Roll Bride, Love My Dress, Whimsical Wonderland Weddings and Mr and Mrs Unique Wedding Blog

You can see Noel's passion for his work on his website and blog but I'm posting a few examples of his work to introduce you to his beautiful style!

ANATOMY OF A HEN PARTY LIFE DRAWING CLASS

I was very excited when I heard about this great Hen Party idea.  Over to tutor Penny for a sneak peek behind the scenes of a Hens with Pens  class.

What actually happens at a hen party life drawing class? One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is “How rowdy are the hens?”, quickly followed by “Is the model nude?”.

I really enjoy teaching the classes and find that there is a massive variance in mood from the quiet and studious to the very lively. It depends on the personalities within the group and, of course, what time of day the class is held. In all cases I try to provide some tuition so that those who really want to learn how to draw get the chance to pick up a couple techniques. At the same time I’m aware that it’s a party activity so I don’t put too much pressure on anyone to produce a masterpiece!

As for whether the model is nude – yes he is! In the academic tradition of life drawing, models would always be nude so that students can gain an understanding of anatomy. The same is true for a hen party life drawing class.

A Hens with Pens class - timeline

As a hen party life drawing tutor, my weekends are spent dashing round the countryside with sketchbooks in tow – one of the nicest aspects of the job is getting to see all the fabulous accommodation that hens are using – in one case we even held a class in a yurt!

After I’ve arrived and set up, my first task is to get all the hens wearing their berets and moustaches and furnished with drawing materials. We then spend about an hour doing some low-pressure portraits of each other that can and usually do have hilarious consequences.

At half-time our male model will arrive, and my job is to secretly usher him in to get changed without the bride catching sight of him. Once he’s modelling the hens often ask questions about whether he gets nervous, but for a professional art model it’s all in a day’s work. Both myself and the models love seeing the hens’ drawings and it’s really rewarding for both of us to see a progression in technique and an improvement in drawings over the two hours.

Penny is a life drawing tutor at Hens with Pens.

Marie Man Photography

Bristol Vintage is delighted to welcome back Marie Man.

As an experienced photojournalist, Marie Man documents your day in a natural, friendly and relaxed way that will retell your story beautifully for years to come. 

With her fashion photography background you have the option to get as creative as you like...

...and you'll be free to enjoy your day, soak up the atmosphere and spend time with friends and family, safe in the knowledge that it's all being recorded for you and for the generations to come.

All of Marie's packages include a pre-wedding shoot. Her full day packages start at £1,400 and she's happy to travel anywhere.

In her own words: "I'm delighted to be part of the Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair as it's great to be able to exhibit in my home town and I love the effort that Ali puts into the Fair every year. All the better that we can support a great cause this year too. I'm looking forward to it so much!"

Find out more on Marie's website, blog and Facebook page, but do make sure you come along to our Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair this Sunday (March 16th). Marie will be on hand to show you her work and chat about your upcoming wedding!

Inspiring Us - Dawn Wilkins Photography

You can’t have missed Dawn Wilkins’ gorgeous pictures.  Whether you’ve been browsing this site or if you were one of the many guests at our Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair in February, Dawn was the photographer who captured all things wedding and vintage on the day and we’ve been proudly featuring the images since. 

Dawn specialises in wedding and portrait photography and she also arranges wonderful makeover parties, perfect for a hen do.  She’s so warm and friendly that whether you’re a couple on your engagement shoot or introducing the newest member of your family with a portrait shoot, Dawn’s approach will capture you at your most natural. 

 

It’s that natural, comfortable, organic feel that marks out Dawn as a photographer that people come back to time and again.  Only last weekend the groom’s brother booked his own wedding with her and another guest booked their children in for a family shoot.  These portraits sessions are something rather special as Dawn prefers not to use a studio, instead visiting the family at home or having the children run about in nearby woodlands or the local park.  It’s this little bit more that gets those gorgeously cute pictures of your children that you’ll really treasure.

For the wedding and civil ceremonies Dawn offers a number of packages including an optional engagement photo shoot before the wedding, post production and retouching of all photographs, all photos on a disc in high resolution, plus a DVD slideshow of 100-150 best photos set to music
.  Also available are some gorgeous wedding albums; magazine style photo books in hardback with dust jackets. 

Her website has just had a lovely spring/summer revamp with wonderful single, family and kids portraits (perfect to follow a wedding!) as well as wedding photos from engagement through to the last man standing. Do check out the gallery.  You can also contact her through her website, find her on Twitter, Facebook and on her blog. 

Rose Popay

Rose Popay is an award-winning artist who can draw live at your wedding! Creating exciting paintings of people and events, she can vibrantly capture your special day, even involving your guests in creating a collaborative artwork that’s yours to keep forever.

The fun begins with Rose drawing the bride and groom, some main features of the venue as well as some of the guests.  Then it’s time for your guests to join in!  They can draw each other, memories of the couple or perhaps even the food.  Rose will continue to draw alongside to give the canvas a strong structure as well as encouraging others to be creative. The picture is then laid down ready for Rose and your guests to paint and by the end of the evening the bride and groom are presented with the canvas.  What an amazing gift!  

It’s a charming record of your wedding day, but also so much more; it entertains as you watch it develop.  The picture can be made into thank you cards for guests and you could also have quick fire drawn portraits done on the day too.  Or, if you send Rose a favourite photo, she can create a drawing in advance – a lovely present for the bride and groom or bridesmaids.  She can even make a canvas out of your wedding photos after the day itself.  Wedding prices start around £350.

For something that little bit different, Rose can also offer a mixture of more risqué entertainment with her fabulous art.  With her strong performance background, she can appear as a character [The Art Tart] to liven up your crowd.  She’s performed all over the world as part of The Natural Theatre and her travels have influenced her artistic style and fed her passion for the bold vibrant utse of colours when painting. For a glimpse at Rose’s performance art, try her YouTube channel where you’ll find a cocktail of Beryl Cooke, Rolf Harris, Marilyn Monroe and a flagon of Dave's leopard skin scrumpy. 

 Her performance can incorporate live drawing of your wedding and reception from its most flattering angle or even, for a truly unique touch, right in amongst the guest involving them in the art work itself.

Take a look at her website, catch her on Facebook and Twitter and best of all find her in person at our Fair.   Rose will be there, so come and meet this wonderfully talented woman and find out how she can give you that unique way to remember your wedding day.  She’ll be offering bargain portraits, so dress to impress!