Styled shoot March 2024 - Matt Rock Photography

Styled shoot at Tonbridge School Weddings and events

I was contacted in February 2024 by Nicky from Nicola Rose Weddings and Events to take part in a styled shoot to promote some local businesses and Tonbridge School weddings and events.

We met at the school a couple of weeks before so I could see the locations and get a feel of how we wanted to create these image assets for us all to use and to promote our respective businesses.

A lot of work goes into these styled shoots; Assigning the team, getting everyone together to create a wedding themed shoot to promote what we do in our day jobs and mine of course is making the images that hopefully showcase what we all do. Using the drone I was hoping to give a sense of where we are and show the venue with a different perspective to show couples looking to book this wonderful venue an overview of it’s grounds and architecture. You can see that this venue is full of character and history. A little side note; I was lucky to get the drone in the air when I did as it wasn’t long before the sun went in the the rain came down…

“Tonbridge school is a public school in Tonbridge, Kent, England and was founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judde. It’s a member of the Eton Group and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies. There are currently around 800 boys in the school aged between 13 and 18.”

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On the day I arrived to set up my cameras and drone then had another look around whilst the finishing touches were being made for the shoot; hair, makeup, suits, flowers, room decoration and cake all being prepared and made ready for the day ahead. I started with a nice fresh cup of coffee as always and got a few photos of the ‘bride’ before she was all finished, just to get warmed up before it was all go.

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After a few warm up shots it was time to get the wedding vibe going with some more styled images of the ‘bride and groom’ getting ready with hair, make up, dresses and suits.

During the day I tried to shoot in a similar way to how I work at a real wedding (documentary, candid in nature) although due to not having the time restraints at an actual wedding I was able to direct things more than usual with a few more re-takes than is normally possible.

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Now it’s all come together and if you are reading this whilst planning your own wedding, please get in touch to see how I can help you get the photographs you deserve from your big day.

If you have read this far, thank you! And if you liked what you read please share with your friends and family who may benefit from having an experienced photographer capture their big day.

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Suppliers involved with this styled wedding shoot were:

Photography - Matt Rock Photography 

Event organiser - Nicola Rose Weddings and Events

Florist - Bailey and Blossom

Venue - Tonbridge School

Videographer - Alin Cengher

Suits - Hardman & Hemming

Favours - Gwyneth Johnson Cake Designs

Cake - Artisan Cakes And Confections

Dress - Bridal Boutique of Jules

Female model - Cristina Maccarrone

Male model - Calum ORourke

Make up - Makeup by Evi 

Hair - The Makeup and Hair Bar

Hair Accessories - Deco Flowers

Content creator - Nadya Mamaeva

Retro cameras - Bailey Mansfield

Tudor Barn Wedding Photographer - Matt Rock

Wedding Photography at The Tudor Barn, Eltham, London.

“The Last remaining Tudor Barn in London”

— https://www.tudorbarneltham.com

Getting Married In a Pandemic

2020 was a year of cancelations and postponements and I was booked in to shoot a few weddings at this wonderful venue in 2020. Becky & Paul booked me to photograph their wedding a month or so before as they were originally due to be married in another country.

This was one of those surprise late booking wedding assignments…. I was recommended by a couple of different clients who’s weddings I photographed in the past and it was great to catch up with some familiar faces. Getting recommendations is a great confidence boost to any photographer - it shows that clients do really appreciate what you do. What I didn’t know until I arrived at The Tudor Barn was that two of the groom’s brother-in-laws were old friends of mine from senior school, over 30 years ago… It got even more weird when one of those friends is married to my sons teacher!

There is a lot of pressure on me at a wedding day because you only have one chance to get it right.

Everyone who runs their own business knows that reputation is VERY important and it doesn’t matter about how good you were for the last wedding. You will only be judged by the wedding you are working on that day for that couple.

So, I was recommended, which adds to the pressure, then you know two old friends are there watching you work and then you realise that your sons teacher is there too (the sister of Paul, the groom) So to say I felt a bit more pressure at this one was an understatement. Add to that the fact it was only my third and last wedding of the year due to COVID-19 meant (and I don’t mind saying this) I was a bit out of practice too.

Photographing the bride, her friends and her family getting ready is a fun part of the day and is important to capture. It is a time where I try to blend in and just be one of them. Observing the conversations, nerves, excitement and the amazing multi tasking that goes on too. I do love the candid fly on the wall nature of the images it’s possible to make at this time.

It was now time for me to leave Becky to finish getting ready and join the Groom for some photos of him and the other guests before the bride arrives for the ceremony.

I have found over the last 14 years or so that EVERY wedding is different but most of them follow a similar structure and timeline. So until this point the wedding day felt quite normal - as normal as it’s been up to 2020 at least. But the new 2020 COVID wedding format was going to appear again as soon as I arrived at The Tudor Barn for the ceremony and celebrations - A smaller than normal guest list and a bit less freedom to roam and of course Face masks…

With the ceremony over it was time for the Bride and Groom to say hi to their guests and then go outside for some more photos. Some candid photos, groups, couple portraits and most couples like to have some confetti thrown over them too.

Then it was onto the speeches - where I always find out some embarrassing info on the groom!

I do love to photograph weddings and this one was great to be apart of too. I am looking forward to what 2021 brings and I hope we can get a little more normality back in the wedding industry soon. Seeing old friends and past clients was a bonus too!

Music Photo-Film below:

Thanks for reading and as we look to March / April and the summer of 2021, let us hope it will be a bit more ‘back to normal’ and weddings can once again be a regular occurrence in our diaries.

Suppliers:

Ceremony: The Tudor Barn, Eltham, London

Dress: Together Forever Brides Crayford, Kent

Suits: Reiss

Rings: RPS Jeweller Hatton Garden

Flowers: Highflying Balloons & Flowers Welling, Kent

Need help deciding on your wedding photographer? See my BLOG below for some more inspiration.

““pandemic noun
plural pandemics
Definition of pandemic
1 : an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affects a significant proportion of the population : a pandemic outbreak of a disease
a global pandemic
Influenza pandemics seem to strike every few decades and to kill by the million—at least 1m in 1968; perhaps 100m in the “Spanish” flu of 1918-19.
— The Economist””

— — https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pandemic

Getting married in a pandemic - Kent Wedding Photographer - Matt Rock

Wedding Photography at The Manor Gatehouse, Dartford - 2020

2020 was a bit of a curve ball for us all.

I was all set for my busiest year of shooting weddings since starting my business way back in 2006.

It was 2019, and I had a busy year after winning the Kent Wedding Photographer of the Year - 2019. I was all prepared for a busy year ahead; I had a minor operation booked in for the start January 2020 (which went well thanks to our amazing NHS) and my first wedding of the year was booked in for late March. So plenty of time to rest and recover before the hard work and fun started.

Then came COVID-19…

Fast forward a year to December 2020 and out of the 32 weddings I had booked in, only 3 of them were able to go ahead due to government restrictions.

To say it was a stressful year professionally is an understatement. However, I still count myself very lucky. Receiving the government grants, having some great clients who were still prepared to stick with me and some who paid their fees upfront. This meant I was able to keep my business going and look forward to a busier 2021.

We are still not out of the woods just yet, but with the vaccine being rolled out and an amazing NHS - it’s got to a positive move forward.

2020 will be a year to remember - or maybe forget.

Amy and John were great throughout all of this. They had originally booked me almost 2 years before, in 2018 and their original date was set for 10th April 2020. They even recommended me to John’s sister and I shot her wedding in 2019. But as soon as the lockdown was looking like a possibility their date was soon changed to later in the year and we postponed it to 14th November 2020. At this point we were all hopeful this virus would be under control by the summer of 2020.

As this new date approached however it was clear that things were getting worse - not better. So they made the difficult decision to move their wedding date for a second time and bring it forward to 30th September 2020. Which as it turned out was a great move on their part as another venue lockdown was just around the corner…

Below are some of my favourite memories from their wedding day - 30th September 2020

So that was the moment it all happened - all the years of planning a wedding, postponing it twice, a pandemic and the compulsory wearing of face masks.

It all came down to the fact that two people just wanted to get married!

That’s it!

There was not going to be any lavish after party with 150 guests, no big embarrassing speech from the best man, no DJ, no first dance and no honeymoon.

Just two young people who were desperate to get married and start a new life together as Mr & Mrs.

Then it was all down to the local pub for burger & chips & few drinks.

It was great to be part of Amy & John’s special day and although it was not as they would have chosen, I felt they still had the best day, spent with close friends and family. I mentioned before that i’d photographed John’s sisters wedding back in 2019, so for me it was good to catch up with the family again too.

I made a music photo-film from their wedding and you can see this below.

Thanks for reading and as we look to March / April and the summer of 2021, let us hope it will be a bit more ‘back to normal’ and weddings can once again be a regular occurrence in our diaries.

Suppliers:

Ceremony: Manor Gatehouse, Dartford Registry Office, Dartford, Kent - A Kentish Ceremony @kentishceremony

Pub: The Malt Shovel, Dartford, Kent @maltshoveldartf

If you know any suppliers that I have missed, please contact me me as I would love to include their details here.

Need help deciding? See my BLOG below for some more inspiration.

“pandemic noun
plural pandemics
Definition of pandemic
1 : an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affects a significant proportion of the population : a pandemic outbreak of a disease
a global pandemic
Influenza pandemics seem to strike every few decades and to kill by the million—at least 1m in 1968; perhaps 100m in the “Spanish” flu of 1918-19.
— The Economist”

— https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pandemic

Darenth Valley Wedding Photography - Emma & Luke 2020

The Darenth Wedding Photographer

Recommended Wedding Photographer

Emma & Luke booked me for their wedding back in March 2019 and were meant to be married in June 2020 at The Darenth, a lovely wedding venue in Shoreham, Sevenoaks, Kent. This venue has changed so much over the last 4 years and it should be a venue you look at too. One of the great features at The Darenth is that you have the option to get married inside or outside.

So with the date set it was all go go go and looking forward to the wedding… Then 2020 happened! Being the year it is, over 95% of weddings were postponed to later in the year or into 2021. Emma & Luke wanted to move the date back to August 2020 and of course I still wanted to be involved and lucky enough I had the date available too.

We managed to get the new date booked in a couple of months later for August and they had a lovely outside wedding planned. Lots of couples book a pre-shoot to get used to the camera before the big day but due to COVID-19 and lockdown, we didn’t have many dates free for theirs so we met just a couple of days before the wedding for some photos and then it was wedding time soon after.

Pre-shoot at The Darenth

Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful times for some of us; making sure all the people you love are there, the dress is perfect, the venue knows what you want, the groom arrives sober and the best man doesn’t ruin the day with the worst speech in history! Alongside that there are all the other little details that need to be planned, booked and paid for. Then add a little virus into the mix - COVID-19 - and it can take on a whole new level of stress.

But Emma & Luke seemed to be so relaxed and calm about it and the day went perfectly. Ok, it wasn’t exactly how they planned it to be but they got their outdoor wedding they wanted and all their close family and friends were there to celebrate with them too.

As with most weddings I shoot, coverage starts with the Bride getting ready. I love to blend in & capture these images of the excitement and sometimes chaos.

Watch their Photo-film below - just hit the PLAY button

As I said, I love starting the day shooting bride preparations. It’s a time that is full of expectations, nerves and excitement. I can really get the natural photos that I like to get which tell the story of the day. It also gives me the chance, if time allows, to get some beautiful portraits of the bride too.

As Emma came out of the house it started to rain very lightly - This was not a good start as she was all set for an outside ceremony at The Darenth and we were all a bit concerned about it getting worse...

However, by the time we’d arrived at The Darenth the rain had stopped and it was back to the original plan of having an outside ceremony - although it was very windy - terrible for my hair!

But I don’t think Luke the groom was too worried.

After a few reception drinks & the cake was cut, we were off out for some portraits & group photos. Then onto the Kings Arms, Shoreham for some food and more drinks. We took the short walk, just down the road & over the beautiful bridge.

The Darenth is situated near to the lovely little village of Shoreham, Sevenoaks. About a 5 - 10 minutes walk away and a great place to go for some couple portraits after your ceremony.

With all that has happened in 2020 with COVID, this wedding still went ahead and it was a great wedding day. Although it was a bit different to a wedding in a normal year, due to you know what but the wedding was a big success and from an outsiders point of view it went very very well and everyone seemed to love being there to celebrate it with Emma & Luke - I know I did! Yes it was different but every wedding I have ever photographed since 2006 has been different.

The one thing I try to do with every wedding is tell a story of the day and this wedding will be one of only a very small number of weddings that took place in 2020 (this was my first 2020 wedding & I’ve photographed just 3 up to this point - November 2020) and that will be the story these two lovely people will tell their grandchildren many years from now…

“What year did you get married Nan?”

“Let me tell you about COVID 2020…. “

The Darenth - Contact the team:

Station Road, Shoreham, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 7SA

info@thedarenth.com - 01959 522944 - www.thedarenth.com

DARENTH VALLEY PHOTO-FILMS - BELOW - PRESS PLAY & TURN UP THE VOLUME

SUPPLIERS:

Venue: The Darenth

Pub: The Kings Arms, Church St, Shoreham, Sevenoaks TN14 7SJ

Flowers: Mr Flower Ltd - https://mrflower.co.uk

Dress: Wed2b - https://www.wed2b.co.uk/bridal-shops/london/kent/wed2b-bromley

Rings: Beverbrooks - http://beaverbrooks.co.uk

Photographer: Matt Rock Photography

Other supplier information will be added as soon as possible.

English Castle - Lympne Castle Wedding Photographer - Kent - UK

As a Kent wedding photographer I was lucky to be asked if I would be part of Lympne Castle as a recommended photographer. I’m proud to be part of this wonderful Kent wedding venue. From a photographers perspective there are so many opportunities to photograph a wedding here. Candidly capturing those otherwise unseen moments between you and your guests. It really is a pleasure to work here as a photographer. Aimee and the team will look after you from start to finish.

Are you part of our NHS or Emergency Services? Special Offer - see more information here

Lympne Castle, Kent, UK

English Castle Weddings

Aimee - 01303 261666 / 01303 267571
aimee@lympnecastle.com

Lympne Castle has been providing hospitality to nobles since the 12th century and Situated in the beautiful village of Lympne, Kent.

This Medieval castle should be considered for your Kent wedding. It’s somewhere that I’m very comfortable working at. There are so many great photo opportunities and lots of space for you to explore. Plus if the weather is not on your side the light coming into the dark panelled rooms works so well for the candid, natural images I like to make.

• Press PLAY below to see a short photo film to music - turn the sound up too.

From the first time you walk down the drive to the castle entrance you get the feel of being in another time in British history.

If you prefer a Church service there is a beautiful one next door to Lympne Castle

• Another Beautiful Photo Film below - PLAY & turn the music up…

If the weather is on your side the courtyard and gardens are a great place to have a glass of fizz whilst chatting to your guests and enjoying the views that many wedding venues can only dream of. Aimee & the team will always be there to help.

For the bride who wants to keep it all in one place; getting ready, wedding ceremony, champagne reception, wedding breakfast and the party, this could be perfect.

For your bridal preparations, do you use the cottages or the castle? The choice is yours…

These rooms are perfect for those natural, candid photos that you will look back on whilst you show your children and grandchildren.

Lympne Castle has lots of space and could cater for those large weddings but just as easily for the smaller ones too.

• You REALLY should consider this Medieval castle for your wedding

Since lockdown started on 23rd March 2020 - COVID-19 - has been disrupting our industry and we may be seeing more & more smaller weddings in the future. I can imagine a more intimate wedding at Lympne Castle would be just as beautiful and really bring together the most important people in your life along with a cosy fire place and maybe a wedding singalong or two. I have photographed many weddings at Lympne Castle and I can’t wait to get back there once we have all settled down to some kind of normal again and the wedding industry is back on track.

I personally feel this beautiful, old English Castle in Kent, UK has so much character and will bring the wow factor to your wedding. I have so much fun working here and you will not regret adding this to your list of wedding venues. Contact Aimee to make your appointment.

• Hit the PLAY button to see this photo film below - turn the sound up too.

SPECIAL OFFER

Like and share my Social Media pages below

How will Wedding Photography change after 2020? #COVID-19 #stayathome #livethedream #2020

Are you part of our NHS or Emergency Services? Special Offer - see more information here

This might sound like a tough question to answer - because it is - I hope it doesn’t change too much and for too long as I quite liked it as it was. I hope that wedding couples still see the benefit of having good quality wedding photography to look back at in years to come.

“Is having lots of experience and being good at what you do going to be good enough?“

Maybe...

“Do the awards you’ve got help you survive and attract new clients that love your work in the future?”

I hope so…

“Does positivity and belief in yourself help you keep going when it all seems to be for nothing?”

Yes, absolutely… I’ve been coming into the office almost every day since lockdown so that I can stay as focused & keep as positive as possible for when it starts to return back to some normality. Take a look at some lockdown photos i’ve made on my INSTAGRAM page - Macro photography is very interesting and makes you appreciate the little things.

Capturing the humour of a church service with candid moments like this is fun.

So, you have been wanting to get married for a couple of years and finally you book a date with your dream venue, you’ve tried on some beautiful dresses & cool looking suits and chosen your favourite wedding photographer. :) Now it’s time to get all the other pieces of this big wedding jigsaw puzzle in place and try to encourage your Fiance to look a little more interested in the colour of your seat covers you’ve spent £400.00 on.

All the invitations have been sent to your guests and the reliable 80% of them have RSVP’d - YES! Great! - you are now ready to come together for a massive celebration of two people, two families and hundreds of friends, all looking forward to meeting up at the same place on the same day to help celebrate this wonderful couple and special occasion.

Then…

#2020 #COVID-19 #STAYATHOME #NHS #EMERGENCYSERVICES #KEYWORKERS #GOV #FURLOUGH

I mean, who had ever heard of the word ‘Furlough’ before 2020?

Vicar waiting for the bride to get to church for her ceremony.

He will be waiting there a long time I think.

Lets just hope he can have a quiet word with his boss and sort this mess out soon!

It is easy to see how this affects people and our lifestyle. This really has affected everyone in some way. Some people will lose a little and some will lose a lot. Some people and businesses have gained out of it, with the way online usage has changed. Some have helped a little some have helped a lot. There are even those that have tried to gain out of others misery by preying on the weak and vulnerable.

But generally it’s times like these that people shine and stand up & help others. Especially the NHS and Emergency Services. We are all lucky there are people out there like this. I am sure you, like me know someone that works for the NHS or Emergency Services.

A Special Offer to say thank you to them is here.

I have friends and family who work with these great - yet under respected public services.

The Portraits above are some images from my Fire Brigade Project which I started in December, 2018 - I’d love to extend this to all Emergency Services and NHS staff in the future too if I can get access.

Stay focused… now back to weddings

If you are planning a small wedding or even looking to elope; just the two of you - and a photographer, I think going to be able to get married sooner than if you have a large wedding day planned with hundreds of guests. So maybe that is one way that the wedding industry will change in the short term. More people will have smaller weddings I think. Back in 2012, I was asked to photograph a small wedding with only 8 people and although it was very different to what I am used to it was still a lovely day with many opportunities to get some great photographs.

So why not contact me to find out if I am available to photograph your small wedding or elopement.

It will be different, but great fun.

So yes,

Weddings will change.

How?

For how long?

Who knows?

But as a photographer who shoots mainly in a candid, documentary style with the added bonus of some beautiful couple portraits, it’s really about you and your special day more than how many people are there.

Just let them enjoy the photographs!

Being a recommended Kent Wedding Photographer...

In this BLOG I take a closer look at two great wedding venues that I am lucky enough to be recommended by. I will showcase another two soon. Most of my wedding couples find me through their friends recommendations. Another way I get clients is being recommended by many Kent wedding venues, which is a real honour to be trusted by them. These venues are places I like to work at as they all have their own look and style. Here’s a look at the first two on the list - venues who recommend me: The Boathouse, Bexley and The Darenth, Sevenoaks. - Alphabetical order.

Are you part of our NHS or Emergency Services? Special Offer - see more information here

“Have you worked at my venue before?”

Being recommended by a venue is great and if you are getting married in Kent, Essex and London, the chances are I have worked at your venue.

But there are so many I haven’t yet had the opportunity to see. Which is why I love wedding photography; because shooting at a new venue is very exciting too and as an experienced photographer, working somewhere new is a great opportunity to make photos that no one else has in their wedding album. So I am always looking to work with other venues in Kent, Essex, London too.

In fact I can work all over the UK! So get in touch and we can chat about your plans

Danson House, &

The Boathouse - Bexley, Kent

They make the perfect combination…

The Boathouse is the closest wedding venue to me and I grew up only a couple of miles away, so I know it well. Set in the beautiful Danson Park in the Borough of Bexley, Kent gives you and your wedding guests lots of outside space with lake views & lots of photo opportunities. There is a terrace out the back of The Boathouse too, which offers a great space to relax after the wedding breakfast and the speeches are all over. You do have the option to hold your wedding ceremony at The Boathouse too. However, lots of wedding ceremonies are held at the nearby Danson House, which is a beautiful Grade 1 listed Palladian villa built in 1766 by Sir John Boyd and is a historic landmark in Bexley.

You can learn more about Danson House - here.

It’s just a short walk from The Boathouse too, which is why they make the perfect combination.

** Look at this BLOG about my NHS & Emergency Services - SPECIAL OFFER **

The Darenth, Shoreham, Kent

You can hold your ceremony inside or outside at The Darenth

Attention to detail… This venue has been constantly improving and changing over the last 4 years and is almost unrecognisable. Kerry & Jason have really made this Kent wedding venue one to see. This should, without doubt be one to consider for your wedding. Every time I go there, something else has been improved, changed or been tweaked. The Darenth is just a short country walk from Shoreham, so when the time is right, you can take a few moments away from the party. It’s a lovely walk down to Shoreham & so we can make those special couple portraits I love to make - the best bit is, I work fast and discreet, so you won’t be away from your guests for long.

So if you haven’t seen this Kent wedding venue for a while speak to Kerry on 01959 522944 and take a look around.

You can see my last BLOG here from a wedding at The Darenth last December - 2019.