Simply Bows and Chair Covers Supplier Spotlight: Berkshire Based Steven Etheridge Wedding Photography

Thursday, May 9, 2013

 
 What is your company name?           


Steven Etheridge Wedding Photography


What is your line of business?
Wedding Photography



  How and why the company begin? 
I have worked as a photographer since leaving school.  I began by working in a photography studio and shadowing the professionals there when they photographed weddings and portraits, being promoted after a few months to assistant photographer.  I then used the training and experience that I had gained to start up my own business 15 years ago and I haven’t looked back since!

Tell us a little about your wedding....
I married my wife, Elaine, in June 2010.  Because we spend nearly every weekend at weddings (in a photographic capacity!), we kept our day relatively low-key and relaxed.  It took place at Mannings Heath Hotel with around 50 close friends and family.  We had a Caribbean steel band playing on the sun terrace overlooking the lake and kept the traditional wedding formalities to a minimum - deciding against the conventional speeches and first dance.  Our evening disco (FoxRox Discos) was fantastic and kept people dancing well into the night!


Why do brides come to you?    
I believe it is important that the bride and groom feel relaxed around their photographer because this will obviously result in much more natural, flattering photographs on the wedding day.  I always aim to put potential wedding couples at ease during the initial meetings and really try to get to know them in order to create a more relaxed atmosphere on the day.  I also think that our photography packages represent genuinely good value.  Unlike some photographers, we are fully transparent on the price of our photography and exactly what is included in each package.


What is your favourite design and why?
My favourite type of album which we produce are our “deluxe storybook” albums.  These are top of the range, hand-bound coffee table books produced in Italy.  They are available with a range of photographic covers including solid alloy and a beautiful crystal finish.  They are presented in a high quality personalised wooden box printed with your choice of photograph.  I believe that these albums really offer the best format to show off your wedding photos!


What is the most popular item you supply and why?
The deluxe storybook albums described above are our most popular album, but our wedding couples tell us that their favourite item is the preview prints which we include in our packages.  Every single image from the wedding day is printed off to A5 size and presented in boxed ivory preview albums.  There are no watermarks or “proof” text on these images and they are yours to keep.  We also present all of these images on a high-resolution CD which is printable and free from any copyright protection.  The preview prints, high-resolution CD and your choice of finished album are all included in the price.  Our wedding couples seem to like the fact that they end up with a full set of “real” photographs as well as the digital images on a CD for emailing or uploading to photo-sharing websites etc.


Where do you get your inspiration from?
My wedding couples themselves often unknowingly give me inspiration for new ideas - seeing the way different couples behave towards one another and interact together gives me ideas for new romantic poses to try out.  In terms of artistic and reportage photographs, it is really a case of having a keen eye and seeing the day “through a lens” in order to instinctively know the right angles, composition etc to create beautiful photographs of the wedding couple plus all the tiny decorative details that will have been organised.  But a large amount of our photography is unposed.  Capturing those spontaneous moments (be it a stolen kiss between the happy couple, little flowergirls playing with confetti or a joke shared between groups of guests) is what we pride ourselves on.  These types of photographs are almost always the favourites of our wedding couples, as they give a real impression of the atmosphere and emotion of the day.



What is in store for you in 2013/14?
2012 was a bumper year for us in terms of bookings and 2013 is already going the same way.  Most of our wedding couples book us around a year in advance, but there are generally a few late notice bookings to fill any remaining gaps in the diary!  Many of our bookings come from recommendations or are the friends and family members of couples that we have already photographed.  This is especially nice when we photograph the weddings of several brothers and sisters plus their friends for example, and you really get to know the family well.  I am also often called upon by my previous wedding couples to offer portrait shoots in my studio when they go on to have children.  This is obviously really lovely to see, so I look forward to a few more jobs like this in 2013!

Who would be your dream client, and what sort of design would you envisage for them?
Anyone who enjoyed having their photograph taken and was willing to experiment with some more artistic, creative shots!

What would be your top tips for brides when searching for a supplier in your industry?
I have prepared a free download containing some top tips for anyone looking to book their wedding photographer - it can be found at http://www.sephotography.co.uk/8-questions.php

Tell us something super interesting about you or your business that we wouldn’t already know…?
I enjoy performance car track days and I am a keen scuba diver.


Where are you based and where can you supply?
I am based in Loxwood, just on the border of Surrey and West Sussex in the centre of Farnham, Guildford and Horsham.  We cover weddings all over the UK and internationally, so there really is no limit on where we can supply!



How can I get in touch to discuss my requirements or place an order?
Please feel free to contact me for a no-obligation chat, on either 01403 753775 or 07748 066972.  Alternatively, my email address is se_photo@hotmail.com.  Full details of my services can be found at www.sephotography.co.uk.

Why do you like to work with Simply Bows and Chair Covers?
Simply Bows & Chair Covers always go above and beyond to make the space being dressed look absolutely amazing.  Our most recent wedding with them was at Farnham House Hotel and we have never seen the ceremony or reception rooms look so stunning.  The chair covers, sashes and table runners had a much higher “quality” look to them than other similar products that we see at weddings, and the finishing touches were impeccable.  A first-rate company.

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