Morning!

Only 2 more sleeps till the weekend peeps and I'm telling you, Mr Sun better get his shine on as I am in desperate need of a bit of vitamin D!

We are very lucky at Festival Brides to be promoting some awesome, and I mean AWESOME wedding suppliers and today is no exception.

Allow us to introduce you to Fiona Kelly Photography. She has been a sponsor of our festival pages for a while now so we thought it was about time we put her in the spotlight so you, dear readers, can get to know the people behind the pretty little adverts that grace our blog and directory everyday.

Booking suppliers for your wedding isn't just about liking the products or services they're offering. If you are going to let them be a part of possibly the biggest (and in some cases the most expensive) day of your life then you might want to get to know them a bit better. What makes them tick? Why do they do what they do? What will they bring to your wedding day?

We want to give you a chance to get to know the people behind the adverts because, quite frankly, they all rock!

With this in mind, we asked the lovely Fiona to tells us a little bit about herself, her photography style and why she loves what she does.....

Hi, Im Fiona and I am the person behind Fiona Kelly Photography. Originally from Kendal in the Lake District, I have since made my home in London, have married a Londoner and have a son who is fast developing a South London accent. I'm slowly giving up the battle to teach him northern vowels!

I am more than a little attached to my skinny jeans, I have a bit of an obsession with stripey tops, coral is my favourite colour, I qualified as a fitness instructor when I was 26 (whilst having a career dilemma), I'm a trained graphic designer and art director, I was born near Manchester, anything 'disco' is guaranteed to get me dancing, one of my favourite TV shows is Gavin & Stacey, I have seen the film Some Like it Hot more times than I can remember and I got married in Las Vegas in a midnight blue full length evening dress.

I'm creative, independent, easy going and possibly the most organised person you will ever meet!

My first foray into photography was at school. I was lucky enough to have a dark room at my school so started learning about photography when I was doing my A-Level art. Back then I used my Dad's old fully manual film camera so I learned all about processing film and developing my own prints. It all seemed really magical! I have always been a bit of a science geek as well as a creative person so think the combo of a photographic image being a visual and chemistry thing really appealed.

Fast forward a few years and after completing a Graphic Design degree I ended up working in retail as a designer and photographic art director. I was responsible for creating the concepts behind shoots for top high street brands, organising photo-shoots and directing the photographers and team. I did this job for 14 years and was lucky enough to travel the world doing it.

Around the time of my own wedding I was getting a little disheartened with the job I was doing. The thrill was disappearing and I was no longer finding it a challenge. I bought myself a digital SLR camera to take away on my honeymoon and the passion for photography came back on that trip. Without really realising it I had learned an enormous about from being immersed in the work of fashion, interiors and lifestyle brands as an art director. I knew the kind of style of photography I liked and it felt so natural to do it myself.

In 2008 I got married in Las Vegas, amongst a small group of friends and family. It was this amazing day, and our honeymoon road trip round California that really pushed my photography love affair to the next level. It was a scary thing to take that leap into a new business and a whole different career, but one of the best decisions I have made.

I have always thought that life is to be experienced fully and every challenge, no matter how scary, should be met with excitement at what might be round that first corner. It was this rather crazy attitude that finally pushed me into making photography a career and I am so glad of it. There's never a dull day, no work day is the same and I love meeting and getting to know the wonderful people who welcome me into their lives for their most special day.

There are certain things that really rock my world when it comes to wedding photography. Beautiful natural light (particularly soft back light when I get the chance), real & natural reactions, having fun, recording the lovely details (not just the flowers & shoes, but all the little things that happen) and telling the story of the day.

My photographic style is relaxed, candid and modern. I take inspiration from my fashion and lifestyle background and love photos that capture something of the person or people in them.

I love using natural light where possible and shooting in a way that really conveys the moment and all the details of the day. There is so much thought that goes in to a wedding day, the decisions, the details and most importantly the people. I love to capture all of that, as it is on the day. My couples get a real moment in time, a memory to have for years to come.

When I started photographing weddings one of the main things that I felt was how important it was to be relaxed about the whole day. A wedding day can be a stressful thing for all involved, with emotions higher than normal, and I didn't want to add to that stress.

For me, it's so much more than simply being the photographer. By the time of the wedding I have got to know each couple, I care about them and their day and it becomes really personal. Because of this they are relaxed and trust me to get on with what I am doing on the day. I want to create something that instantly takes a person back to that moment. When it comes to a wedding its photographing the small details as well as the people and the big story.

It's so important to remember that every couple is unique and their wedding is just as unique. This is what I capture when photographing a day. It's not just the details, but getting a feel for how the couple are together, and how they are with family and friends. The fun time, the laughter, the tears and everything in between. Every wedding really is different and capturing the essence of the day is a wonderful thing to be able to do.

On someones wedding day I firmly believe that they should have a good time. I work in a way that doesn't infringe on the festivities or monopolises too much time, but I encourage every couple to enjoy themselves. I love having a time out with my brides and grooms to photograph some lovely moments between the two of them. My main feeling is that it's their job to get on with being in love and having fun and mine to capture the events in a candid and emotive way.

Choose a photographer that you want to hang out with and will understand what you want and what's important to you. Of course its important to budget for what you can reasonably afford, but make sure you love the persons work and feel comfortable with them.

If you would like more information on Fiona Kelly, her photography style and how to book her for your wedding then please visit her website.

Happy Thursday peeps!

Bob and I have our first birth plus class tonight. We are going to learn how to get this little person out of my belly and into the real world. It's all getting very real now........only 7 weeks to go! Think we better start buying some baby stuff don't you!?

Big Love

Festival Brides xxx