Guest Blogger – Kooky Cutter Weddings By Shelly Mantovani at Toast Photography

So on Friday I featured the ‘A love of Vinyl’ shoot by Shelly Mantovani From Toast in Leeds.
Shelly was kind enough to write this fantastic article for me, so I thought it would be good to have a double wammy from the woman herself!

Kooky Cutter Weddings

It’s fair to say that the British public are pretty staid, reliable, stiff upper lipped and terribly proper. Quite right too. We’re British and we’re proud.
When it comes to weddings, we like to push the boat out but we don’t want to step too far outside our comfort zone – but friends, times are a changing…

Brides are no longer satisfied with a big, bland hotel, a white towering fruit cake made with slabs of royal icing, and bridesmaids in matching dresses. No, no, no. There’s a movement afoot in the world of weddings, and it’s set to change things in a big, unconventional way.
Carefree couples want a wedding that has big personality – their big personality! They want weddings in tipis, on tops of mountains and in their own gardens. They want invitations that are kooky works of art and they want food which isn’t pretentious – never mind the chicken in white sauce, bring on the fish ‘n’chips, pie and peas or the sushi! They want a wedding with details that people will remember for years to come and more importantly, that celebrates the love they have for each other. Hurrah for that!

A table decoration is no longer a few candles or flowers that match the bride’s bouquet, oh no. There’s a whole host of professionals out there who can offer whatever your heart desires – whether that’s an Alice in Wonderland look or romantic, eclectic vintage china tea sets or cool, urban, contemporary chic. Handmade is the name of the game, individuality is the key!
And the industry is finally starting to sit up and take notice of these iconoclasts. Blogs for alternative weddings are popping up everywhere – the likes of Kat at Rock n Roll Bride or Kelly here at Boho, are an inspiration not only for brides looking for something a little less conventional, but also to professionals who need to up their game to cater for this new breed of bride and groom.

Wedding photographers can no longer sit on their laurels when it comes to capturing the happy nuptials either. We have to be individuals too and create something extraordinary for our clients. These days, photographers offer pre-wedding shoots to get to know their couples and some of them even tailor their shoot to incorporate a little bit of the bride and groom’s personality. And once the photographer has climbed some trees and laid in the middle of the road to get that perfect shot, the couple trust them more and are more likely to be happier, more comfortable and look better in the actual wedding shoot.

More and more clients are opting for reportage style of wedding photography, spiced up with a more posed selection of images – and the posed shots aren’t the same as they used to be either. Our couples want glamour, style and to be the coolest of the cats. They are influenced by glossy fashion magazines, and for one day, they want to taste the supermodel life.
It’s a tall order for photographers, but unless we want to sink in an over saturated market where anyone with a digital camera can call themselves a wedding photographer, then we have to pull out all the stops and be as creative and quirky as we can.

And of course, once the wedding is over, brides also want the opportunity to wear their gorgeous dress again for crazy Rock the Frock sessions.
But more than that, new media is also changing the way we play the game. Facebook, twitter, blogs – you name it, our new breed of bride wants it. She wants to see preview shots on your blog, she wants to share it with her friends and she wants to know that she is getting all this for the best possible price.

So, what do wedding professionals do in the face of all these challenges? We embrace it. We face it fearlessly and hope that our creative juices are running at full steam because if we don’t, our funky new brides and grooms will have left the building.

Shelly Mantovani is the face behind the lens at Toast of Leeds photography. If you want something cool, vintage or edgy, reassuringly romantic or something classic and timeless, she’s your girl. Whether you’re a rock star, a bar tender or a fun loving office worker with a passion for shoes, Toast want your wedding images to express your individuality. Each wedding is unique – just like you – so why should your photos be any different?
In a bid to show that there is more to weddings than just white frocks and matching shoes, she joined the crusade of weddings for extraordinary people and created the Punk Bride Photoshoot earlier this year.
She offers Pre-Wedding shoots, affordable wedding packages, Boudoir shoots for brides to be and Rock the Frock for the more adventurous. She also squeezes in time for a little commercial photography too.

For more information on Shelly’s photography services go to:
www.toastofleeds.co.uk
[email protected]
01924 281965