Leila Doherty 10/7/20 Leila Doherty 10/7/20

Organising a wedding in the middle of a pandemic

As a photographer a destination wedding is the dream job! A place very special to me to shoot a wedding is France, as I got married here myself 5 years ago. I got married at a lovely little place called Saint Victor La Grand' Maison 36300, France. I will do a separate blog on my wedding day. When I got asked to photograph a wedding at Chateau St Julien I was so excited, as this was my other venue I had been torn between when deciding

The coronavirus pandemic has hit everyone in different ways. Everyday life as we know it has completely changed! Lockdown has been a long tough journey and again it has affected everyone in totally different ways.

For me it did also have lots of benefits like appreciating the simple things in life and spending more time with my family. But I’m not going to lie it was also exhausting trying to entertain 2 & 3 year old. My youngest received a shielding letter so it was so extremely important to keep her extra safe. We didn’t visit a shop for 5 months or even send them back to preschool and nursery when they first opened. But we were lucky as our family was safe, we followed all the rules and at the end of the day that’s all that really matters.

Being a small business owner I had to cancel lot of work and that was a huge hit financially. I think I cancelled over 100 shoots because of covid. But everyone was in the same situation. I offered all my clients who had booked either a full refund or to reschedule the shoot once safe and luckily for me everyone was happy to reschedule later on in the year.

One group hit with major disruption were couples who had booked a wedding. Organising a wedding is stressful enough normally let alone in the middle of a pandemic. COVID-19 has caused many brides and grooms to cancel, postpone or totally change their wedding plans this year. To make matters worse, some wedding venues have not been holding up their end of the bargain, charging customers a cancellation fee - despite the circumstances -and not allowing for any other course of action.

I had destination weddings in both France and Spain postponed, cancelled and changes in destinations. Again I offered all my clients complete flexibility and luckily I was free for the new wedding 2021 dates.

However the stress and worry is still constant. This horrible virus isn’t going away. Restrictions have been lifted and the numbers are going up again. What will the new rules on weddings be next year? It’s all a bit of a gambled and so tough if you’ve been trying to plan your big day.

As a Hertfordshire wedding photographer, to existing and new clients if you book me to do your wedding photography please rest assured in these unprecedented times I am fully flexible with all my bookings. If your wedding needs to be postponed or cancelled or you need to make major changes due to covid. I will do my best to accommodate your new plans.

Leila Doherty 6/24/20 Leila Doherty 6/24/20

A French fairy tale wedding

Chateau St Julien is nestled within a landscaped, walled estate in the village of St. Julien l’Ars just south of the Loire Valley near the ancient city of Poitiers. It offers the romance of an historic castle with the comfortable informality and spirit of a home. The chateau is the ideal setting for destination wedding parties of up to 50 guests where you can host your family and friends to the celebration of a lifetime. The peace and serenity of the chateau can be felt the moment you pass through the chateau gate, beneath the 100 ft. Gothic spire of the village church and into the castle courtyard.

Getting married in France is a very special experience. I can tell you from a personal point of view, that all I wanted was to do it again. So that’s what I try and give my clients, a set of images that transport them back to every moment, that are beautifully shot and will last forever. As a documentary wedding photographer I like to blend into the background, capturing the beautiful story as the day unfolds, I will make everyone feel relaxed and at ease, thats even if they notice that I’m there.

For a destination wedding I always like to travel the day before the the ceremony, this allows for any travel disruptions, but also gives me time to scout the location and meet my clients on location the day before, but I can arrive earlier. If you are making the most of your time in France with family and friends and have a few days of activities planned (welcome drinks, next day barbecues) these can also be covered.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at these photographs. If you are planning a wedding abroad get in touch. If you are planning a wedding in France especially this department near Poitiers or Limoges I’m also very happy to share my list of fabulous suppliers who I used for my own wedding.