Taken in January 2010, at the Galgorm Resort and Spa, Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

1. Deborah & Joe
Really enjoyed my time with Deborah & Joe  - here are a few black & whites. I really like this contrasty look. It was also good to catch up with Deborah’s sister who’s wedding I did last year.

2. Louise & Ryan
Another great day at the Dunadry – and probably the most organised couple in the world – the album has already gone to print!!

Above: This is the sort of documentary photo I love to take. It probably won’t make its way into the album, but its a great memory of a bridesmaid opening a gift she just received from the bride.

Above: the choir make a guard of honour on the way out of the church. Another nice documentary style shot.

Above: making the most of the rain – the trusty Peter Thomas umbrella comes into action!

3. Jackie & Joanne
My most local wedding recently (Whitehead & Greenisland), we had good fun down in HazelBank park. Great couple.

Above: men are often forgotten at weddings – and the bride gets all the attention. So at every wedding, I’m now trying to get a few really good pictures of the men. This one is in an interesting location – but I love the urban feel from the old grafitti.

Above: the first dance. Totally unscripted – they look totally in love!

Above: just to show you a fun storybook page layout. Makes you smile – job done!

4. Ian & Lorna
From a local wedding to the opposite extreme – I went through an entire tank of petrol at this wedding in Limavady & Ballybofey! A lovely service and a great location in Browns Gardens in Limavady. We just about beat the rain!

Above: A little bit of a ‘quirky’ image in panoramic – but I have to say I quite like it!

Above: as always the detail shots are important reminders of the day

So there you go – my favourite pictures in April 2009. They are all available for viewing at http://www.peterthomasphotography.com . Hope you like them – let me know! Part 2 coming in a week or two!

1. Don’t worry!
One great thing about our ‘mild’ climate is that it rarely rains all day. Our weather tends to showery, and so its usually possible to get at least some of the photographs taken outdoors. And even if it does, some of the most moody shots I have taken are of people walking under umbrellas or standing in doorways looking out at the rain. Dramatic skys can often be great!

2. Get a professional!
Over the years, I’ve got good at taking photographs on wet days. I’m not writing this to plug my own services – but indoor photography is about 100 times more difficult than outdoor photography – so make sure you hire a full-time, professional photographer. They’ll be able to handle whatever the day throws at them! Whoever you choose, ask for a few examples of wet weddings. Many photographers will have online examples of wet weddings.

3. Get an umbrella!
I usually try to carry a few umbrellas with me, but why not buy a few wedding umbrellas. No need to spend a fortune -I wouldn’t spend any more than £20.

For ladies: I normally try to get a ‘bird cage’ umbrella – something like http://www.simplyumbrellas.co.uk/umbrellas.php/products_id/150 .
For men, a plain black umbrella will do.

I always carry a white towel, so that if it rains I can always dry off seats and protect the all important wedding dress!

4. Think Location
If you haven’t already hired your reception, you might want to take a good look inside. Fireplaces, a nice bridal suite, stairs, old windows and brick walls are all great props. Some couples spend their wedding night at a separate hotel – if that’s the case you may think about visiting that hotel too (but make sure you get permission first!). An example was a recent couple who had their reception in Shu, but booked their wedding night in the Merchant Hotel. It rained all day – but we were able to go to the Merchant for a few photographs. There are also some houses available for rent – Redhall (Carrick) & Kilymoon Castle (Cookstown) are examples.

5. Plan for time
You don’t want to spend your whole wedding day taking photographs – but I’d suggest leaving a little buffer time in the schedule. This allows you to stop if a shower comes, then go back outside again later. If you’d like 1hr of photographs at your reception – why not leave 1hr 30mins in the schedule. If you don’t need it, you can always use the spare time chatting to your guests!

And Finally…
No matter what, just enjoy your day! We’ve done lots of wet weddings (including one the day this happened – and guess what, the photos were great!).