With exactly 365 days til Sarah & Ollie tie the knot it seems very appropriate to share their engagement shoot and wish them all the best for the planning of the next 364 days!

“Hi Craig! Oh my, I love these, they are stunning! You did such a lovely job and we had such a good time with you! You made us feel very relaxed after we were both a bit nervous to begin with.”

Following a look around their venue (more about this later), we drove around the corner to Highdowns Gardens, Worthing. This beautifully maintained and rather understated garden is completely free to the public, although donations are welcome, and it provided the most perfect backdrops for our photos.

Walking down the entrance pathway I could tell Sarah & Ollie were both excited yet nervous. This was not an issue, as the shoot’s primary purpose was to capture their friendship and love for each other, whilst letting them experience being photographed.

We laughed, we chatted, and enjoyed ourselves. The shots really reflect this and, as with any shoot, the focus was on capturing them as a couple. Dressed to go out for a cocktail or two they certainly looked the part and I just love how the colours of their clothing complimented the tones, colours and textures of the Gardens.

When driving up to the Gardens I spotted a field of rape in full bloom. Following a quick change of shoes for Sarah we went on a mini mission to find a way in! Thankfully there was a footpath reasonably close by and another dimension to the shoot was achieved, giving a refreshing punch of yellow to the colour scheme!

Sarah & Ollie are lucky enough to live on Worthing seafront and while the wind was howling away they both added another layer to try and keep warm. I have so much respect for them after braising the cold wind, which is evident in the photos!! It was far from the idyllic beach shots Sarah had in mind, but they have a real charm to them!

One of the refreshing things about an engagement shoot is that it can be a brief session to give the couple an idea of what it is like to be photographed, or it can be this along with an insight into them as a couple, their favourite places to visit, and the connection they share as an engaged couple. It was a pleasure to create these shots for Sarah & Ollie as I could tell these would be the latter, and that they would also value the experience as they were so unsure to begin with.

One of the big loves I have for their wedding plans is that they are having their reception at a vineyard. Highdown Vineyard is a small vineyard situated along the A27 and has so much potential for photographs. Having photographed at vineyards before I  especially like the angles, the foliage, the character and the colours that the vines create- just perfect for wedding photos!

I will certainly be counting down the days to their wedding day, as I am sure they will be too. Craig.