Earlier this year, I heard about The Wedding Industry Awards. An independent awards event recognising excellence in wedding suppliers regionally and nationally. The judging process is based on the reviews and comments left by couples who I had photographed in the past year – it really is a performance based competition, so I was very chuffed to hear that I had been shortlisted for London and South East Photographer of the year. After the results were announced, I was able to see the comments anonymously left by my clients.
The best thing about all of this has been reading those comments – so kindly left and (being anonymous) very genuine. I am so very grateful to all those who took the time to vote for me and leave comments. Thank you very much – I am genuinely touched and moved by your comments.
For anyone considering booking me as their wedding photographer – I can see no better recommendation(s) or reasons than all of the following:
General Comments (in random order)
“Ed had a wonderful talent. He was always present, but hardly noticeable, he really blended in well with everyone without making himself too prominent and somehow captured so many special moments that we had no idea were happening on our big day. All guests, some of whom are professional photographers (!) thought the photo’s were of an incredible standard”
“very professinal, easy going”
“I really appreciateed Ed’s service. It was fantastic. Wedding pictures should be special and Ed made them special. Even Ed’s personality is very pleasant.“
“Absolutely excellent“
“Great personality, great photos“
“Our wedding photos were stunning – Ed captured so much detail and atmosphere! Wedding photographs are such a precious thing after a wedding – and we were thrilled with ours.”
“Great personal service and captured the day just as we wished“
“Not a bad word to say. From Booking to receiving our weding album Ed’s been a pleasure to work with. Went beyond the call of duty and we couldn’t be happier with our photos.“
“Ed’s photos really captured the day perfectly and whenever we look at them we re-live the day. He has a very unobtrusive style and we barely noticed him taking photographs during the day – but he was very friendly and a pleasure to have at our wedding. The photos are absolutely stunning and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to anyone.“
“He made a not very photogenic couple look fantastic! Great service on the day, not intrusive, friendly and patient (we had loads of difficult children!) Can’t fault him and most importantly he is a very talented photographer.“
“Ed was simply fantastic, he has a clear and easy to understand pricing structure with minimal ‘extras’ that only complicate matters. In the run up to the wedding we only needed to meet up with him once and he had all the album samples ready and waiting to enable us to make a clear decision on what we wanted. When it was time for the wedding he blended perfectly with the crowd and was never in the way, he also managed to get all the set photos done with minimal fuss and with no stress to the Bride and Groom. He looked smart and made the extra effort to work with the hotel to ensure a smooth day. All in all a gold standard photographer.“
“Fantasic photographer, highly recommended!!“
“Ed worked really hard to provide exactly what we wanted, a mix of contemporary reportage with classic shots and some artistic angles. I’m a photgrapher myself and the most important thing, that you cant teach someone is to have a ‘good eye’. Ed’s shots range from the set pieces that have a classic renaisence balance and feel to them through to modern unobtrusive snaps akin to news shots and everything in between. I would have no hesitation what so ever in recommending Ed.“
“Good service“
“Ed was able to put all the wedding party at ease and mingled well with the guest on the day which reflects the relaxed pictures he was able to capture. i didnt feel as though my whole wedding day was spent posing for pictures!! I love his work and the quality of the final material was beatuiful! We get so many comments from people that look at our pictures!“
“A couple of weeks before the wedding we visited Ed and discussed the important family photos we wanted. We had a few concerns about ourselves in front of a camera and Ed took some photos for us there and then. After seeing them we were much more at ease. On the day, Ed was brilliant! He helped out with problems, such as buttonholes; it was like having a good friend with us throughout the day. Everyone hardly noticed him taking photos, due to his journalistic style, and managed not only to capture the important and special moments, he managed to capture some really lovely personal moments, which we were not aware happened. The photos of the details are stunning! Oh, and those speech photos!“
“Our wedding wasn’t the most straight forward! With only three weeks to go our venue had a fire and so we had to rearrange the whole wedding. Ed was very understanding and flexible, one of my biggest worries was that we might lose some of our original suppliers but Ed put me at ease and let me know that wherever I booked he would be there. I can’t thank him enough not only for being so understanding but also for the amazing pictures I have!“
“Ed was a very competent photographer. He was able to direct our photography with friendliness and ease to ensure our guests were positioned well for the friends and family photos. I would have liked some more close up couple shots as the majesty of the venue may have been overly concentrated on and we are still awaiting our photo album.“
“Ed is an absolute star photographer, and has a real talent for capturing ‘real’ moments and emotion on your wedding day. In both in the run up to our wedding, and on the day he was a fountain of advice and support, and for me in particular he was a rock. He went far above the call of duty in ensuring the day went as seamlessly as possible, and the photos are exactly as we hoped. We wanted images that weren’t so ‘formal’ and that captured the best moments of the day, and he did not disappoint. I would not hesitate to recommend Ed Clayton as a wedding photojournalist.. he’s a superstar!“
“Being an enthusiast photographer myself, I had some specific requirements. As soon as Emily and I saw your work, we realised that your approach to photo journalism was clearly what we wanted. We looked no further and decided to book your services right away. I was confident about my choice. Your unobtrusive style, sense of humour, calm and execution made everyone around very comfortable and relaxed during the day. But most importantly, the results are outstanding. You perfectly captured the key moments of the day, as well as the details Emily and I worked so hard in order to make this day perfect. Not only, we knew we did not need to worry about quality of your work, but you have actually exceeded our expectations. We will be able to live this amazing day again thanks to your photos.“
“Ed’s photography skills are excellent – the quality of the pictures was outstanding, and he captured some truely magical moments. We were so impressed by him on the day – he was hardly there, and took all the shots that we requested. The colours in the pictures he took were stunning. I cannot recommend Ed highly enough.“
“Ed Clayton is a really approachable and genuine man with a real eye for detail. He was always interested in what we wanted even when we were not too sure of exactly what that was. Ed was professional on the lead up to the day and kept us updated through out the whole experience. On the day, Ed was polite, friendly and approachable. It is very clear that he loves what he does and has a real passion for photography. It was a huge delight to finally see our finished photos and the amazing pictures Ed took including some unexpected snap shots of my nieces and nephews. The photos are a real dream and although it could have been a nightmare, Ed was brilliant!“
“Ed was great on our wedding day and the photo’s are truly stunning. I never get tired of lookign at them!!“
“Ed was certainly on the ball throughout the wedding preparation, through the wedding and into the reception. He satyed with us for the entire day (end to end). Very pleasant, professional and efficient throughoutt the day. He made quite light work of getting the right people to the right places at the right time when the group photos were being done – something that can cause photographers issues (based on previous weddings I’ve been to). Ed never made us feel under pressure and never ‘got under the feet’ he just melted into the day and got some brilliant shots of every aspect of the day, including excellent inpromptu shots. The way he mingled was as though he was one of the guests – everyone was at ease with him being around. He worked with the venue staff, knew the sequence of the day and cut around knowingly; we just let him do his job and he did it superbly. He didn’t rigidly constrain his output to that asked for in the pre-wedding planning; he adapted to our needs throughout the day (what couple truely knows what photos they should have done before the wedding? Not us. Top rate output – not quite sure if he rested in the day at all. The montage and communication post-wedding was timely and very well done. Our guests liked being able to logon and look at the presentation set to music. A very professional touch. What is also great is that the photos are ours to do what we want and not tied down to a limited number of copyright protected; this is what is great. There wasn’t pressure to have an album done either. All told a tremendous day was complemented by superb pictures taen by an excellent and dynamic photographer – yes I recommend him. If what we witnessed is the routine delivery of a service he has done his homework and know his business extremely well.“
“Ed Clayton made everyone feel relaxed and comfortable and let you get on with what you had to do without disturbing us and getting natural shots rather than forced photos“
“Fab non intrusive style and has the wonderful talent of capturing just the right moments of any bride and grooms special day in a relaxed but v organised manner!“
“The quality of Ed’s work is brilliant, as is the way he can blend into the background on the day itself so you would never know he was there. That is why he was able to get some great relaxed shots of us and our guests. furthermore, Ed is great at organising people and so was able to get everyone into formation for the photographs without causing any offence (as I have seen happen in the past). He was a joy to work with!“
“Ed was thoroughly organised on the day, got on really well with the guests without being obtrusive and took some fantastic photos which we will treasure forever.“
“Pictures captured the key moments of the day Flexible with photo requests Accomodating with long hours requested Unintrusive style Friendly personality and easy to work with“
“A top class wedding photographer! Relaxed, polite, friendly and not at all ‘in the way’. The photos produced are excellent and we received lots of gushing comments from family and friends!“
“A great personality which created a relaxed yet professional vibe throughout the day. Not at all imposing with some great ‘natural’ photos taken. Ed ‘just got it’ and completely understood our requirements on the day. Fantastic!“
Why They Booked (in random order)
“Because I saw the quality of photos that were on his website, and was very impressed. I was moved by other people’s weddings that I didnt even know – it was the way he captured the day so beautifully.“
“I was impressed with his work after seeing his stall at a wedding fair and I really liked his personality.“
“Very friendly, approachable and great communication!“
“We liked the style of his work and him as a person. He did a great job for our wedding!“
“Fantastic price offered before the wedding coupled with the fantastic examples on his website“
“The price was competitive, the package tailored to meet budget, we saw him in action at a friend’s wedding and saw the product thereafter. He is communicative, outgoing and crucially didn’t waffle or spin garbage at us; the choice was ours rather than a pressurised sell to commit.“
“Looking at his work on his website I loved that the photos were more of a natural shot then forced ones. Also when meeting him at the wedding fair in Birmingham he was very friendly and not pushy like the other photographers“
“Reputation and price. His website offered us a glimpse of what our day could look like.“
“Their are a number of reasons. Firstly we were looking for someone who would take a range of pictures, including a few staged but mostly natural pictures of our big day. Ed Clayton had a good portfolio online and I was sold by the way he presented his work. He is reasonably priced and has a variety of options available. Ed Clayton was very honest, clear and upfront about costs, timings and arrangements for the day from the start. He knew what he was talking about and he made us feel comfortable right from the beginning.“
“Ed came across as very friendly and competent at the National Wedding show. The kind of person who would put you at ease on an important day such as your wedding. He certainly managed this on the day.“
“We really liked the look of Ed’s portfolios online, then met in person and he seemed very freindly and had similar priorities to us – i.e. minimal time for staged photos, lots of informal pictures.“
“We found Ed at the NEC wedding show and we instantly loved his photos and his style. The pictures of the speeches particularly showed his talent. We went to visit him at his home and were made to feel very welcome. His relaxed manner made our decision to book him, easy.“
“Recommendation from close friend and I knew him through the Forces when he was serving his commission with the Army – a good bloke!“
“He had a friendly and natural approach and took the sort of photos we wanted.“
“We met him at the National Wedding Fayre and loved his documentary style of photography from looking through his albums. We also really liked him as a person, which was important to us as we wanted a photographer who would not only take great photos, but would fit in with the day and the guests.“
“Through NEC wedding fair“
“He was at a friend’s wedding and did a great job of hers, and then I bumped into him at a wedding fair. He offered a great deal so I went for it and am extremely pleased that I did!“
“We met Ed on the London wedding fair and liked his style. Ed told us before booking him we should take a look around the fair and the other photographers. This walk around made clear that Ed was our choice. (Because I am foreigner you have to excuse my language skills)“
“Based on portfolio pictures I knew Ed was able to give us exactly what I wanted“
“I felt comfortable, I knew instantly, viewing his photography style that he would do a great job! I made an instant decision which I do not regret.“
“His portfolio and his demeanor when we met. Trusted him as soon as we met.“
“Good price, nice guy“
“Because the quality of his work is excellent, both myself and my husband got on with him as a person so knew we would enjoy being photographed by him. Also being ex-military we knew he would have a good knowledge of our venue and be able to manage our guests effectively and efficiently without being rude.“
“When we met Ed, he was friendly and relaxed and had a lot of sample material to show us which we really liked. He was genuinely interested in what we wanted and listened to all our concerns and comments leading up to our wedding day. He was brilliant on the day itself and we were able to relax knowing that we didn’t need to worry about the photographs at all.“
“We loved his natural style of photography and thought it matched us well. His personality also was a key factor as he was very approachable and nothing was too much trouble!“
“Liked the style and quality of photos we saw at his booth at the wedding fair“
“Price, quality of photos and very nice person”
“Simply because his portfolio matched exactly with what we were looking for. We looked at many many photographers and Ed met exactly what we were after“
“I love the style of his work! Would recommend to everyone, fully deserving of this award!“
“We booked Ed because we really loved the style of his photography, and wanted someone that wouldn’t over-formalise the pictures. We wanted a relaxed day and photos that captured the essence of the day. Looking at his portfolio – he has taken some fantastic wedding shots – and this left us in no doubt that we should invite him to be our photographer.“
“loved the work we saw“