Dan Jones Photography Blog Page

Elwyn & Hannah at the Bryn Howel

Local venues including Llyndir Hall, Ruthin castle, Soughton Hall, The Grosvenor Pulford, The Bryn Howell, and Carden Park.

Kevin & Clare at Llyndir Hall, 28/03/2009.

This was a great wedding for a lovely couple! It was a little windy early on at the church but at least it was dry! And it was nice at the hotel with plenty of shelter from the wind in the grounds of the hotel for photographs.
I particularly enjoyed the lanterns being lit later on in the evening. I would definitely recommend them as an alternative to fireworks, as everybody enjoyed having a go at lighting them and watching them float up into the night sky!

Some weddings from over the winter period.
Photos out in the cold! All managed to avoid the snow!

Closed for Christmas.
The studio is closed for the Christmas holiday from 22/12/2008 and re - opens as normal on the 03/01/2009.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my customers for their valued custom this year - Thank you!

Have a Merry Christmas!

New Graphistudio Covers,
There are now many new album covers available in different styles and materials including Leather and Metallic.
Here are some of the new styles available:

Dan & Kay on Anglesey, 28/06/08.
I haven't been able to update my Blog as often as I would like (bad) as I've been really busy - which is good! So here are some of my favourite photo's from a recent wedding/Volumes/EOS_DIGITAL/DCIM/100EOS5D/IMG_6570 copy.jpg

Brian & Lorraine at the Grosvenor Chester.
It did rain a little throughout the day but we still managed to do some photographs outside luckily as it wasn't too heavy.
This is a challenging venue as there are no grounds as such, but the city is very picturesque and lends itself well to photographs.

Rob & Lianne at the Grosvenor Pulford.

Bryan & Emma at The Holt Lodge Hotel.

Mark & Steph at Northop Hall Country House Hotel.

Engagement & Trash the dress photo shoots.
I am now including engagement shoots with Wedding packages (Half or Full day coverage packages)
The engagement shoot can take place at a location of your choice or at the studio it's your choice. It's a chance for us to get to know each other a bit better before your wedding day and also to get some fun photos!


I'm also now offering an optional Trash the dress photo shoot after the wedding, this is a chance to get some different photo's from the norm without worrying about spoiling your dress (It doesn't have to get trashed maybe just a bit dirty!) see some examples here http://trashthedress.eu/

Stephen & Toni at Penymynydd Church & Cornist Hall.
A Very windy day but the sun was shining.
The walled gardens at the Cornist Hall provided a nice sheltered location for fun & photographs.

Michael & Hayley At Ruthin castle on 22/12/07.

Matt & Heather at Leasowe castle.
A dry and not too cold a day, good conditions for photographs.
The ceremony went smoothly and after drinks in the castle bar it was time for photos in front of the castle, as it was a little cold we got the groups done nice and quickly and then it was just the bride and groom - and me left to get cold!
After the wedding breakfast it was time for speeches, and all the men including myself were instructed by the best man to return our copies of the brides front door key now that she was married!!!
The evening reception got under way with a rendition of Angels by the best man, and then of course the first dance and also a very nice father and daughter dance by the bride and her Dad.
A very enjoyable day!

Lucky couple Karen Hanmer & Chris Jones won their Wedding in a competition run by the Gateway to Wales Hotel & www.chester.com
Included in the prize was Free wedding photography by Dan Jones Photography.

Pictured Left to Right Chris, Karen & Dan.

Mark & Elizabeth at Peckforton Castle.
A lovely Autumn's day and a picturesque castle - what more could I ask!
A very easy wedding to photograph and a very enjoyable day, lots of fun and photos.

Steven & Yvonne at Mold Church & Plas Hafod Hotel.
A beautiful sunny day, It couldn't have been any nicer weather.
All went smoothly and a lucky chimney sweep even turned up at the church to wish the couple good fortune.
Canopes and photos were enjoyed at the Plas Hafod.

Dominic & Jane at Bodidris Hall.
A nice dry day, after some rain earlier in the morning.
A lovely ceremony was followed by drinks and some fun photos on the lawn.

John & Sara at Hoole Church & Willington Hall.
A very cool wedding which I really enjoyed.
After the service which was very nice the couple left the church in a shiny new Ferrari and arrived at Willington Hall in style.
The day ran smoothly although play was interrupted for a little while with a heavy downpour - luckily I had already got group photos done -phew!

The evening do got underway with the coolest first dance I have ever seen - brilliant!!!!

Rhys & Donna at the Tyddyn Llan.
A beautiful sunny day, and a nice relaxed wedding.
The whole day ran without a problem and we got some great photos (even if I do say so myself!).
The band in the evening were really good, and the night ended with a firework display (I was going to say it ended with a bang but thought better of it).

James & Kelly at Rosset Hall.
A nice dry day again, and an enjoyable wedding with a very cool soundtrack, a change from the usual wedding music - I liked!

Alex & Rachel at Llwynegrin Hall.
The weather stayed dry and we got some good photos, a short and sweet wedding!

Nigel & Julie at Pontblyddyn Church and Holiday Inn.
A nice sunny day, and a nice local wedding a stones throw away from the studio.
All went well and everyone enjoyed the day with this lovely couple.

Jason & Nia in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
Rain threatened again but the weather cleared up nicely.
We managed to go down to the beach and get a few nice shots down there, we also got some shots with the Menai bridge in the background.
A very picturesque location for a wedding - easier for me!

Neil & Sara at Rhosymedre & Cross Lanes.
After threatening to rain it turned out to be a lovely sunny day, the proceedings went well and everyone enjoyed
the sunshine with drinks on the gardens at the Cross Lanes.

Dave & Lindsey at Llyndir Hall Rosset.
A lovely sunny day for a beautiful wedding outdoors, which made a fairytale setting for the day.
The Best mans speech was one of the funniest I've seen it involved wigs, blow up dolls and sheep and lots of keys...
The whole day went smoothly and was finished off with a very nice barbecue and then some stunning fireworks - a great wedding!

Rhodri & Ros at the West Arms Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog.
A nice dry day after some rain in the morning. The service went well and was done in English and Welsh Languages which added a very Welsh feeling to the wedding in the lovely Ceiriog valley.
Everyone enjoyed some dry weather for a change and made the most of the grounds.

Steven and Tracey at Plas Y Nant in Snowdonia National Park & Craflwyn Hall Beddgelert.
Another rainy day - one of many in July with flooding causing problems around the country, however we were unlikely to be flooded in the hills of Snowdonia National Park even if it was pouring down.
After a very nice service in the chapel at Plas Y Nant, we got some group photos outside the chapel with the aid of lots of umbrellas.
We got some shots of the Bride and Groom under the shelter of the trees before moving on to Craflwyn.
The Weather cleared up at Craflwyn and we were able to get some photos outside and enjoy the lovely scenery.
The evening got into full swing with some Kayleigh dancing - lots of fun!

Daniel & Sian at Chirk Castle and Llyndir Hall Rosset.
A rainy day, however spirits were not dampened and everyone still came outside in the Castle courtyard for a group photo in the rain!
With the rain not letting up we did most of the photos indoors, luckily both venues lend themselves well to indoor photos and I was very pleased that we got some good photos despite the weather.

Jonathan & Kimberley at Gwersyllt Church & Ramada Wrexham.
A Gorgeous Sunny day and a gorgeous Bride and Groom- what an easy and enjoyable wedding to photograph!
The whole proceedings went very smoothly and everyone was very cooperative when it came to group photos - thank you.

Nigel & Claires Wedding at Ruthin Castle.
All the sevens proved to be a lucky date weather wise as this was a lovely sunny day sandwiched between two rainy ones.
I went down to the Vaults pub in Ruthin with the Groom and the best man, to get some shots of them having a few nerve steadiers before going and photographing the bride getting ready at the castle.
Once the Bride & Grooms little boy had been persuaded to put his shirt on the wedding went smoothly.
Drinks were enjoyed outside and then the group photographs were taken to the sound of the Harpist on the back terrace.

Gav & Lucy at St Thomas' Penycae and Ramada Wrexham.
As I arrived at the church it started to rain -o no! But luckily it didn't last long and once the bride arrived the rain dried up.
There were some very dodgy looking groomsmen at this wedding:-

The service went well, the best man and bride even did some juggling with the rings.
After some photos at the church we were off to the Ramada for more photos and then a very nice meal - thank you!
A very enjoyable wedding!

Antony & Nishas wedding at Northop Hall Country House Hotel.
The day started out dry but then came the rain and I made the mistake of saying "It's just a shower" it then proceeded to pour down!
The rain stopped eventually and we got some good photos, indoors first and then some in the grounds once it stopped raining.
The whole day went well and was a very enjoyable wedding.

Jon & Sally's Wedding in Trawsfynydd & Harlech.
After threatening rain it stayed dry, having taken pictures of Sally at the house I made my way up to the Chapel where the ushers were doing a fine job directing cars on the narrow lane. The service went well as did the rest of the day and it had a nice relaxed feel to it with plenty of fun photos at the hotel.

Pete & Nicola at Hoole Hall near Chester.
A scorching hot day, I arrived at the brides house to find everyone trying to keep cool whilst getting ready (the fans were out!).
After photos at the house it was onto Hoole Hall to get the Groom and guests arriving photos.
The service went well as did the rest of the day, apart from a power cut in the evening which delayed the evening do slightly. This gave guests the chance to enjoy the sunshine and relax outside for a while - ideal!
Power was restored after a few hours and the party was then quickly in full swing!

Gary & Louise's Wedding at the Lion Quays near Oswestry.
The day turned into a nice sunny summers day after being slightly overcast in the morning.
This is a lovely venue and everything went smoothly, the bride and grooms two young sons looked really cute in their suits and they kept their parents busy through the day. We got some lovely photos down by the canal and some fun candids throughout the day.

Nick & Rachels Wedding at St Phillips and Royal Cliffton Hotel.
A sunny day and a fun wedding.
A lovely service was followed by formal photos outside the Church, having got these done it meant the guests could relax a bit and allowed me to then get some good candid photographs throughout the day, along with some lovely shots down by the lake in front of the hotel of the Bride and Groom.
The whole day went very smoothly, the best mans speech was very entertaining- he presented Nick and Rachel with a newly weds survival kit, very funny!

Mark & Susans Wedding.
A rainy day - oh no!!! Never mind everyone still thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and I still got some lovely photos with the help of
some Umbrellas!

Double Talk in Telford 16/05/07
I went to the above seminar held by the Master Photographers Association, the speakers were two world renowned Wedding Photographers namely Joe Buissink and Yervant.
Joe Buissink is a Beverly Hills based photographer who is Wedding photographer to the stars and has photographed amongst others J-Lo and Christina Aguilera's weddings.
Yervant is a top Australian photographer based in Melbourne whose fashion style wedding photography is in great demand.
Both gave me a lot of inspiration and their passion for wedding photography is definately contagious!

Above me with Yervant, Right, me with Joe Buissink.

Daniel & Sarah at the Cross Lanes Marchwiel.
It seemed like it was going to rain, but it stayed away and I managed to get some really good photos in the lovely grounds at the Cross Lanes.

Dave & Katie's Wedding at the Plas Hafod Hotel.
Another lovely sunny day, and after a lovely ceremony it was out onto the beautiful garden and time for drinks and then some photos.
With plenty of time before the wedding breakfast, I was able to let the Bride and Groom enjoy the garden party amosphere and chat with guests before doing any formal photos, these were done quickly and I was able to get some good reportage shots of the guests enjoying the sunshine.

Colm & Rhians Wedding at Ruthin Town Hall.
An amazingly bright sunny day for this time of year, making this a very enjoyable wedding for all.
After a nice short ceremony, it was time for photos on the steps outside and then onto Maesgwyn for drinks and photos, a very relaxed and chilled out wedding!

Chris & Amy's Wedding in Eastham, Bromborough.
A lovely Sunny Spring day, and it made for a fun filled and relaxed wedding.
Having arrived nice and early I went and introduced myself to the vicar who was a very pleasant lady.

The service was a very nice one with old vows which involved lighting candles, this went very smoothly.
After the service when it came to confetti throwing time, the groom got a surprise when he had some put in his pants!
The reception was at the Village Hotel, and this also went very smoothly with group photographs kept to a minimum I was free to photograph the guests enjoying themselves.

Needless to say, a very enjoyable day!

St David's Day Offer!
To Mark St Davids Day (Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant), I will be offering 10% Off all wedding Packages booked during the month of March.

The Studio in Pontblyddyn is now Open for business.
Anyone interested is more than welcome to come and visit the studio, it's open Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm.
Closed Monday & Tuesday.

New Studio in Pontblyddyn, near Mold.

The Photo above shows my new Photography Studio at the Fferm Workshops in Pontblyddyn, which will be open very soon (watch the website for opening date) The building is a Grade 2 listed restored building with lots of character.
The Studio will be open for Wedding Clients, and for Family, Children, Baby and Pet Portraits there will also be other services on offer such as Passport Photos and photo restoration. There will be a small Gallery with prints etc for sale.
The building is shared with Sugarbutties Pottery studio and customers are welcome to browse the Pottery whilst visiting the studio.

Dan Jones Photography Studio with new floor.

Gareth & Elin's wedding at Castell Deudraeth.
A very cold but dry day, I arrived in Portmeirion far too early for the wedding so went and had lunch in Porthmadog by the water.
This was a very relaxed wedding and everyone was very friendly. The service was mostly in Welsh and was really enjoyable.
We manged to get a few photographs outside before it went too dark- and cold!
When I left, the wedding party were gathered around the Grand piano singing songs and having lots of fun.
Llongyfarchiadau mawr a dymuniadau gorau at y dyfodol.

Dyson & Michelle's Wedding at the Chainbridge Hotel.
A fairly dry and bright day, after having lots of rain all week though the river was raging, The steam train above kept the kids busy waving to the passengers and set a lovely scene for a romantic and picture perfect wedding.

Book launch & signing at Plas Teg, 2nd December 11am to 4pm.

For anyone interested in local history, A new book has been written about Plas Teg - A Jacobean Country House - By Mark Baker The first ever publication on the history of Plas Teg, a comprehensive guide to the illustrious past of one of Wales' important Jacobean house.
Having photographed some exterior photos of Plas Teg for Mark I can honestly say it is a unique and intrigueing house, well worth a visit.

***Book Launch and Signing at Plas Teg*** 2nd December 11am to 4pm Open to all to meet the author and to ask questions. Note - The house will not be fully open to the public. However it will be open Sunday 3rd December for a full guided tour by Mark Baker, author of the book. Opening times for Sunday are 2pm to 4.30pm. Price £5 for adults, £2.50 for children. To be released December 2nd Foreword by Michael Tree FRICS £6.00 88 pages ISBN 0953744043 Copies can be ordered from www.plasteg.co.uk or Tel: 01745 857 139

Chris & Carolines wedding in Portmeirion.
This was a very intimate and romantic wedding, in a very picturesque location.
The sun shone, and the beauty of Portmeirion made this an unforgetable day for the Bride & Groom.
Thank you for having me as your photographer!

Tim & Katie's wedding at All Saints Gresford & the Queen hotel Chester
The rain stayed away although it was a little windy, it was still a lovely day weather wise for October.
After a fashionably late arrival by the bride, the service went very smoothly.
Then it was time for some group photos outside the church it was a bit windy and all the ladies were a bit chilly, so I got these photos done nice and swiftly.
Onto the Queen hotel in Chester and a drinks reception, after which it was time for some more photos in the courtyard, I was really pleased as I was able to get some great shots here especially of the kids who loved the life size lion statues and giant chess board.

After a short break it was time for the wedding breakfast which everyone seemed to be very impressed with.
The evening got underway with a live band playing some great swing music, and a good time was had by all.

Dave and Clare's wedding at the Cliff Hotel Cardigan.
Unbelievably Sunny day, and a really relaxed enjoyable wedding.
After the service everybody enjoyed the bright sunshine, and chilled out on the veranda overlooking the bay- a perfect day!

Paul & Danielle's Wedding at Aintree Racecourse.
A glorious sunny day for a glorious wedding! The church was beautifully decorated, and set a lovely scene.
The Groom arrived in a shiny red Ferrari, the Bridesmaids and the Bride also arrived in style in Luxury cars.
The Church was packed, and the service went extremely well, I managed to get some good shots during the service.
Then after the traditional confetti throwing, it was on to Aintree racecourse.
We got the group photos done straight away, getting some very fun shots of the bridal party.
With the backdrop of the race course, everyone enjoyed a meal and then the speeches, both went down very well!

The evening reception was also at the racecourse, and all the guests seemed to enjoy themselves immensely. The chocolate fountain went down particularly well, after the buffet the Bride and Groom took to the dance floor and then so did the guests.

Mark & Kirsty's Wedding at Froncysyllte Chucrh and Abbey Grange
The Rain held off, and it turned out to be not too bad a day weather wise after pouring down earlier in the morning.
The service went well, and everyone was impressed with Kyle's reading.

After a brief stop off to pay a visit to Mark's Nan on the way and a glass of champagne, it was onto the Abbey Grange Hotel for Drinks, photos and food!
A lovely day!Click to view!

Glyn's birthday at Castell Cidwm, In the Snowdonia National Park.
This was a beautiful setting and lovely weather for a family portrait session, very enjoyable!

Mark & Amanda's wedding in Chester
Shame about the rain but still got some great photos, thanks everyone for being so cooperative.
As requested I've not put any photos on the blog.
Thank you both for being such a wonderful couple, I really had fun photographing you both!

Wayne & Shelley's wedding at the Victoria Hotel, Menai bridge, Anglesey
This turned out to be a lovely warm day, after torrential rain for the drive up the A55 in the morning. I arrived at the hotel a couple of hours early so I had plenty of time to familiarise myself with the layout and the staff who were very helpful and friendly.
As I was early I got plenty of shots of the venue to set the scene and also got shots of the reception room and cake as it was all set up ready.

The first people shots were of the groom and best man having a quick half before the service, they were adamant they normally drink pints!
I waited along side the registrars and hotel manageress for the bride to arrive by horse and carriage, the horse could be heard long before they came into view, once they did I started to shoot away.
The service went well, then everyone went outside for champagne and confetti! The bride and groom then took a spin in the horse and carriage and I followed along behind them to get some shots over the Menai straights - breathtaking views.

Once back at the hotel it was onto group shots, the highlight of which was climbing up on the roof to take an aerial group shot - once up there the guests proceeded to tell me don't do it don't jump! Apart from the kids who shouted jump! jump!!!
All in all a very fun and enjoyable day and some great photos!

Roberta & Andys Wedding at the Holt lodge hotel
Click to view!
What can I say about this wedding - there was a "spark" in the air (sorry), it was a fun day from start to finish and I enjoyed every miniute of it! As did all the guests and especially the kids who had a "whale" of a time fishing for goldfish in the hotel pond!


The day went well, the group photos went smoothly even though there was only half an hour to take them before the wedding breakfast but I manged to get them all polished off before the meal- thanks everyone for your cooperation!
The speeches went well, after the father of the groom gave everyone in the room something to laugh about(you know if you were there!)

Everyone chilled out then before the evening do, to get their second wind and prepare for the party.
Andy & Roberta took to the dancefloor and got the night underway with their first dance! Lots of dancing and drinking followed!!!

Article contents.

Helen & Lloyds wedding at Anfield
This was one of my favourite weddings of the year not least because of the venue.
The weather was Beautiful sunshine and all the guests were really happy and friendly - even the best man who is a staunch Evertonian!
The whole day ran really smoothly with no hickups, going fom the ground to Stanley Park then back to the ground for photos on the pitch!
A very enjoyable wedding and I got fed too! Mmmm trifle!!!

Hello everyone,
A warm welcome to my new blog page, which I will hopefully get time to update regularly, and keep you informed of upcoming and recent weddings and photo shoots.
With sneak preview's of recent wedding photos and information you might find interesting or helpfull? And the opportunity to leave comments - Enjoy!