Do you travel? What areas do you service?

I’m based in Peterborough in Cambridgeshire but I’ve photographed hundreds of weddings across the UK and overseas.

How long before we get the photos?

You’ll receive a ‘sneak peek’ of around 20 photos within a couple of days and the full gallery will be available within a maximum of 6 weeks, with an average turnaround of 3 weeks.

How many photos will we get?

For a full day of around 10 hours you’ll receive a minimum of 500 photographs, but it’s normally between 650 and 800. If there’s a second photographer then it will likely be even more.

We're shy and awkward - will you help?

Don’t worry, 80% of my couples say the same thing. If you love the photos on this website then you’ll love yours. I’ll create a mood-board with you in advance to understand your vibe. On the wedding day I’ll gently guide you and use distraction techniques to help you feel relaxed and forget there’s a camera.

Do you do video as well?

I work with several talented and lovely videographers and behind-the-scenes content creators at different price points. If you let me know your budget I’ll recommend the best option. Having a separate photographer and videographer ensures we are fully dedicated to our roles and don’t miss important moments.

What if we don't like the photos or your service?

I care deeply about every couple and want you to feel complete trust. That’s why I offer a money-back guarantee covering both my photography and service. If you’re not happy with anything, I’ll do whatever it takes to make it right, including a full refund.

What's the first step?

The first step is a Zoom call so you can see if I’m the right fit and I can learn more about your wedding. There’s no pressure to book. If you decide to go ahead, the deposit is £200 and the balance can be paid anytime before the wedding.

What happens if you're ill?

This has never happened in my career, but it’s always a possibility. I have a strong network of full-time professional wedding photographers who support each other, so I would arrange a trusted replacement if needed.

An old, ornate building with a tower, situated on a rocky shoreline reflecting in calm water, under a cloudy sky with sunlight breaking through.

How to plan a wedding from a photographer’s perspective

Insider wedding planning tips

for couples who value

photography

A bride in a white wedding dress holding a large bouquet of white roses and greenery, sitting near a window, gazing outside with a contemplative expression.

How I’m going to help…

Weddings include everything that’s wonderful about life: love, laughter, family, friends, beauty and so much more…

…but the planning process can be overwhelming.

This page is designed to make your life easier during the planning process and on the wedding day itself.

Here’s what we’ll cover to help your day be everything you dreamed …

Your Mindset
Dealing with outside pressure
Your theme, vibe and priorities
Picking a church and / or reception venue
Indoor and outdoor ceremonies
The pros and cons of different seasons
How to choose your wedding suppliers
How to choose a wedding photographer
How to reduce stress and time pressures on your wedding day
What if it rains?
Making group photos fast, fun and fabulous
How to look and feel great in your photos with your partner
What activities work best for guests?

“He brought an endless supply of energy, enthusiasm and fun, and everyone loved meeting him. He knows exactly how to engage with people of all ages and make them smile, laugh, and feel at ease”

— Ed Burton - Manchester

About me

Hi, I’m Dan. I’m 5ft 6” with a head like a boiled egg… …I’m Harry Hill’s ‘Mini-me!’

I’ve been a professional photographer since 2008, although I started weddings around 2013.

As you can see from the photo of me with the angel wings I love to join in the fun and mingle with the guests. I ‘hide in plain sight’ and become your new friend with a camera. Infiltrating the wedding like a guest is how I get access to those fly on the wall moments.

It’s your day - not mine. I’ll help and advise, but never control.
I join in where appropriate and stand back when its not
I have a sneaky trick for ensuring group photos go quickly and smoothly - more on that below.
Ultimately I want your wedding photos to remind you how your day FELT, not just how it looked.

I’ve spent hundreds of days and thousands of hours at weddings and I’ve learned a tonne about planning a wedding. Hopefully this post is helpful, but if you have any questions at all don’t be shy to contact me - no strings attached!

Email: dan@danwaterscreative.com

Tel: 0792 358 3658

People hugging and smiling at a wedding reception, with angel wing decorations in the background.

Mindset:

happy couple = happy wedding!

Getting in the right headspace

If I was to give one tip it would be this… whatever happens just try and see the funny side. If it rains then let’s dance in the rain. If you trip over - laugh!

Weddings are a great test-drive for married life. The happier the couple, the better the wedding.

A woman in a white dress sitting on grass, holding a bottle of Jim Beam bourbon, with a large mural of an elderly man's face in the background.

No amount of perfection can outshine a happy couple.

If you’re happy then everything is automatically perfect.

The more you try and make things perfect the worse you’ll feel. And if you’re feeling stressed then that undermines everything.

Most things that go wrong become the funny stories in years to come.

If something big does happen then you can delegate or worry about it later.

You have 1 job - being happy!

The Perfection paradox

Three men in tuxedos laugh in front of a large black-and-white portrait of a historical family painting with women and children in vintage clothing.

No-one expects you to be an expert at wedding planning.

Wedding suppliers do this every day. We’re a fountain of knowledge, so you don’t have to think of everything yourself.

Couples rarely ask me questions which is odd. That’s why I ask lots of questions to help couples discover what’s important to them about their day and their photography.

If you have any questions at all, just shout - no strings attached!

Lean on your suppliers

A wedding party outdoors around a large tree. The bride holds a bouquet of white flowers, and the bridesmaids wear light green dresses. The groomsmen are in blue suits. Everyone is smiling.

Often the hardest thing about planning a wedding is outside pressure. It’s such an important area that it deserves its own section so I’ll talk more about it there.

Whether it’s friends, family, in-laws or social pressure… remember this is the one day of your life that’s YOUR day. The one day where you get a free-pass.

I’ll talk about some specific tips in the next section.

Do it your way

A couple standing closely together outdoors, about to kiss, with sunlight and trees in the background.

Weddings can fly past because they’re one mini-event after another.

To help soak it all in and crystallise your memories I recommend that every hour you intentionally stop and looking around and soak it all in,

Of course my photographs will help bring it all back but having your own memories are priceless too.

Be present and Remember what’s important

Two people sitting across from each other at a table, working on their laptops. The table has a notebook, a pen, and two glasses of water. In the background, there is a vase with two white calla lilies, a small mirror, a closed book, and a wooden panel on the wall.

How to maintain control over your wedding

Weddings can be a masterclass in diplomacy and negotiation, so this section has some tips on having the wedding you want without being a ‘zilla.

A wooden desk with a closed laptop, a notebook with a pen, a tall white lamp, and a vase with purple flowers, against a neutral background.

Close-up of a wooden table with a closed laptop, a pen, a book, a white table lamp, and a small glass vase with purple flowers.

A wooden table with a closed laptop, a notepad, and a pen. On the table, there is a small glass vase with a purple flower. Behind the vase, there is a modern beige table lamp with a rounded shade. The background features a wall with two-tone paint and a brown curtain.

Ninja tips for managing external wedding pressure

Budget: Figure out your budget first. Everything else filters down from that. If you can’t afford something then the pressure is a moot point.
Budget: If an opinionated person offers financial help then let them pay for specific parts of the wedding that are less important to you. Use your own money for the parts you care about most.
Boundaries: Have an ‘information diet.’ Don’t share planning details with opinionated people.
Boundaries: Don’t talk about your wedding plans on social media if you’re concerned about outside pressure.
Boundaries: Use the ‘Royal we’! Deflect pressure by stating you and your partner have both already agreed the decision.
Boundaries: If you have a theme then it can help filter out people’s opinions because you can use the excuse ‘You like their recommendation but it doesn’t fit your theme’.
Guest list: If distant friends and co-workers wonder why they’re not invited then blame your parents for wanting lots of family.
Guest list: If distant family wonder why they’re not invited then blame the venue capacity. You loved the venue but its not very big.
Guest list: Invite peripheral friends and family as an evening guest.
Guest list: If someone you didn’t want to invite is upset you didn’t invite them then it completely justifies your decision. It also helps fade out someone you’re not close to anyway.

Give and take:

I totally believe your wedding is your day and no-one else’s, but at some point you can move into ‘Zilla territory if you’re not careful.

Most people’s suggestions are well meaning. Weigh up the nuisance factor of the request vs the amount of love you have for the person.

If someone’s purely making a suggestion (that you’d rather not go ahead with) then a great response is “That’s a great idea, I’ll look into that”… which of course you won’t! Most people will never follow up and you can always blame ‘wedding brain’ for forgetting!

Silhouettes of a couple dancing in a field during sunset

Your theme, vibe and priorities…

Where to focus your time, money and energy…

The first thing to do when planning your wedding is to consider what’s important to you about the day, Once you know what you care about most you can prioritise your budget and time in those areas. It’s worth rating the different elements out of 10 or even ranking them in order to help you find clarity. Here are some of the things people usually prioritise (in no particular order…)

Photographer! 😁 These are your memories and the only tangible thing you keep from the day.
Vibe and theme: Do you prefer country house, barn, hotel, elegant, rustic, large or intimate. Is there an obvious theme that would make the day more personal to you?
Guests. This is a balance between not leaving people out vs having a smaller list and having more budget for other things
The church and reception. Try and keep them as close together as possible to avoid wasting time on travel.
How you look: The dress, suit, hair and makeup.
Entertainment: Band, singer, garden games, fireworks, sparklers, magician, Rodeo Bull, Photo-booth etc.
Food: What is the reception food like. Would you prefer a catering company. Do you prefer 3 courses or more rustic like food trucks or BBQ
Cake: Do your want something elegant or quirky. How could you make it feel more personal?
Flowers: This isn’t necessarily just about your bouquet because when flowers are used as decor they can transform a room into fitting your theme. They can also help make your photos look even better.
Decor: These are all the other elements that personalise your day and pull your theme together.
Transport: Do you go vintage or sporty or even horse and carriage. Obviously if you’re keeping travel to a minimum you’d make a saving by not needing specialist transport.

Couple dancing during their wedding reception on a wooden floor with scattered flower petals, chandeliers overhead, and fireworks nearby.

A bride in a white wedding gown with lace details, holding a bouquet, standing in front of a mirror, smiling gently, with her reflection visible.

Videographer / content creator

I am friends with videographers and content creators at different prices so if you’d like video to accompany your photography then let me know and I can help.

Engagement photoshoots: £250

This is a fantastic way to test drive a photographer, build a relationship with them and get comfortable in front of the camera.

Better yet, you get natural photographs that embody the real you and your real relationship on a normal day.

A couple embracing on the beach during sunset, with seagulls flying in the sky and the ocean in the background.

I’m based in Peterborough in Cambridgeshire but I’ve photographed hundreds of weddings across the UK and overseas.
You’ll receive a ‘sneak peek’ of around 20 photos within a couple of days and the full gallery will be available within a max of 6 weeks (but an average of 3 weeks).
For a full day of around 10 hours you’ll receive a minimum of 500 photographs but it’s normally between 650-800. If there’s a second photographer then it will probably be even more.
Don’t worry, 80% of my couples say the same thing so if you love the photos on this website then you’ll love yours. I’ll create a mood-board with you in advance to get your vibe. On the wedding day I’ll gently guide you and use distraction techniques to make you forget there’s a camera.
I work with several talented and lovely videographers (and behind the scenes content creators) at all different prices. If you let me know your budget I’ll source the best one for you.
Having a separate photographer and videographer means we are fully dedicated to our tasks and won’t miss opportunities because we’re spread too thin.
I care immensely about serving every couple and I want you to trust me as much as I trust myself. That’s why I have a money back guarantee that covers everything from my photography to my service and behaviour. If you’re not happy about anything at all then I’ll do whatever it takes to put it right, including giving you your money back.
The first step is a Zoom call so you can check if I’m a good fit for you and I can find out more about your wedding.
There will be no pressure to book on the call. If you decide to go ahead then the deposit is £200 and the balance can be paid any time before the wedding.
In my whole career this has never happened but of course it’s always possible. I have a lot of friends who are also full time professional wedding photographers and we’re there to help each other out if one of use can’t make it.