ABOUT ME
Nice to meet you
I’m Emily
You’ve put real thought into this day. The glitter boots were never in question. The flowers aren’t from any brochure. The playlist has been on your phone since before you were even engaged. Your guests are the people who genuinely show up for you.
You don’t want a photographer who turns up and shoots a wedding. You want someone who turns up and shoots yours. Nerves, daft jokes, details, feral dancing and all.
Here’s what working together looks like.
MODERN.
JOYFUL.
CREATIVE.
NORTH EAST WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
I SPENT YEARS SHOOTING FOR NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS, WHERE MISSING THE MOMENT SIMPLY WASN’T AN OPTION. THAT’S STILL HOW I WORK.
Most people aren’t that comfortable in front of a camera, and honestly, I hear you! The couples who end up with the best photos aren’t the ones who posed perfectly. They’re the ones who forgot I was there.
In a past life I photographed Jonny Wilkinson, met Sam Fender, shot the Queen and once photographed the REAL Santa in Lapland. These days I mostly photograph people on the best day of their lives, which honestly suits me better.
When I’m not at weddings, you’ll find me out with my cocker spaniels Jarvis and Buddy, chasing good light along the North East coast or hiding in a decent pub with friends.
Every so often I trade the rain for snow and disappear to Norway to ski, then head straight for the après.
WHAT YOU’LL GET
You’re not just getting ‘pretty pictures’. You’re getting a record of the full chaos – the nerves, the stupid jokes, the bits no one else saw, and the point in the night where everything goes a bit feral.
Coverage that feels like a story – from getting ready to the dance floor, not just the “Pinterest bits”.
Photos that look like your mates and your family actually are, not how they think they should look in front of a camera.
Minimal faff: we do the group shots fast so your nan’s happy, then you go back to your drink.
A mix of wide, scene-setting shots and close-up moments so you remember how it felt, not just what you wore.
Short, relaxed couple portraits that don’t make you feel like you’ve left your own wedding.
A gallery that makes you laugh, cry and probably say “I didn’t even know you got that” more than once.
You’ll get everything in an online gallery to share, download and print, without hoops to jump through.
How it works on the day
REAL, RELAXED, YOURS
In the run-up, you’re not left guessing. I send clear, straight-talking emails with planning tips, timelines and what actually works on a real wedding day, so by the time we get there, nothing feels chaotic.
Beforehand, we’ll nail your group photo list and who’s who, so on the day there’s no faff, no shouting names into the void and no “wait, which one’s Auntie Julie?” while everyone dies of boredom.
On the day I work fast and quietly in the background. I’m not there to bark orders or drag you off for endless photos – we get the group shots done quickly, then you go back to your mates and your drink.
Roughly 90% of what I shoot is candid, real stuff as it happens. The other 10% is gentle direction during your couple portraits so you don’t feel like planks, and even then I’m shooting the outtakes – the daft comments, eye-rolls and snorts that actually feel like you.
Modern
The beautiful parts + the out-takes
Fun
The happy tears + the disco feet
Storytelling
The authentic + The relaxed vibe
For couples who want their day to look like them
Most couples who book me have put serious thought into every detail of their day. They want photos that actually do it justice – not stiff, not staged, just exactly as it was.
You stay with your people. We slip away for short bursts when the light is good and you fancy five minutes together. That’s it.
Here’s what it looks like on the day…
01.
No “say cheese”, no fake laughing on command, no stiff, magazine-style posing.
02.
Couple portraits in quick, relaxed chunks – usually 10–15 minutes at a time, not a vanishing act.
03.
Simple, natural prompts instead of awkward instructions, so you can just talk rubbish to each other and forget about the lens.
I spent 15 years shooting for national and regional newspapers, where missing the moment simply wasn’t an option. That training is the foundation of everything I do – I’m fast, calm under pressure, and I never miss the shot.
04.
If something feels cringe, we don’t do it. There’s always another way to get a good shot that still feels like you.
05.
Group photos done with a clear list and a bit of humour, so they’re over fast and nobody wants to throttle me
06.
The rest of the time, I’m in the background shooting the real stuff – side-eye, bad dancing, stupid in-jokes and all the bits you’ll miss on the day
The end result: images that feel like your best, loudest, happiest memories, not a staged version of your day
YOUR GALLERY WILL COME BACK TO YOU.
Every moment, every feeling, every bit of it.
One day, probably when life has gone back to normal and the thank you cards are done, you’ll open your gallery for the first time.
And it’ll come back. All of it. Not just how everything looked, but how it felt. The nerves before you walked in. The moment you saw each other. Your dad holding it together and then absolutely not holding it together. The dancing that started sensibly and didn’t stay that way.
That’s what I’m trying to give you.
LET’S TALK ABOUT
5 THINGS I love
True Love
Lucky me to have these three beauts in my life
Snow
On the slopes with my Diddy-people
Cocker Spaniels and Pulp
Meet Jarvis Cocker Spaniel, my best friend with four paws
Campfires with friends
Beers, Guitars and Schitt’s Creek quotes, what’s not to love?
Family
My family get-together’s look a bit like this…
FEATURED IN
Experience that actually helps
Before weddings, most of my work was in press and PR – fast turnarounds, tight deadlines and absolutely no room to miss the moment.
That background means a few things for you: I’m calm under pressure, I can handle terrible light and busy rooms, and I don’t fall apart when the schedule goes sideways.
Whatever your day throws at us, rain, dark venues, chaos, running late, you’re still getting photos you’ll want to look at in thirty years.
Alongside weddings, I still shoot corporate, events and PR, so I’m used to working with real people who don’t “model” for a living and still need to look like themselves.
Put bluntly: whatever your day throws at us – rain, dark venues, chaos, running late – you’re still getting solid, story-driven photos you’ll want to look at in ten years’ time.
Couples usually love me if they:
Care more about being present with their mates than ticking off a shot list.
Like honest, documentary-style images over, posed perfection.
Are up for a bit of chaos, bad dancing and real emotion being in the photos.
Want someone organised in the background so the day itself feels relaxed.
Are planning a day that feels like you – city pub, warehouse, back garden, whatever – not a performance.
You might want someone else if you:
Want every moment directed and lots of traditional, formal posing.
Prefer very light, airy, ultra-polished images with heavy retouching.
Love a big shot list from Pinterest and want them all recreating.
View photography as a box to tick rather than something you properly care about.
Want a photographer who takes charge of the day rather than disappears into it.
If this sounds like your kind of photography, check your date.
I’d love to hear about your plans
Drop me a message with your venue, your rough date, and what you’re planning. City do, barn rave, pub knees-up, whatever it is!
I’ll come back to you quickly with availability and exactly what working together looks like. No hard sell, just a straight conversation.
If we’re a good fit, I’d genuinely love to be there.
Dear Emily…
“Emily captured the most beautiful photos for us…:
– Helen & Ben
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Based in Durham, DH1 • UK & Destination
Silverbird Photography — Creative, Modern Wedding Photography
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