This week in the studio spring has arrived and we all say a big yay verily!

This means of course that it's time to meet lots of women with superbly fabulous bumps and then I get to photograph them again when baby arrives.

On Monday I met this lady who is going to have a little baby in April, she has the perfect bump!!

Today I have a newborn shoot and another bump shoot in the morning before going off to a wedding in the afternoon, next week I am going to have so many photos to share so stay tuned and in the meantime have a wonderfully sunny weekend.

If you would like to book a bump or newborn photoshoot please click through to my website and contact me

The Wedding Of Cat and David - Wedding Photographer Newcastle

A couple of weeks ago I shot a very special wedding, I'd received a call from David to ask if I was available for his wedding which was less than 3 weeks away.  Cat and David are moving to Dubai, in fact I think they may be there now, never more was it so important to get lots of lovely photographs of them so that they could give them to friends and family who they're leaving behind.

because of the timescales they opted for a civil ceremony at Newcastle Civic Centre followed by a lovely reception at The Vermont Hotel, I was only booked for 2 hours but we got so many gorgeous photos and I know they're delighted.

I'm sure Cat won't mind me telling you that she purchased her dress from Etsy for the bargain price of £15, it's a Vintage Mod dress and I think she looked amazing, this dress could easily have cost 10 times the price!!

Davids Nephew, what a cutie

I love this Candid capture as they came back up the aisle

After the wedding we went to the Castle Keep for a few shots before ending up on the roof at the Vermont, amazing views if you ever get the chance to go up there

I asked David to swing Cat around, I wasn't quite expecting this!!

David and Cat, thank you so much for letting me play a small part in your special day, I hope life in Dubai is wonderful and I know that we're going to keep in touch, I hope that life brings you joy and hopefully we'll catch up again in the future.

If you are looking for a wedding photographer for your 2013 wedding or maybe a last minute booking for 2012 (very limited availability) why not click through to my website and contact me to talk about your big day

Whats been happening? - (Mandy Charlton, Newcastle Portrait and Wedding Photographer)

My last blog was January 31st, since then so much has happened, I've even had a birthday, I can't really be 38 can I?

So this is a bit of a catch up of what I've been getting up to both personally and professionally over the last month.

February was probably one of my busiest months ever, it started on the 1st with my birthday when I had a lovely trip to York with hubby for the day.

On Friday the 3rd I was honoured and delighted to shoot my first wedding of the year, Livi and Andy at Langley Castle in Northumberland, splendid couple, gorgeous and wonderful couple and I have to say that it really got my 2012 wedding season off to a great start.

Andy was so nervous as Livi came through the doors, a few moments later she cried, he cried, I cried, it was a total tearfest and a beautiful thing!!

They Really are such a gorgeous couple and Livi is so beautiful as well as having the loveliest sweetest personality.

I also met this little Diva during February, completely gorgeous and she wants to be a model when she grows up, with poses like that I think she might just manage.

This is Sara and Andy who are getting married in April, I went down to York and had lunch with them and then shot their wedding in the Museum Gardens, I cannot wait for their wedding.

Spot the heart shape ;)

Now then, Freya, she is all kinds of awesome and mum and dad Simon and Kelly below are getting married at the end of March and it's another wedding I am utterly excited to shoot, Freya also wants to be a model when she grows up, watch out world I say!

I'm so utterly lucky to have such wonderful lovely clients who are all as gorgeous on the inside as they are on the outside!

this family of 4 children came to see me in the studio just a couple of weeks ago, beautiful though I have to admit with twins aged 19 months it was always going to be a challenge, lucky I loved it and we got some great photos of them all.

and these sisters came to visit, poor little one had missed her sleep so it took a lot to make her even sit, stand or run around, she's gorgeous though isn't she

no such problems with her big sister who actually has an expression for every occasion!

and as for this little wonder, all she did for an entire hour was smile and say Wow, that's my kind of client!!

and you know what I've also done other things this month but I'll save that for another blog post.

If you want to book me for your 2012 wedding please be speedy as I'm almost full, just click through to my website to contact me for a chat.

More Best of the Year award wins for Portraiture and a couple of special offers

I counted myself to be very lucky when I won 2 best of 2011 awards for wedding photography earlier this month so last week when I found out I'd won another best of 2011 award for Pet photography and then yesterday when I found out I'd won a stonking 5 best of 2011 awards for portraiture I had a smile like a cheshire cat!!

This was my favourite portrait image that won and my favourite portrait image of last year, taken on location at the Cedar Court Grand in York with Dr Mariann Hardey of So Seriously Social

Beautiful Ruby is one of the first pets I've ever photographed so a bit of an honour to scoop a top worldwide award.

This weekend in the studio I had the honour of photographing 23 members of this lovely family in celebration of Grandma and Granddads Golden Wedding Anniversary

It made me so grateful to have a studio big enough to fit them all in, Holly and Craig in the back row are old clients who's wedding I shot 3 years ago, it was a lovely opportunity to catch up with the whole family and know that they're all doing so well.

all of the great grandchildren were so cute and it was an absolutely pleasure to photograph them all.

So onto the offers, this months offers are I think pretty brilliant - 

Book your 2012/2013 wedding before the end of February and I'll add an extra hour onto your wedding coverage, imagine what you could do with that extra hour?

Also book a portrait shoot in the studio before the end of February and benefit from a special £20 sitting instead of £40 and you'll even get a complimentary 5x7 print.  You could even buy a gift certificate for a future event and benefit from the half price offer.

To take advantage of any of the offers just click through and contact me through my website

Great places to get married in the North East of England

So being a wedding photographer in the North East of England means that I get to photograph weddings in some gorgeous venues, this made me think about my own personal favourite venues and brides if you have just booked your wedding I know that choice of venue can be so important, it's a minefield.

Here's some of my favourite places in no particular order, a few of which are different, quirky and will keep people talking for some time to come.

1. Matfen Hall, if you want grand then this is the place, the stained window alone makes it one of the most desirable places to get married in the North East of England, it's a dark venue though so make sure your photographer knows what they are doing and has lenses to fit.

2. As You Like It, I have to say that this is my favourite venue because we renewed our vows there in 2010 for our 10th anniversary, for quirkiness on a vintage scale this is the place to go, the only thing I'd say is for your newlywed portraits you'll need to go to Jesmond Dene or Newcastle/Gateshead quayside because the frontage isn't the most attractive but inside it's amazing, lovely, cosy and they can cater for up to 275 people on a night time.

3. The Baltic, oh how I love the Baltic and do they know how to do weddings, it can be small and cosy or big and grandios, it's simply one of the best venues in the north and the guests get exclusive access to all of the exhibits

4. The Sage, not so many people are aware that you can have your wedding at the sage but you make it your own and it's a fabulous venue and the food is second to none.

5. Jesmond Dene House Hotel, I have shot many weddings in this venue and it's gorgeous, lots of wood and a cosy feel even if you are having a bigger wedding, the gardens are beautiful and the food is amazing.

6. The Discovery Museum, yes it's a fairly new to weddings venue and featured on BBC3's Don't Tell The Bride, if you have always fancied a wedding in somewhere completely different then this could be your venue.

7. The Great North Museum (aka The Hancock) one of my favourite places, I grew up visiting this museum every year with my granny, it's simply fabulous and they do the most fabulous weddings and you can have a dinosaur in your photographs.

8. Linden Hall, one of the lovely stately homes turned hotel, up near Morpeth the staff are wonderful friendly people, I have shot many weddings here and never heard a bad report.

9. Close House Hotel, based up in beautiful Northumberland, on sunny days you can spill onto the terrace for drinks and canapes and there are plenty of places to hide if the weather isn't so good, their Orangary makes a splendid place to have portraits.

10. St Marys Lighthouse, I would love to shoot a wedding here so if you are booking one please hire me, who wouldn't want to get married in a Lighthouse, though it only caters for smaller weddings there's no more quirky a venue.

This photograph is from Lucy and James wedding who got married at The Great North Museum

So I hope that this has helped and if you are booking your 2012 wedding please do get in touch, for everyone who books in the next month I am adding an extra hour into your package and with my weddings start at just £595 for up to 3 hours come have a chat at my studio...

Cute Kids, Bouncing Babies and Terrific Toddlers

January has been a busy month down at the studio, I love my job so much, I get to spend time with the loveliest people in the world so as ever here's just a few previews of who's been down in the studio having fun.

Emily brought her cousin along with her, would you believe that I've now photographed Emily's mum and dad 6 times and with the arrival of Emilys little brother or sister it can't be too long before I get to do it all again!!

now look at this little poppet, he was born 4 weeks ago and really isn't so keen on being photographed or being naked for that matter but he's such a cutie

and look at his big sisters, they are so gorgeous and funny

aww, they really love their little brother

and this little 11 month old, well she tootled and she tottered around the studio just doing her own thing, we got tons of photos of her and her big sister and what a pleasure it was to photograph them

So thanks to all the little lovely people who've made work the funnest place to be over the last couple of weeks, if you want a portrait shoot for your poppets if you do it in February you can do it half price, yes only £20 for the session instead of £40 so take advantage because at this price the studio sessions usually fill up fast!

On a totally unconnected matter don't forget you can book your 2012/2013 wedding at 2011 prices if you book before February 1st 2012, dates are now filling quite fast  but I still have some availability so why not contact me through my website and come see me at the studio