Meet UNVEILED Network Members Rob and Rebecca of Paylor Photography, a husband and wife wedding photo duo from Redcar. They take photos of awesome people in love, and create vibrant, romantic photographs of your wedding day with creative flair.
Their love for photography – and each other – was always destined to be the perfect match. Rebecca’s mum bought her a toy camera when she was little, and since then she was hooked. She studied photography at college and is passionate about the whole process.
After the couple tied the knot, Rob picked up a camera for the first time and instantly fell in love with creating amazing photographs, too.
They set out to learn everything they could but, this time, they did together. They undertook various courses and started photographing friends and family, until eventually they were asked to photograph their very first wedding – Paylor Photography was born!
And here they are now, talking to Brides Up North about their epic photos and showing off their skills with this beautiful elopement shoot! So let’s dive straight in…
Shoot credits: Models: Joanna and Kieran | Dress: Bexbrides | Suit: Dandy Threads | Flowers: Ginger & Flynn | Stationery: Tiggity Boo Design | Rings: London Victorian Ring Company | Crown and earrings: Garter & Veil
CAPTURING A COUPLE’S BIG DAY
Rebecca & Rob say: We love everything about it. The emotion of a wedding day is unparalleled, and we can’t think of any other time when you have that level of excitement, happiness and love charging through the air. We make real connections with our couples before their wedding, so when the day arrives, it’s like seeing our mates tie the knot.
PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE
Our photos are bright and colourful, and we love getting creative with light. We’re not afraid to try something a little bit different, and love working with our couples to create truly unique images that they’re going to love.
OUR APPROACH
We split up so we can cover each half of our couple getting themselves ready, before reconvening at the ceremony. We’re very chilled out and aim to be a calming presence on the day. We’re like an extra pair of hands, often helping with buttonholes and cravats, and we bring a ‘toolbox’ with us, filled with all the things you might need, just in case.
We tend to keep some distance between ourselves and the guests, trying to get as many natural reactions as possible and capturing the ceremony without people knowing they’re being photographed. That lets us capture genuine reactions and images that show how people really are instead of being super formal and posed.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
We are very open and friendly, and love chatting to our couples over social media. We use a lot of exclamation marks and way too many emojis to be totally professional. After our initial meeting, which is either in person or via Zoom, we tend to keep in touch either via Instagram or email. We check in periodically just to make sure that everything is going well and to see if we can help with anything.
PHOTOGRAPHERS WITH A DIFFERENCE
We’re a duo, and a married one at that, which definitely makes us stand out. We’ve not only shot weddings before but planned our own too, so we can lend a hand every step of the way.
We think our images really speak for themselves. We keep things super bright and as true to colour as possible, and we’re not afraid to push the boat out. We love getting a little experimental, and we are always learning new things, so we really bring our A-game to every single wedding we photograph.
FAVOURITE PART
For Rebecca, it’s confetti, or smoke bombs or sparklers, basically anything that requires a little audience participation. Everyone loves it and seeing the massive grins on the couples’ faces is just amazing.
For Rob, it’s getting a little one on one time with the couple for portraits. It’s great when they get to chill a little bit, and we can have a lovely relaxing time capturing some epic photos.
GEOGRAPHICAL REACH
We’ll travel anywhere, but we work mostly in the North East. We live by the sea just on the edge of the North York Moors, so we’re surrounded by amazing scenery and gorgeous wedding venues.
TOP TIPS FOR COUPLES
Do a bit of research into the type of photos you want. Every photographer takes and edits their photos in a different way, so scroll through everyone’s Insta feed and pick the one that you LOVE.
Budget for the photographer you want. At the end of the day, your wedding photographs are going to last a lifetime, so you need to be able to look at them in 20 years’ time and still love them. We’re not going to say how much you should pay, but just keep in mind that wedding photographs are priceless. So if you find a photographer you absolutely love, maybe shift the budget around and book them. You won’t regret switching up your budget in the long run, but you might regret not getting what you wanted.
Chat to them lots! You’re going to be spending a whole day with your wedding photographer, so it’s important that you actually like them. Reply to their Insta posts and stories, start conversations with them, and see what you have in common. We’re all human at the end of the day, and love to chat, so not only will you make someone’s day, but you’ll also start getting an insight into whether that person is the right fit for you.
ABSOLUTE NO NO’S
Don’t ask your mate to photograph your wedding. Unless they are a professional and you have a contract in place. We have seen and heard way too many horror stories of couples who hate their photos, or didn’t get them back and friendships being ruined as a result.
Don’t pick someone just because they photographed your friend’s wedding and they offer a discount for referrals – unless you actually like them and their work. You need to find the right photographer for you.
Don’t barter with your photographer. By all means see if they’ve got any discounts running, but don’t start trying to negotiate the price because you think you can get it cheaper elsewhere. It might be cheaper, but that doesn’t mean the service will be the same.
OPTIONS FOR COUPLES
We have three packages at the moment.
A super pared down one that’s perfect for intimate weddings and elopements. It’s ceremony coverage only, plus a portrait session somewhere epic, and you get all the photos in a private gallery and on USB.
Our other two packages include photography coverage from preparation to either speeches or past the first dance. They both include a free engagement session, all photos in a private gallery and on USB, and a bespoke wedding album. We love a wedding album, we only ever look at our own wedding photos in our album despite having a USB with a ton more photos.
Essentially we just want our couples to have as many ways to view and share their images as possible!
SPECIAL OFFER
We’re offering 10% off to any enquiries that mention this article when dropping us a message.
AND ANOTHER THING…
One way to really get to know if a photographer is perfect for your wedding is to book in for a shoot with them beforehand.
We love photographing people in love, whether it’s a wedding day or just a photoshoot booked in for fun. We include a free engagement session with our packages but we also do couples’ photoshoots so feel free to drop us a message and we can hang out for an hour or two and grab something amazing for your mantelpiece! We know you’ll have a great time and it will give you a great idea about how photography works and how we can help make your wedding day the calm, relaxed day you want, while still getting the amazing photos you expect and deserve.
