Mama of 2, wifey to Matt, Netflix binger and a total chatterbox

Grace Dove

A family business

It all began with a couple's shoot I arranged with my then-boyfriend, Matt. I'll admit, I was secretly hoping it might turn into an engagement shoot. He saw through it (of course) and proposed a few months later back in the place where we had our first date. But something about that engagement-not-engagement shoot stuck with me — and I needed more of it. I started photographing anyone and everyone who would get in front of my camera and built up a portfolio. Enquiries started to come in, but then the pandemic hit and everything stopped. Cue the arrival of my first daughter who changed everything.

Parenthood has a way of unearthing lost passions, making you think, 'well, if not now, when?' Holding my new baby girl, I knew I wanted to dedicate my maternity leave to giving photography a solid try. Especially when the opportunity came up to take some photos of a baby group for a friend. Even if it didn't pan out as a fully-fledged career, I knew I'd have given it my best shot and it was a great thing to do alongside being a new mama. Well, despite many sleepless nights (because when she was sleeping, I was burning the midnight oil on growing my business!), we reached a point where I could bid farewell to my day job and embrace photography wholeheartedly. My hubby often comes along to weddings as a second shooter for me these days, it’s become a bit of a family business and I love that.

My approach

Experience is everything and a lot of that comes down to the relationship I have with my couples.

That is why I only take a limited number of bookings a year. In order to do what I do best, I want to be your ultimate wedding wing-woman, for you to feel totally at ease with me and able to be your unapologetic selves. I have WhatsApp groups with all my couples, regular video chats with them and am always available for a natter. Photography is personal, it's art, so I want to build that amazing connection with you - that's how we get the epic natural photos.

Grace x

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My style

I look to capture key moments and document people as they are.

I just love watching people and looking for those bursts of laughter, or that singular tear that escapes during speeches. The key thing I look to achieve is capturing people's best sides. The image reflects them, and who they are as a person but it's also a flattering image that makes them feel amazing about themselves and see how others perceive them.

When I'm not shooting documentary style (which is about 90% of the time) I'm shooting fun wedding party snaps or romantic couple portraits. This is the only part of the day when I'll be more present in the shot. I pop my little boombox on, we crank up the tunes and get you moving! I like to capture my couples as if they were having an amazing date night, swanning about the venue or having a moment to themselves (except I'm there). That's why you'll see my couples are nearly always looking at each other, I'll direct them a little to get those intimate natural looking shots but for the most part I just let them enjoy their time together and keep them moving.