Today we're spotlighting an utterly gorgeous photographer, Victoria Mitchell Photography. This lovely lady is fabulous, she just gets it! Victoria works beautifully to maintain an unobtrusive style, while really understanding her couples and embracing their special day and my goodness does it show!

If you're looking for a photographer who'll whole heartedly throw themselves into capturing your day perfectly (ummm, who doesn't want that?!) then keep scrolling, 'cause as far as we're concerned, Victoria is ticking all the boxes!

Oh goodness, where to start?!

Hey I'm Victoria and I'm the girl behind the lens of my little home grown business, now based in Bedfordshire. I'm originally from Cheltenham, but spent most of my teens and younger adult days in the beautiful Dorset countryside and am most at home when I am by the sea... It's a real thinking and a 'blow the cockles away' kind of place for me (God knows where that saying comes from, but I like it!) and I'd love to eventually settle there again one day.

I have THE most beautiful, funny and very stubborn 3 year old daughter and a very handsome, if not a little grumpy, 19 year old son as well. The age gap between them works perfectly and they definitely keep me on my toes! I love being a mum and running my own business. I love that I do what I love.

I have an abundance of energy, although am so not a morning person! I'm creative, kind and loyal and have the typical skills of an organised Virgo. I have also been known to be a little bit clumsy... Yes, I'm the girl that will bang into the same cupboard several times, even though I'm fully aware that it's there!

I am a massive music fan and have quite an eclectic taste and the one music festival I've always wanted to go to and never have is Glastonbury!! I've nearly booked it a few times but it's just never happened! I will definitely go one day! It's on my bucket list.

Another festival that looks amazing is the Wilderness Festival! Oh my, I would love it there!! It's not just music, there are all kinds of weird and wonderful things! But it's going to have to be something that I book for next year now as I've got a wedding booked for the weekend that's on this year! But seriously, if you've not heard of it... Go and check it out!!

My decision to start my own business was an easy one and one that I fell into really. It just kind of started and grew and suddenly you take a step back and think wow, this is something that I'm really proud of.

I think that we're always growing and learning as artists but it took me a while to realise that's that was what I actually was, an artist. In my younger days, I had wanted to be an actress, and then when I realised that I wasn't actually that good at it and had the worst memory skills for learning lines I had to have a rethink. I've had many jobs and also went to uni to study law (!) but my heart just was never really in it.

I've always had a love of photography and remember days out with my dad photographing random things on my little point and shoot that I'd gotten one Christmas. My dad would take photos of buildings (he was an architect!) with his slightly more expensive camera, and the excitement of getting them developed and seeing what we had captured was immense! I would also sit for hours sifting through old shoe boxes filled with photos of family and, even though I hadn't even met half the people in those photos, I remember the sense of familiarity and how you could tell so much from one image. And it's that exact same feeling that I get now when I show my couples their photos, or when I look back on photos that I have taken... It's so special to be able to bring yourself into a moment; a moment that's been and gone, but will always remain as it's right there in print.

So, no matter how scary being self-employed can be, or how crazy my children drive me at times, I feel as though I am one of the luckiest people and that I have finally found where I am meant to be.

I like to try and keep everything really simple when it comes to my packages. For that reason I offer a digital package and then my couples can add other things if they wish to... For example, albums and signing boards.

I'm there for the whole day... From the time when the bride's getting ready with all of her girlfriends to the first dance, and will probably stay for a little while after that to soak up the party atmosphere!

My style is unobtrusive, journalistic, romantic and timeless and I will always move along with the natural flow of the day to stay true to the way that my couples have envisaged their day to be.

This is so hard as there have been so many! Every wedding is incredible in its own unique way.

I love the moment when the father first sees his daughter before they walk them down the aisle, and the looks of anticipation from the soon-to-be-husbands. I also love all of the funny moments: when grandma has a little sleep in the corner, or when someone has that moment of looking around to check that no one has seen what they've just done... And I'm the one that will always see it.

What gets me every time though is the thought that goes into every day and the people that contribute their time and love into making someone that they care about happy... Seeing that makes me happy too.

Dedication and commitment, creativity, energy and excitement... I WILL get excited with them when they book a cool vendor, or when they buy something gorgeous for their day.

I'm always there at the end of a phone and I will always try to make my couples feel special... All of my couples rock!

I think that there is a photographer out there for every couple and likewise, there is a couple out there for every photographer.

It's so important to feel comfortable with one another and so I think it's extremely important to meet in person initially wherever possible. You will always know if someone is the right match for you... You'll just have 'that' feeling.

Again, as with the question above.... Go with your instinct.

Book a photographer based on whether you love their style of photography and if you feel you can put your trust in them completely.

"A mind is like a parachute, it doesn't work if it's not open"

"Life is like a camera, just focus on what's important and develop from the negatives and things don't work out then take another shot"

It's been simply lovely chatting with Victoria and as for the images she creates, we're head over heels!

If you'd like to get in touch with Victoria, you can find her sitting oh-so-pretty in our wedding directory now, so be sure to drop her a line!

Peace + Love

Clare XO