After two and a half years in business, I decided that it was time I had a comfortable and friendly space to meet with couples when they contacted me about their wedding photography. It also needed to be used as a viewing studio, both for that initial consulatation and for couples post-wedding, viewing their images and choosing albums. There needed to be room for my sample albums to be on show and I needed a small kitchen area for making drinks.

Being just a few minutes drive from my home town, Stanstead Abbotts was where I looked. It’s a fairly small and picturesque village in Hertfordshire. The Greenwich meridian passes through the centre of the village, which is recorded by marker posts. The village was recorded in history when Queen Elizabeth I passed through on her way to London, from her father’s (Henry VIII)  hunting lodge in the adjoining village of Hunsdon. The River Lea flows alongside the village on its way to the east end of London, there is a towpath to Ware and Hertford in one direction and Hoddesdon and Broxbourne in the other. Either route will take you through rural landscapes with the opportunity to observe a variety of wildlife, especially birds.

The local industry has always been malt production. Many years ago, it was found that the fertile soil in Hertfordshire produced huge quantities of high quality barley that could be turned into the finest malt. The Hertfordshire grain was sold at a premium at market. Packhorses were used for moving the grain from the farmland to the malting towns of Hertford, Ware and Stanstead Abbotts sited along the River Lea. Their strategic location between the fertile growing areas and London, combined with the benefit of a waterway directly into London led to a flourishing local malting industry. The malting industry sadly has declined over a long period until today just the one malting of French & Jupps remains in Stanstead Abbotts. Although many of the maltings have been demolished, some of the malting buildings still exist and are now divided into units. They are used to provide accommodation for small businesses - and it’s within The Maltings building itself where you will find my studio! After looking at a few of the available spaces, I chose the one with a beautiful vaulted ceiling, skylight window and oak beams around the room. I’ve made a few alterations to the original space (new floor, decorating) and it now looks exactly as I had envisioned it.

Here are some images finally, for those of you who’ve been asking to see it…

I am so excited to tell you the fantastic news that I have a featured wedding in the brand new issue of none other than Cosmopolitan Bride magazine, which for any wedding photographer is really the most stylish and prestigious magazines to have your work featured in. Along with my two weddings already featured in Your Herts/Beds Wedding magazine, I really am chuffed to say the least!

Skye and Liam were married in October last year at Halloween and as soon as Miranda the editor saw the images from the shoot, she asked me to send more so they could have a good choice of which to feature. The reasons this wedding was chosen were obviously the beautiful bride and groom and the amount of unique details that Skye and Liam incorporated into everything on the day including her mermaid dress, the pumpkins, their message tree and gorgeous autumnal wedding cake.

So, with the warm glow of seeing my work in the best national wedding magazine in the country, along with my new logo, blog and website, 2010 has really been an exciting year so far for me and with all the fantastic weddings I have to shoot this year, it will only get better!

From today, I am delighted to say that I am a proud sponsor of the fantastic Rock my Wedding blog! The blog features anything from cakes to flowers to stationery to jewellery…..basically, whatever they see that’s unique and definitley chic for your Big day, they tell you about it! Along with a great introductory post today, my advert features in the right hand sidebar.

Hi everybody

Well, my first pre-wedding shoot of the year is this Saturday with Rebecaa and Abi in Cambridge and I’m so looking forward to getting back out there and doing what I love best! I’ll be sharing some images from that next week. Along with the fact that the clocks change in three (count ‘em) weeks - meaning Spring (and essentially, Summer) is on its way - I have loads more beautiful couples’ weddings to shoot this year and I can’t wait!

More exciting news in that Kim Hawkins Photography has a featured wedding in the new issue of Cosmopolitan Bride, which is the UK’s best and most stylish wedding magazine. I’ll be sharing the images from that soon…I’m soo excited!

Also coming to your monitors next week is a completely re-designed, easy-on-the-eye, simple-to-navigate, all-singing, all-dancing Kim Hawkins Photography Blog! Featuring a whole new look, new images, and a style which blends in beautifully with my new website and branding.

Keep watching this space, folks!

Kim xxx

Hi folks

I had a great day at the Sopwell House Hotel wedding fair on Sunday and dozens of you spent time chatting to me about your wedding plans and your photography. It was great to meet you all and look forward to having the opportunity of shooting your weddings and presenting you with albums full of your own stunning wedding images just like those I was showcasing on the day.

The other big news is that in order for my NEW WEBSITE TO GO LIVE NEXT MONDAY the 25th of JANUARY, my existing website will unfortunately be taken down a few days before in preparation. My blog will stay online during this transition but that also will be changing on monday to reflect my new logo and colour scheme. Obviously I will be still available by phone (01992 447543 or 07860 749149) and email ([email protected]) in the interim. Here’s a small sneak preview of my new logo, by the way….

Good, huh? Well, I didn’t say I was going to show ALL of it, did I? You’ll just have to pop over to the new website next Monday and feast your eyes on the whole beautiful design!

Don’t forget, I have an offer running for THREE lucky couples to win a half-price Photography and Disk Wedding Package with me this year - click here and read all about it!

And remember to become a fan of Kim Hawkins Photography on FACEBOOK - keep in touch if you’re a bride I’ve already shot or one I have yet to shoot. The link is:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kim-Hawkins-Photography/427412445222

Those of you who may perchance be regular readers of the Rock ‘n Roll Bride blog (run by the very cool and stylish Kat Williams), will have seen that I am offering three lucky Rock ‘n Roll couples the chance to book their 2010 wedding photography with me for HALF PRICE! The offer is for my Photography and Disk package which gives you a pre-wedding shoot, 100 reception cards, all-day coverage of your wedding day, an online gallery of all your images and all your fabulous images supplied to you on a personalised Disk - all that for just £750!

All you have to do is:

1. Be getting married somewhere in the UK in 2010 (weddings over 50 miles from me will have £50 overnight accommodation costs added - destinations abroad are also included but my travel costs must be met by you)

2. Be organising a wedding that is unique to you - it could be what you’re going to be wearing, your venue, your details - anything that is a bit different to the ‘norm’ and qualifies you as a Rock ‘n Roll couple. (For example, maybe your venue is a converted tram shed, you’re bothRockabillies and are going to be wearing brothel creepers and a polka-dot dress - that’s very Rock ‘n Roll)! Remember though, it’s not all about about rebelling or showing the world how weird you are - it’s more about planning a wedding that’s an authentic reflection of you and your partner and your personalities.

3. Email your names and contact details, a piccie of the both of you, something about yourselves and your interests along with what you think makes you and your planned wedding totally unique and worthy of Rock ‘n Roll status, to me at [email protected]

The three couples who have the most original and exciting sounding wedding day which sets my creative juices flowing will get the deal!

Good luck!