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Meet Cornish Wedding Photographer Tom Robinson

Tom joins us for a chat and explains why every wedding he shoots at The Alverton is totally unique.

Tom, from the aptly named Tom Robinson Photography, has been a wedding photographer since 2011.

Studying photography all the way back in 2003, if you don’t catch him photographing weddings, he’ll be out and about photographing the Cornish night sky.

Away from work, Tom is a family man, has “three little monsters” and has been married since 2014. So he knows exactly what planning a wedding entails. We caught up with Tom to discuss his top tips for the perfect day, why he loves his job so much and some of his favourite moments as a photographer.

What's your favourite part of being a photographer?

Having the honour of sharing someone’s most important day never gets old.

Everyone in full dress up feeling their best and seeing family they might not have seen in a long time, spirits are high and everyone is always in a great mood. It really is the best job in the world – every day is a good day!

I become friends with most of my couples on social media and love seeing the photos they share all the way back to when I started. I always get a little buzz that they are still in love with the moments I captured.

The pasties and cake are also an added perk of the job of course, and I get to wear a suit. Who doesn’t love suiting up!?

What's the best thing about photographing a wedding at The Alverton?

Rain or shine, The Alverton is just breath-taking.

Every inch of the place is a photo opportunity. After photographing so many weddings there, it could be easy to fall into the trap of shooting the same thing for every couple, but there is always something else to experiment with and get that brand new exciting and special shot. With every season throughout the year, the gardens change – daffodils, flowers in full bloom, autumn leaves and fairy lights in the winter. 

What's your favourite photo you've ever taken?

Wow, such a hard one! This is ever changing but my current favourite is the image above.

This wedding was just such a special coming together of two families and meant so so much to the bride and groom (and the kids too!). The moment the groom saw his children and step-children excited and ready and waiting for his bride to arrive, he burst into tears full of emotion. Kids being kids of course just laughed away at him – soppy old dad!

The whole day was like this, with tears all around. When a couple is so in love and the moment in time means so much to them and their families, it is not just one of my favourite photos but favourite weddings. I will treasure the memory forever myself too. 

What's the best piece of advice for a couple planning their big day?

Don’t sweat the small stuff! Minor things can go wrong on the day sometimes, but it’s all a memory that you will look back on and laugh.

The most important part of the day is the coming together of you two and the celebration with all your family. Aunty Sue might fall in the sea or someone might drink too much and end up shirtless on the dance floor. Always get chair covers – they bring the room together nicely. Just be you, it’s your day after all. Add in personal touches all over the place. I’ve seen it all, from Lego cake toppers to Star Wars themes.

What's the process once a couple enquires about you photographing their wedding?

After the first contact I always love to meet up with the couple in person or video call, show them lots of previous work and we can get a real bond going between us all.

More often than not, couples go for a package including the pre-shoot so we can really make a connection. You can get used to me and my silly sound effects I make, and by the time it comes to the portraits on the day, you will both be naturals. I have a fancy pants booking system that keeps you up to date with payments, contracts and where you should be along the way also making it a total breeze.

Why should couples choose The Alverton?

I think I have shot at least 20 weddings now at The Alverton. The staff and coordinators are always on the ball and beaming with excitement for the day. 

They run a tight ship and have made every wedding I have covered there a pure joy for the couples. The passion they have for their jobs is unparalleled. 

In this day and age, a lot of people are staying away from church weddings being not overly religious anymore. The Alverton’s Great Hall (being a convent many moons ago) is like having a church but without the religious aspect and church strings attached kind of ceremony. The grandeur and architecture of The Great Hall is like nothing else in Cornwall.

Why should couples choose you as their photographer?

Shucks! I don’t take myself too seriously which I find couples like. My approach is, the more comfortable you and the guests are with me, the better the memories I capture. No one needs to dread the photographer approaching you. 90% of my work is fly on the wall (or reportage if you want to be fancy!) and the other 10% is “gentle posing” consisting of a few prompts maybe to get you both laughing and get some incredible portraits as forever keepsakes.

The most important thing of course is to like my work – which I hope you do. 

If I see that perfect shot in my head or have an idea, expect me lying down in the mud or shoes off and in the sea to get it! I’ll let a few previous couples who had their wedding at the Alverton say some words too. You can see a whole heap of Alverton wedding photos over on my blog too.

We booked our wedding at The Alverton in Truro and Tom was the second thing we booked and definitely one of the best! The photos we have had back are truly stunning. We barely noticed him taking the photos but they couldn't have turned out better. Josh and I can't thank you enough Tom. Everyone has said how amazing you were on the day and how beautiful the photos are. We would both recommend Tom easily for any photography as he is definitely the best out there.
Josh and Carina Martin – Tom Robinson Photography
Tom photographed our wedding and he was great. He's fun to have around and really makes you feel relaxed! We had so many comments from guests about how lovely he is too. We had a pre-shoot with him and definitely recommend having one. The photos we've seen so far are stunning and I can't wait to see the rest. Thank you so much Tom!
Adam and Steph Shore – Tom Robinson Photography
Highly recommend Tom if you're looking for photos for your wedding, our photos are everything we wanted and more, capturing every moment possible. Tom made us feel at ease all day and made us and our families laugh many times. He really does feel like part of the family when he’s at your wedding.
Cez and Leigh Igoe – Tom Robinson Photography

Finally, can you sum up a wedding in Cornwall in three words?

Always come back!

Book your wedding showaround today

Contact our Wedding and Events Manager

01872 276 633 or email [email protected]

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