We sit down with Paul Hickey, the award-winning Worcestershire wedding photographer behind Once in a Lifetime Photography, to talk about his approach to the wedding day, what sets his work apart, and why couples across the county keep coming back to him.
## Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into wedding photography. I've been photographing in Worcestershire and the surrounding counties since 2014, but the path to weddings wasn't a straight one. I came through sports photography, stage production, dance, drama, and live performance, which turned out to be an excellent training ground. Those environments teach you to read a room, anticipate movement, and work with available light under pressure. When I started photographing weddings, I found that all of those instincts transferred directly. Outside of photography, I've taught Tae Kwon Do for over 25 years. That discipline shapes how I work more than people might expect. Patience, focus, and the ability to stay calm when things around you are moving fast; those qualities matter on a wedding day. ## How would you describe your style? Documentary, primarily. My instinct is always to observe rather than direct. I want to be the person in the room that no one notices, capturing what's actually happening rather than choreographing a version of it. The natural moments, a glance during the ceremony, the laughter during the speeches, a quiet moment between a parent and child, those are the photographs that couples come back to years later. That said, I'm not purely a fly-on-the-wall photographer. As the light changes through the day, I look for opportunities to create something more deliberately crafted. My signature work tends to happen in the evening, using off-camera flash, smoke effects, coloured gels, and sometimes bubble machines or champagne sprays to produce images that feel cinematic and distinct. It's a different register from the documentary coverage, but the two sit well together: the story of the day, told truthfully, alongside something that feels more like art.  ## You've won multiple awards. What do those mean to you in practice? I've been recognised with multiple Weddison Awards and a Flashmaster Gold Award in 2023, which is specifically for excellence in off-camera flash photography. That one matters to me because it reflects a technical skill I've invested heavily in. Creative lighting in challenging conditions, dark venues, evening receptions, and spaces that aren't built for photography, is something I've worked hard to master. Awards are useful as a signal of credibility, but what I find more meaningful is delivering a gallery that exceeds what a couple expected. That's the measure I care about most. ## What does working with you actually look like for a couple? It starts with a conversation, an email, or a call where we talk through the day, what they're hoping for, and any concerns they have. Some couples are anxious about being photographed, or about their partner being photographed. That comes up often. My approach tends to resolve it fairly quickly once we're on the day, because I'm not asking people to perform for the camera. I'm there to notice things. Once they've booked, I send a detailed questionnaire covering the timeline, key family members for group photographs, any important traditions or moments they want captured, and the specifics of the venue. I'd rather know the day thoroughly before I arrive than improvise at someone else's expense. On the day itself, I arrive early. I'm there to cover from preparations through to late in the evening. Group photographs are coordinated efficiently. I know that taking people away from their guests for extended periods is frustrating, and I keep that part of the day moving. After that, the coverage is as natural and unobtrusive as I can make it. Galleries are delivered within 8 weeks and hosted in a private online gallery with easy sharing and full download access. Most clients receive well over 700 edited images. ## You offer photography and videography together. Tell us about that. The hybrid service is something I've developed because the alternative, of hiring separate photography and video teams, creates a coordination challenge that falls on the couple. Two teams, two sets of equipment, two creative visions trying to occupy the same space. It often shows in the results. When I handle both, there's one consistent eye across the photography and the cinematic highlight film. The 3 to 5 minute video shares the same documentary sensibility as the still images. It's also considerably more cost-effective than commissioning two separate suppliers: combined photo and video teams in Worcestershire typically cost between £2,200 and £3,500 or more. My hybrid collections start at £1,695. ## What venues do you work at regularly? I'm a recommended supplier at a number of Worcestershire's leading wedding venues, including Hogarths Stone Manor. Over the years, I've built a strong knowledge of the venues across the county, where the light falls at different times of day, which spaces work well for portraits in different seasons, and how to plan the day so that the photography integrates rather than disrupts. I'm based in Worcestershire but work regularly across Herefordshire, Warwickshire, Shropshire, and the wider West Midlands. I'm happy to travel further for the right couple. ## What would you say to a couple who are trying to decide between photographers? Look at complete galleries, not just highlights. A well-curated set of twenty images tells you very little about what you'll actually receive. Ask to see a full wedding: the preparations, the ceremony, the group photographs, the reception, and the evening. Consistency across all of those conditions is what you're evaluating. Ask about backup equipment and insurance. Ask how many weddings the photographer has covered and at what venues. Ask whether the style you see in their portfolio is the style you'll consistently receive, or whether it's the best work from their best days. My portfolio includes 100 or more weddings since 2014. What you see is representative. I'm also covered with full professional liability insurance and always bring backup systems for essential equipment. Those are the basics that every couple should be asking about, and not every photographer makes them easy to find out.  ## How do couples get in touch? The best starting point is an email or a phone call. I respond to all enquiries quickly, usually within 24 hours. From there, we can talk through availability, the day itself, and whether what I offer is the right fit. There's no pressure in that conversation. If I'm not the right photographer for a couple, I'd rather say so early. I cover weddings across Worcestershire and beyond, and I'm always happy to hear about what couples are planning. [View the Once in a Lifetime Photography profile](/suppliers/once-in-a-lifetime-photography) on this directory to read the full listing and send an enquiry, or visit [onceinalifetimephotography.co.uk](https://www.onceinalifetimephotography.co.uk) to explore the full portfolio and get in touch directly.