city wedding Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Marianne Taylor Photography | Portrait & Family Photographer in Cornwall

Saleema & David | Wedding

June 30, 2011 · 30 Comments

You might remember Saleema & David’s engagement session in Vienna, which was so much fun. Well, the wait is finally over as the couple tied the knot in London at the start of June. Actually, they had not just one, but two weddings! First they had a Ghanaian wedding in May to honour Saleemas roots, followed by this quintessentially English afternoon tea party wedding, which I was lucky enough to capture.

Working in fashion, I knew that Saleema would look nothing short of super stylish on her big day, but her glamorous look still managed to blow me away! How about that gorgeous Temperley gown and the most utterly beautiful Louboutins I’ve ever seen! Swoon. Stunning flowers by the Blue Dove Wedding Company completed the beautiful vision.

Saleema and the girls got ready at the super trendy Shoreditch House (how cool is a private member’s club with a ‘no tie’ policy by the way?), from where we headed to Islington Town Hall for the ceremony. One of the most memorable moments of the day was when, after the ceremony, everyone joined in on a sing-along to ‘It had to be You‘. Uh-mazing.

After the ceremony it was onto a routemaster for a short drive to Farringdon and the Crypt on the Green, where the cutest tea party had been set by Louise from Bow Occasions and was catered Capital People.

Despite the skies opening up and major thunder sweeping over London just when I headed out to this wedding, all my memories of the day are sunny and bright. Happiness trumps weather every time.

Congratulations Saleema & David, I’m so so happy for you! And thank you for having us. x

creative fine art wedding photography

Niki & Steve | Wedding

June 19, 2011 · 34 Comments

As much as I love countryside garden weddings and hiding in the bushes, I do have a special place in my heart for London affairs. There’s a certain charm about the city, and I get to see some amazing places I’d never probably have the chance to visit otherwise. Hidden behind a beautiful, but unassuming, façade on Portman Square you’ll find Home House. This quirky private members club, with bags and bags of character, was the setting for Niki & Steve’s emotional wedding day.

Some of my favourite things about the day were Niki’s adorable 1955 vintage Emma Domb gown from Elizabeth Avey, the fact that Sadaf Ahmad did Niki’s make-up in a room reserved for the mini bar (of course you need a whole room for one!), the beautiful flower arrangements by Lucy Collins, the way both Niki and Steve burst into tears when they saw each other for the first time and the abundance of cool shoes everywhere. All in all, it was such a gorgeous gorgeous day.

It’s also always a pleasure to work with Mark Brown, who was there to capture all the laughter and tears on glorious super-8. And I have to say a super special thank you to Ian from Home House, who was an absolute rock star and took such good care of us!

Thank you for having us Niki & Steve, it was such a special day for all of us present. I wish you all the best for the future! x

creative fine art wedding photography

Anne & Will | Wedding

November 24, 2010 · 21 Comments

No, it’s not a déjà vu you’re experiencing, it’s just that the ceremony of Anne & Will’s wedding did indeed also take place at Old Marylebone Townhall, this time around we were back in the Reception Room. It’s funny how, despite a familiar venue, every wedding is always completely different and has it’s own special atmosphere. I think that’s what makes attending weddings so fascinating – it’s the people who make a party, and each combination of people is always different.

After the ceremony we headed out for some portraits around Notting Hill. It rained on and off all day, and it was Anne’s beautiful vintage reproduction gown from Hope Harlequin that got the rough end of the deal by getting pretty soaked (poor thing!). Otherwise the autumnal colours of London were really showing their best.

After our little portrait session we rejoined the party at the reception, which was in full cocktail hour swing, at 20th Century Theatre. This was such a special venue, with a very unique feel to it, I have to say I absolutely adored it! Florist Amanda Wilgrave from Flirty had created the most beautiful flower arrangements and bouquets that really suited the time of year, while Tasting Plates took care of the catering. Other vendors I should mention were Hello! Lucky, who created the stationary (I’m so pleased they now have a base in London as well) and DJ Mitch Matthews.

I do love a London wedding and Anne & Will had created a day full of such warmth that one couldn’t really help but enjoy it all. Thank you so much Anne and Will for having us, it really was a pleasure!

I also have to give extra props to Susanna (who’s always pretty amazing anyways) for managing to capture some cracking cocktail hour portraits in very tight quarters!

creative London wedding photography

Amanda & Mike | Wedding

November 14, 2010 · 25 Comments

Ever so sorry about the recent quietness. All sorts of things have been happening such as overseas visitors, and unfortunate illnesses, so it’s been a week of up and downs. Trying to get back on the horse now, starting with Amanda and Mike’s cool Soho wedding, which is way overdue to be blogged.

First of all, I can’t tell you how excited I was when I found out that Amanda was getting ready at the Dean Street Townhouse, which has got to be one of the most beautiful places to stay (or eat) in London. Amanda looked stunning in her Caroline Castigliano gown, and Mike very dapper in one of the coolest suits I’ve ever seen (skulls & crossbones lining, hello?) by a funky tailor in Brighton called Gresham Blake.

The ceremony of Amanda & Mike’s wedding took place in the Purple Room of Old Marylebone Townhall, which is starting to get quite familiar to us! The Townhall is definitely becoming one of my favourite places for ceremonies in London, not least because the staff there are always so lovely. From the Townhall guests (and Susanna) got on a London routemaster, which ferried them to the reception venue, Century Club, while Amanda, Mike and I strolled the streets of Soho for some portraits before rejoining the party.

There were lots of delicious details to take in at the reception, not least the gorgeous cupcakes from Mrs Marengos, but if there was one experience I would take away from this wedding to treasure forever, it would have to be the absolutely gobsmackingly gorgeous roof terrace at Century Club, where the evening reception took place. I think it’s hard to beat a first dance under an open sky on a rooftop in the middle of London. Just, wow.

Thank you so much Amanda & Mike for having us share your wedding day with you, it was so full of love and laughter and I wish you’ll have plenty more of that to come in your future together!

creative London wedding photography

Daphne & Romulus | Post-wedding session

October 29, 2010 · 19 Comments

Sometimes, even in London, the light decides to co-operate. And even though that magic moment might only last for ten minutes, it is so so sweet when it happens. The day when Daphne & Rom travelled down to London for their post-wedding session, started off gloomy and dark. When I arrived at Green Park the sky was looking very ominous indeed and I was sure it was going to start raining any minute. But that luckily wasn’t meant to be. When Daphne and Rom arrived, there was suddenly a shift in the clouds, and this beautiful beam of sunlight just appeared from nowhere. I mean, how often does that kind of thing happen?

It was lovely, and somewhat surreal, seeing Daphne and Rom again, dressed as they were in the wedding finery like when I’d last seen them on their wedding day, but in completely different surroundings. And even though the sun disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared, we had a lot of fun catching up and roaming the streets of London. And I think we got some pretty special photos as a result as well.

Thank you Daphne and Rom, for your killer style, for being so sweet, and for letting me do my thing. I do hope you like your photos!

creative London wedding photography

Laura & Richard | Wedding

October 25, 2010 · 27 Comments

I’m so excited to finally be blogging Laura & Richard’s gorgeous London wedding! It seems like aaages ago since Laura and Richard booked me, and it feels a little bit surreal that the wedding is now suddenly behind us. It kind of goes to show the importance of photography that even I feel so happy to relive this wedding through the pictures, and it isn’t even my wedding!

First of all, what can I say about Laura’s stunning gown. It was called Fanal and was by La Sposa (bought at Bride and Groom, Bromley) in oyster colour, which I have to say was so so cool. Here’s what Laura told me about finding her dress: ‘It was the first dress I tried on, I then tried on about 30 more but each one was not quite right. I knew I wanted something plain and wanted to go for more of a Red Carpet/Hollywood/Oscar style look rather than a traditional bridal look. I wasn’t going to have a veil initially, but after struggling to find any sort of head piece that was right, I ended up going for a full length veil (by Richard Designs) for a dramatic effect.’ Laura’s glamorous Ted Baker heels complimented the colour of her dress beautifully. My absolutely favourite details must have been the gooorgeous earrings by Mikey. ‘I ummed and ahhed about these for ages as they were so big, but I couldn’t find anything else that matched so well,’ says Laura. The earrings also matched beautifully with her Tiffany pearl bracelet, which was a morning gift from Richard. To finish off Laura’s red carpet look Oonagh Connor did her make-up and Charlotte Dignam from Toni & Guy worked her magic on Laura’s hair.

Both the ceremony and reception took place at the Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich. This was the first time I’d ever visited this Victorian pub, and it certainly charmed me with it’s nostalgic atmosphere. Karen Woolven had created the beautiful flower arrangements and Laura’s lovely bouquet, which I thought were all show stoppers, not least because of Laura’s colour choices. In fact, Laura’s strong sense of style was evident in every aspect of the day, especially in all the stationary, which was designed by Laura herself. Sugarplum Cake Company (whom Laura and Richard found through my website!), created the cake – the cake topper (which turned out to be too heavy for the cake) was bought by Laura’s mum and aunt in Zurich, as they both thought it looked like the couple!

As the evening drew closer Jack Valentine entertained the guests with some swinging tunes, and DJ Matt Maurice got everyone on the dance floor. I also have to mention the video crew, Gorgeous Films, who were a joy to work with. And as always, a huge thank you to Susanna Hauru for assisting me on the day.

This certainly was one stylish wedding, and I really enjoyed being a part of it. One of the highlights of the day must have been when, while taking portraits of Laura & Richard, we stumbled onto the set of Pirates of the Caribbean 4! Sadly (or perhaps luckily, as I’m not sure they could have dragged me or Laura back to the wedding otherwise) Mr Depp wasn’t on set that evening, but I’m pretty sure all of us will be watching the film with a keener than normal eye, trying to spot all the set pieces that are now part of Laura & Richard’s wedding photos!

creative London wedding photography

Sophie & Jonny | Wedding

October 1, 2010 · 32 Comments

I know you’ve been waiting to see some more pictures from Sophie & Jonny’s amazing burlesque themed wedding for what seems like forever. Well here they finally are, and I don’t think you’re going to be disappointed – this wedding sure was something else when it comes to individuality and style!

Sophie and the girls got ready at the beautiful family manor hotel, Kegworth House Hotel, and the interior of the room couldn’t have been more fitting! Sophie got her hair and makeup done by a London-based company called Lipstick and Curls, which specialises in retro looks, Sophie even wore 1940’s red lipstick. Her beautiful gown was by Maggie Sottero, albeit with the addition of the black ribbon and the black corset ties, which were from one of her own burlesque corsets. I probably don’t need to tell you that her shoes were by Christian Louboutin, I think the trademark red soles gave it away already! I adored Sophie’s birdcage veil, which she got from from Pishposhes in the US.

The couple travelled between the venues in style, in a beautiful red 1951 Pontiac Cheiftan (which provided some extra excitement to the day by getting overheated during our portrait shoot!). The ceremony of Sophie and Jonny’s wedding took place at All Saint’s Church in Sawley, and the reception was held at the Westgate Suite in Nottingham. Sophie’s inspiration for the day was burlesque, 1940’s and 1950’s. She says: ‘I love everything 1950’s and as a burlesque dancer I knew I wanted that as the theme. With our Parisian and Moulin Rouge engagement I knew I also wanted some of that influence too, hence the black and white.’

In keeping with the theme, the evening’s entertainment was a burlesque dance performed by Scarlett Daggers. ‘We aimed to have the wedding our way for ourselves. I had the odd comment about the burlesque not being very “wedding like”, but I didn’t care. It was what I wanted to see and thought would be an amazing bit of entertainment that we’d enjoy and was a referral back our Moulin rouge engagement. Our engagement was so different and soo us! And so was the wedding!’, says Sophie.

I had so much fun recording this gorgeous wedding! Thank you Sophie & Jonny, for being exceedingly cool and for creating a wedding that looked 100% like you!

P.S. Sophie & Jonny are in fact so cool that Rockn’n’ Roll Bride called dibs on featuring this wedding right after seeing pictures from their engagement session!

creative London wedding photography

Anu & Oka | Wedding

September 29, 2010 · 20 Comments

On a hot and humid Saturday in August (which later turned into the biggest thunder storm I’ve experienced in ages), Anu & Oka got married in Mission Church (Lähetyskirkko) in Helsinki. There were a few especially touching moments about the ceremony, one of these was when the couple read out vows they had written for each other, and another was when a Finnish artist Jippu sang her song ‘Jos sä tahdot niin’ to the couple.

I was originally over in Finland for a few days of holiday, but I couldn’t really say no when these two asked me to cover at least a part of their day. At four hours, this was hands down the shortest coverage I’ve ever provided at a wedding, but I’m quite happy with what we managed to cover in that time.

It was especially nice to have some time for portraits in the park on Observatory Hill (Tähtitorninmäki). I didn’t stay for too long at the reception at Klaus K, but long enough to experience the warm atmosphere that surrounded the small group of close family and friends who were gathered to celebrate the day with Anu and Oka.

I did mention earlier that Oka is a wedding photographer himself. If you’re looking for a photographer with a beautiful classic photojournalistic style (he does travel!), or just want to take a look at some gorgeous photographs, do visit his website!

Thank you Anu and Oka for letting me play a small part in your day. I wish you all the best in your next adventure together! x

creative destination wedding photography

Rakkaus = Love

Lucy & Brandon | Wedding

September 23, 2010 · 26 Comments

Where do I start! Lucy & Brandon’s wedding at Andaz Liverpool Street in London was beautiful, not only because it was at one of my favourite venues, but also for the gorgeous little touches Lucy had created, and all the emotions that flowed on the day.

Lucy’s morning started a bit unusually, when she had a complete change of heart at the hairdresser’s. ‘My hair was done by the wonderful Paul at Aveda Academy on High Holborn. After spending two hours putting my hair up on the morning of the wedding, I decided that, actually, I wasn’t that keen and wanted to have it down instead… he didn’t even flinch, just did exactly what I wanted. He rocks!’ Personally I think it was just the right decision as Lucy looked really sweet with her curls. It also goes to show why you should reserve enough time for hair and make-up, you never know how much longer they might take!

How much do I love Lucy’s fab Jenny Packham gown, which she got from The Tailors Cat in Cambridge along with her earrings! Here’s what Lucy told me about finding her ‘Jenny’ and other accessories: ‘I saw the dress, tried it on, burst into tears and so did my mum. I didn’t even try on any others. Then the lady in the shop told me the name of the dress was “Sorrento”, which is where Brandon actually proposed to me last July, so I just knew it had to be that dress! When I left The Tailors Cat after finding the dress, I walked straight into Dune where I found the sparkly shoes. The headpiece was a gift from my cousins wife, who works at Richard Designs. The bridesmaid’s and flower girls wore off-the-rack dresses from Monsoon and just looked amazing.‘

Lucy wasn’t the only thing looking stunning on the day, I especially loved all the flowers and the cutest cupcake cake I’ve ever seen! Here’s what Lucy had to say about these: ‘I was bowled over by the flowers on the day, Lisa Carney at Moyses Stevens took my brief and just excelled in executing it. It was better than I could have imagined! My giant cupcake and the mini cupcakes were from Crumbs and Doilies in Wandsworth. Again, they took my brief and just delivered such a beautiful display. It was cute and fun, and although the surroundings are very chic and elegant in 1901, I loved the fun aspect the cakes brought.’

Lucy and Brandon love their little dogs, and as they weren’t able to have them there to share the day, they had a photo of them up by the top table so that they could attend at least in spirit! I thought that was really sweet.

When the evening drew closer DJ Jason Dupuy from Platinum Promotions got everyone on the dance floor. And that’s where we left them, as we packed up our gear at the end of the night, and jumped into a black cab to take us home.

Thank you Lucy and Brandon for having us share your day, it was a privilege!

creative London wedding photography

Emily & Owen | Wedding

September 1, 2010 · 34 Comments

I have to say I adored the style of Emily & Owen’s vintage flavoured London wedding (almost as much as I adore Emily and Owen themselves!). Owen is a fellow photographer, which always adds that bit of extra pressure, but ultimately, every time another photographer chooses me to cover their wedding I am beyond flattered!

Emily and the girls got ready at Hilton Euston, and Emily’s personal style was evident from every detail right from the beginning. Emily’s dress was a gorgeous 1950’s vintage number from ebay and her fab shoes were from Topshop. Oh and Emily’s kick-ass up-do was created by Freda at Rush Baker Street.

The ceremony of Emily and Owen’s wedding took place at the Old Marylebone Town Hall from where it was a short skip and a hop to the reception venue, Six Fitzroy Square, an absolutely stunning Georgian townhouse, which was for sure one of the nicest venues I’ve visited in London. It had such an elegant and grand, but yet homely, feel about it. I can’t thank Palette Events enough, they took such good care of us and did a great job on the day. Also, Lisa at Honor Oak Florists had created the most charming flower arrangements into vases that Emily had collected from charity shops, markets and car boot sales.

I love the fact that I’ve got to cover such a diverse bunch of weddings this year – and I really and truly have loved each and every one of them. When the personalities of the couple shine through in every detail, it is always bound to be a beautiful day! Emily & Owen’s wedding was certainly one event that I will not forget easily, not least because of Owen’s singing… :D (and now I go hide from Owen, while you go check out the pictures!)

creative London wedding photography

Anna & Russ | Wedding

May 14, 2010 · 42 Comments

Anna & Russ’ charming London tea party wedding took place on a beautiful spring Friday in April. Anna had put such care into every beautiful detail, that the whole day was literally bursting with prettiness! Everything from the gorgeous Montague on the Gardens Hotel, where Anna was getting ready, to her beautiful dress by Stephanie Allin from Blackburn Bridal, accessories, and especially the flowers (oh the flowers!) from Euphoric Flowers were carefully thought out to carry the theme and colours through the day and the different venues. Anna looked absolutely gorgeous with a little help from Severin Hubert from Hepburn Collection, who worked his magic on her hair, while Lina Cameron did her make-up.

The ceremony took place in St George’s Holborn from where guests were ferried to the reception in a London routemaster, while Anna and Russ travelled in style in the cutest VW Beetle driven by Helen from Polly Pootles. Anna has a keen interest in the Tudors so Fulham Palace was an ideal venue for the reception. Being a tea party, the food consisted of delicious sandwiches and mouthwatering cakes, which were all laid out in the most gorgeous manner, such a feast for the eyes as well! Create did a brilliant job with the catering.

There were also lots of thoughtful little touches, such as a bead bar by Abby from Beadoir for the young ones to make their own jewellery, and a pretty awesome candy buffet by Party Belles Events, which got both the children and adults alike pretty excited!

If I were to fall in love with a wedding and had to be monogamous (so glad that’s not the case :D), I think this one would have to be the one!

Thanks so much Anna & Russ for giving us the opportunity to enjoy so much prettiness in one day! I hope you’ll always pay such attention to the smallest of details as you did for your wedding, as they are the things that create a little magic in life.

creative London wedding photography

Sam & Adam | Wedding

April 29, 2010 · 27 Comments

I’m so stoked to finally be able to blog Sam & Adam’s stunning Andaz wedding! I know it’s so so wrong to have ‘favourite’ clients, but if I was forced to rank my clients (at, you know, gunpoint or something) Sam and Adam would come way up there. They’re just so cool and nice and super talented, and they really made us feel like we were a part of the celebration.

Sam looked absolutely stunning from head to toe, from her gorgeous Marchesa gown to her cool Nicholas Kirkwood heels, and Adam very dapper indeed in his Dunhill suit. What with Sam and Adam – and a lot of their guests – being fashion designers, the coolness factor was definitely very high in this wedding! :D

No matter how many weddings I shoot at the Andaz, it seems that there are always new spaces to discover. This time, after ceremony in the Fenchurch room, the wedding breakfast was held at the Studio, which looked absolutely stunning, not least because of the gorgeous flowers by Scarlet & Violet (oh and the cake, by Maki’s Cakes, was pretty stunning too).

After dinner the party continued in the Temple. It was really nice to bump into familiar DJs, the Wedding Smashers, once again. These guys really do know how to rock a house!

A million thanks Sam and Adam for making us feel like we were a part of your super cool ‘family’! I know the ash cloud provided you with some extra days on honeymoon, which you totally deserved! :D

creative London wedding photography

Sarah & Paul | Wedding

March 24, 2010 · 18 Comments

What made Sarah & Paul’s Andaz Liverpool Street wedding a little bit different from the others we’re doing there this year, was that their ceremony was held at the OBE Chapel of St. Paul’s Cathedral. I felt very privileged being able to photograph a wedding at such a prestigious venue, and despite the challenges it presented (the Chapel is underground in the crypt with no light, and photography during the ceremony is restricted) it really was an amazing experience!

I love the Gallery at the Andaz, the light there is always so lovely, no matter what time of year. It’s also fun to see how different spaces within the hotel transform to serve different functions. For example, Sarah & Paul’s wedding breakfast took place in the Bishopsgate room, which looked completely transformed from last time when we where there for a ceremony.

I do have to mention that Susanna was on fire during the reception of this wedding, she got so many lovely shots that I had a hard time narrowing the selection down! I think after the long dark winter of her being consigned to lighting duties during receptions, she was seriously itching to get behind the camera – and it shows.

Lastly, I have to say thank you to Sarah and Paul. It was a priviledge to be a part of your beautiful day!

creative London wedding photography

Caroline & Ben | Wedding

March 15, 2010 · 36 Comments

I’m so happy to finally be able to blog about Caroline & Ben’s beautiful London wedding. There are so many things I loved about this wedding, from Caroline’s stunning Jenny Packham gown and headpiece, to the gorgeous Market Suite at the Fox & Anchor where Caroline and the girls were getting ready, through to the beautiful ceremony at Islington Town Hall and reception at The Crypt. There was a real London feel about this wedding, and I loved the fact that when we went for a little portrait shoot with Caroline and Ben after the ceremony, we just hailed a black cab. When in London…

Thanks so much C&B for letting us be a part of your beautiful day!

creative London wedding photography

Lucy & Jeremy | Wedding

March 4, 2010 · 38 Comments

First of all, can I just go on record and say that St. Bartholomew The Great is quite possibly the most gorgeous church I’ve ever had the pleasure to visit. Tucked away behind London’s Smithfield Market, it’s so inconspicuous from the outside that you would never guess at the gorgeousness inside. I’m not alone in my opinion either, proved by the fact that St. Barts has been used as a location in several films. It certainly provided a breathtaking backdrop to Lucy & Jeremy’s wedding ceremony.

Mind you, it wasn’t just the church that was impressive, the reception at The Royal Exchange was equally stunning. These amazing venues, and the attention to details, did make me feel like I was lost in a movie or a fairytale for the day.

Thanks Lucy and Jeremy for letting us share your magical day with you, I hope you’re enjoying your kick-ass honeymoon as we speak!

Simona & Dan | Wedding

February 18, 2010 · 35 Comments

Ooh I do love an Andaz Liverpool Street wedding! Luckily I have quite a few of them coming up, but Simona & Dan’s was the first one this year, which makes it a little bit special. The ceremony of Simona & Dan’s wedding took place in the Bishopsgate Room of the Andaz, while their drinks reception was held at the Gallery and dinner in the gorgeous 1901 restaurant. I have to say that I was blown away by how Simona had planned every little detail SO perfectly. From her gorgeous Vera Wang gown, to the purple colour theme running through the day, everything looked just absolutely sublime!

After the speeches guests piled onto an old London bus, which ferried us over to the St Mary Axe at the top of the Gherkin. Despite the darkness and the fog, the views from up there very pretty spectacular. What a place to dance the night away! Oh and a special shout out goes to the boys from Wedding Smashers who did a seriously good job on the decks. If you’re in search of the coolest wedding DJ’s in town, look no further.

Thank you so much Dan and (princess) Simona! I loved every minute of your beautiful wedding and I hope you will always be as happy together as you were on the day. <3

Trinh & Alastair | Wedding

October 3, 2009 · 11 Comments

Trinh and Alastair got married at The London Oratory, a beautiful Roman Catholic church, which is actually the second largest Catholic church in London. It was important for Trinh to get some beautiful portraits of herself and Alastair, so after the ceremony we got in their Rolls-Royce (seemingly driven by a moonlighting Tommy Lee Jones!) and drove to a few locations which were meaningful to Trinh and Alastair. I love it when there’s some proper time in the wedding day schedule for portraits – it always shows in the resulting pictures. After our shoot we headed to the reception at the Hotel Russell, where Susanna had already started capturing guests mingling. The rest of the day seemed to whiz by in a whirlwind of dining, speeches, a gloriously handsome cake and dancing. I should also give a shout out to Roger from Diamond Films, who was the videographer on the day, it really was a pleasure working with you!

Thank you so much Trinh and Alastair for letting us capture the beauty of your wedding day. I hope you’ll have a happy and long life together!

Magali & Jeff | Wedding

September 15, 2009 · 5 Comments

I’d been looking forward to Magali & Jeff’s wedding for what seems like forever! It feels like ages ago when we did their engagement session on Hampstead Heath. Well the big day finally came at the start of September, and it certainly was worth waiting for! Magali & Jeff got married at St Marks Church, Hamilton Terrace and the reception was held at Burgh House in Hampstead (which by the way has a lovely cafe if you ever want to stop for a cuppa). There was, once again, a proper international vibe about this wedding, since Magali is Portuguese and her family came from pretty much all over the world to attend the wedding. Also, her Japanese heritage, and graphic designer background, definitely had an influence on the beautiful and quirky details of this wedding as well.

This is my first attempt at trying to make my blog entries a little bit shorter, as I think they can be a bit overwhelming. I must say it is absolutely killing me though! :D I find it quite hard showing pictures out of context and I think my work is at its strongest when the whole story is there. Alas, for various reasons I have decided to try a bit more restrained approach for now.

Carolyn & Marc – Reception | Wedding

August 27, 2009 · 6 Comments

The reception of Carolyn & Marc’s wedding took place at the Lamb Tavern in Leadenhall Market in the City of London. The Market itself is absolutely beautiful, and I completely fell in love with the lovely pub with all its gorgeous details and wonderful atmosphere (not to mention the amazing food!). I will definitely be going back – hopefully to shoot lots more weddings. :D

I don’t usually plan the pictures I want to take at a wedding in advance, since I want to let my mind, and eyes, to be free to react to what ever is happening around me. But prior to this wedding, knowing where the reception would be taking place, the one picture I knew I really wanted to get was the bride and groom with the beautiful market as their backdrop. I managed to drag Carolyn & Marc away from the festivities just before our time came to an end, and finished the day with the picture I’d had in my head, the last one in this entry. It literally was the last frame I shot and I couldn’t be more pleased with it.

I had so much fun at this wedding and I want to thank Marc and Carolyn for putting their faith in me and trusting me to ‘do my thing’ on the day. I’m still gutted I couldn’t stay for the whole night and thus missed Marc performing with his band – until 4am I hear! What a great party, you guys, quite literally, rock.

Carolyn & Marc – Portraits | Wedding

August 26, 2009 · 1 Comment

The best thing about having a photographer as a client, was the amount of time that was scheduled into the wedding day for photography with just the bride and groom. It was such a luxury to be able to spend some time alone with Carolyn and Marc, trying out a few different locations for some cool portraits. At most weddings I’m lucky if I get the bride and groom alone for 15 minutes! I do think the shots we did get prove what a difference it does make to add in some extra time for portraits into your schedule on the day.

Leaving the Townhall, our first stop was Carolyn & Marc’s hotel, The Rookery, tucked away in an alley behind Smithfields Market, which really was a real gem. If you are looking for a sumptuous weekend break in London, or indeed an atmospheric place to spend your wedding night, be sure to check this beautiful little hotel out! We found lots of interesting places within the hotel and it’s patio area to shoot in. On our way to the reception at Leadenhall Market, we stopped for some more shots with the City as a backdrop – I really love the way these turned out. Oh yes, and the shoes. While I’m usually all about the bride’s shoes, on this occasion I couldn’t very well ignore Marc’s cool footwear! :D