Richmond Surrey Archives - Marianne Taylor Photography | Portrait & Family Photographer in Cornwall

India & Martyn | Wedding

June 7, 2012 · 13 Comments

It had been raining for what seemed like forever, but on India & Martyn’s wedding day the sun made a spectacular comeback, taking us all by surprise. The glorious weather added to the giddy atmosphere of the wedding day, making everyone even happier than normal. The Bingham in Richmond was the epicentre of activities on the day, from getting ready to the reception, with a beautiful ceremony a skip and a hop away at the Petersham Parish Church in between.

I just love love loved India’s amazing vintage wedding gown from Fur Coat No Knickers, sooo stylish! And her Freya Rose shoes and self-designed veil completed the nostalgic look perfectly. It was also so very cool to watch (the legendary) Elbie van Eeden to work her magic on India’s make-up.

After soaking up the sun in the garden with some canapés, the party moved inside for the speeches and the wedding breakfast. There was a French theme (with a hint of Welsh!) to the reception, with bottles of bubbly, an incredible cake from Ladurée, stationery by Cutture and a delicious combination of lavender and other flowers arranged by Zita Elze. On our way out we once again passed the baton on to the Wedding Smashers who took over the responsibility of getting people in various masks and sparkly gloves onto the dance floor.

What a lovely, lovely day! In a lot of ways it truly felt like the first day of summer, and what would be a more fitting feeling for India & Martyn to start the next chapter of their lives with. Thank you so much for having us guys, we loved every minute! x

creative fine art wedding photography

creative fine art wedding photography

Corrine & Tony | Wedding

October 10, 2011 · 21 Comments

Corrine & Tony’s wedding day started in a pretty usual way when we joined Corrine at Richmond Gate Hotel where she got dressed into her amazing (as in properly oh-my-god sparkly gorgeousness) Jenny Packham gown, complimented by the most beautiful bouquet by Veevers Carter. But from there on, the first half of the day was very painful for me indeed. The reason for that was the fact that I was one of only four people who knew what the wedding day would actually entail, and I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone! All that the guests knew was that the ceremony was to take place at the beautiful Octagon Room at Orleans House Gallery in Twickenham, and once there the programmes (designed by Bijou Woo) revealed that afterwards everyone would walk ‘around the corner’ for the reception, but the rest was a mystery…

Well, after the laughter-filled joyous ceremony, all the guests did indeed take a stroll following Corrine & Tony. We ended up at the riverfront where Queen Elizabeth, a boat hired through Colliers Launches awaited. Lots of excitement ensued when people got on board the boat and into what they thought was to be the wedding reception on the river. The cruise along the Thames was very lovely indeed, but I was still having to bite my lip as I knew that we weren’t yet at the final destination…

When we got up to Hampton Court Palace, people were taking pictures and excitedly pointing out the impressive buildings, while speculating that this was probably where we would turn around for a cruise back down the river. I of course knew better and was literally about to burst at this point! When we finally slowly docked, and it started to dawn on everyone that we might be getting off the boat, the atmosphere got beyond giddy. And when Corrine and Tony finally led everyone to The Little Banqueting House at Hampton Court Palace, where Urban Soul Orchestra greeted people with their beautiful renditions of the best songs ever, the mood was pretty much the same as if you’d actually caught Santa red-handed leaving presents under the tree!

What an amazing venue, what an amazing day and what an amazing couple. I have to say that this must have been the most nerve-wracking, exciting, amazing roller-coaster of a wedding day I’ve ever been a part of. Corrine and Tony really and truly managed to create a day that no-one present will ever forget. Thank you so so much letting us be a part of your extraordinary day, and thank you for being the absolute loveliest couple ever! x

creative fine art wedding photography

creative fine art wedding photography

Rachel & Andy | Engagement

April 7, 2011 · 35 Comments

Rachel & Andy got in touch with me as their wedding photographer (the amazing Nikole Ramsay) relocated to Australia before they had a chance to do an engagement sessions with her. Luckily Nikole is coming back to the UK to cover the wedding, but I had the pleasure of stepping in and doing an engagement session with Rachel and Andy, which was an honour and a pleasure.

We did the session in one of my favourite places, Richmond, diving our time between the area around Richmond green and Richmond Park. By the time we got up to the park the weather suddenly turned super chilly, but luckily that didn’t have any effect on the warmth Rachel & Andy were giving out. It was so lovely getting to know this sweet couple, I really truly treasure all these moments where I get a glimpse into what people are truly about. Thank you Rachel & Andy, I hope your wedding day will be absolutely beautiful! x

creative London engagement photography

Rachel & Andy | Sneak Peek

March 28, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Why yes, yes indeed it is another sneak peek. I’m trying desperately to get caught up with everything, but I just had to share this one little glimpse from Rachel & Andy’s engagement session in Richmond last week. I promise (cross my heart) that later this week you will see much more stuff, starting with a beautiful wedding at Union Chapel in London. Stay tuned!

creative London engagement photography

Kat & Gareth | Beloved

March 16, 2011 · 39 Comments

We’ve been planning on doing this Beloved session with Kat and Gareth ever since I attended Life {as an artform} in Manchester last year, and I asked Kat to be my guinea pig while still on the train back home. It took us a while to synchronise our busy calendars, but finally, nearly a year later, we made it happen!

Since Kat & Gareth have been together for nine years, of which they’ve been married for 3, they were the perfect couple to explore the Beloved experience with. Beloved sessions consist of different exercises, called invites, which have a way of bringing the couple into the present moment and into a state where they are not afraid to show their true selves and explore the connection they have. I’ve used some of the more physical invites in my engagement sessions to break the ice, but this was the first session where it was 99% Beloved techniques as opposed to traditional posing, so it definitely felt like a big step.

The weather was grey and a bit damp when we headed out to Richmond Park, but that didn’t bother us much, the energy between Kat & Gareth would be enough to keep a small village warm! I had such an amazing time, and it was so nice to see how even the more serious invites work beautifully. I’ve always been most interested in capturing the genuine emotion and the authentic dynamics between a couple, and I love the way I can really explore those with these techniques.

Do watch the slideshow of this Beloved session if you have a minute. Be sure to have your speakers on if you do. :)

P.S. If you are a photographer reading this, and interested in the concept of Beloved and in encouraging genuine emotions and interactions in both your work and in your life, do join me and others at this year’s Life {as an artform} in London.

London Beloved photography

Katie & Ramy | Engagement

October 3, 2010 · 18 Comments

The weather gods were not agreeable on the morning of Katie & Ramy’s engagement session. We started off in Richmond Park, which was supposed to be our main location for the whole session. However, instead of the skies clearing up like we hoped, the rain got heavier and heavier, and in the end we had to admit defeat. We then headed to St Margaret’s Pub, where the manager kindly let us in and allowed us to take some photos, even though the pub wasn’t officially open yet.

Despite the miserable conditions, I think we managed to capture some beautiful pictures. Katie and Ramy are such a sweet couple, and their energy really shone through even in the damp conditions. Their wedding on the first weekend of December will be my last wedding this year, I can’t wait to see the year out with them!

London engagement photography

Johanna & Sven | Engagement

September 9, 2010 · 29 Comments

I’m currently in bed with a nasty cold and high fever, but I did sneak my laptop in with me (it keeps me warm after all!) so I can at least pretend to stay on top of some things… To cheer myself up, I decided to finally blog Johanna & Sven’s engagement session. There were times when it looked like this session would never happen, there seemed to be an endless amount of obstacles that forced us to reschedule more times than I can count. But a week ago the planets finally lined up in the right way and we spent a thoroughly lovely afternoon in Richmond Park.

From when we first started planning this session, Johanna was quite decided that she wanted to have a picnic, a proper picnic at that, not just a picnic theme. And boy did she go all out! I’m still craving her mouthwatering rhubarb pie and will definitely have to ask for the recipe – I really hope it’s not a family secret. I even got to sample some Belgian (yes, not Dutch like I mistakenly tweeted in my excitement after the shoot :P) raspberry beer, which was really rather nice, even to me who never ever drinks beer.

I’m so happy we finally managed to pull this shoot off, and that we had such a lovely time during it. Johanna is Finnish, Sven is Belgian and while they currently live in London, I’ll be covering their wedding in Finland next year, can’t wait!

London engagement photography

Helen & Tom | Wedding

June 15, 2010 · 24 Comments

Funnily enough Helen & Tom’s wedding was the first ‘local’ wedding I’ve ever been a part of. I cover a lot of weddings in central London, and all over the UK, but for some reason I’ve never gotten a lot of enquiries for south west London where I’m based. So in that sense, this wedding holds a special place in my heart.

Helen and Tom got married at the Holy Trinity on Twickenham Green and the reception of their wedding was held at the beautiful Richmond Hill Hotel. The sun was beaming down with all it’s strength all day and the wedding had a real fun and warm atmosphere to it. Helen is one of those uber-organised brides, and I have to say that the schedule at this wedding ran like clockwork (which is a rare thing)! I also have to mention the photo booth, provided by Groovybooth, which was a real blast. I’m not normally a huge fan of photo booths, but this one definitely worked well and looked like a lot of fun – not to mention the resulting pictures were really cool.

I’d like to thank Helen and Tom for finding me so early on, and for being totally awesome, I really loved getting to know you and your families. I wish you all the best for your future together!

creative London wedding photography

Anna & Chris | Engagement

October 12, 2009 · 25 Comments

Last weekend we headed to Richmond Park with Anna and Chris (and the incredibly soft Murphy) for their engagement shoot. It was a super windy day, but at least we did miss all the rain that came down later on. These two are simply gorgeous and I could have spent all day photographing them! :D It was such a lovely and relaxing change to be shooting in a park instead of central London as well. We even ran into lots of deer (and baby bambis!). First we thought about trying to incorporate them into the pictures, but decided not to bother them too much after the stag got very agitated over someone else filming them.

I must say I thoroughly enjoyed myself on this shoot, and I think these are some of the nicest engagement pictures I’ve taken. Can’t wait for your wedding next year guys!

Anna & Chris | Sneak Peek

October 11, 2009 · 7 Comments

Just how ridiculously gorgeous are these two?? Alas, it’s 3am and I think I really ought to get some sleep now. More from Anna & Chris’s engagement session later…

Alice | Together

October 6, 2009 · 2 Comments

This, like the shoot with Jodie, wasn’t quite a ‘newborn’ shoot any more since Alice as well is already 10 weeks old. Usually I recommend newborn shoots to take place within the first 1-2 weeks purely because it’s easier for the lil’un. At only days old, rather than weeks, babies are not really that aware of what’s happening. Thus they don’t really mind that much playing the supermodel, unlike a bit older babies who are more aware that something is required of them but can’t understand what, which would make anyone a bit cranky (not to mention the stripping you nekkid and pointing a camera at you bit)! Louise and Matt certainly worked hard to get Alice to give me some absolutely adorable smiles, and boy was it well worth it. I don’t care what you say, you just can’t help but adore this little angel!

Jodie | Together

October 4, 2009 · 3 Comments

Penny and Rob contacted me as they wanted to get some family portraits of the three of them with their daughter Jodie, and to get a record of this special time in their lives in general. At 10 weeks old Jodie wasn’t quite sure about the whole photo shoot malarkey, but it was still pretty impossible to take non-cute photos of this cutie – just look at those eyes! Thanks Penny and Rob for letting me take a peek into your family life, hopefully Jodie wasn’t too traumatised by the demands of the model lifestyle!

Georgina & Mark | Engagement

September 4, 2009 · 3 Comments

Mark proposed to Georgina over a picnic in Marble Hill Park, and really liked the idea of going back there for their engagement shoot. The weather wasn’t exactly picnic-friendly, and we nearly rescheduled as the sky was looking so ominously dark. Fortunately we decided to try our luck with the weather anyways, and what do you know, the rain stayed well away for once. It was one of the first days where you could definitely feel the autumn being on its way. Something about the quality of light, and the way things smell, just shifts a little bit and suddenly you get that feeling that it’s not summer any more. Never the less, the strawberries were tasty, the grass was still green(ish), and we had a lot of fun!

Lucinda | Newborn

August 9, 2009 · 3 Comments

I’m very sorry if I’ve just killed you with cuteness. You can now sympathise with how I felt editing these pictures, it was pretty much impossible not to go awwwww every few seconds. :D You will probably remember how I took some maternity portraits of Sarah & Steve at the start of July. Well, Lucinda Rose Hooton arrived fashionably late on the evening of Wednesday 22nd of July, and she did her first professional photo shoot when just 8 days old. And I have to tell you that she was one of the most agreeable models I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with! She smiled her way through most of the shoot, and only peed on mum once. Her only complaint was that it got a bit chilly when she was modeling in the buff, but all in all she was a little angel. And will you just look at those perfect little feet! <3

Eleni & David – Reception | Wedding

August 8, 2009 · Leave a Comment

The reception of Eleni & David’s wedding was held at Tamesis Sailing Club in Teddington, which was the perfect location for a beautiful summer’s day, and Eleni & David’s grand arrival on a boat across the Thames really set the mood for the rest of the party. There was a great relaxed atmosphere to this wedding, and all I have to say is that if you have to spend your birthday working, you couldn’t choose a nicer event for it. Oh and I totally have to name check David’s aunt Toshi, who came over from New Jersey and hand made all the sushi and the flower arrangements! How cool is that.

Congratulations again Eleni & David, I wish you all the best for your future together!

Eleni & David – Ceremony | Wedding

August 7, 2009 · 3 Comments

Eleni & David chose pretty much the most awesome day ever to get married, what with their wedding day also being my birthday. In light of this I believe I can take full credit for the weather on the day being simply divine. :D The ceremony was held in St Mark’s Church in Teddington, and afterwards we popped into Eleni’s parents’ garden for some portraits. And what a garden it was! It really made for an absolutely magical backdrop for Eleni’s beautiful dress, which, by the way, was made by her sister!

P.S. check out how David has blue steel down to pat.

Eleni & David | First Kiss

August 2, 2009 · 2 Comments

I’m not very far into editing Eleni & David’s wedding from last weekend, but just had to share this image. Usually church layouts, and photography restrictions, make it hard to get into a good angle for the first kiss, but St Marks in Teddington was perfect for this! Love this picture. <3

Lucy Bridal | Wedding

April 28, 2009 · 2 Comments

I just realised that now that the groom has well and truly seen his bride and the dress, I can show you some more images from Lucy’s bridal session. This is when Lucy tried her finished dress on for the first time. I really do love it’s colour and the details, such as the detachable train. Wedding pictures will still have to wait for a while I’m afraid!

Bridie | Wedding

April 19, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Today I went to take some bridal portraits of Lucy while she tried her wedding gown on for the first time since it was finished. It really is a gorgeous and unique wedding dress, but I can’t show it on here yet as there is always the danger of the groom seeing it before the big day next week! So instead, here are a few shots of Bridie, who is also the bridesmaid. She took every opportunity to steal the spotlight away from the beautiful bride! :D

Calm before the storm | Personal

March 8, 2009 · 1 Comment

At the moment life feels a bit like the calm before the storm. I’m trying to recharge my batteries as much as I can and prepare for what’s to come. I’m shooting the first wedding of the season at the end of this month, and after that it’s pretty much go go go.