City Weddings, London Wedding Photography, Wedding
Clare and Gareth’s was one of those weddings that has been a while in the making – it was one of my first bookings just after I started out and also one that I was most looking forward to. I’d met Clare and Gareth for a quick drink to discuss the day and they told me of the details that makes them and their wedding so beautiful.
One of my favourite of these details is the Beetle in the photos, which is a very personal project Gareth has been working on for quite a while. It originally belonged to his family but was sold. Years later Gareth tracked it down, bought it back and started work on the renovation, with the promise to Clare that this would be the car they would use on their wedding day.
The day finally came to life in all its retro, East End glory a few weeks back and I loved every second of it. The venue was the amazing Stour Space, (which Clare tells me does the best breakfast in London!) a mix of café and modern exhibition space that’s a stone’s throw from the Olympic Park. As promised Clare and Gareth arrived in the newly renovated beetle, drove straight in the double doors and parked up in the middle of the room, where their champagne was waiting. What an entrance!
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City Weddings, London Wedding Photography, Wedding
After shooting their engagement shoot, it was a understatement to say I was looking forward to Lydia and Andrew’s wedding… and they didn’t disappoint! The day was a vintage inspired trip back in time. The attention to detail was exhausting: from Lydia’s vintage styled dress bought from eBay, the 1960s red Cadillac taking her to the town hall, all the way through to the gramophone, old typewriter, the amazing 50’s classics sung by The Nightingales and finally the first dance which was a medley of swinging old school moves. On top of that, you’ve never met a happier (see the speeches pics for the evidence!) and more welcoming bunch of people – what a fantastic day!
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Wedding dress | Ebay
Wedding shoes | Jimmy Choo Bicester Village Outlet
Rose shoe clip | Freya Rose
Groom’s suit | River Island
Tie | Thomas Pink Bicester Village Outlet
Groom’s shoes | Office
Hair accessory | Angelica Bridal
Cake| Sugared Saffron
Bridesmaid dresses | Primark
Wedding car | Cool Classic Cars
Singers | The Nightingales
Makeup & hair |Stephie Hoyle
Wedding bouquet & buttonholes | Pumpkin and Pye
LOVE sign | Argent and Sable Signs
Wedding wholesale whop |Lavenders of London
Countryside Weddings, Hertfordshire Wedding Photography, Wedding
I’d been looking forward to this wedding since I shot Russell and Golnaz’s engagement shoot at The Grove Hotel a few months back. Firstly, The Grove Hotel is just amazing, the grounds are stunning and it’s the prefect venue for a wedding. Secondly, Russell and Golnaz are such a lovely couple and were so easy to work with, so to shoot not only their civil service but also a second Persian ceremony was really exciting. The whole day was a huge celebration of family and friends and I loved being a part of it.
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Wedding
A couple of years ago Jamie and I met when she left her job to start her own wedding dress label, Margaret Wray. Jamie creates beautiful vintage inspired gowns and one off pieces with a contemporary finish – she hunts for vintage lace, detailing and jewellery to make each piece truly unique, and works from her studio in the heart of Kings Cross.
We created her branding, stationery and this week saw the launch of the eagerly awaited website! Over the next few months we’ll be photographing the dresses and she’ll be updating samples from her collection. Margaret Wray is the perfect option for brides want to go on a personal journey to prepare for their big day; Jamie invests enormous time and energy to ensure the experience is collaborative, inspiring and above all fun! If you’re looking for something personal and unique, get in touch.
Laura x
Engagement Shoots
As a photographer you really are spoilt for choice when you’re shooting down on the London’s Southbank, you could spin around blindfolded and still get an interesting photo.
The only thing that would make it better is a couple like Julie and Patrick, so in love and also great company! It was a pleasure shooting them on the beautiful bank of the Thames and I look forward to their wedding a little further down the river in Richmond next month.
Engagement Shoots
Courtenay and Rob are soon to be moving abroad so wanted their engagement shoot to be something they could look back on to remind them of their time in London. Thankfully, due to this amazing weather we’re having, their memories will be of a glorious evening along the the river in Richmond, a beautiful sunset and a pint at the top of Richmond Hill. Perfect.
Engagement Shoots
Hayling Island has all the hallmarks of an old English beach town, miles of sand, rustic little beach huts, an ice cream parlour and well… the sea! So when Emma and Tom suggested it for their engagement shoot I immediately rushed home and booked my train ticket, there’s no way I’m saying no to a day at the seaside!
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City Weddings, London Wedding Photography, Wedding
I do love a London wedding (apart from it meaning I have a short journey to work!), I also get to see the places I’ve lived and worked all my life from a completely different perspective, and getting to experience this with people like Jessica and Tom make it even better.
This was a beautiful low key Camden wedding starting in brick lane and then moving on to islington town hall, finished with a London bus ride to Jessica and Tom’s local pub, to dance and drink the night away. Where better to celebrate with your friends?
Engagement Shoots
Golnaz and Russell are getting married at the stunning Grove hotel in outer North London, so what better place to have the engagement shoot than… the Grove Hotel! Apart from the lush surrounding landscapes, it also has a beautiful walled garden, a volleyball court and it’s own beach, it’s one of those places you never want to leave!
Countryside Weddings, Wedding
We’ve known Rachel and Chris for a quite a few years now and it was pleasure to be asked to shoot their intimate Horsham wedding. I am of course a professional and acted accordingly but I was also under strict instructions to enjoy myself and make sure I had at least a few glasses of wine at dinner… these really are the best kind of weddings!
It’s a great thing to see and experience true emotions from your friends and family, it doesn’t happen often enough and that’s why weddings are so great – people talk, they laugh, they cry…. and this day had it all.
Engagement Shoots
I knew after meeting Lydia and Andrew that their engagement shoot would be something special. It was decided that we would visit Alexandra Palace (which I’ve never been to before but can now highly recommend for a relaxing day out), where they would go for a swan ride on the lake, ride the merry go round at the fun fair, get some skate park shots and finish off the day with a picnic! They were so creative and put so much effort into bringing their ideas to life and it really was a pleasure to work with them! We laughed the whole time and I think we captured some beautiful shots. Can’t wait to shoot their wedding in August.
Engagement Shoots
So last Saturday was beautifully sunny… and also incredibly wet – typical English weather! But I like to see it more as a challenge than a problem and walking along London’s Southbank there’s never a shortage of places to take shelter: trees, bridges, even the Tate Modern. It also gave us an excuse to get out the red umbrellas!
Engagement Shoots
Camden is home to some of the best urban backdrops in London, which was perfect for my shoot with Laura and Chris. We wandered over the canal, through the market and up into the famous Hawley Arms pub (once frequented by the late Amy Winehouse) for a halftime rest. Having turned heads pretty much as soon as we started we were soon stopped by two or three tourists asking for a photo, even in Camden this was bound to happen at some point! Walking back through the stables I couldn’t move five paces without spotting another cool backdrop but unfortunately the sun had gone down and another day of shooting was done.
Engagement Shoots
Brighton is one of those beautiful places that was made to be captured on film… or in this case, pixels. It has that nostalgic, English seaside vibe about it, that retro style that just works in a photo. I’m sitting in the Coho Cafe preparing for the shoot and outside it’s just started pouring with rain, which gets me wondering if Katie and Chi are still going to be up for doing the shoot? They arrive and excitedly walk in, oblivious to the rain and excited to crack on. Having met at a college in Brighton seven years ago, Katie and Chi thought Brighton an ideal place for their engagement shoot and I totally agree.
The intermittent rain and drizzle did mean that the pier and the beach were both quite deserted which was great, Brighton on a sunny day would have been near impossible to shoot without getting photo bombed by about 12 different people! So whilst the weather wasn’t ideal it did help in other ways, not to mention those stormy clouds in the distance, what a backdrop!
Katie and Chi were great sports, and I wish them all the best for their wedding in Vietnam in December… far, far away from this English seaside weather.
City Weddings, Londesborough, London Wedding Photography, Wedding
Back in Summer last year I shot Chloe and Matt’s urban engagement shoot in Shoreditch, we had such a great day and I really loved working with them, so I obviously couldn’t wait for their wedding in early 2014!
I had the opportunity to shoot with both Matt and Chloe in the morning before the ceremony, they were married in Stoke Newington town hall and partied into the evening at The Londesborough Pub.
At Chloe and Matt’s request I’m not sharing the full story of their intimate wedding but here are a few shots of the day.
City Weddings, London Wedding Photography, Wedding
It’s the 31st December 2013, New Year’s Eve, a night of drinking, dancing and new beginnings and what better way to celebrate than to marry your best friend… and that’s just what Jessie and Huw are doing.
The whole wedding, from ceremony to reception was set at The Amadeus in Maida Vale, London. From the pictures you might have guessed that they’re a fan of the fairy light, which is no bad thing, and for me makes any wedding better.
The night ended with dancing, and lots of it. An impressive, well rehearsed first dance performance was shortly followed by everyone taking part in Céilidh dancing, after which the crowds counted down to the new year… although I would imagine this new year’s eve, unlike others, was no anti-climax for Jessie and Huw.
Congratulations Guys!
Engagement Shoots
Chloe and Matt chose Shoreditch for their engagement shoot, which posed a bit of problem for me… which locations to use? There’s just too many! We met in the Albion cafe (which has the biggest croissants I’ve ever seen!), where Chloe and Matt explained that they’re not the most confident people in front of the camera, who would have guessed that looking through the pictures, but anyway that’s what engagement shoots are all about, feeling insecure and a little nervous but doing it all with the person you love!
We wandered through Curtain road to the Adore and Endure mural (a must have shot for Chloe and Matt), past the Tea Building and on down to Spitalfields, ending at Brick Lane Coffee (I highly recommend the flat white). A good day with some great photos… can’t wait for the wedding in January.
Barn Weddings, Countryside Weddings, Wedding
I shot Ben and Amy’s engagement shoot earlier this year in Columbia Road Market in London which was great fun, so had been looking forward to the wedding with much anticipation. What I love about these two is how completely natural they are in front of the camera, they’re a photographer’s dream, just looking at them makes me smile. The whole day took place at Upwaltham Barn near Chichester which was a beautiful setting for their pretty, stylish wedding. My highlight of the day was the Israeli dancing, which I’d never seen before first hand but I can now say that I would highly recommend it for anyone planning their day… or at least something similar!
City Weddings, Gay Weddings, London Wedding Photography, Wedding
Here’s where we prove you can still have a beautiful, meaningful day celebrating love and friendship, while blowing tradition out of the water. Michael and Andrew decided to opt out of some of the conventional elements you might come across at a wedding, and the result was a relaxed, fun day, full of warmth and happiness at the Bingham Hotel in Richmond. Congratulations guys, it was a pleasure capturing the day!
Family Photoshoots
Ellie approached us with the idea of a family photoshoot to celebrate her dad’s 60th birthday, at his urban allotment in Caledonian Road, London. Urban vs nature is one of our favourite photographic subjects, stemming from many student projects rooting around forgotten, overgrown car dumping grounds and delapidated power stations. So off Dan went!
Warning: contains seasonal veg, oodles of sister love and a ridiculously cute baby…
Destination weddings
I love digital. Amazing quality, accessing your photos straight away, not holding back on quantity of shots, being able to share across the globe moments after the shot has been taken. All wonderful, and very necessary in today’s world, especially if you do a job like Dan does!
I love analogue. The level of control is removed, you have no idea if it’s going to come out right – or at all – you have to wait a week to get the rolls of film back to find out. But, it’s so exciting.
Luckily, today we can find a happy medium and have the best of both worlds. I just got the below shots back from the shop – they were taken on a road trip in America with our friends back in May this year. My favourites are the double exposures where I mixed together two subjects with opposing textures. Now I’m wondering how this kind of thing might work at a wedding… Enjoy 🙂
Countryside Weddings, Wedding
There are few better ways to spend your weekend than witnessing friends getting married. When one of them is someone you’ve known since childhood it’s even better – it’s a great milestone to add to years and years of happy memories. When they have their wedding in Devon and you have a long weekend away with all your closest friends, it’s off the chart.
There are no two people better suited than Matt and Alice – they have the same sense of humour, appetite for the great outdoors and they met while both studying medicine. We certainly had a day of sophistication and elegance – the venue (Shilstone House), the food, the beautiful bride in her beautiful dress – but we think those in attendance will have come away with memories of uncontrollable giggling, a few rude jokes and Alice’s fantastically dry, tongue-in-cheek speech about what it is to become a wife. Top that off with a dance floor that buzzed all night, more bunting than we thought was humanly possible for one person to make (Alice’s mum should set up shop!) and a tower of delicious, locally-sourced cheese, and it certainly was one of the most enjoyable weddings yet.
Congratulations guys, we think the world of you both, and thank you – we’ve had the best time reliving the day through these pictures and hope you have too.
Laura and Dan xx
Engagement Shoots
Ben and Amy are unbelievably sweet and completely in love – two things that make my job easier! We headed down to a bustling Columbia Road flower market one sunny (and momentarily rainy – it is England after all) Sunday afternoon to take some snaps of this gorgeous pair. It is such a pleasure to know and work with them, and after this engagement shoot I can’t wait to photograph their wedding in Chichester this September.
Family Photoshoots
Leo and Jemima are two of the coolest people we know. Their giggles and playfulness is infectious – being around them is super fun, and super exhausting! Capturing these guys on camera is something that happens regularly, being our niece and nephew and all… but when we were asked to do a proper family shoot on a boiling hot summer’s day we jumped at the chance. Here’s some of our favourites from the day.
