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London wedding couple under arch with flying birds photo

St George’s Cathedral & Gherkin wedding photographers

By London Wedding Photographer, Wedding VenuesNo Comments

It’s been a really multicultural and international year for us so far with our wedding photography. This particular big day was a very Swiss affair, with some of that Alpine magic coming into play from our lovely couple S and A.

Bride looks across London Gherkin wedding day

The day began with coverage of our bride in the couple’s apartment in Bermondsey, with mum and bridesmaids in attendance.

Bride gets ready on Gherkin wedding day

Bride and bridesmaids before St George's Cathedral wedding ceremony

When I  went on their balcony to take some shots I saw something that definitely made me smile, there it was in the distance, the main building in view – The Gherkin. Everyday these guys look upon that architectural marvel, no wonder they chose it for their wedding reception!

St George's Cathedral wedding in London wide shotWedding ceremony at St George's Cathedral London

First kiss St George's Cathedral London wedding ceremony

Wedding recessional at St George's Cathedral ceremony

While I documented the excitement of the morning, Joanna was at St George’s Cathedral to capture the groom’s preparations and his ‘meet and greet.’

Wedding kiss at the doors of St George's Cathedral in London

We’ve photographed at St George’s near the Imperial War museum a few times now, and it really is a grand structure.

Wedding party cross London road by St George's Cathedral

St George’s Cathedral itself was built in 1848, but was extensively damaged in the blitz of the second world war, and had to have a large amount of rebuilding.

Gherkin wedding collage and B Bakery tea bus

It looks truly striking and magnificent today, no wonder couples enjoy their wedding ceremonies there.

After the ceremony close family went to the park next to the war museum for some group photos, and then it was all aboard an old London Routemaster bus for a scenic tour before arriving at The Gherkin.

Wedding couple pose outside The National Gallery London

London wedding couple by Charing Cross Tube station entrance

Now this was no ordinary route master wedding bus. I would have to say it was our favourite one ever because it was run by Bridget’s Bakery, and it was fitted out with lovely tables and cake and sandwich displays for enjoying the best of the bakery, while taking in the best of London on the way. Brilliant!

Wedding couple hold hands by London phone boxes Charing Cross

Bride and groom kiss in front of London phone boxes after wedding

I got off at Trafalgar Square with S and A for some couple shots in and around the area, while Joanna travelled with the rest of the part to 30 St Mary Axe, also known popularly as The Gherkin building.

Bride and groom walking through London's Charing Cross area

Something to remember for any couple planning to travel around central London with your wedding photographer on a Saturday: it’s going to be very public and very busy. Actually that is one of the highlights that you really need to embrace to get the best out of the scenario.

London wedding couple in gardens before Gherkin reception

Bride and groom pose with Charing Cross architecture photo

If this is your plan you will find it’s pretty special to be applauded and congratulated as you walk the streets. Everybody loves a wedding couple, trust me I have seen it a great many times.

Wedding couple look across the Thames towards Waterloo bridge

The other things to bear in mind is that time and opportunity is limited. You have on average 20 to 30 seconds at most to get that shot because of opportunity and the general public. You may well be moved on by security too as many places actually require a pre paid license for professional photography.

Wedding party in front of the London Gherkin before reception

There are ways around this sometimes, and if there’s a way around it we know what it is!

London couple look out of Gherkin window at wedding reception

We had fun on The Strand, down to the embankment and finishing on Waterloo Bridge, before  hailing a cab back to The Gherkin.

Bride and groom by head table at Gherkin reception image

Searcy’s look after fine dining and entertainment spaces at the Gherkin so I knew the setup would be lovely.

We had a little time to take shots of S and A in the wedding breakfast room and a corridor near by before dinner was served.

First dance with umbrella and streamers collage Gherkin wedding

The thing about weddings at The Gherkin is that depending on the size of your wedding party and requirements, the space can be opened out or divided up. For these Swiss lovebirds, it was a more intimate affair so a room that we are used to seeing larger for ceremonies was divided into two.

After dinner it was time for speeches and cake cutting. We then witnessed a Swiss tradition we haven’t encountered before which was the couple dancing beneath an umbrella while streamers were continually thrown over them. It’s similar to Italian traditions except they don’t have the umbrella!

All in all a fantastic day from Bermondsey to St George’s Cathedral, around London in the tea bus to the Gherkin for the wedding reception.

By David Green

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Wedding couple laugh in gardens of Hanbury Manor

Another lovely ‘Thank you’ card through the post. Well, thank you!

By Barnet Wedding Photographers, Wedding VenuesNo Comments

It was great to receive this ‘thank you’ card through the post from Yui and Mark today. These guys were married at Hanbury Manor earlier in the year, and they also nominated us for The Wedding Industry Awards. It’s the first competition we have ever really entered, so fingers crossed and thank you to you two for putting us forward.

Thank you card for Big Day Weddings-Hanbury-ManorHere’s a link to their wedding day in April: Hanbury Manor Wedding Photographers

And their Google Review of us: Another Big Day Weddings 5 star review for David and Joanna, thank you!!!

Here’s what these guys had to say:

“Dear David and Joanna,

We Hope this finds you well! It’s hard to believe that six months have passed since our wedding at Hanbury Manor, and this card is long overdue! The past months have been busy, but we have had time to reflect on our wedding and truly appreciate just how beautiful everything was! Big Day Weddings really made a difference to our day…both of you are brilliant at what you do and you managed to capture the occasion beautifully from the “record” shots down to the details, the candid shots, groups, guests, US, and everything in between! You handled our guests so well and your people skills were out of this world! Thanks again for a fantastic job done and for being part of our day! You have our highest recommendation!!

Mark and Yui Redford”

 

 

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Tanner warehouse wedding at the Shard photo

Tanner Warehouse Wedding Photography, with a ceremony at Stoke Newington Town Hall

By Barnet Wedding Photographers, London Wedding Photographer, Wedding Venues3 Comments

We knew from day one that Kristine and Oliver’s wedding day would be fabulous from beginning to end. Why? Because they are Norwegian, and Norwegian people know how to enjoy themselves big time!

London wedding couple choose love at Southbank

Actually in repeated survey’s of the happiest nationalities in the world, Norway is always close to the top. First hand, we understand why.

Groom in Ronnie Krays cell at Courthouse Hotel London wedding

Truth be told though these guys were open minded to trying different things photography wise, and they also had plenty of their own ideas too.

Bridal preparation at Courthouse Hotel London

London groomsmen at Courthouse Hotel Ronnie Kray cell image

Naturally we are going to document the day with quality reportage, but we relish to the chance to “make” photos as well as “take” photos. That’s a little bit simplistic to say “take” photos because there is so much to consider: light, angle, technical settings, emotion, action etc but we hope you get the essence of what we mean.

Bridal entrance at Stoke Newington Town Hall weddingStoke Newington town hall wedding ceremony kiss

Ha ha, you are probably just looking at the pictures and not reading this, and who could blame you!

Confetti throw at Stoke Newington Hall wedding

This was a day of many locations and it started in the morning at the London Courthouse Hotel. This place is a brilliant conversion of Old Street Magistrates Court and police station. Both K and O stayed here separately the night before, so morning time we were able to juggle between the two.

Wedding couple on Clissold Park Bridge after Stoke Newington Town Hall

Wedidng couple in Clissold Park London

I loved photographing the boys on some of the original police cells they have retained in the bar area, including Ronnie Krays where he has held for “demanding money with menace.”

Wedidng couple hold hamds in front of St pauls Cathedral London

Central London wedding couple hold hands by St Pauls wooden gate

Wedding couple hold hands in Paternoster Square by St Pauls

Oliver used to a professional footballer, so it was fitting that we ran into West Ham’s coaching staff and current manager Manuel Pellegrini on the main staircase. I swear every time they lose he gains another wrinkle…

London wedding couple head towards the Millennium bridge

London wedding couple kiss in rain by St Pauls Cathedral

Next if was time to take a cab ride to our wedding ceremony venue the lovely Stoke Newington Town Hall. I particularly enjoyed this ride, not just chit chatting with the boys but boring everyone by pointing out where we used to live in Islington and my first studio business on Essex Road.

London wedding couple on Millennium Bridge image

Anyway, what a great wedding ceremony venue at Stoke Newington Town Hall. One of the groomsman performed mid way through a live rendition of  Elvis Presley’s iconic song ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love.’  Always loved this song, and I actually had to fight back the tears myself. As your one of the photographers at a wedding it’s never a great idea to cry into your viewfinder as it makes everything blurry afterwards!

London wedding couple hug by Thames at Southbank photo

London wedding couple by boat art in Southbank

After confetti throwing round the front of the town hall we went for a wander with the newly weds around Clissold Park. Boy oh boy I remember pushing our kids prams around there a few times!

London wedding couple near Oxo Tower laughing

London wedding couple by old shops Bermondsey Tanner Warehouse

Now I’m not being stereotypical when I say that Norwegian people enjoy a drink, and why not? That meant before everyone got on to a specially commissioned London Routemaster bus we had an hour or so’s pit stop at the Irish pub across the road from the ceremony venue.

London wedding couple kiss in cobbled alley with sun flare

Tanner warehouse wedding couple pose in street

All refreshed, the bus toured around central London just in time for the heavens to open and it torrentially rained for a while. It didn’t last long though, and later I (David) left the bus near St Pauls Cathedral and took a walk with the couple to shoot some portraits around there and the Southbank.

First dance at Tanner Warehouse for London wedding couple

Thanks to Uber we got back in time for the wedding reception at Tanner Warehouse in Bermondsey, or to be more precise 50 Bermondsey Street. This is a great wedding venue with fantastic staff. I love the fact that it started life as a chocolate factory too, as my first ever job was working in a handmade chocolate shop and then as a student I did part-time shifts making Rolo’s at Rowntrees chocolate factory. Mmmmm…..

Guitarist at Tanner House wedding London

At Tanner Warehouse its was food, drinks, socialising and of course partying. We enjoyed the speeches, even the ones we didn’t understand in Norwegian. After cake cutting and first dance our talented groomsman from the Stoke Newington Town Hall ceremony took to the microphone and guitar again to get the wedding party boogeying.

Tanner warehouse wedding collage 1

Tanner warehouse wedding collage 2

We thank Kristine and Oliver for their open mindedness with their wedding photography and their fantastic hospitality to us as well.

Stoke Newington Town Hall

I’ve looked online at Bergen in Norway where they live and I’ve put it on my bucket list to visit soon. Kristine and Oliver, you have been warned…

By David Green.

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September google review for Big Day Weddings photographers

Another Big Day Weddings 5 star review for David and Joanna – thank you!!!

By Barnet Wedding Photographers, Wedding VenuesOne Comment

We have just received another wonderful 5 star review on Google from Mark and Yui. These guys were married at the fabulous Hanbury Manor in Hertfordshire and it was a day that will live long in the memory. Thank you so much, it’s really appreciated.

Wedding couple in big deckchair at Hanbury Manor

Here’s the actual text:

“Big Day Weddings was hands down one of the best choices we made when it came to suppliers for our wedding. We’d done a lot of research and searched high and low – both online and offline – for photographers whose work we liked and that we knew we would feel comfortable working with. It was quite by accident that we discovered David and Joanna, and oh boy did they fit the bill! We actually came across them via a highly complimentary online review from a couple whose wedding they’d shot, and who had also used the videographers that we ended up using. We decided to contact Big Day Weddings as we thought it would be a nice idea to have a team of photographers and videographers who’d worked together before. They’d also gotten great feedback from previous clients, their prices were reasonable and they offered a range of affordable packages that fit what we were looking for. Our decision was cemented the moment we got on the phone and spoke to David. He’s genuinely friendly and approachable and put us at ease immediately. He listened to our preferences, offered suggestions, and, as the big day approached, was happy to run through the programme to make sure everything would go smoothly. On our wedding day, both David and Joanna were absolutely wonderful, dealing with our guests, the venue staff, bridal party nerves, and everything in between, like complete pros. As for the wedding photos, they turned out BRILLIANTLY, and turnaround time was pretty quick. We were so impressed with the many beautiful images of us, our families, the guests, the venue, and all the key moments. In addition, David and Joanna had managed to capture many other little things that made up the day such as decor features, wedding memorabilia, and other details that so many people miss. As photographers, they are are highly skilled, talented, and experienced, but what sets them apart has to be their personalities and people skills….they are so amiable, funny, and fantastic to work with! Nervous in front of the camera, or not sure what to do? Have a difficult guest or two who hates having their picture taken? Then you NEED someone like David to shoot your wedding! He really knows what to say and do at the right moment, and how to bring out the best in people so that you will get the best shots possible. The shots they captured will serve as wonderful reminders of one of the best days of our lives. Big Day Weddings is the BEST: David and Joanna are absolute gems….a fab team, and truly one of a kind. Really chuffed to have worked with them….they have our highest recommendation!”

Check out Yui and Mark’s wedding here: Hanbury Manor Wedding Photographers

And their engagement shoot on London’s Southbank here: London Engagement shoot at Southbank and Tower Bridge…again

By David Green

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Islington wedding couple pose at Hoxley & Porter Upper Street

Islington Town Hall Wedding Photographers, reception at Dead Dolls House

By London Wedding Photographer, Wedding VenuesOne Comment

There’s no denying that we are frequent Islington Town Hall wedding photographers, but there’s also happily no denying that every wedding, even if it is in the same venue, is equally as exhilarating and totally different too! That’s one of the lovely bonuses we get to experience as full time photographers.

Wedding dress hanging before Islington wedding day

Islington bride getting ready shot through circle image

Islington wedding bridesmaids laughing on stairs

I knew from our first meeting with Emily and Dave that it was a good fit, they were both fun loving open minded and relaxed. Not that you need to be to work with us, as we are well know for our ability to put people at ease on their big day. But it’s a nice bonus for us if you are.

Bridal makeup in Islington London

Islington wedding bride poses on metal stairs

David started the day in Holloway with Emily and her bridesmaids, putting the finishing touches on their prep and getting busy with the Prosecco.

Groom and bestman laugh before Islington Town Hall wedding

Joanna headed to Upper Street and across the road from Islington Town Hall to the Vineyard pub, a popular watering hole for many a groom and his entourage!

Bride arrives at Dead Dolls House for Islington Town Hall Wedding

First look at Islington Town Hall wedding ceremony

Islington Town Hall wedding ceremony

Though their are many spaces for a ceremony at Islington Town Hall this particular day it was the splendid main Council Chamber that would see Emily and Dave tie the knot.

Bride and groom laugh at the top of Islington Town Hall stairs

Emily arrived first at The Dead Dolls House across the road from the town hall which would later become their reception venue.

Wedding couple inside corridor Islington Town Hall

Having lived in Islington for many years I’ve seen different makeovers for this place, but I have to say hand on heart this is by far the best version yet. Staff are great and there’s certainly nothing “dead” about this place!

Wedding couple laugh on stairs at Islington Town Hall

One of our favourite parts of working at Islington’s famous town hall is the registrar’s there. They are always upbeat and enthusiastic and absolutely no wedding day hitch ruffles their feathers.

Confetti throw at Islington Town Hall wedding

As we expected, a fun and laughter filled wedding ceremony for E and D was followed by a little time around the marble interiors of the town hall and then a good old confetti throw in brilliant bright sunshine outside.

Islington wedding couple kiss by The Dead Dolls House venue

Islington wedding couple laugh in Dead Dolls House London

For ten years we have been photographing at Islington Town Hall, and some of those days of course it has rained, but so far wonderfully it has NEVER rained when the confetti was being thrown. Yes before, and yes just after, but never during. Long may that continue.

Islington wedding couple crossing Upper Street London

Islington wedding couple pose on Upper Street

Anyway we had one of those very warm summer days of 2018 so the wedding party crossed the road to quench the thirst at the Dead Doll’s House and nibble on some delicious canapés.

Islington wedding couple sit and laugh on London steps image

Bride and groom by blue door Islington wedding

After a while myself (David) took the stars of the show around Upper Street and the surrounding area for some couple shots. I know every inch of this neighbourhood, but it’s forever fresh and changing and we had a really fun time. It took about twenty-five minutes which I think is about right to keep the energy level up and not eat in to the bride and groom’s socialising during the day.

Islington wedding couple by sunlit wall north London

Islington Town Hall wedding couple outside a shop image

Although our Galleries are full of these type of images, a great deal of day is spent doing documentary coverage of people and moments as they unfold in a naturalistic way.

Islington wedding couple hold hands near Upper Street Islington

So if you would like to see a full days photography which is on average about 1000 images just ask and we will be very happy to send a download link.

Islington wedding brides pose in front of blue wall London

Hard working staff at the Dead Doll’s House served up a great wedding breakfast followed by speeches and cake cutting and the inevitable but essential boogying the night away.

Islington wedding brides pose in front of London clothes shop

The wedding breakfast itself was served on long tables on the ground floor, with the drinks reception and speeches happening in the second floor Ballroom. Live music was courtesy of “Indie Killers” with dancing and partying downstairs, while the first floor Drawing Room became a chill out space and a good location for a Photo Booth.

Islington wedding first dance at Dead Dolls House London

A brilliant day all round with a great couple and their friends and family. We wish them both all the very best for the future.

By David Green.

Here’s a couple among many Islington Town Hall weddings to check out on the blog:

Another lovely Islington Town Hall Wedding & Reception at The Albion

Another great Islington Town Hall Wedding, then on to Hoxley & Porter and The Albion

Islington Town Hall Wedding & Peasant Pub Clerkenwell Reception

Just to finish up, I like to say hello and sometimes photograph the people behind the scenes of a couple’s wedding day. These guys in the photo below are the hard working and talented chefs behind the great food at the Dead Dolls House. Thanks guys!

Wedding chefs in kitchen at Dead Dolls House London

UPDATE: Two weeks later we have received this lovely review from Emily and Dave posted on Google:

“We booked Big Day Weddings (David and Joanna) for our wedding in August this year. From the moment we met them we knew we had a good match, having met other photographers who didn’t seem interested in us at all just where we were getting married and if the pictures would win them awards!! With David and Joanna, they put us both at ease and we got on like a house on fire. Their packages were also really good and it was no nonsense, they listened to what we were after and shared there ideas; they were really knowledgeable about the area we got married and knew all the places to go to get some really amazing shots. On the day they worked their socks off and it shows as the pictures are out of this world and better than anything we could have wished for or imagined. They had a great rapport with us and our guests so managed to get the best out of us all- even me the camera shy bride but by the end of the day I felt like a professional!! Thank you again David and Joanna and I can promise you, you won’t be disappointed if you book these guys Emily and David Thompson Xxx”

So great to get this kind of feedback 🙂

 

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