Skip to main content
Category

London Wedding Photographer

London_engagement_shoot_Thames_view

London Southbank Engagement Shoot

By London Wedding Photographer, Wedding Venues3 Comments

Engagement couple on the Thames

Claire and Simon are getting married in April this year with the ceremony in Bermondsey and reception at the Amadeus Centre in “Little Venice” Maida Vale. When we initially met we had a naturally good rapport, which is so important, and an often underestimated factor when choosing a potential wedding photographer.

Photo shoot by the Thames

Wedding photography itself is generally classed as “social photography” and for a people orientated couple like ourselves it is a tremendous part of the enjoyment of capturing someone’s special day.

London southbank engagement shoot

If you care about the couple you are photographing above and beyond your natural professional level then your wedding photography will reflect this. Couples will look happy and relaxed, and your settings composition and direction will set you apart.

graffiti couple at Southbank

wedding couple at London southbank

A London engagement shoot isn’t for everyone. Although we have offered them for quite a few years, it is only about twenty percent of couples that decide they would like to do one. Simon and Claire had a special affinity with the Southbank of the Thames, so a shoot there made perfect sense. Sometimes we are hired purely for a London Engagement shoot when the wedding plans are a little different. This happens for instance when a couple are getting married abroad but want special memories of their time in the capital.

kissing behind snouthbank centre Londo

Other times for example a Chinese couple may come over specifically to get their engagement shoot done with a London flavour before returning home to marry. See our related post on this here: London Engagement Shoot and also here: Hertfordshire Engagement Shoot If this is the case please get in touch for a bespoke quote.

We are very adept at relaxing people on the big day in terms of having themselves photographed, and of course they are often blissfully unaware of many of the shots we take. However an engagement shoot can be useful for some to get used to our personalities and way of working. Often we will hear familiar feedback afterwards and during the shoot, which is how enjoyable and easy the whole process was. Well great! Now imagine that for your wedding day, because that is exactly how it is going to be.

Update: 3/2/15 just got this email through from Claire and Simon regarding their London engagement photography as follows: “The style of the pictures from last weekend are exactly what we’d hoped for! We just wanted to say we love them and are even more excited for the big day now!”

By David Green

 

 

 

Clerkenwell wedding dress in the wind

Islington Town Hall Wedding

By London Wedding Photographer, Wedding Venues3 Comments

Reception at The Peasant Pub Clerkenwell

Islington Town Hall Wedding

We are always motivated by an Islington wedding, not least because two of our children were born there, and of course we have many happy memories of life in N1.

Marraige ceremony at Islington Town Hall

For Claire and Chris having an Islington Town Hall wedding it was a day that created abundant and of course joyous memories for the future too.

Aisle shot at Islington Town Hall

The area had a special resonance for them as they met on a journalism course at City University nearby in Clerkenwell. It was also a major reason for choosing the Peasant Pub a gastro gem for their reception. More about the fantastic Peasant pub later.

Clerkenwell wedding photographer

Laughter at Clerkenwell wedding compilation shot

The main chamber for an Islington Town Hall wedding is both beautiful and dramatic, and we used three different lens and camera combinations to do it justice. A great registrar can make a real difference to the feel of a wedding ceremony, and we have always had the best of experiences with them in Camden and Islington borough. This Saturday was no exception, they were enthusiastic yet reverent too.

Islington wedding photographer image

Claire and Chris wanted a documentary style photographically for their big day, but still covering the bases with some more formal friends and family shots on the internal and external steps of the town hall. Taxis buses and good old fashioned walking then got everyone the short distance to the Peasant Pub Clerkenwell. There are many reasons Nick and his team at the Peasant pub are incredibly popular for weddings. They are friendly, efficient and nothing is too much trouble for them. They are staffed by the kind of people that when a smile comes to their face it comes quickly and then takes a long time to leave, and for us it has always been a good gauge of sincerity, especially in the hospitality industry!

Photo fun collage Peasant pub wedding

As so many couple are interested are interested in the wedding venue at 240 Saint John Street EC1 we may feature it in a separate post. After a champagne welcome the couple spent twenty five minutes with myself and Joanna around the nearby streets of Clerkenwell. Although the weather stayed dry we had lots of fun dealing with the very windy conditions! Claire’s homage to Marilyn Monroe’s famous skirt lifting shot on an air vent image was a completely random windy moment caught.

Peasant Pub London wedding shot

Although we used our experience to gently direct the couple at the time, the day was about natural reactions and events well photographed and anticipated, and we believe the balance was well struck with Claire and Chris.

See our related post here:  Peasant Pub Weddings Clerkenwell

For information on booking Islington Town Hall for your wedding take a look at their website here: Islington Town Hall

For a reception to remember give the Peasant a call and visit their website in this link: The Peasant Pub

Claire’s wonderful wedding dress was made by Judy Mott Bridal Couture and you can find them here: Judy Mott Bridal Couture and here: Judy Mott Facebook
holding hands in Clerkenwell

 

By David Green

Peasant Pub Weddings Clerkenwell

By London Wedding Photographer, Wedding VenuesOne Comment

Clerkenwell Peasant pub wedding

Peasant pub view of wedding reception room

Every now and then we like to focus a blog post on a venue that we have been particuarly impressed with. We have shot weddings from St Pancras to St Tropez in the last ten years, from small and humble weddings to the most oppulent and lavish affairs. What always impresses us greatly though, wherever a wedding reception may be, is the staff, their manner and the attention to detail they put in to creating a memorable experience for their couples. What’s to say about Peasant Pub weddings in Clerkenwell? Well it’s a Victorian boozer through and through with many period and charming features that’s also a pretty trendy Gastro pub. It has cool and iconic posters everywhere from the world of music and film, and a charm and atmosphere that words alone are difficult to describe.

wedding couple dancing at the Peasant pub

Kissing shot at Farringdon wedding

The biggest assest though is it’s staff. As we’ve mentioned in our related Islington wedding post, nothing was too much trouble for Nick and his team. Great enthusiastic attitude, fast service and brilliant food, well cooked and in generous portions too.

Peasant pub reception shot 1

Photo fun collage Peasant pub wedding

As the photo collage above shows, people just have a great time at a Peasant pub wedding.

wedding cake served at the Peasant ClerkenwellPeasant pub wedding

holding hands in Clerkenwell

Our brides and grooms for this feature were Claire and Chris and Nicky and Dan, all married at Islington Town Hall, with their receptions at The Peasant. See our related post.

smiling chefs at the Peasant

Pouring wedding champagne shot

Even the chef’s look happy.

Take a look at Nick and the team’s website here: The Peasant Pub

wedding reception at the Peasant pub Clerkenwell

Confetti thrown at Islington wedding

Clerkenwell wedding dress in the windkissing near Peasant Pub London

Aisle shot at Islington Town Hall

Marraige ceremony at Islington Town Hall

Islington Town Hall Wedding

Islington wedding photographer image

Islington bride and groom by red London phone box

another wedding pose from London couple image

You can see the original post here:  Islington Town Hall Wedding & Peasant Pub Clerkenwell Reception

and Islington Town Hall Wedding

By David Green

We’ve done lots of great stuff
Coverage and prices
We’d love to hear from you
Bush Hill Park Wedding

Bush Hill Park Wedding

By Barnet Wedding Photographers, London Wedding Photographer2 Comments

Jill & Griff at Bush Hill Park Golf Club Enfield

It was raining, it was pouring but this Bush Hill Park Golf Club wedding was never boring!  Jill and Griff had a fantastic laughter-filled time with friends and family for their big day hosted at Enfield’s premier golfing venue. As a fairly private couple we have only included three images for this blog post to respect their sensibilities but wanted to say that despite the incessant heavy downpours that neither Joanna and I, nor Jill and Griff seemed to notice. All events from the civil ceremony, to dining, to evening reception took place at the club and went ultra smoothly, as the club is so used to hosting these special days. Popular with couples not just in Enfield and Winchmore Hill but north London and the Home Counties too. Chef Alisdair is excellent, as is Debbie – your very experienced and friendly wedding co-ordinator.

Wedding hugs at Bush hill Golf club

We like to mention other suppliers in our blog posts because those that really know their stuff and take pride in what they do deserve to be mentioned, as they will add so much more to the day. Another wedding professional well worth a mention was DJ Terry Lewis a multi award winning DJ who was charm personified. Guaranteed to be the life and soul of your party, apart from your lovely London wedding photographers, nothing is too much trouble and he never stops smiling! Just take a look at the party room shot before the guests arrive, there he is, grinning in the background. We know from a testimonial how much Jill and Griff valued his contribution. Bush Hill Park golf club was founded in 1895 as a nine hole course originally. It was converted to a full eighteen by 1913.  In the second world war it was leased to the Anti Aircraft Brigade. For wedding and event enquires at Bush Hill take a look here: Weddings at Bush Hill

If you love Enfield as a potential wedding venue then take a look at this nearby big day too: Enfield wedding at Royal Chace Hotel

For all things DJ and Terry Lewis you can check out his website here: Wedding DJ.

Wedding DJ image at Bush Hill Park Golf club EnfieldBy David Green

 

Andaz Hotel London wedding shot

London Andaz Hotel wedding photographer

By London Wedding Photographer, Wedding VenuesNo Comments

Vicky and James at Liverpool Street’s Andaz

One of the things we love to do when preparing for a wedding is to find out the story and history behind the places we photograph in.

In an earlier blog post: Smithfield Wedding Photographer we featured the first part of the day for Vicky and James’s Smithfield wedding. However, the day actually began and ended at Liverpool Street’s Andaz hotel. We are no strangers to a hotel that started life in 1884 as the Great Eastern Hotel. As London Andaz  Hotel wedding photographers we enjoy the fact that writer Bram Stoker set a part of his classic novel Dracula at the hotel. Vampire slayer Van Helsing stays there when he visits the capital. There are also two incredible Masonic lodges hidden inside the hotel, and depending on the size of your wedding and requirements, at least one of them is available for hire.

Wedding in masonic temple Andaz hotel London

London routemaster wedding bus at Smithfield market

Both Vicky and James began their day at the Andaz, with James and groomsmen grabbing a last minute beer in the bar before boarding their London route master bus to Smithfield market and their church the famous and iconic Great St Barts featured in “Four weddings and a funeral.” Joanna took the bus while I stayed with Vicky through her final preparations and then caught a black cab with the bridesmaids to the church.

London Andaz Hotel wedding photographer

Laughter at Great St Barts wedding

In our time at the Andaz we used plenty of different lighting styles and techniques. For drama we spot lit the couple on many occasions and it just so happens in many of our personal favourites the newly weds were kissing. However that’s a pretty natural occurrence on such a love fuelled day. We had to compromise our vision a little in the masonic temple as it had been set up for a function with a large table in the centre where ideally we wanted to shoot from.

Wedding shadows at London Andaz image

We always make sure we get plenty of shot variety at every wedding, not just with the couple but with guests and all those once only moments. Usually it is in a naturalistic but stylish documentary style, but we do like to direct a little at times to get that something extra special or unusual to share and treasure for the future.

For more images of Smithfield, The Andaz Hotel and iconic London and Home Counties weddings take a look at any of our wedding galleries here: Wedding Galleries or altenatively give us a call or email to set up a face to face relaxed meeting and see first hand for yourselves. We love to hear about couples’ plans for their big day!

By David Green