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London Wedding Photographer

London Enfield’s first gay wedding

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

We were delighted to be asked to photograph Peter and Mark’s special day, which unknown to us until we arrived turned out to be London borough of Enfield’s first gay wedding.
Right from the beginning when civil partnerships first came into existence, we have been photographing a great many of them in and around the capital, so this was not really unkown territory for us and great to see now that everyone has the chance to fully marry. From our own research, a highly scientific method that involves the question: “so how long have you been together?” we found the average couple has been with each other for about three years before deciding to tie the knot. For a gay couple it seems to be anywhere from five to ten years. These guys confirmed our research…
London gay wedding Enfield registry photo
Peter is originally of Italian decent, so a large group of friends and family made the trip over for the day. The ceremony was held at one of London’s prettiest registries, namely Enfield’s at Gentlemens Row.

Afterwards we had family and couple shots along the old streets and canal bridges nearby, It is an area we have photographed many times that never feels stale. The reception followed a short ride away at the four star Royal Chace Hotel, again a venue we have covered for many Enfield weddings and receptions.

We would like to wish Peter and Mark all the very best for the future. What was a new event for the area is sure to herald in a new era of equality for ALL couples, and we were very happy to be a part of it.

See our related Enfield wedding photographers post at: Enfield wedding photographers

Check out our extensive image galleries here: GALLERIES OR just scroll through this blog, it’s full of images! And here’s a quick link to our London wedding collections and their pricing: Pricing

Find out more on Enfield’s Royal Chace hotel here: Royal Chace Hotel

By David Green

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London headshot photographers

By Barnet Wedding Photographers, London Wedding PhotographerNo Comments

We think the most important fact to state straight away is that if we had to describe ourselves it would be first and foremost as London wedding photographers. We do what we love full time, usually six sometimes seven days a week. A lot of people may think wedding photographers only work at the weekend, we wish! It’s true that the vast majority of big days are either on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, but for the rest of the week we are busy editing and polishing our images, desiging wedding albums, or meeting with currently booked or potentially new couples.

London headshot photographers

However we do get requests for other work in the week, for instance as London headshot photographers. Now as long as we can, and it does not intefere with our busy wedding schedule, then a little bit of variety keeps us fresh and often gives us new ideas for our wedding photography.  We thought it would be interesting to show couples who may be browsing the website and on this blog some of the other types of images that we create.

London fashion wedding photographers

A lot of readers won’t know that David works with actors, directors and performers new and well known for headshots and profile images. Or that as Big Day Weddings we have done over twenty photo shoots for De Beers diamond merchants in the last three years, two jobs for Ralph Lauren, and have been product ambassadors for Motorola’s camera phone the Razr i. And no, we don’t use that particular device for any of our wedding shots!

actors headshot london graphic

Joanna also gets requests for wedding boudoir shoots. This usually takes the form of tasteful fine art images that become a surprise gift for a brides new husband after the wedding day or on honeymoon. If this potential scenario has crossed your mind feel free to have a relaxed chat with Joanna and she can send you some sample images to show what can be achieved. If you are one of our present or potential wedding couples to work with, and need some quality shots with a difference, then have a chat with David about headshot and profile images.

Big day weddings fashion shot

Guardian newspaper journalist profile image

Of course if you don’t give a “monkeys” about any of this and just want to look at wedding related imagery only, no problem take a look here: GALLERIES OR just browse through the general blog, it’s full of them! Here’s a quick and convenient link to our London wedding collections and their prices: Pricing    

By David Green

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Pembroke Lodge Weddings

By London Wedding Photographer, Wedding Venues2 Comments

There is something about photographing at a place like Pembroke Lodge that no matter how hard you are working, it still feels like a trip out! That may have something to do with the fact that Joanna and I used to go there on our quest for the ultimate London cappuccino experience, long before we photographed a Pembroke Lodge wedding. Although the lodge remains a public treasure your wedding will still have a private and special feel. First floor rooms will be reserved and a beautiful section of the lawn area to the side of the house will be available for drinks, canapes and photos.

Pembroke Lodge wedding photographer

The Lodge was originally a one bedroom cottage in Richmond Park which was developed over time into the fine Georgian mansion we see today. It was given by Queen Victoria to then Prime Minister Lord John Russell in 1847. It has hosted many historical and famous figures from Gladstone and Palmerston, to world renowed authors Charles Dickens and Lewis Carroll. For the past fifty years or so it has been available for wedding days. Civil ceremonies and receptions can be hosted in either Russell Suite upstairs for small to medium size weddings, with the alternative Belvedere seating up to 140 on the ground floor.

wedding car at Pembroke lodge

We think a Pembroke Lodge wedding is always going to have a little bit of everything: a historic classically featured Georgian venue with internals to match. Varied grounds that can also include Richmond Park London’s largest at two thousand three hundred acres. Spectacular long range views over the Thames valley, and pretty nice cappuccino on tap at the wonderfully situated tea rooms. Wander into the public park and find some of six hundred and fifty free roaming deer!

wedding confetti photo at Pembroke lodge

We have always tried to think creatively at every wedding as well as being ever ready to expertly cature those once in a lifetime spontaneous moments, which is why you can see one of the couples featured here is actually driving a Richmond Parks official vehicle. All you have to do is ask, who is going to refuse a confident photographer with a bride and groom in attendance?

Richmond park wedding image

Here is Pembroke Lodge’s official site that includes plenty of info of hosting London weddings: Pembroke Lodge

Pembroke lodge cappuccino drinking wedding shot

To see over 100 wedding images just click on the link here: GALLERIES OR just scroll through this blog, it’s full of images! And here’s a quick link to our London wedding collections and their pricing: Pricing     By David Green

Sign post at Pembroke lodge

wedding procession inside Pembroke lodge

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Fuji X100 for your London wedding, any wedding? Yes at the Goring Hotel.

By London Wedding Photographer, Wedding VenuesNo Comments

It is still very rare for any wedding couple to ask us what equipment we use, and to be honest we are pleased about that. The reasons are many fold, but mainly it’s because creating and capturing images is about technique, flair, experience and an artistic eye. Not so much about the camera and lenses you are using. Try telling that to your average wedding photographer though! One well know photographer when asked which camera he used would reply: “a black one.” David Bailey has said that in the UK many think the camera does the work, while abroad he’s found there is more sense that it is the person behind the viewfinder that makes the difference. Having said that we have invested heavily over time in Canon’s top of the range camera bodies and all their best lenses to help do justice to our couple’s once only wedding days.

Fuji shot at central London wedding venue

So where is all this leading?  Well David in particular still loves cameras as an object of beauty too and not just a tool, but when we are on holiday or just out and about with our kids he does not (and nor do I – Joanna) want to lug around any of our wedding DSLR’s and a bunch of lenses. So for the past two and a half years our companion in family times has been firstly the fixed lens Fuji X100, and then its upgraded successor the Fuji X100s. There are a million and one reviews and posts about this little gem on the internet so that’s not the purpose of this post. Would we use the Fuji on a wedding day? Yes and no! For us the DSLR and it’s lenses are still first choice, but for discretion around a reception perhaps – where the little camera does not intimidate it can be very useful, especially in cramped conditions. We would usually use a long zoom like the 70 – 200 to shoot from afar or perhaps the 85 1.2.

We tried it out for a while along with our other cameras at the Goring hotel in London where Kate Middleton stayed before the Royal weddding. We used it for some of our corridor shots with the lovely bride and chief bridesmaid, and also for discretion and silence in some shots from afar (cropped in now) of the couple looking at their wedding cake in situ for the first time. Can the sensor handle it? Yes, but un surpringingly considering the price difference and spec – not in the same league as the Canon 5D mark 3’s that we use. Having said that, in completely subjective terms – this camera has a certain indescribable something. That’s why it travels with us.

wedding couple alone fuji x100

Fuji X100 Goring hotel wedding

So what’s it like for holiday snaps? Well you need to think like a prime shooter not a zoom freak. And as far as we are concerned that is fine because the quality of the fixed lens at f2 is so great and the resolution so good you can crop in later if needs be. The other thing too for our taste is that we are only really interested in shots that involve people. So for enviromental portraits etc it is excellent, and with the two new screw on lens adapters , closer portraits or wider shots are no worries. We will be investing in these very soon!

Here’s a couple of recent holiday snaps, one of Joanna (added edge blur) one of our youngest son Rory. We don’t bring Rory to a wedding, but we cetainly keep the Fuji in the camera bag, just in case!

Joa Green in Caen Franceann

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Our related blog post can be found here: Goring Hotel wedding photographers

A great resource for finding about all things Fuji is: Fuji Rumors

And the official Fuji site can be found here: Fujifilm

By David Green

Love1

Best London wedding venues

By London Wedding Photographer, Wedding VenuesOne Comment

Best London wedding venues

Best London wedding venue banner shot

Don’t get us wrong stately homes and barns are great for weddings, we photograph in those venues all the time of course. But if you live in and around the greatest city in the world, London, then why not take a look at some of the weird wonderful and historic treasures the capital has to offer. Best London wedding venues is naturally a subjective opinion, but it’s one that’s based on working regularly in a large variety of celebration spaces that our city has to offer.

If your ceremony is church based then it’s going to be a reception only venue you would need to choose. However if it’s a civil ceremony then a whole smorgasbord of venue possibilities awaits you. Do we get married in one place then celebrate and eat at another? Or do we make sure we don’t lose any of our guests on the way and do everything in the same place!?

First port of call probably for many is to research London’s long tradition of event hosting in some of its most iconic hotels. We have worked in most, but are going to list some of our personal favourites. This takes into account the overall wedding photography experience for ourselves and also for our couples and their guests too.

Wedding ceremony longroom Lords

The Savoy
Play place of the rich and famous for over a century now, it’s licenced for wedding ceremonies and of course you would be celebrating your day and enjoying your wedding breakfast in style. There’s also the Gordon Ramsay managed Savoy Grill in house too. Here’s a recent blog post we did on this great hotel: Savoy Hotel wedding photographer

confetti at the Savoy wedding

Savoy Hotel London wedding ceremony

The Dorchester

Opulent, traditional, with another long history taking in film stars and presidents, it’s one of Park Lane’s best wedding venues. Great catering and a lovely private roof terrace too. See our Dorchester Hotel wedding post here: Dorchester Hotel wedding photographer

Dorchester Hotel wedding Israeli dance

The Waldorf Astoria.

Long established Waldorf (always make us think of the Fawlty Towers episode “Waldorf Salad”)
It has the most fantastic atrium, a grand space great for ceremonies. With the grand ballroom/dining room nearby.

Lord’s Cricket Ground

You don’t need to be a cricket fan to appreciate the splendour of your ceremony and reception in the famous Long Room. Bride and groom can get themselves ready in the England dressing room, and guests can wander round the fantastic cricket museum in the middle of the wedding day. Here’s a relevant article David wrote recently: Lords Cricket ground wedding photographer

Lords cricket wedding shot

Gibson Hall

Formally a grand banking Hall in the city’s financial district, it is now a grand and imposing wedding venue. There is also an internal garden for your wedding ceremony should you choose to have your whole day there. Plenty of space for the biggest occasions.

Gibson Hall jewish wedding dance
Landsdowne Club

Now a fantastic private members club in the heart of Mayfair it was at one time the home of the department store magnate Mr Selfridge. Fantastic art deco function hall and Georgian drawing rooms for your London civil ceremony.

Hoxton

Buzzing full of art spaces and galleries that will host your wedding reception, and great urban locations for wedding photography with a difference.

Love in Hoxton wedding shot

London Zoo

We went there as children, took our own four children, and go there now as wedding photographers. Get married there and then have you and your guests tour the zoo for free before sitting down to a fantastic wedding breakfast. There’s even an exclusive meerkat experience should you feel the need…. Here’s some images from our photographic trips to the zoo: London Zoo wedding photographer

London Zoo wedding at the penguin pool

Planes, trains, and St Pancras

Watch this space as we update soon with recent St Pancras weddings. You have the fantastic hotel to get married in, and should you fancy a wander then the station itself is yours to spend time with your chosen photographer (that would be David and Joanna right…?)

Of course this is by no means an exhaustive list, but it has definitely some of the best London wedding venues that we have enjoyed lately. The other bonus of having a central London wedding is that you could spend twenty to thirty minutes of the day getting out and about for your photography, be it famous landmarks, or the royal parks. The possibilities are literally endless, because the best venue of all is London itself!

By David Green

 

 

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