Having known Jessie since she was a young girl, I was delighted when she asked me to photograph her big day. Weddings are very special days, they are such a personal and important events, and even when you know people well, as a wedding photographer, you get to capture very special moments… so it is always an honour to be asked.
Jess and Alan’s day was taking place at the Bank of England Sports Centre, not far from their home in London. Although a city wedding, this great venue provided a gorgeous backdrop of beautiful architecture and an expanse of cricket green giving a sense of being in the countryside, which felt very British with the gentle sounds of leather on willow punctuating the afternoon. With cute cottages for the family to stay in over the weekend, it was the perfect location.
It is really common for brides and grooms to feel some nerves before the day, sometimes this is about being photographed, as many people can feel feel very shy and a bit awkward when faced with a camera. But a big part of what I do is about making couples feel relaxed and comfortable (after all I get better photographs of you when you feel happy). I have lots of tips that help you stand in a very natural way so that you don’t look stiff and too formally posed, and I’m great at making people laugh. I love getting candid, documentary style pictures of you and your guests enjoying the day. Happy, smiling faces, caught unawares, are my favourite thing.
When you are planning your wedding it is so important that it reflects you both as a couple and what you want from the day. There is no template that you have to fit, which is wonderful as it means every wedding is different, bespoke, personal to you, the couple. Jessie and Alan had planned their day carefully and it worked perfectly. A relaxed morning with four generations of girls getting ready together and then their intimate marriage ceremony which was just witnessed by immediate family, who lunched together afterwards. Then there was just time for family and couple photographs (and a nap for the little ones) before the rest of the family and friends arrived to get the party started and kick off the celebrations which lasted late into the night.
Jessie looked stunning in her ’50s inspired dress from Sugar and Spice and the very pretty and colourful flowers which looked like they were fresh from a cottage garden were from All About Flowers
See some of the pictures from the day below… or if you want to watch the slideshow and see full highlights from the day click here
