I’ve shot some beautiful weddings in Central London lately but it was an absolute delight to shoot this one on my doorstep in South West London.
Juliet and Jake live in Richmond upon Thames and wanted to get married locally. They chose the impressive St Matthias Church at the top of Richmond Hill which is just beautifully ornate inside and only a short stroll from their flat which meant everything was suitably relaxed with Juliet and the girls during the morning preparations.
Jake and his groomsmen got ready at the nearby Richmond Gate Hotel and had plenty of time to relax with his brother and father in the bar before it was time to leave – anyone else think the boys get it easy when it comes to wedding preparation?
For the end of October we were completely spoilt with a beautifully sunny day – check out the clear blue sky above the church – it rarely looks like that in the middle of summer! The Bingham Hotel in Richmond, where they had their reception, has a fabulous little garden backing on to the Thames and courtesy of the marvellous weather the guests were able to enjoy their drinks reception on the terrace, and we were able to get some fab portraits in the gardens and along the river.
In the late afternoon the wedding party sat down to a delicious meal in the Garden Room. Juliet and Jake kept the decor simple yet stylish with pink dahlias, and pink roses and gypsophila to complement the bouquets from Ginger & Spice in East Sheen. I just loved their self-made table numbers with photographs depicting the number of months or years since significant moments in their relationship… ’85’ months since they met, ’74’ months since their first trip together, 7 months since they got engaged in Istanbul, ‘2’ hours since they got married etc.
The Bingham is a gorgeous boutique hotel in the heart of Richmond and is perfect for anyone looking for an intimate wedding venue. It is beautifully styled throughout – the bar and restaurant are stunning – and I had fun exploring the hotel to find some quiet little spots for their evening portraits, my favourite of which is up against the mirror in the ladies bathroom which raised a few wry smiles..anything for a good photo!
A special thanks to Paola de Paola for shooting with me on the day, producing some fab images (quite a few of which you’ll see here) and for making an already brilliant job even more fun.
