LONDON WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

London wedding photographer covers intimate covid wedding for the wonderful couple – Kadija & Mohammed. Our day started at London Hotel – The Hilton, Docklands. The bride had meticulously planned her big day and her hair and makeup was already a good way through when I arrived on the 4th floor overlooking the Thames.

Kadija was lucky enough to have 2 dresses on the day. The second dress was for the evening once we’ve captured all the official nuptials from the day but it’s still quite rare for brides to change (although it adds to the excitement for sure).

If there’s one thing I love during the getting ready sessions, it’s the giving of gifts and intimate letters. These moments can be emotional, funny and unscripted. Kadija received a gorgeous watch and a personal hand written letter from Mohammed and it went down rather well 🙂

The beautiful bride was later joined by her mum for a reassuring hug and then her bridesmaids for a touch of dutch courage and who can blame her right?

The bride was very organised so it wasn’t long before she had the first of her 2 dresses on for the day. She wowed the room with her stunning white wedding dress. Her mum added her veil which I always love capturing. It’s like the passing of the baton having mum put the finishing touches to her daughter. I could see Kadija was starting to get nervous. The dress does this to most brides when it goes on because everything becomes very real from here on in but she looked absolutely gorgeous.

Now, there was a curve ball thrown my way once the bride and groom were wedding ready. They wanted to be with each other for a prayer (but not see each other) before the wedding which I thought was a lovely touch. The way we worked it was we had Mohammed hide around the corner while Kadija came down out of the lift and made the short walk down to a corner I had already earmarked for a shot like this.

Once the bride was in place, we carefully edged Mohammed around the corner until they could hold hands. It was a touching moment and something I would very much love to do again sometime.

LONDON WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER – ST JOHN C OF E CHURCH, WALWORTH

The couple opted to marry at a stunning Anglo Catholic church dating back to 1860 in Walworth, London. We still had restricted numbers and workers had to wear masks but for the entirety of the service that lasted around an hour, we all forgot about the worldwide pandemic and enjoyed a beautiful ceremony.

LONDON WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE MARYLEBONE HOTEL

Once the couple had married, we made the 35 minute journey into the heart of the city for the reception at the wonderful Marylebone hotel. This place is amazing for ambience and decor. It comes highly recommended if you’re looking for a wedding reception in central London. I had to park roughly 7 minutes from the Hotel due to lack of parking in the immediate vicinity. Luckily, I got a head start on the couple who were still greeting their guests outside the church.

I parked up, unpacked my equipment and prepared for their arrival. Kadija and Mohammed wanted some shots outside the Marylebone Hotel with the car before the chauffeur left and it all came together nicely. They really knew how to have that chemistry on camera 🙂

THE ROYAL PARK VISIT TO REGENTS PARK – WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY IN LONDON

Just the day before the wedding, Kadija confirmed that we were to go to Regents Park to capture some couple shots. As a London wedding photographer, I knew this was a lovely suggestion that complimented their timeline. It was made easier by their chauffeur offering to take us there and back. I have to say, we did chance our hand slightly because you need a permit to shoot in a royal park but luckily, we managed to spend 10 minutes in various locations and it was a wonderful experience for them.

Regent’s Park is just one of London’s eight Royal Parks and covers an area of around 395 acres. It truly is well worth a visit with over 12,000 roses in Queen Mary’s gardens alone.

After a successful trip to the park, I asked if I could hold back the wedding party for a quick shot outside the Marylebone Hotel. I fall in love with candid shots of real people having a good time so this was in my mind at the time before we all sat down for the speeches. Everyone obliged and I captured a memorable moment for the couple to enjoy once the dust settles from their wedding day.

The room in the hotel where the reception took place was an upgrade given to the couple for free after a change in the covid rules meant that their previous (smaller) room wasn’t large enough to hold the allocated wedding guests. They wasn’t complaining. The dark gold and glass reception room complimented their style perfectly. The speeches were amazing and heartfelt which really helps me capture those full on laughter moments.

I had made a quick suggestion to the couple after the speeches to see if they wanted to visit their previous reception room for some cosy couple shots. I thought it was a nice touch seeing as this was the place that they had their hearts set on first time around. Kadija and Mohammed grabbed a glass of champagne and we were off up to the next level in the hotel.

I knew they were so good together in front of camera so it was well worth the effort to capture some amazing candids of the two of them. This room has a retracting roof which allows natural light to flood through onto the floor. It’s sprinkled with plants and greenery and even has a real fireplace crackling in the centre of the room.

The day had actually flown by and all that was left officially was the cutting of the cake and first dance. It was a shame that the DJ had to remind the wedding guests that they wasn’t allowed to join the couple dancing due to the restrictions in place at the time. Some did try but they were told to take their seats while the couple enjoyed an extended and exclusive dance on the floor.

Remember that second dress for the evening? Well it was now time to make an appearance with a change of clothing. I quickly captured a portrait of the couple in the hotel lobby before they entered the dance floor for another round of dancing. It was a perfect choice for Kadija and their own private party continued as the guests looked on.

The final shot of the night had to be something romantic with just the two of them. I clocked a lamp in the hallway with 2 chairs earlier in the evening and thought it would make for an atmospheric finale to the wedding. I got the couple to cosy up and take a moment together and just like they did all day, they gave me a beautiful moment to finish with.

So there you have it, I’m Chris Woodman (owner at Chris Woodman Photography) and lucky enough to be a London Wedding photographer all year round. If you’re planning your big day in the capital, drop me a message and let’s discuss your London Wedding Photography.

Want more examples of my wedding photography? Check out this full day wedding from the lovely Gibson Hall blog.

I’m here if you need to ask any questions either on 07746134504 or by email at chris@chriswoodmanphotography.co.uk

Thanks so much for reading and I look forward to showing you the next wedding adventure!