Stationers' Hall Wedding London - Documentary Wedding Photography
I always love photographing weddings at Stationers' Hall, a stunning venue steeped in history, nestled in the shadow of St Paul's Cathedral. It is a beautiful hidden gem with three stately rooms and an internal courtyard garden which looks stunning in the dappled summer light.
Recently I was at Stationers' Hall to photograph Dominique and Greg's wedding. The bride had taken a suite at the Club Quarters Hotel and her room looked directly onto the entrance of the Hall giving her a perfect view of the guests arriving. I'm not sure if it calmed the nerves or had the opposite effect! Once Dominique's best friend had helped her into her wedding dress I made my way over the courtyard to find Greg and his two best men. I was just in time to capture the handing over of the wedding rings. As a documentary wedding photographer, I love capturing little moments like these
The guests started to arrive and the men guided them into the Court Room for the ceremony. Everyone settled into their seats ready for the big moment - the bridal entrance - Dominique was led down the aisle on the arm of her proud father. A beautiful ceremony followed complete with a saxophonist serenading Dominique and Greg as they signed the register - a lovely touch. Afterwards, the couple and I stole always for a few quiet moments to get some informal, natural portraits in some of their favourite spots including St Paul's Cathedral.
On their return, the couple were showered with confetti and the reception got into full swing. Greg is South African, so there were a lot of friends and family catching up and I quietly blended into the background and soaked up the atmosphere with my camera.
Once the wedding breakfast was called, the guests were ushered up the garden stairs and into the Main Hall which looked so romantic bathed in candlelight and festooned with stunning flowers. The speeches were dotted between the courses ensuring a regular flow of enthusiastic toasts. After the main course, I captured Dominique and Greg stealing a kiss at the top table - one of my favourite photographs of the day.
Then came the cutting of the cake which was made by the very talented bride - Dominique had even hidden a "Where's Wally" around the back!As the evening guests arrived, everyone started making full use of the photo booth in the Stock Room with various funny props. One of the best men took to the stage with his guitar and sang to the couple as they did their first dance - a really special moment.I left as the DJ powered up his decks and the guests took to the dance floor. The evening was far from over.