A festive wedding shoot at Somerset House...

With the cold weather now kicking-in, it seems apt to feature something which looks freezing. And this shoot from last winter always sticks in my mind as being a cracker (ahem).

We all have favourite shoots. Sometimes it's because of a grand venue, or a brilliant couple. Maybe there was terrific detail. Then, every now and then there's a commission which has everything.  Even Christmas. And what's better than Christmas at the glorious Somerset House.

The shoot was also notable as a day when snow blanketed town, turning the capital into a winter wonderland. Renee and Mark are from Chicago, but based here on short work contracts. They had commissioned the fantastic Penny Cullen of Tigerlily Weddings to style and orchestrate their wedding, and as usual it looked fabulous and flowed brilliantly. Below are just a few from the final set, because this lovely, young couple are very private, but still allowed me to show a few.

It was a simple late afternoon service followed by an intimate dinner for close family and friends, all overlooking the ice rink now so popular over the festive period. I enjoy all the weddings I shoot, but have a particular soft spot for Renee and Mark and their family. They are lovely people with a sense of style. What more can a photographer ask...

Janaina & Rory, Wedding photography at Claridge's

Claridge's needs no introduction. It is one of most famous hotels on the planet and an iconic brand. A new generation was made aware of this via the excellent BBC2 documentary last year which provided a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes and highlighted the hotel's amazing attention to detail.

Working at the hotel always fills you with motivational nerves. At this wedding, my main concern was to capture as much detail of Janaina & Rory's day as possible. There was so much going on and photographs seemed to pop up again and again, all of them feeling absolutely vital at the time. Below is just a snippet from the final set.

Once back from Mayfair's spectacular Farm Street church in Mayfair, a swift drinks reception paved the way for the wedding breakfast in the ballroom. I found myself trying to pack as much into the shoot as possible, very keen to provide an accurate memory of the obvious work that had gone into the preps. Below is just a sample from the final set.

And I nearly forgot to mention the 'supplier meal' of Dover sole. It arrived, beautifully presented, from Gordon Ramsay's Michelin-starred kitchens. I felt very lucky that day. Perfection.

Click any thumbnail to enlarge... 

Suzie and Nick's engagement shoot...

An hour spent in Battersea Park in early summer, another nice memory of the year.

I'm beginning to shoot more and more engagement sessions. They are great for couples because in addition to having the shots they also act as the perfect ice-breaker, a practical feel for the way the photographic process works and then come the wedding day it's more relaxing - it means they've kind of done it all before.

No direction needed on this one, Suzie & Nick just went with it and relaxed. We walked, chatted and took pictures, easy as that. The closing light of a London weekday played perfectly into our hands and the angles came together organically.

A great evening with good people. You can't say fairer than that. Just a shame the ice cream place was shut. Still, can't have everything... Below are a handful of images from the shoot.