I distinctly recall Christina’s tone. It was almost cautious. “The chapel will be candlelit," she said. "Will that work?”.
Of course it would.
This day had a little of everything; a ceremony at Chelsea Town Hall, a walk in the drizzle to the Cheyne Walk Brasserie - and then, almost as if it was another day entirely, an extremely atmospheric blessing at the stunning Fulham Palace.
I’d really been looking forward to this one. A previous client had kindly suggested Christina and Matt contact me for their shots and a relaxed free-flow of info and ideas was established right from the first chat.
The objective was to record the day pretty much as it happened with a very small set of family shots squeezed-in mid evening. I was given license to roam and be the usual lensed-up peeping Tom (well, peeping Mark).
As I moved around the rooms grabbing shots of laughter, conversation and the animated relaying of anecdotes, it was evident just how much friends and family were enjoying the venue. Chloe Goreham and her team looked after everybody while hitting the crucial balance of being attentive, yet still remaining discretely in the background.
As soon as completed edits are uploaded and sent to my clients I try to leave the content alone and come back to it fresh and objectively and critically a few days later. Doing that now I see (as always) some things I’d like to have done slightly better, but a lot I think captures a scene exactly as I remember it. It therefore gave me particular satisfaction when Christina and Matt told me how much they enjoyed viewing the work, pointing out how many specific characters had been captured with a fleeting look or expression - moments they will cherish of people they love. You can’t ask for anything more and it was very generous of them to say it.
Couples entrust photographers with privileged access to a massive day in their lives. It’s a very precious thing you hold for those few hours. Come the time you know your client is happy and they love what you’ve done - well, there’s no better feeling.
Below are just a few personal highlights from the wider selection…
