I arrived at the Lansdowne Club in central London nice and early on a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning. I had expected traffic this bank holiday weekend but thankfully it was pretty quiet. Lisa and the girls were starting their bridal preparations in one of the gorgeous hotel suites; there was Moët chilling on ice and chocolate mini rolls on the side. What more does a girl need?! I may have helped them with the chocolates :)

Lisa arrived at St James’s Church, Sussex Gardens, where the ceremony was to take place. She looked absolutely stunning, as did her four bridesmaids. During the register signing one of Lisa’s friends sang a version of Ave Maria, which sounded just beautiful in the church. Then it was onto Hyde Park for some more photos. I have to say that walking into such a popular tourist spot with a beautiful bride and her husband is a pretty amazing feeling. We did a few formal shots here, and all credit to Lisa and Mark’s amazing family and friends who organised themselves with pretty much no direction from me :)

The reception took place back at the Lansdowne Club. This place is stunning, with some fantastic architecture. The new Mr and Mrs Price walked into the magnificent 18th century ballroom to rapturous applause. There was a lot of love in that room. The speeches were brilliant, full of emotion and laughs and I especially liked the best man’s reference to Mark as a ’social hand grenade’!

I knew I’d find it difficult to choose which shots to use for this blog, so um, it might be a *bit* longer than usual. I make no apologies though as it was so much fun to shoot.

Congratulations Lisa and Mark! Thank you for the honour and privilege of allowing me to document your day. I hope you like this preview of what was an epic and beautiful wedding. And Lisa… as you said to me when I left… it’s been emotional!

Flowers by The Flower Company

Meanwhile, at the Henley Golf and Country Club a few miles away, James was nervously awaiting his bride. I should tell you that they have been together for several years and have a house and two children; a huge commitment in itself. Still, James was very nervous indeed. I found him at the bar :D

And then the rain stopped. The ground dried. Zoë arrived. She looked absolutely beautiful. It was an emotional journey down the aisle on her brother’s arm. Zoë’s father passed away many years ago, understandably his absence weighed heavily on her and her family. Zoë was nervous about getting her words right and she needn’t have worried. She did brilliantly, although it was ironic that one of the few words she did stumble on was ‘impediment’. Sorry Zoë, I had to share that!

After the ceremony, it looked like it was going to rain again so we went out and shot as many photos as we could. As it turned out, the hour we had for photos was the only hour of the day that didn’t rain. Just as we finished it began raining again. So I thank you weather gods.

And lastly, to Harry. Boy… have you got some moves! Not only are you a poser for the camera (see the boy on the hill below) but you have some dance moves like I’ve never seen before. I asked James about them and he told me that Harry is currently obsessed with some sort of martial arts game. The result looked like a cross between Michael Jackson and The Karate Kid. Awesome!

Congratulations and thank you Zoë and James! It was a pleasure and an honour to be present for your day and to be entrusted with capturing it all. Here are my favourite shots from the day. I hope you like them.

Aaaooowwww! Sha-mon!

We met up at the church first. The beauty of this place never fails to take my breath away, once you step inside the noise and bustle of London gives way to calm and serenity.

After a short while we wandered over into the cosmopolitan Hyde Park. Even on a relatively cool summer’s day, it was a hive of activity with people playing games, chilling, taking photos; there was even a salsa class going on!

We wandered around the Serpentine for a couple of hours, chatting about the big day and travel, amongst other things. I learned that Mark actually proposed to Lisa in South Africa whilst they were on a round-the-world adventure. That is some planning! I remember stressing about a long weekend to the Lakes to propose to my wife – kudos Mark :)

We walked along the water’s edge hoping the deckchairs would still be out. It was past 8pm by this point and it must have been a 20 minute walk so the stakes were high. We were rewarded and actually cheered when we saw them… result! Anyway, Lisa and Mark – thank you – and I hope it was worth the trek…I am really looking forward to capturing your special day.

Meanwhile, the groomsmen were getting ready in a flat next door. Also very handy. We took the men for some urban shots in Portsmouth and then made our way back to the cathedral for the ceremony. Nicola was a picture of elegance and beauty and clearly took Mark’s breath away when she arrived.

Unfortunately this was a ‘no photography’ ceremony. We were allowed to shoot the bride and groom entering the church but from that point to the signing of the register it was forbidden. I always feel for the couple and the families when a photography ban is imposed. At the end of the ceremony, Nicola’s brother played the oboe accompanied by a pianist. Captivating music by some very talented musicians.

Finally, we finished the day at the gorgeous Tithe Barn in Petersfield where the reception was held. It rounded off what had been a perfect summer’s day in Hampshire and a perfect summer wedding.

Congratulations, Nicola and Mark, and thank you for letting me be a part of your fantastic day!

Here are some of my favourite images from the day.

And now.. the full set from the Photography Parlour shootout…

Venue: The Harmony II http://www.harmonyyachtclub.com/
Dresses: http://www.vintagedress.co.uk/
China and table styling: http://www.vintageteasets.co.uk
Flowers: Floriture http://www.floriture.com
Catering: McBaile http://www.mcbaile.com/
Cakes: Sheona’s of Cake Matters http://www.cakematters.co.uk/

Makeup Artists:
Lilly MUA http://www.modelmayhem.com/1075740
Heather Talbot http://www.modelmayhem.com/1192627
Cat Parnell http://www.catparnell.tk/
Sara Friar http://www.heygorgeous.me.uk/bodypainting.html

Models:
Miss Cherry Delight (Gemma) http://www.modelmayhem.com/1663173
Siobhan http://www.modelmayhem.com/1519392

Click here for the full set.

Kate and Steve were married at the Beacon International Centre in Stafford, this was the place they first met. Kate was so nervous and convinced she was going to cry walking down the aisle. But she needn’t have worried because she looked stunning and utterly radiant with her father beside her. The ceremony was a glorious blend of singing accompanied by the church band, and some readings. After the vows and declarations had been said and the rings exchanged, there was a short pause and Kate looked into Steve’s eyes inquisitively. He then remembered… and promptly did indeed kiss the bride.

The reception was held at the beautiful Littywood Manor, in the countryside just outside Stafford. I’d prepared for rain with umbrellas and plastic camera protection and whilst it was a chilly day, not a drop left the cloudy sky. Despite Kate’s resolve, she did shed some tears during her father’s speech. I never fail to be moved by the words of complete and unconditional love from a father to his daughter.

It was my pleasure to be present to document your fantastic wedding day. Here are the photos…

It was an absolute pleasure and an honour to capture this very special moment. Congratulations to you both!

For those interested in cameras, it was properly dark for this shoot. It was about 8.45pm, partial tree cover. I was shooting at ISO 8000 most of the time using the 50/1.4 and 70-200/2.8 wide open. The D700 and these lenses are absolutely incredible. And Lightroom 3’s noise reduction is nothing short of amazing. These pictures make it look like it was mid afternoon on an overcast day but I can confirm that it was actually quite dark :)