Julie and Neil had a relaxed and fun wedding.  Julie looking amazing in cream silk and her Scottish heritage was represented in her bouquet.  As is often the case when there are small children involved, the litllest flower girl nearly stole the show!

On their return home they organised and held a major celebration for all their family and friends at Mentmore Golf and Country club.  It was quite a party!

I especially remember the details, and the obvious thought that had gone into them.  There were photographs from previous family weddings, a ‘wish tree’ and ‘let them eat cake’ written around the table holding the cake.  In the bar where the reception drinks were held there were other similar touches that made the whole venue feel personalised.

Holly was determined not to wear a ‘typical wedding dress’.  The ceremony was held in Chelsea Registry Office witnessed by 15 members of their close family.  Then, with a short pause for confetti (enthusiastically thrown by the younger members of the family) and a couple of family pictures it was time to flag down some taxis then off to Primrose Hill where one of their favourite restaurants was packed to bursting with family and friends.  It was exactly as they’d planned an informal family celebration.  The restaurant was a short walk from Primrose Hill itself so we took a break to take some photographs of Holly and Bradley with the London skyline behind them and on the way back I couldn’t resist the red telephone boxes as a background.  Somehow that red always makes me think of London and they’ve resulted in a set of wedding pictures that are just a little bit different.

I’ll be photographing Sophie and Peter’s wedding later this year, when the camper van will also be making another appearance.

I love to photograph newborns at home (it’s often part of a package that includes a pregnancy shoot and newborn shoot as a two for one) and to involve the whole family.  This was the case for baby Isla.  Photographed first as a ‘bump’ and then shortly after her birth together with he big brother, Mum and Dad.

Jenny and Pete emerged from the Cathedral to one of the windiest days I can remember for a long time but it stayed fine and so their plans to follow the ceremony  by a champagne reception in the cloisters (outdoors) and cake cutting, were able to go ahead.  Then it was all aboard a london bus and off to the wedding breakfast (more of that another time)

The shoot was arranged as a present for the children’s Mum, so Eloise and Charlie were wearing the tops she liked best, and Grandad came along to join in.  I had been warned that Charlie had been developing a cheesy camera smile, and I think Charlie had been warned not to make it, so he spent the first few minutes avoiding looking at the camera!  But he soon got over it and was happily running around with his sister, until, of course it was time to stop and go find those ice-creams!

Surprises organised by the family are apparently another German tradition, and in addition to the horse and carriage,  I had been warned that all formal photographs need to be finished by 5 o’clock for the next surprise.  Morris dancers!  After which traditional cake cutting, although the cake had come from Germany accompanied by the groom and his father.  Wolfgang’s Dad told me later he thought that Wolfgang was more nervous about the cake arriving safely than he was about the wedding!

Earlier this year I organised one at the Buckingham Country Show and Sophie’s family were the winners.  These pictures were all taken at their home, and as you can see Sophie was a real treat to photograph and and enthusiastic photographer herself, she tells me she like sports photography best.

With such striking looks I chose relatively simple backgrounds, and in fact the colours and light in the hallway turned out to be the location of some of my favourite shots from this session!