Creative wedding, couple & family reportage photography covering Cornwall, London, UK and overseas
I just love Bushy Park, and I was so happy when Charlotte & Luke agreed to have their engagement session there. The day was beautiful and the deer came out of hiding, it couldn’t have been much more perfect. I had so much fun with these two, and I can’t wait for their wedding at the amazing Preston Court later this year!
Sometimes magic just happens. Sometimes you stumble onto the only sunny day among the unnaturally freezing days of ‘spring’ (which forced us to reschedule the session once before). Sometimes you manage to find the only few trees still blossoming, while all the others have left is just a blanket of petals at their feet. And sometimes you even attract little animal friends to come check out what’s happening, in the manner of Snow White…
Yes, Nicole & Benny’s engagement session was pretty special indeed. We had the whole of Bushy Park to play in, and we certainly made the most of it. If only every day could be filled with soft petals and warm sunshine, balloons and pretty love signs made by Berinmade. Oh what pretty bliss!
I’ll just leave this sneaky peek from yesterday’s session here okay…
Lucy & Matt’s wedding day was special in so many ways. First of all, we shot Lucy’s brother David’s wedding to Eleni three years ago, so it was a real privilege to get to celebrate with their lovely family once again. Also, seeing David and Eleni so happy and blooming, expecting their first baby in just a month, made me feel a bit maternal (like I slightly embarrassingly told David, it’s like my babies are all grown up!). Eleni & David also played a part in the wedding, as Eleni had created the beautiful cake, while David performed in the evening with his band, The Big Red.
Another reason that made this wedding pretty awesome was the fact that is was one of the very rare local weddings I get to shoot. I do love travelling around the country and beyond, but there is definitely something extra special about attending a wedding in your local neighbourhood.
Lucy and the girls got ready at the Bloated Mallard in Teddington, where Natalie Guest created an absolutely stunning hair do and make-up, before Lucy slipped into her adorable Charlotte Balbier gown. We then headed for a beautifully intimate ceremony at Orleans House Gallery in Twickenham. After the ceremony Brula, from my old neighbourhood in St Margarets, provided yummy-looking canapés under the blossoming trees, before the guests were ushered into a routemaster that took us to the reception venue, The Bloated Mallard in Hampton Hill.
One of my favourite bits was heading out for some portraits in my ‘local park’ i.e. Bushy Park, which was just amazing (and amazingly windy). It was also lovely to briefly catch up with Gareth of GJ’s Discos, who got the party started in the evening. Most of all I loved how everything about the day felt so comfortable and familiar, and how all the bits of the wedding were created by family and friends, such as the flowers for example, which were by Lucy’s mum’s friend Ginny.
These sort of days make my job feel somehow more meaningful, getting to see how my previous couples are flourishing, and feeling like I am somehow connected to these different strings of life out there. It’s just the best.
I think I’ve made it pretty clear by now how much I love doing these Beloved sessions. As much as I adore photographing people getting engaged and all the happiness of their wedding day, there’s just something very special about photographing a couple who’s been together for longer. It’s comforting to find those roles and routines that keeps a relationship ticking, but as years go by we tend to forget to take the time to really have fun with each other like we did at the beginning. Beloved sessions are such a lovely way to reconnect and spend some quality time together. It’s like they give a permission to forget our busy lives for a while and just have a giggle and remember all the things we love about our chosen partner.
This Beloved session with Elizabeth & Steven was such a joy. Despite the threat of rain when we headed to Bushy Park, amazingly, when we got there the sun came out to play with us and made the gorgeous colours of the autumn shine. Watching these two was so very lovely, I got to laugh along with them, I got to feel moved, and when I got home I just felt incredibly grateful to be able to do a job such as this. At it’s best it can be pretty amazing. Thank you Elizabeth & Steven. x
P.S. do also check out Elizabeth’s photography blog.
