I was really excited about shooting Amy and Garry’s wedding. It would be my first one in London, and as a (sort of) Londoner (shut up zone 4 still counts), I knew it would be special. As well as that, I had done an engagement shoot for them at Alexandra Palace the month before which was completely marvellous. They were affectionate, smiley and fun to be around; I was really excited about shooting Amy and Garry’s wedding. It would be my first one in London, and as a (sort of) Londoner (shut up zone 4 still counts), I knew it would be special. As well as that, I had done an engagement shoot for them at Alexandra Palace the month before which was completely marvellous. They were affectionate, smiley and fun to be around; a joy to photograph and a cracking location. It’s been about a year since my initial meeting with Amy, after our mutual friend and Amy’s bridesmaid, Ashley, had recommended me to her. Amy and Garry were on a tight budget for their wedding and weren’t going to have a photographer at all, but (thankfully!) Ashley convinced Amy it would be worth it. And they still managed to pull the whole thing off for just £6k, which is incredible.
The more I got to know Amy, the more excited I was about their wedding, because other than the fact that both she and Garry are lovely humans, I knew how much she was putting into the wedding; the day was going to be packed with cool details and beautiful creativity, and I was not disappointed. The paper crafted bouquets and wondrous illustration (by Sarah Vernon) used for their ‘signing’ board (where people dipped their fingers in paint and fingerprints became balloons) were two I particularly loved.
Amy got ready at her flat in North London; there were tears of emotion that turned into laughter, bridesmaids that all chipped in to the getting ready process, and a casual 20 minutes where they all got locked out of the flat. The main thing I took away from the morning (other than slightly red eyes) was how strong the friendships were between Amy and her three bridesmaids; if anyone needs tips on how to be a great bridesmaid, these are the girls to ask. The ceremony was at Haringey Civic Centre which was perfect for their small ceremony and keeping the costs down. It wasn’t grand, no, but it was light and simple and both the wedding party and guests’ smiles outshone everything else anyway.
The majority of the day was held at the Lamb Tavern at Leadenhall Market, and I can tell you, no amount of Google image-searching would the venue justice. Leadenhall Market made for an absolutely STUNNING backdrop for the portraits of Amy and Garry. The London bus that took us to the venue had been a little delayed, but we still found time to get some gorgeous shots of them together, despite the general public being an audience! The hanging book ceiling was amazing and suited them perfectly.
After a three-course meal at the top of the three levels we had at the Lamb Tavern, there was a pub quiz which evening guests joined for, bake-off goodies, dancing into the evening out on the cobbled streets and then all sorts of other fun and games at Old Tom’s Bar later on (it turns out I'm still completely rubbish at Mario Kart).
I could talk about this wedding all day, but hopefully the photos will do the rest. It was genuinely one of my favourite weddings I’ve ever shot. Beautiful, emotional and SO MUCH fun.