A few weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of photographing the wedding of Claire and Jared at the Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich – an absolutely beautiful, grand venue on the edge of the Thames. The weather report was not looking good all week so we were well braced for the bad weather – but in fact what looked like a day with constant rain turned into a beautifully sunny afternoon and evening!

I was recommended to the Bride and Groom by a fantastic (BAFTA award winning) filmmaker friend of ours who I’ve done some work with before (http://benscott.info/), and so it was good to get in early and get prepped and talk angles with a fellow professional!

The morning was particularly wet, and so making sure we had places close to hand to get some lovely shots of the bride and groom was a priority – but with the National Maritime museum a stones throw away it was the perfect place to get some ‘out of the rain’ moments. The wedding prep shots really gave me a feel for the couple and the wedding party, and from the moment we started getting shots I knew it was going to be a really fun day filled with laughter and plenty of smiles. The fact the Claire and Jared’s children (who were both incredibly well behaved and very smiley in front of camera!) were of an age to be involved with the prep and the festivities really brought the best out of the day’s photos.

I have photographed many couples over the years, but I have to say I have never witnessed a standing ovation when the bride walked through down the aisle, a really fantastic moment which set the tone for the day! After a lovely speech by the bride’s sister and a beautiful ceremony, we got the first shot of the entire congregation – where again the couple were treated to a standing ovation – which made for a fantastic ‘everyone at the wedding in one shot’ shot!

As I’ve mentioned before in my blog the group wedding photographs can often be a testing time for photographers and guests, the photographer needs to get the shots quickly and without incident and the guests want to socialise and not be taken away from their friends and loved ones! I had the fantastic help of John (who was the MC for the day) who helped make the groups photos not only sail by but a lot of fun too – thanks John! After a fantastic meal, it was time for some great speeches – with a perfect mix of genuine sentiment and good humour (including a great pic of the groom as a youngster) – we then got a chance to take the bride and groom out for some evening shots, and then back to the venue to dance the evening away.

The day was fantastic from start to finish, with smiles and laughter throughout; a couple clearly in love and a whole host of entertainment to keep everyone happy – the most amazing wedding day.

A big thanks to everyone for being fabulous to photograph and for making me feel welcome, and huge congratulations to the wonderful bride, groom and their 2 children; the perfect day for a perfect little family.

A few shots from the day below!

Justin