Hannah & Gerard’s Clissold House and St John of Smithfield Wedding
This was a particularly lovely wedding for me, and one that was quite literally close to home. Hannah and Gerard chose Clissold House in Clissold Park for their ceremony, just down the road from where I live in Islington. It made a nice change to photograph a wedding so close to home, especially one with such a relaxed and personal feel.
Before the ceremony, Hannah and Gerard had their relaxed first look around the back of Clissold House. It gave them a few quiet minutes together before heading back to greet their guests. As a documentary wedding photographer at Clissold House, these are the moments I really enjoy photographing – nothing too staged, just the two of them having a moment together before the day properly got underway.
The ceremony, handfasting and a journey to St John Smithfield
Once everyone was inside, the ceremony was emotional and full of meaning. One of the lovely details was the handfasting ceremony, a traditional Celtic ritual and a nod to Gerard’s Scottish roots. Their hands were gently bound with ribbons, symbolising their union and adding a really personal touch to the ceremony.
After some photographs around Clissold Park and a few drinks, everyone headed off on the Roma bus towards St John Smithfield. Food was always going to be an important part of the day for Hannah and Gerard, and the meal certainly lived up to expectations. Rather than photographing the food as a series of perfect, stylised dishes, I wanted to capture people enjoying it – the sharing platters, conversations around the table and all the atmosphere that came with it. There were speeches, plenty of laughter, a few tears and eventually some dancing. It was a perfect wedding day, and a great example of why being a Natural wedding photographer is often about simply allowing things to happen and being ready to capture them. Beautiful photos for people who won’t like to pose.
