A east London wedding in Hackney Town Hall council chamber, and a reception by the Thames at The Gun, Coldharbour

August 2019 Filed in: Weddings

"Thank you so so much! The pictures are amazing! It was an amazing day, probably the best ever and we are so grateful you were a part of it!"

We met Sonia and her bridesmaids-to-be at the Eclectic Wedding Extravaganza in Birmingham last year - the wedding fair to end all wedding fairs! We’ll be there again 9-10 November 2019 if you want to come say hi.

I remember that one of Sonia’s best friends, Kristiana, was already on the wedding organising case, in spite of a raging hangover that morning. They’d been partying the night before. Kristiana took me gently by the lapels, and asked me if we were *really good* wedding photographers. I assured her that we were the best, and I think that was the moment we got booked!

Sonia and Craig studied, met, and now live in London, a place they love. They both possess the energy and vibrancy of their home city, and this was reflected in their super-fun wedding day.

Phil and I had travelled there the night before to ensure we had plenty of time to be ready to capture our couple’s big day. We got to Hackney Town Hall nice and early, giving us time for a coffee and a pastry at a cafe nearby. We also had the chance to be shown around the ceremony room by the Town Hall’s helpful staff.

Guests started to arrive and congregate in front of the hall in the sunshine, along with Craig. Before long we were being ushered into the grandeur of the Council Chamber, an absolutely beautiful room for a wedding ceremony with long concentric arches of seating. There was time for Phil and me to take pictures of guests settling in and chatting, before our registrar invited everyone to stand…

Sonia entered the room wearing a gorgeous and elegant white dress, escorted by her aunt Silvie. It was lovely to be present for such a genuinely warm ceremony, with two great readings from guests. The registrars were very accommodating, allowing me and Phil to discreetly move around to get some great shots of all the important moments.

After Sonia and Craig had been declared to be husband and wife, and signed the big green register, Phil took the newly married couple to the Hall’s beautiful art-deco reception landing for some stunning portraits, while guests and I made our way outside. We formed a human aisle on the Town Hall’s steps to receive our newly-marrieds as they left the building, greeted with a big cheer and applause!

Then there was a short trip across our capital city to the celebration venue. Some people caught taxis, others the tube, but Phil and me, and a handful of guests took the bus! It was great fun rolling around at the top of a red double decker getting some authentic London photos!

The place for the party was an excellent pub called The Gun, on the north bank of the Thames not far from Canary Wharf. It had some absolutely iconic views, with the O2 (Millennium) Dome directly opposite across the water, and the historic cranes of the East India Docks alongside. These made a great backdrop for our group shots, and we want to give a big shout-out and thank you to maid of honour Kristiana, who was absolutely brilliant at organising people into place! The super-cool and friendly Kristiana looked after us the whole time, even insisting on a selfie with us! ❤️

Champagne and canapés were served, and Sonia and Craig cut their “cake”, constructed from a selection of delicious cheeses. Yes, dear reader, I tried some - they were gorgeous! I think it’s a great idea to cut your wedding cake - regardless of what it’s made from - as early as possible, because then it actually gets eaten! Savoury biscuits were provided, and those cheeses were demolished in minutes.

Weather-wise, we were treated mostly to warm bright August sunshine, with just a couple of short downpours thrown in! Fortunately The Gun’s outdoor space had a covered area big enough for everyone, but best of all was the rainbow that formed over the Dome itself! You’ve never seen me and Phil move so fast to make sure we got some pictures!

There was no sit-down meal, but various tasty treats were served to keep everyone fed, punctuated with brief informal speeches from key family and friends. This was another idea I thought worked really well, stepping away from the usual formalities and timings.

A fun afternoon (lots of giant Jenga!) turned into a fab evening’s party. Phil and I used our clever portable clingy GorillaPods to attach off camera flashes to the covered space’s supports, to help illuminate the dance floor shenanigans, of which there were plenty. (The first person to fall over did so at 7:40pm; quite good going) Everyone there certainly knows how to party!

Phil and I enjoyed travelling to London to be part of this truly awesome wedding. We salute you, Sonia and Craig: amour et félicitations à vous deux! Voici un aperçu de vos photos!

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