Elaine and Simon’s wedding in early October was the first time I’d been to the Andaz Hotel in London and what an epic wedding this was.This sprawling boutique hotel is full of subtle lighting and shiny surfaces which proved exceptionally useful for photos throughout the day.
I started off upstairs in the deluxe suite with Elaine, her mum and bridesmaids and after a short time I went downstairs to the gym area when Simon and the guys were getting ready. The gym was a great area to shoot in, you might not think it but the different textures and contrast really helped me to frame the photos before going back to the girls to finish up their prep shots.
Their ceremony was in the Fenchurch room and after the ceremony they exited to a wall of confetti from the guests with their reception drinks being held in the Masonic Temple.
Before they went there though I wanted to make use of the space so for five minutes set up a cool group shot (see above) as well as some photos of just Elaine and Simon using the ceiling above as well as the steps into the temple.
We then caught a cab to the Royal Exchange which took about five minutes and surprisingly there wasn’t a soul to be seen. It was completely still. Usually the Royal Exchange is a buzz of tourists but on this occassion there wasn’t anyone around so we absolutely made the most of the opportunity.
When we returned dinner was due to be served in the 1901 room. This space worked really well with one half being set for dinner, the other for the dancefloor and DJ. Elaine and Simon do win the best cake / sweet table of the year, it was so pretty to look at and the cake beng surrounded by a wall of white chocolate on each tier was pretty special too!
Before dinner there was the tea ceremony where gifts and regards were given, then dinner and speeches followed.
Elaine and Simon had some post wedding games before their dance. Their master of ceremonies helped to orchestrate these involving such things a ‘Can you identify each other by touch’ – ‘Can you kick an egg in a straight line with a tiny shoe on the end of a string’ and ‘Can you trace an egg from one trouser leg to the other’!
When it came to the first dance I wasn’t fully aware of what was going to happen. As in a top secret nobody told me full on flash mob with Simon and his groomsmen. It started off as a completely normal first dance, slow and steady, then the confetti went off and we thought that was it. But what actually happened was Elaine got led to a chair and a good 5 minutes of spinning, backflips, electric slides and blow up dolls took over.
The whole thing was amazing to be a part of, although I spent a lot of time thinking OMG OMG OMG to try and anticipate the next shot so I could nail it. Ha.
