Relaxed Informal Wedding Day in Shoreditch
“We hired Kevin for our wedding this year in May. He was so easy to work with in the run up to the wedding, with clear communication and quick replies. On the day it was a pleasure to have him with me, my family and friends as we were getting ready. The photos he took captured our day perfectly and we loved every single one! We can’t stop looking at them. I highly recommend Kevin, for his professionalism, calming personality and absolutely fantastic photography skills. 5* thanks again!”
I shoot quite a lot of weddings in London every year and last year was no different. It’s a location I always love going to because it throws up so many alternative and urban wedding photography locations. Plus I just like the London vibe, the hustle and bustle! My family who live in Berkshire are not too far away either so it’s an opportunity to drop in for dinner!
Sarah and Daniel were a dream to work with from start to finish. They were laid back and knew exactly the kind of wedding photography they were looking for. Nothing stuffy and formal just super relaxed, informal, documentary shots that capture the day as it naturally falls into place. This is just what I do so I couldn’t wait to start!
All smiles as Sarah looks through a picture album gift from her bridesmaids in her Stoke Newington apartment.
Sarahs Mum giving an impromptu fashion show which went down a storm!
Sarahs bridal prep was at her apartment in North London. I was immediately made to feel welcome by her bridesmaids and parents who insisted I have a cup of tea before I start work! I always make sure I photograph the small details throughout the day and that includes things like someone making tea, breakfast, all the things that go into making the day real. Again, it’s documentary wedding photography which is capturing people being themselves.
The dress is on and Sarah is looking amazing!
Something I often hear in the morning is “where has the time gone?” It’s true, the time soon disappears and before you know it the nervous excitement in the air has ramped up! We were soon heading down the stairs and jumping in the waiting cabs. I remember the day being super sunny with harsh shadows in certain areas so the challenge was maintaining good exposure. I shoot in manual mode so it’s something I have full control over and can change my settings in an instant.
The first kiss in the light and modern ceremony room at Museum of the Home.
Sarah and Dan are all smiles during the confetti throwing
The ceremony was held at Museum of the Home, formerly the Geffrye Museum. The museum is an 18th-century Grade I-listed former almshouses on Kingsland Road in Shoreditch, London. The ceremony room was lovely and light which created nice even lighting throughout. As much as church weddings are brilliant and atmospheric the lighting is never normally the best so this modern light, airy ceremony room was great. Drinks were had outside in front of the magnificent building where we also spent a few minutes taking some fun, relaxed couple shots. Thankfully Sarah and Dan didn’t want many group photographs and instead wanted to spend the time with their friends and family.
Wedding guests have a laugh on a red London bus taking them to the wedding reception.
Bride and groom arrive at The Londesborough pub in Stoke Newington for the wedding reception.
After jumping on a waiting red London bus, the party headed for The Londesborough Pub and Kitchen in Stoke Newington where the wedding reception was to be held. This pub was amazing, I loved capturing all of the fun and laughter during speeches as there were so many expressive faces! As you can see from the pictures in the blog it was decorated brilliantly so I made sure this was captured on camera.
Taking a stroll around the Stoke Newington streets
First dance at the Londesborough Pub in Stoke Newington
We nipped out before the sun set for a few more couple shots around the streets to make best use of the area before heading back inside for the evening shenanigans! For many reasons it was definitely one of the weddings of the year for me!
All the best to Sarah & Dan!
Keep scrolling down to view the in depth gallery!
London to Cliveden House Wedding Day
“We LOVE the photos and slideshow, thank you so much!!”
It was a pleasure photographing Abigail and Henry on their special day last year. Having found me online and after just a couple of emails I was booked and already looking forward to what would be a brilliant occasion. The wedding day would be split between London and Maidenhead as each location had a very special meaning to Abigail and Henry.
The day started nice and early at Cliveden House. It’s a luxury hotel in Maidenhead and would later that day be the location for the evening meal and celebrations. I parked up and got a taxi to The Bridge Hotel in London where Abigail was with her besties for bridal prep. As a photographer having a clear travel plan of how to get to the various locations on a wedding day is so important. Thankfully between the bride and groom and myself we figured out the logistics perfectly.
Abigail is all smiles during bridal prep at The Bride in London.
Abigail and her brother in the cab on the way to the church.
I stayed with Abigail for the duration of bridal prep and hopped in the taxi with her and her brother to St Marys Church in Barnes where her dashing groom Henry would be ready and waiting for the wedding ceremony. St Marys is a lovely big church with plenty of room for myself as a photographer to capture all the good stuff! :-)
It was time for the confetti shot and boy did the happy get confettied, is that even a word! There was enough confetti for three weddings, you’ve got to love it when the whole basket gets emptied!
Take that!! Everyone loves confetti!
Instead of everyone driving to the pub reception the bride and groom took some time out to walk to the The Watermans Arms, on the bank of the River Thames in Barnes. I love it when this happens as so many picture opportunities present themselves and you never know what will happen. We came across cars hooting their horns, children looking on in awe at the beautiful wedding dress, shop keepers wishing them good luck! All of the locations Abigail and Henry passed meant something to them which adds emphasis to the photography and capturing the moments.
Walking through the streets of Barnes to the reception.
Abigail and Henry wave a shop keeper in Barnes, London.
After the cutting of the cake with a gigantic military sword :-) and eating some delicious fish and chips it was time to jump in a cab and shout “ follow that car” as we headed off to Cliveden House. The bride and groom really wanted some photographs taken before the guests arrived and despite my driver taking the wrong turn (much to my frustration) we made it! Cliveden House is a beautiful and majestic luxury venue set in Maidenhead. Built in 1666 by the 2nd Duke of Buckingham as a gift to his mistress, it is now an exclusive 5 star hotel.
Bride and groom at Cliveden House, Maidenhead
The room where the wedding reception took place was incredible with gold plated ceilings lined with art and features. As more guests entered the room it became standing room only for the speeches. The day finished downstairs where the dancing shenanigans took place. It was a brilliant wedding day and almost felt like two weddings in one!
Congratulations to Abigail and Henry!
To view the gallery highlights please keep scrolling and If you would like to chat about your upcoming wedding please click here!
Whimsical Floral Anglo French Wedding in Berkshire
Whimsical Floral Wedding in Berkshire
An amazing floral inside outside Berkshire wedding day that I’ve been so excited to blog for a few months now. I was really pleased to hear that one of the wedding industries leading wedding ideas blog, the awesome Whimsical Wonderland Weddings chose Clementines and Nicolas big day to appear on their blog! With the bride and groom being French as well as the majority of the guests it was a wedding day that was a beautiful mix of Anglo French styles and cultures.
“We had our amazing photographer Kevin Fern who covered the wedding in pictures, we loved his photography style straight away. We wanted to go for a spontaneous, colourful and premium feel and we knew Kevin was the perfect photographer to achieve our goal”
Emotional first look for the bride and groom
Clementine and Nicolas explore the grounds of The Old House, Wolverton, Tadley
The day started with groom prep at The George & Dragon Hotel in Tadley to shoot Nicolas and the guys getting ready before moving on to The Old House in Wolverton, Berkshire where Clementine and close family stayed the night before and was also the location for the marquee wedding reception. The Old House was a fantastic wedding venue and one that I hadn’t shot at before. For some reason many couples think that they should hire a photographer who has shot lots of weddings at their chosen venue but that’s most definitely not the case. Someone who is a creative is inspired by new locations and that’s how you get the most creative wedding photography. The Old House was the perfect venue for Clementine and Nicolas and their big day with a vast expanse of amazing grounds to hold the marquee and evening party shenanigans, which there were many!
Clementine and her husband Nicolas during speeches
Showing off those jazzy blue shoes at The Old House, Tadley
I have never photographed a wedding dress quite like the amazing bespoke floral dress designed by Lisa Lyons Bridal! Wow! And then there were the blue shoes, awesome! Who says everything has to be white! It’s your day, make it spectacular and just how you have always dreamed it should be! I’m sure if there were any budding brides at the wedding they would have had dress envy! When Nicolas saw his bride to be outside the Old House during the first look his jaw dropped! I love first looks as it is an opportunity to capture genuine heartfelt emotion between just the couple while they share their moment together. The wedding ceremony itself was held at St Catherines church in Wolverton so everything was within a ten minute drive. This is always great news for a photographer and videographer as when we have to factor in driving between venues, traffic, parking, etc the closer things are to each other the better. Speeches were split with the bride and grooms parents saying some heartfelt words outside on the lawn while there was still some light and a few more later in the evening from the couples close knit friends. Speeches always make for great pictures and it’s a part of the day I look forward to as I know I’m always going to capture some spontaneous emotional moments. As the bride and groom hit the dance floor for their first dance they were swiftly accompanied by their guests to shake rattle and roll the night away! Did I just use an old Elvis Presley song in my blog post, I did! I’m really not that old :-)
From start to finish it was a brilliant wedding to photograph!
Please scroll down to view a large selection of my favourite images from the day!
Intimate Cotswolds Wedding at Pauntley Court
Intimate Wedding in the Gloucestershire Countryside
One of the first weddings I photographed in 2022 was Jasmin and Anthony who got hitched at the beautifully tranquil Pauntley Court in the Cotswolds! It was a small intimate wedding with 35 guests. The great thing with smaller celebrations is that the happy couple get to spend more time with each of their friends and family without feeling rushed. I also think venues such as Pauntley Court which is a truly unique country house set in the Gloucestershire countryside really lend themselves well to smaller weddings. The peace and tranquility of the location was really emphasised by the unusually warm March weather and created a chilled out, relaxed, fun vibe! One very cool and interesting fact that Jasmin and Anthony can share with everyone is that they were married at the birthplace of Dick Whittington, not many people can say that!
Jasmin and Anthony enjoy the warm evening glow at Pauntley Court, Cotswolds.
If you’re a guest at a wedding not only are you very lucky but quite often you get to participate in unexpected surprises! Jasmin and Anthony absolutely love wildlife, so they had arranged for a bird of prey demonstration! Not only did everyone enjoy watching the birds they also got to hold them, such as a stunning grey owl and what looked like a buzzard or kestrel. ( I don’t know much about my feathered friends )
A young wedding guest gets up close and personal with a bird of prey!
Dramatic wedding reception entrance for Jasmin and Anthony at Pauntley Court, Gloucestershire.
The wedding ceremony was held outdoors in the stunning gardens which was fantastic and just what the couple wanted to happen. When it came to the couple portrait shoot we explored the grounds and surrounding area and found plenty of cool spots for pictures!
It was a pleasure to be a part of the day and to provide a gallery of images that capture the warmth, love and togetherness that I witnessed first hand!
Enjoy looking through some of my favourite shots from the day below!
