A Cathedral, A White London Cab and a Routemaster

I was delighted last week when Clare, of Fitzgerald Photographic, contacted me about a wedding she shot last November at St.Pauls Cathedral. With such a beautiful location for the ceremony and the contrast of 1950's inspired decor of their reception venue I was excited to receive the photos.  Now I will let Clare recapture the day.

I was asked by a lovely couple, Carolyn & Paul, to capture their special day and knew instantly upon meeting them that it was going to be an enjoyable occasion! They warned me to expect plenty of demands…Carolyn not only a bride to be but also a Senior Events Manager, along with plenty of quirky & unique photographic opportunities. Ultimately, they wanted me to capture the mood of their day and to enjoy being part of it.

The day began early with bridal preparations at Carolyn’s mum and dad’s home in Buckinghamshire. There was excitement & anticipation in the air that Carolyn embraced fully, setting the tone, for all those around her and the day ahead.

The Mason’s London Wedding took place on Saturday 20th November 2010. The ceremony was held in the Honours Chapel of St Paul’s Cathedral. Carolyn arrived with her father in a vintage white London Taxi. Hordes of tourists hustled to take photos of the bride outside the South Entrance at St Pauls.

Permission was granted to marry in the honours Chapel due to Carolyn’s father being awarded an MBE for his services in the Aviation Industry. Carolyn and Paul had the honour of getting married near to Admiral Nelson, Duke of Wellington, Alexander Flemming, Florence Nightingale and Sir Christopher Wren to name a few.

After the ceremony, Paul and Carolyn’s guests were taken away to a ‘secret location’ (the venue had been kept from all the guests to build some element of mystery and surprise) in a traditional double decker Route master bus, with each guest enjoying a mini bottle of champagne to drink on the journey.

The guests were taken on a scenic route of London, via London Bridge and over Tower Bridge to take them to the reception venue; Mary Jane’s Bar in Aldgate. This glamorous 50’s décor themed bar was chosen to provide a massive contrast to the grandeur of St Pauls Cathedral. Guests walked down a bright purple carpet (matching the wedding theme colour) to be greeted at the door by the burlesque hostess / toastmistress; Kitten Von Mew.

Speeches were made before the Wedding Breakfast from the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ balcony box while guests ate mini burgers and drank champagne. Father of the Bride, groom Paul and the Best Man, started their speeches with a rendition of the Muppet show (as the box looked similar to Statler and Waldorf’s on the Muppet show!)

The Wedding Breakfast consisted of a monster sharing style starter platter, followed by posh Bangers and Mash and huge chocolate brownies for pudding. A 120 strong tower of lemon curd and chocolate cupcakes was made by Carolyn & her mum. All of the table decorations and theming were also made by the very creative bride!

The First Dance had a twist; it started with “Unchained Melody” but burst in to “Crazy In Love” by Beyonce and Jay Z, with the bride and groom grabbing microphones and props and singing karaoke style! Much to the amusement of the guests! Entertainment was provided in the form of Mary Jane’s Big Voice karaoke room where guests belted out the classics whilst others enjoyed pulling some moves on the dance floor to the DJ’s sounds of the 80’s! A large gilt edged gold frame was passed around guests throughout the night for them to pose for a framed photo, with a fancy dress box available for those who wanted to dress up for their picture.

The beautiful ceremony location and unique reception venue perfectly reflected the couple’s personalities. Resulting in a wonderfully romantic yet memorable wedding day that both the guests and I thoroughly enjoyed! It was an absolute pleasure to have been asked by Carolyn & Paul to capture their special day and to have felt so involved & part of it from the start.

A Note of Thanks

“Clare, thank you so much for everything you did on our wedding day. You are the most perfect wedding photographer! Your calming influence in the morning of the wedding made the preparation photos at my parent’s house both fun and exciting. You were great at taking control of the guests throughout the day and getting all the group photos we requested around St Paul’s Cathedral. It was a challenge trying to get so many group shots in different locations, but you produced the most fantastic shots and on time with our demanding schedule! Everyone has commented on how amazing the photos are. They are an amazing record of an amazing day. We love them! They are beautiful. Thanks so much again.”

Caroyln & Paul Mason - London, Nov 2010

And a thank you to Clare from me too, for sharing an amazing wedding.

Fitzgerald Photographic

{www.fitzgeraldphotographic.co.uk}

{clare@fitzgeraldphotographic.co.uk}