Oh, these two! I first met Audrae & Priscilla at an in-house consultation to chat about their upcoming wedding...but more importantly, it's also when I met Storm for the first time (he adopted me instantly). As a dog person (I have 3) I'll admit I was more focused on their fur-baby than wedding planning...but we did come up with some great ideas and talked about timing, locations and all the other good stuff that helped us nail down the perfect package for their wedding day at London's Civic Garden Complex last June!
Like, c'mon.
Love is love.
It's also colourful, vibrant, fun, romantic, full of pride, laughter, and all the things that make for not only a strong and wonderful relationship – but the perfect wedding day! Everything was held on site at Civic Gardens, and I started my coverage right with the First Look, then their intimate (and sunny!) ceremony out on the lawn. With just 23 guests, the vibe was relaxed and laid-back.
The Ceremony
You can already see this was going to be a super fun day, and the dynamic between Priscilla & Audrae is what made it that way! They balance each other out so perfectly, and it was an absolute pleasure working with them (there were a lot of laughs!)
Mrs. & Mrs
I absolutely love shooting at London's Civic Gardens! It's quite literally a walk in the park! It was the sunniest day ever, but there's so many options in every corner of the space I had no trouble finding gorgeous backdrops for these gorgeous ladies! I always aim to get a mix of portrait styles, from classic and romantic to fun, quirky and whimsical. It was the easiest thing ever to accomplish with these two because that describes the two of them perfectly!
Gorgeous, right? We couldn't have asked for better weather, and late June is such a perfect time to capture some of the beautiful gardens! After the reception (we're getting there!) we slipped out for some sunset photos (there's smoke bombs and sparklers too, of course!) and a short stroll to one of my favourite bridges in the city of London!
The Reception
If you haven't been to the Civic Gardens Complex in London, you should go! The grounds themselves are incredible to just sit in and enjoy, but there's tonnes of pathways, gardens, bridges, ponds and trails to explore. However – inside the complex itself is a super cool atrium / greenhouse with more tropical plants! When chatting with Audrae & Priscilla about their wedding day, they said the two things they cared most about and invested in were photos...and food. Catered by Betty at Blackfriars Bistro, it's hands down some of the best I've ever had at a wedding (and having shot (and ate at) hundreds (and hundreds) of weddings...that's saying something.
And oh my. The food. Was. Incredible.
Cake and cupcakes were from Boombox Bakeshop!
Surprise!
Did you expect anything less from this couple, or cake?
...and just like that, we're in the tropics!
This space is literally attached to the reception space!
So, I had this amazing idea to do a wall of rainbow coloured smoke behind A&P but it was way too breezy out to execute it how I imagined it in my head...but I am still IN LOVE with how the coloured smoke bombs turned out!
Seriously...how much FUN was that? I am so lucky that I get to work with such amazing couples who are always up for having fun, fully committing to their wedding photos, and wanting to create some amazing art along the way! Thank you so much from the bottom of heart Audrae & Priscilla...spending the day with you, and getting to know you over the past year, was a highlight of my 2019 wedding season! Send my love to Storm! xoxo Shawn
