Beautiful Engagement shoot in Suffolk, England

Here are a few highlights from a beautiful engagement shoot in Suffolk earlier this year.

A wonderful spring afternoon spent wandering under the open skies of Suffolk with Alexander and Aimee. The groom-to-be spent much of his childhood in Constable country so it was really special to mark this time in their lives in a place so close to his heart – and so beautiful, too. They will be celebrating their wedding at the Yogurt Rooms in Sussex later this year, which I cannot wait to capture for them.

Hope you enjoyed these highlights from their engagement shoot. If you’d like something similar, please get in touch below. I include a gorgeous engagement session with my main wedding collections as it is a lovely way to get couples relaxed in front of the camera before the big day. Thanks for stopping by!

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May 8, 2018

Elegant and autumnal Coventry wedding | Rachel and Alex at St.Mary’s Guildhall

Autumnal Coventry wedding

I love all seasons but there is something about autumn and its wonderful, rich colours that makes me feel so happy inside! Rachel and Alex held their elegant English wedding on a crisp November day in Coventry, with a church ceremony at the picturesque St. Bartholomew’s in Binley followed by a reception at the historic St.Mary’s Guildhall in the heart of Coventry. Both live in London now, where I photographed engagement session earlier in the year. As expected, Rachel made a very elegant bride in her beautiful gown from David’s Bridal.

Guests came from far and wide, and were treated to a special choir performance during the ceremony then travelled to the venue in vintage buses. During the drinks reception in the vaulted undercroft at St.Mary’s, we managed to nip out and grab a few portraits against the epic backdrop of the ruins of Coventry cathedral, before everyone made their way into the incredible Great Hall, where guests could admire the medieval details including one of England’s finest tapestries. Rachel’s dad composed a special song for the bride and groom which everyone had fun singing along to! The evening finished with a fantastic ceilidh where young and old took to the floor with gusto and danced the night away.

Huge congratulations to Rachel and Alex, I wish you both the very best in your new life together and thank you for choosing me as your wedding photographer.

If you’re planning your wedding, I would love to hear all about it! Fill in my contact form and I will be in touch. In the meantime, enjoy a few highlights from this lovely autumnal wedding.

Siobhan

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December 13, 2017

London riverside engagement photography

I love to go for a wander along the London riverside, taking in the historic sights and getting lost in its quiet beauty.

Rotherhithe is a particularly interesting area, with a long history as a port and most famously, where The Mayflower set sail from on its voyage to New England. It is also home to the fascinating Brunel museum, where the lovely Sara and Florian held their recent wedding.

It has been a busy summer, so I will get round to posting a blog about that soon (I promise!) but in the meantime, here are some pictures from their London engagement session. We took a lovely walk along the Thames Path together, and captured their love for each other, as well as their love of this beautiful city.

Stay tuned for their (amazing) Brunel Museum wedding – coming soon! If you are planning your London wedding, and like my relaxed and natural photography style, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at siobhan@siobhanhphotography.com and tell me all about your plans.

September 14, 2017

2016 best bits – Siobhan H – contemporary UK wedding photographer

love, beauty and tears

As 2016 draws to a close, it’s time to take a moment and look back.

At the beginning of the year, I had set myself a couple of creative goals so to reach the end the year having achieved those feels pretty incredible. Though I’m only in my second year of business, I’ve learned a lot about the power of stillness and quiet confidence. I have a very calm centre which I find myself depending on more and more in this busy world we live in. For me, great contemporary wedding photography is about seeking beauty in simple moments; the poetry, emotion and stillness amongst the noise. Paring back the distractions, and finding a beautiful moment is what inspires me.

We lost a lot of celebrities this year but saying goodbye to Leonard Cohen was the one that had me in tears all day. I knew he was old and not in great health so it wasn’t unexpected, but the rawness of my grief was. I guess he has just always been there, his music and poetry is engraved on my soul and it feels like a part of me. He was one of the most beautiful people that ever lived, but his spirit will live on.

This year, each and every wedding I photographed was a truly beautiful occasion. I want to thank all of my lovely couples (as well as their families and friends) from the very bottom of my heart. Thank you so much for putting your trust in me on such an important day. Also, I was lucky enough to work with some of London and the UK’s best wedding planners, florists, venues, hair and make-up artists this year too – I loved watching you all work and learned a lot from it.

Without fail, I still shed a little tear during the ceremony or laugh out loud at the best man’s one-liners. I shared a lovely connection with a Russian mother of the bride who didn’t speak a word of English, and talked ornithology with another bride’s dad. One of the reasons I take on a limited number of commissions is because I believe each wedding deserves everything I can give. I want my couples to have the best collection of images they could possibly imagine: timeless, elegant and beautiful forever.

Here is a selection of some of my favourite wedding images from 2016, and some nice words too. I am so excited to see what beauty 2017 brings my way!

“Siobhan captured us perfectly. Her beautiful photos shine with clarity, artistry, and intimacy. From the favourite places on our engagement shoot to the favourite moments of our wedding day, we couldn’t have hoped for more. Thank you!” (Tessa & John)

“What a fabulous person! She’s passionate about her craft and storytelling through photography. We loved that she was able to be there on both days; because of this you see the story of our wedding flow from one place to the other through her photos. She captured all the emotions and we will never tire of looking at them!” (Jessica & Crispin)

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December 29, 2016

Bridal beauty – Hersham wedding photographer, Surrey

As a Hersham wedding photographer, I feel very lucky to have some great wedding suppliers living locally. Hair and make-up artist Emily Mickelburgh is one of them, so one morning we decided to have a fun and impromptu photo session, showcasing some of her lovely work.

We went for a classic glamour look, which worked beautifully on Charlotte, our willing model!

For our bridal hairstyle Emily created a gorgeous updo where wisps of curly hair were pulled back into a low bun with perfectly styled curls, with the help of a little TRESEMMÉ.

Her bridal beauty had an English rose vibe with well-defined eyes (using Eylure lashes) and a Bobbi Brown eye palette. She used Clinique foundation to create a perfect base and finished the look with a soft pink sheen on the lips.

I loved the final look; it’s both modern and elegant and I think it would work well on most brides.

Thank you so much Charlotte and Emily for a fabulous morning!

If you are looking for a Weybridge or Walton on Thames wedding hair and make-up artist you can contact Emily on 07985 405105 or email her on contact@emilymakeupartist.co.uk

August 15, 2016

Bridal Musings – Pembroke Lodge wedding photographer – Richmond, London

So lovely to see my wabi-sabi inspired Pembroke Lodge wedding featured in the wonderful Bridal Musings wedding blog!

I first read about the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi in an Elle Decoration editorial piece several years ago, and was immediately drawn to it. Finding beauty in imperfection, and celebrating all that is not perfect instead of turning away from it, was a revelation and changed my way of seeing the world. I feel deeply connected to nature, and find it a source of great beauty and joy.

I thought it would be interesting to apply some wabi-sabi to my wedding photography, so I got a great team of like-minded creatives on board, and set to work on my vision!

With the help of luxury wedding planner Andri Benson (from Always Andri) and London floral designers Okishima & Simmonds, we brought these ideas to life at the wonderful Pembroke Lodge, in Richmond: one of the few London wedding venues surrounded by natural beauty, and a place that encapsulated the whole idea

Appreciating the emerging and the dying as well as the perfect now, and the idea of finding beauty in that ‘imperfection’. I love how it brings us closer to nature and ultimately, to ourselves.

If you are planning your wedding, and would like some gorgeous light-filled wedding photography, please get in touch with me at siobhan@siobhanhphotography.com

Thanks to all of the wonderful suppliers below who brought their creative magic to our shoot:

Photographer & creative director: Siobhan H Photography / Stylist: Always Andri / Venue: Pembroke Lodge, Richmond / Florist: Okishima & Simmonds / Florist: Chikae Okishima-Howland / Makeup Artist: Susan Yates / Hairstylist: Christine Hillhouse / Rentals: Classic Crockery / Bride’s Dresses: Otaduy / Groom’s Attire: Beggars Run / Jewellery: Melanie Eddy / Invitations & Stationery: Lizzy May / Cake Baker: Andi Freeman / Model: Moon Saker at Storm Management / Model: Jack Ellis at AMCK / Hand-dyed Silk Ribbon: Kate Cullen / Videography: McGill Sister Films

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August 10, 2016

Burgh House, London – Hampstead wedding photographer

The late afternoon sun shone brightly as John steered his bicycle down the final hill. He had cycled across the city that morning, passing many of its famous landmarks and allowing himself some quality London time before he made his vows. I’m with him on that: an epic cycle is good for the soul.

The best weddings are often sweet, intimate affairs.

John and Gretchen chose to have a simple celebration with their family and closest friends in the beautiful setting of Burgh House, in Hampstead, London.

With understated style, he dismounted the tandem along with his brother and best man, and awaited his bride.

Gretchen met John in a nightclub a few years previously. An unlikely spot, as neither of them are really clubbers. She was with her friend Sam, he was with his friend Sam. While Sam and Sam chatted, John asked if she was American; she thought he was only interested because he’d been there himself recently. I think she may have been wrong about that one.

They fell in love.

A few years later, John got down on one knee in their favourite restaurant in Little Venice, to the strains of Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic and At Last played softly by the harpist next to them.

That’s pretty romantic in my book.

After their civil ceremony at Burgh House, their guests enjoyed a champagne reception in the Peggy Jay Gallery and soaked up the sun on the terrace outside, before enjoying their wedding breakfast.

Life really doesn’t have to be complicated sometimes.

(see below for wedding suppliers)

Wedding Dress: Monsoon

Wedding Shoes: Jenny Packham

Groomsmen Attire: William Hunt

Florist: Aphrodite at Queen’s Park Flowers

Ceremony & reception venue: Burgh House, Hampstead

Hair & Makeup: Kate Arnold (make-up)

Pianist: Mark Reeves

Band: The Jazz Dynamos

Cake: Patisserie Valerie

Catering: Leafi Catering

Bridesmaid Dresses: Debenhams

Looking for a Hampstead wedding photographer? Please get in touch via my contact form or email siobhan@siobhanhphotography.com. I would love to hear from you!

August 2, 2016

Taylor’s Farm wedding, Dorking – Esher, Surrey wedding photographer

Despite both of them hailing from Surrey, Kyla and Rob met in Tuscon, Arizona, when they both ended up at the same location on their gap year.

She thought he was handsome, he thought she was out of his league. When they arrived back home, Rob quickly became a familiar presence in Kyla’s family home and the romance took off. They both work hard as school teachers, and exude happiness and fun.

Their wedding took place at Christ Church, Esher followed by a beautiful, laid-back reception at Taylor’s Farm near Dorking. I was lucky enough to be their wedding photographer, and the sense of fun and laughter throughout the day perfectly reflected who they are. Despite the London bus breaking down (twice) en route, they simply shrugged it off and got on with the party. On a beautiful afternoon in the Surrey sunshine, they celebrated their love with their friends and family, and a few farm animals.

Here is a selection of images from the day, enjoy the party!

(see end of page for Surrey wedding supplier details)

If you are looking for an Esher wedding photographer, I live locally and would love to discuss your wedding plans. Please contact me as soon as you can on siobhan@siobhanhphotography.com to check my availability.

As part of my wedding collection, I offer a complimentary engagement session which I can promise will be nothing but fun (!), and you will receive a gorgeous set of relaxed and natural images of the two of you afterwards. You can see Kyla and Rob’s Esher engagement session here.

Ceremony: Christ Church, Esher

Venue: Taylor’s Farm

Dress: Essence of Australia from Aurora Bride

Bridesmaids dresses: ASOS

Groomsmen attire: Next

Catering: Scott’s of Carshalton

Cake: Pepito Cakes

DJ: Surrey DJ hire

July 3, 2016

Albert Bridge, Chelsea engagement session – London

I’ll see you then

As the dawn birds sing

On a cold and misty morning

By the Albert Bridge

(Misty morning, Albert Bridge by The Pogues)

They walked across Albert Bridge on their first date.

For Tessa and John, there is a strong connection to this place and it plays a central part in their love story.

They have lived a stone’s throw away from it over the last few years, and have spent many happy moments sitting in cafes and getting to know each other in Battersea, Chelsea, and its surrounding areas. As they embark on the next chapter of their lives together, it seemed apt to give the backdrop to their romance a proper send off. Before the summer ends, they will celebrate their marriage in this part of London, then move to pastures anew for their second act.

Albert Bridge is one of the finest bridges on the river Thames; I find it very romantic, and I always think of that Pogues song.

We took a little stroll across it together one sweltering afternoon in June for a fun engagement session, and gave it one last kiss goodbye.

Looking forward to being your wedding photographer soon, Tessa and John!

June 6, 2016

Modern Hindu Chinese fusion wedding – Part Two | Hertfordshire wedding photographer

You’ve already seen Sheila and Eugene’s beautiful Hindu wedding ceremony in an earlier post on this blog. Personally, I would’ve been quite happy with just that, but they had even more visual delights for everyone (including this wedding photographer). While the guests enjoyed the party, the newly-weds slipped away and prepared for Part Two of their nuptials. Sheila was transformed into a sleek, modern bride in a sparkling strapless gown and amazing rose gold Converse, while the groom looked picture perfect in his Hugo Boss suit. They held their simple but stylish civil ceremony in the Orangery, and after a late-afternoon photo session, the speeches commenced and the party began.

A huge congratulations to the beautiful bride and groom, wishing you many years of happiness together.