I’m a wedding photographer, also, a bit of a geek. Let’s just get that out there. So having a wedding client ask if I can shoot their wedding in an old cinema in Berkhamstead was a no brainer.
As a massive film fan, this one was an absolute dream to photograph. Adrian and Daniel’s wedding had everything. Style, personality, and a setting straight out of the silver screen. I mean how incredible do they look!
The day started at Berkhamsted Town Hall, where the soundtrack to Love Actually quietly played as guests waited for the grooms’ arrival down the aisle. A subtle nod to their love of cinema and a perfect emotional cue. I had the opening monologue to love actually, at my own wedding, it gets me every time.
‘Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion is starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere.’
This always makes me feel emotional, I don’t know what it is about this opening scene, but it really does get me. I am normally more of a Godfather, Casino or Saltburn kinda girl so to openly admit that this is my guilty pleasure is a bold move.
After the ceremony, everyone made the short walk to The Gatsby just down the road. Popcorn boxes in hand, cocktails flowing, and laughter spilling into the street. It felt more like a wrap party than a wedding reception. There was a real sense of an exclusive invite only affair. How fancy!
We were given exclusive access to the Cinema and free reign to use the stage for portraits, and honestly, it was magic. Surrounded by vintage film stills and that unmistakable Art Deco detail, the whole thing felt cinematic in every sense. From a photographer’s point of view, it was a gorgeous, dramatic light, bold textures, vibrant reds and golds. Yes it was unbelievably dark, but that’s why we lug those lights around.
Adrian and Daniel both wore sharp blue tuxes, standing out perfectly against a backdrop of classic black tuxedos. It was all very Gatsby meets GQ, stylish, and effortlessly cool.
1930’s glamorous interior was a great backdrop for their wedding reception.
Speeches led into cocktails, cocktails led into dancing, and the night unfolded in true movie fashion with a cast of their favorite people and a soundtrack that kept the energy high. The glow sticks on the dance floor defiantly helped. Guests left with personalized rainbow chocolates and a luggage tag favors, a perfect nod to love, travel, and individuality.
For me, this wedding summed up exactly why I love what I do: capturing the energy, the moments, and the design that make each celebration unique. I’m there to pay attention and notice the moments (of which there were plenty), notice the interactions between old friends, new friends. Look for the in-between moments between the big moments. Capture each scene as it is played out but retell it in my own way. To have someone trust me enough to do that is incredible and I only hope I can continue doing this job for years to come.
