Orleans House Gallery Wedding - Clare & Jon

What a fun wedding this was! Clare & Jon were married a few weeks back at the Orleans House Gallery in Twickenham on a day that featured a brass-band led parade, a river cruise, loads of sunshine and yellow socks. I met Jon, his Groomsmen and guests, at the charming White Swan Pub just round the corner from Orleans House. The Pub is situated right next to the Thames and the beer garden, which extends into the river, is cut-off from the pub itself (on the other side of the road) at high tide. Thankfully Jon had timed things to perfection and, after a final drink, he bid freedom farewell and we all proceeded the short distance down the road to the Gallery. This was the first time I’d shot an Orleans House Gallery wedding and that means I always particularly enjoy the novelty of a new location. The Gallery is lovely and the Octagon Room, where the ceremonies take place, is really quite something. High ceilings, beautiful mouldings and huge windows equals a great setting, particularly from a photographic point of view. The room is due to begin an extensive restoration but, to my untrained eye, it still looks superb.

Clare arrived right on cue, looking absolutely gorgeous, in a cute camper van and was met by her Brother, who walked her down the aisle. After the ceremony we spent 15 minutes or so on some relaxed portraits – what I call the Creative Session. The light under the trees was just superb and the abundance of cow parsley made for a gorgeous background while also bouncing lots of light around. After some post-ceremony drinks outside the Gallery, Clare & Jon’s band, the rather excellent Gold Diggers, lead the procession down the riverside path to the pier where we boarded the Yarmouth Belle. The procession was great fun, with bystanders cheering Clare & Jon and we even found time enroute for a quick shower of confetti. Aboard the boat, drinks in hand, we had just under an hour before we arrived at the venue for the reception, The Wharf Bar & Restaurant.

The Wharf is a great spot for a wedding reception with a really interesting interior that makes use of HUGE mirrors to meld the upstairs and downstairs bar areas into one homogeneous space. Clare & Jon were very keen to keep their day extremely relaxed, and good planning plus fine weather made the reality match their vision. The entire wedding was wonderfully chilled with an emphasis on spending time with their friends and family rather than turning the day into an extended photoshoot or multi-chapter ceremonial gauntlet! I’m getting married next year and I salute Clare and her Mum Liz – the two driving forces in the planning and execution – for organising such a tremendous day. I shall try not to steal too many ideas from you ;)!

As always, here’s a selection of my favourites from throughout the day. I’m already looking forward to shooting my next Orleans House Gallery wedding!