At the start of each year I like to look over my weddings from the year before and remind myself of the special moments I’ve been privileged to capture. In 2016 I was lucky enough to travel and photograph weddings across two continents, witnessing colourful Bengali & Hindu weddings, traditional church services and intimate civil ceremonies. I was able to tell the story of close friends as well as finding new friends in couples who booked me. Here are some of my wedding photography highlights.

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Wedding Venues

I photographed a huge range of venues in 2016, from schools decked with paper pompoms to marquees filled with bunting, soaring naval chapels to small local churches, grand manor houses to university college halls, pubs alive with music to brightly decorated hotel suites, small registry offices and even a boat on the Thames. Three of the wedding venues were chosen as the bride or groom’s parents had celebrated their marriage there, making the celebrations part of a family tradition. I feel so lucky to have such variety in my wedding photography highlights.

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Wedding Rings & Jewellery

I like to find a way to capture something of the day when I’m photographing the rings, incorporating the colour theme,  wedding stationery or foliage. Rings included engravings, shaped bands, solitaires and eternity bands. Last year I particularly enjoyed learning more about traditional Indian wedding jewellery, photographing intricate golden tikkas, nathas and the mangala sutra. I also loved seeing grooms choosing special pieces for their day: from engraved cufflinks to pocket watches.

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Wedding Flowers & Cakes

I saw a variety of wedding flowers last year, from all white bouquets to deep red buttonholes, thistles and home grown flowers, with a relaxed rather than overly formal feel – including table arrangements in teapots! And in wedding cakes I saw lots of personal touches, from swooning dancers to super hero cake toppers, simple tiered white cakes to decorated towers of cheeses, gold trimmed icing to individual cupcakes.

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Bridesmaids & Groomsmen

Choosing just a handful of groups to photograph gives you time to celebrate with your squad. And whilst I capture more formal group portraits my favourites are always seeing groups relaxed and laughing, enjoying themselves. Different shades or mix and match dresses were popular with my brides last year, whilst groomsmen attire featured tailcoats & pinstrips, kilts and ties of every colour! I like to see the different approaches bestmen take to keeping the groom calm and see the banter between friends – including kisses on the cheek & sneaky peeks under kilts!

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Little Touches & Little Guests

I love to see how couples make their wedding their own and am a huge fan of unique or quirky touches. Last year I admired beautiful henna designs, Venetian masks and bubble guns instead of confetti. Also a big hit were the groom’s socks with a hidden secret message, Charlotte Mills shoes with a silver sixpence in the sole for luck and wedding wellies! In the speeches there were surprise appearances from childhood toys and a groomsman dressing up as the groom to mass hilarity. One bride and groom passed a love letter before their ceremony and instead of a guest book asked friends to put a message in a bottle, while other couples asked guests to sign photo frames or canvas prints of their engagement photos. As well as these special little touches, my wedding photography highlights includes some of the special little guests: some incredibly cute flower-girls and pageboys (including a pair of identical twins) with a range of bow-ties, braces, flower crowns and ear defenders!

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Wedding Portraits & First Dances

With all these beautiful venues I was lucky to have lots of incredible settings to photograph couples. From flower filled private gardens to riverside walks, carved arches to beautiful doorways, docks with pink sunset reflected in the water to winding woodland paths illuminated with fairy lights. I also enjoyed a range of dances, from secret first dances under the stars to choreographed masterpieces complete with confetti canons, brass band music to energetic ceilidhs, romantic slow dances to festival inspired silent discos.

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I hope you liked my wedding photography highlights. I loved all the weddings I was honoured to photograph last year, especially all the ways they were unique and personal. I feel so lucky to get to see the nerves and excitement, the blushes and laughter and most of all the pride and love of a wedding day. I’m excited about 2017 & if  you’re getting married this year, I’d love to talk to you about capturing your special wedding story.

www.hannahlarkinphotography.com