When Jon and Jenni approached me to be their  Addington Palace wedding photographer I was absolutely thrilled. It’s one of the most beautiful venues in Surrey, and somewhere I’ve always wanted to shoot. They are also a really lovely couple and when they told me what they had planned I was even more excited. We shot their pre wedding session in Battersea Park on a beautiful sunny day in June. Not only did we get some great shots, but we also had an awesome time. I love doing a pre wedding shoot with my couples as it gives me a chance to really get to know them and vice versa. I can also go through different poses and techniques, and by showing Jon and Jenni how I work I was able to make them feel much more relaxed on the wedding day.

The day itself got off to an early start, with my second shooter and wingman, Blondie Photography meeting me at 9 am. Jenni and her bridesmaids were getting ready at Rowhill Grange Hotel in Wilmington, where we arrived just before 10. After a quick look around the grounds we went up to her room. She’d stayed there with her bridesmaids the night before and there were several tell tale signs of a girly night in. DVD’s, champagne and the remains of a full English were all evident and the bridal prep was in full flow, with the make up artist and hair stylist doing their thing. At this point in the day I generally hang back and capture reportage style images, documenting things as they unfold. The very talented Sarah Anne Duncan, who was doing Jenni’s make up, had cleverly positioned her next to a large window, allowing me to take some beautifully lit natural light portraits.

After spending a couple of hours photographing Jenni and the girls, Tim left to grab some images of the guys getting ready at Addington Palace. Meanwhile I got Jenni and her bridesmaids together for some fun group shots, and then took some individual bridal portraits of Jenni, who looked absolutely stunning. A special mention goes to one of the bridesmaids, Rebecca, who doubled up as my assistant and did a great job of holding the reflector.

We departed in the wedding car, a vintage Rolls Royce, and after a short drive we arrived at Addington Palace. It’s an absolutely amazing venue and the ceremony was conducted in a room with a huge window facing the couple, which provided perfect lighting.

Afterwards everyone headed outside in to the glorious Summer sunshine for a champagne reception, followed by the formal group shots. This gave me the chance to try out a few fun ideas with the brides and ushers. All of them were really up for it and we had a great time.

The wedding breakfast was next and as deserts were being served I took a moment to take Jon and Jenni aside for some portraits I had planned.  There are so many great locations and opportunities for an Addington Palace wedding photographer to take advantage of. I loved shooting beauitiful, romantic photography at Addington Palace, and its the sort of venue that really suits my style. On this occasion we worked our way around the main staircase, using the huge glass roof dome as a feature.  Jenni had also requested a Cinderella style shot with her shoes, so I set this up on the stairs and you can see the result in the images below.

After dinner the whole bridal party slipped away for the final rehearsal of a special surprise dance routine they had planned. This was held in an absolutely stunning period room and I was able shoot some more portraits, as well as some off the cuff images of a bridesmaid pillow fight that broke out whilst I was doing so, definitely a first for me!

A short while later the first dance began. After a very traditional ballroom style start, quite befitting of the Great  Hall which has played host to BBC 1’s Come Dancing, Jon and Jenni were suddenly joined on the floor by the bridal party. What followed was an absolute dance extravaganza, ranging from Grease to Run DMC and everything in between. Definitely one of the best first dances I’ve seen and one I’ll never forget.

However, it turned out that this was merely a warm up as the craziest dance moves were yet to come, and for the next few hours the dance floor was well and truly rocked.

I often stay late at the weddings I shoot, as I believe that some of the best images are captured when people loosen up and let their hair down, and I wasn’t disappointed.

As the night drew to a close at around 1:00 am, Jon and Jenni made their way to the driveway where their car, family and friends awaited. A perfect day finally ended with a perfect farewell.

It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of their wonderful Addington Palace Wedding and I wish them a long and beautiful life together.

If your’e planning on having your wedding at Addington Palace  and are looking for an Addington Palace wedding photographer, then please contact me by clicking here. Alternatively you can call me direct on 07976 741 248.

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