ST. PANCRAS RENAISSANCE HOTEL WEDDING, LONDON///OLIVIA AND ADAM

The St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel is one of those iconic London buildings you can’t help but look up at if you’ve ever near King’s Cross. I don’t get down to London all that often, so I haven’t got tired of the view. And on the inside it’s just as impressive, with grand staircases and ornate windows.

We started off in the usual way; arriving early, grabbing a coffee with the photographers, and getting exteriors and detail shots. I went up to bridal prep while my second videographer stayed downstairs with the groom. I usually shoot on my own, but with over 200 guests and quite a lot going on throughout the day at a large venue, the couple and I agreed that having an extra videographer was necessary.

After a relaxed morning at the preps, it was all systems go! First up was the tish where the whiskey flowed and the celebrations began before Adam was escorted upstairs to his bride for the bedeken ceremony. I had been a second shooter on a Jewish wedding in the past, so I was familiar with what I wanted to capture. There was a lot of emotion in the room, and a few tears. Following the bedeken was the main wedding ceremony with all of the guests, where it was all eyes on the smashing of the glass! It’s brilliant being a part of different cultures and experiencing how they celebrate their traditions.

The photographer Liam and I took Olivia and Adam outside for their couple shoot, shooting in front of such a grand hotel couldn’t be missed. Filming on the street was a little different to the fields and woods, but I really enjoyed the buzz of Euston Road. Red buses and phone boxes are a bit of a novelty for me!

If you’ve watched a few of my highlight films, you’ll know I love the dancing. With the horah, and a packed dance floor with a musical set from The Function Band in between each course of the meal, it was a challenge not to put too much dancing in!

But as with all of my films, I want the main focus to be on the couple and their relationship. As you can see from their interactions, and Adam’s incredible speech to Olivia, the emotion really shines through in the way that they feel about each other. It was an emotional day for everyone, with a lot of laughter and happy tears, from fathers to brothers to friends, and it was an absolute pleasure to be a part of it.

Venue: St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel

Photographer: The Crawleys

Musicians: The Function Band

Toastmaster: Jamie Paskin