Blackheath & Greenwich Wedding Photographer

This was a fabulous Greenwich and Blackheath church wedding and pub wedding reception. Georgina and Peter got married at All saints Church in Blackheath followed by a wedding reception at The Trafalgar Pub in Greenwich. The stylish couple wanted a low key and discrete London documentary wedding photographer. I had previously photographed a wonderful Highgate and Finsbury Town Hall Wedding for Georginas cousin and therefore got the nod to be a part of this fun South London wedding. My day started at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel where Peter and his family were getting suited and booted.

All Saints Church Blackheath Wedding

Georgina was in the final stages of hair and make up at The Clarendon Hotel which conveniently sits directly opposite The All Saints Church in Blackheath. I love it when a couple really consider the logistics of a wedding so they make their day as walkable and stress free as possible. The sun was shining as the bridal party enjoyed a glass of bubbles and thanked the amazing hair and make up team for all their work. I floated about and photographed the excitement building. The girls were sensibly waiting to the last minute before getting into their wedding frocks as it was getting a bit toasty. It wasn’t the hottest wedding I’ve shot (Babington House; 2015. 35 degrees!) but I was thankful for a linen suit rather than some heavy tweed number.

Greenwich Pub Wedding Reception Venues

The All Saints Church sits in the middle of Black Heath and is surrounded by fields. The church is big, light and bright. The priest and I had a little chat prior to the ceremony so I got to know the house rules.

“Every church has a bespoke rule book that depends on the priest’s previous experience of wedding photographers. Occasionally a inexperienced wedding photographer might be a bit over zealous and get in the way leaving a lasting and bad impression. This usually happens with newbies and those ‘photographers’ that have cheap gear and therefore need to use flash (which is mega distracting!). I am always respectful of a church rule book while remaining discrete and getting the images I know a couple will want. ” (JS – 2023)

Peter arrived with his ushers and brother who was also Best Man. Guests started to filter into the church and before long Georgina and her dapper father arrived. The Blackheath wedding went by in a flash with a talented choir raining the roof. Confetti and some more formal family groups followed using the beautiful church entrance as a back drop.

The Trafalgar Pub Greenwich Wedding Reception

A big draw for getting married in and on Blackheath at The All Saints Church is the opportunity for wedding portraits using the heath. The bride, groom and I went for a relaxing little stroll for some natural and unposed portraits. The vintage wedding bus was full of the guests and sat nicely in the back ground as we had a wander. Peter wasn’t keen to spend long on this portrait session which suited my style, 10 minutes is enough to get some fun couple portraits after a wedding. I know we were going to a stunning pub called The Trafalgar right beside the Thames in Greenwich and tere would be further opportunities for reportage portraits (unposed) later in the day.

Blackheath and Greenwich Documentary Wedding Photographer

The Vintage Route Master bus pulled up to The Trafalgar Pub in Greenwhich where G & P has booked the first floor for their wedding reception. The first floor of the Trafalgar Pub has a number of seriously stylish rooms perfect for a 100 guest (or so) wedding reception. The Nelson Room and Dreadnought were set up ready for dinner and dancing. There’s plenty of space and amazing light coming from the floor to ceiling windows. A lovely feature is the balconies that overlook the river and also the Royal Naval College. Wedding guests enjoyed drinks at The Hawke and Howe Bar as I photographed the little but important details that go into a wedding day. The wedding cake and table placings, the seating plan and flowers were all gorgeous – I love the details!

Award Winning London Documentary Wedding Photographer

The speeches at a wedding are always a highlight. I love capturing guests reactions and the best-man at Georgina’s wedding nailed his speech. It was amusing and moving in equal measure. This Greenwich and Blackheath wedding kept to some of the traditional wedding moments including cutting the cake. The sun was setting over London and the balconies at The Trafalgar were flooded with amazing magic hour light. The couple were having a quiet chat away from the bustle which made for a perfect opportunity for discrete pictures. Both the bride and groom have since come back to tell me these are their fave shots of the day.

Ceilidh Wedding Dance in Greenwich Pub

The cutting of the cake led directly to the start of the dancing. A band had set up in the Nelson Room and the guests formed a circle ready for a frenetic Ceilidh (in 20 years of photographing weddings I still cant spell Ceilidh – its just a jumble of random letters!). This style of dancing takes a bit of tuition and the band leader explained the various instructions. A Ceilidh is hard when your sober, after a good few hours of sauce its incredibly tricky but well worth it because its hilarious!

How to book a London Documentary Wedding Photographer

I left the chaos of the dance-floor late in the evening and as I made my way back to Hackney could hear the band playing all the way up the road. This Blackheath wedding and Greenwich pub wedding reception was awesome, I hope you have enjoyed some of my images from the day. If you are planning your own London Wedding then drop me a line to check my availability. If you would like to know a little more about me then check out my About Page. In the mean time, have a fab summer and I look forward to hearing from you.