Highgate Documentary Wedding Photographer

Weddings at St. Josephs Catholic Church Highgate

I’m a Highgate documentary wedding photographer. I have the great pleasure of photographing weddings all over the UK and in particular North London. Marie and Michael made some terrific wedding venue choices. Firstly, they decided to get married at St. Josephs Catholic Church in Highgate. St. Josephs in Highgate is a beautiful church, and special to me personally as my niece got Christened here. I absolutely love a church wedding, there’s something very traditional and old school about it. The second fab choice of wedding venue was The Peasant Pub in Clerkenwell for their wedding reception. I know the Peasant Pub very well as its the sister pub to The Londesborough. The Londesborough is in my local neighbourhood of Stoke Newington and a fave wedding reception of mine.

Pre Wedding Photography in cool Clerkenwell

I often start a wedding day with relaxed photography of the bide getting ready with her pals. Ideally the bride will be in the final stages of wedding prep; hair and make up almost done, dress hanging and ready to go. Marie was surrounded by her wonderful sisters and nieces. The flowers had been delivered and everything was on track. The venue was a very cool, top floor apartment in Clerkenwell, an AirBnB. The Clerkenwell apartment was super close to The Peasant Pub on St. John’s Street, walkable after the wedding reception. It’s often the little details that go into a wedding that can get lost in the celebrations. I make a particular effort to document these details. Marie had a gorgeous locket with a picture of her mum attached to her bouquet. Marie’s father enjoyed a welcome gift before the ceremony, just to edge off obvs..

Award Winning Church wedding Photographer in North London

Michael had arranged to meet the fellas in a pub on Holloway Road. The pub was not far from St. Josephs Church in Highgate. The pre wedding pint is always a good idea and also gives me the opportunity to meet the groomsmen before the wedding. I always try to have a little chat with the best-man and groomsmen to make sure they know the schedule. It was their job on the day to help the guests get onto the Vintage London Double Decker Bus to The Peasant after the wedding ceremony. Michael was cool and calm, the wedding day was panning out perfectly. Thankfully the crazy heat wave had subsided and we were gifted with a warm sunny day.

Hackney Documentary Wedding Photographer

The Catholic priest welcomed us all to St. Josephs and the guests started to arrive. Marie and the bridfal party had booked fun vintage VW’s to get them from Clerkenwell to Highgate. I was on hand for their arrival. The wedding was beautiful and very moving. The couple had decided on having full Mass so we were in the Church for hour or so. After photographing so many Town Hall weddings which can be 20 minutes in and out this was a wonderful change of pace. Confetti and celebrations followed the service.

The Peasant Pub Wedding Reception Venue in Clerkenwell

The VW’s then drove us to Clerkenwell and The Peasant Pub for the wedding reception. I suggested to Michael and Marie that they have their wedding portraits taken in the back streets of Clerkenwell. There are lots of very pretty cobbled streets and small parks perfect for a natural and unposed stroll. Guests were greeted at The Peasant with Champagne and canapes, or a pint if they preferred! The wedding portraits were a fun walk through Clerkenwell. Both the bride and groom were nervous about having their portraits taken. Rather than photograph anything too posed we had a wander while I captured honest and real portraits. I love to use natural light and always do a thorough recce of an area before the big day. I have ideas of the best places for portraits already in mind that way I can be quick and not take the bride and groom away from their party for more than 20 minutes or so.

Best Pub wedding reception venues in East London

The Peasant Pub serves delish food and has the space for a proper party with dance-floor. The Peasant is also a traditional pub, I recommend booking a Sunday roast asap! The dining room at The Peasant is upstairs. The room looked stunning with lovely table settings and flowers. Dinner and speeches followed, funny and moving in equal part. Before long a cake was being cut and the DJ cranked up the music. The bride and groom chose not to do a traditional first dance. Marie did show case some impromptu and epic Irish dancing skills, the bar was packed…it was going to be a good party!

Booking a Highgate Documentary Wedding Photographer

I left the wonderful Peasant Pub wedding reception later in the evening. The dance-floor was packed and celebrations looked set to go on for some time. The combination of a wedding at St. Josephs Church in Highgate and a wedding reception at The Peasant Pub in Clerkenwell worked perfectly – a great combination. If you are planning your own Highgate wedding and looking for a photographer I would love to hear from you. I have availability in late 2022 and into 2023, feel free to drop me a line. Huge congrats to Marie and Michael and thanks for making me so welcome.