Everyone meet Katarzyna and Dan, whose wedding reception venue was at Nuffield Priory, a Neo-Gothic design of the Palace of Westminster.
The wedding photography commenced with the girls getting ready at the couple’s home. When I arrived I was greeted by Katarzyna’s Dad, who presented me with a shot of vodka.
Katarzyna and her family are from Poland and there were many Polish traditions observed throughout the day, one of these being vodka shots.
There was lots of hustle and bustle as the girls got ready and this gave me the opportunity to photograph the smaller details of the day, from cards of congratulations, texts from well wishers to the vodka bottles bearing personalised messages.
Dan’s Mum had flown in from South Africa and had brought with her the wedding dress, that she had designed and made for Katarzyna! It was truly exquisite and the amount of time it must have taken her to make it resulted in a labour of love.
Capturing Katarzyna transform into a classically elegant Bride was such an honour for me and the killer-red lipstick perfected her look.
Over at the The Sacred Heart Church in Caterham, the Groom, groomsmen and guests waited with anticipation for the Bride’s arrival. Katarzyna’s Dad escorted his radiant daughter down the aisle as she beamed with excitement.
After the ceremony the newlyweds made their way to the foyer, where they were greeted and congratulated by the excited guests, who, once outside waited to shower the couple with handfuls of rice as they exited the church. Such fun to photograph this action!
Upon our return to Nuffield Priory for the reception another Polish tradition, consisting of salt, bread, water and wine, followed by the breaking of glasses, was observed before entering the building.
Once inside champagne-filled flutes clinked. Many of the guests had flown in from Poland, South Africa and Portugal so there was lots of mingling and chatting. The guests loved the grandeur of the venue and this provided a wonderful backdrop for the photographs. The fabulous views of the Surrey Downs outside, complemented by the equally fabulous weather, was a photographer’s dream!
The wedding meal and the remainder of the evening were thoroughly enjoyed by all and a lot more vodka, specially made by Katarzyna’s Dad, was consumed. Wild dance floor antics instigated by the bridesmaids, great music from the band, an evening BBQ and a creative Photo Booth session (which you can see in Part II of their wedding feature!), provided by yours truly, all added to the fun of an already perfect wedding day!
Hope that you enjoy looking through their wedding photos x