The best wedding photographs are almost always unplanned and spontaneous. They happen in the gaps - the moments between the “important” bits - when everyone relaxes and the day feels real. This photo was taken literally five minutes before I was due to leave this wedding. No planning, no schedule, no big setup.
I always like to get a quick parting shot with couples if time allows. As we stepped out of the Round Chapel on Lower Clapton Road in Hackney, I spotted a late-night laundrette with its door still open. The light was great, the setting was unexpected, and it felt very London. We popped in, and within two or three minutes we’d taken a handful of photos. They’re slightly posed, but relaxed, playful, and very much “them”. Those images ended up being the couple’s favourite photographs from the entire wedding day.
That moment sums up how I work as a London wedding photographer. My approach is rooted in documentary wedding photography - natural, observational, and unposed. I’m there to quietly record what actually happens, rather than directing or staging the day. Around 95% of every wedding I photograph is completely unposed: people arriving, hugging, laughing, drinking, dancing, and being themselves.
That said, I’m not anti-posing. Group photos and couple portraits do need a bit of gentle direction, otherwise they quickly become awkward or stressful. I keep these parts short, calm, and informal, so they don’t take over the day. Sometimes, like with this laundrette photo near the Round Chapel, a lightly posed moment can still feel spontaneous and genuine.
There’s a wry humour and visual quirkiness to my work that’s often compared to Martin Parr or Wes Anderson - not in a stylised or forced way, but in noticing the odd, funny, very human details that make weddings unique. Especially in London, with its streets, venues, and late-night corners, those moments are always there if you’re paying attention.
That’s what I’m always looking for: honest wedding photography that feels natural, personal, and quietly memorable.
