Inner City weddings can be really dreamy. One of my favourite things about photographing weddings in a city centre is all the hubub; I love the kind of images where the focus is purely on the couple, and the world around them just carries on moving. I had a wonderful time incorporating that vibe into my images when I photographed David and Melissa back in September, while also getting to capture a gorgeous ceremony in a well-loved Bristol venue!
A Sunny Pre-Wedding Photo Session in Central Bristol
David and I first met at Open Collab - a poetry and music collaboration which I photograph for, and which David frequently performs at. We started chatting about my wedding photography, and he and Melissa went ahead and booked my Something Smaller package - a three-hour package, allowing me to capture all the key moments, along with some lovely candids for good measure. The two of them also decided to go ahead with the pre-wedding session - this is actually something that I recommend to all my clients, as it makes things a lot easier on the wedding day, and is included in both of my packages.
We met on a bright Saturday morning in September, in the Watershed cafe. I usually like to spend a while chatting and getting comfortable around each other before I point a camera at anyone, and to my delight I discovered that David and Melissa were both huge geeks, just like me! We spent a good while talking about Lord of the Rings, swapping theories and sharing opinions about the new Rings of Power series.
After a while, we moved outside to start taking photos - something Mel in particular had been feeling nervous about. The beauty of a pre-wedding session is that it usually allows anyone who is camera-shy to work out their nerves before the wedding day. This session with David and Melissa gave me the chance help them feel a bit more comfortable on camera, and to also figure out what worked for them; neither of them were keen on posed photos or too much PDA, so we decided to keep it very simple and natural-feeling.
A Gorgeous Small Wedding Ceremony at Watershed, Bristol
As an avid film fan, I've been to Watershed many times, but never for a wedding before - and I have to say their set up is pretty damn gorgeous! The walls are made up of lots of exposed brick, and wooden beams hang from the ceiling, giving the whole ceremony a nostalgic, semi-industrial vibe - but with enough florals and fairy lights to make everything soft and dreamy. The staff were all friendly and welcoming, and on a practical level, I always love a venue that gives me plenty of space to move around without obstructing anyone's view or being too distracting.
The ceremony itself was sweet - involving some beautiful readings from friends and family - and I can't quite get over how awesome it was to hear Melissa murmur "one ring to rule them all," as she put the ring on David's finger!
A few months on, I'm still in awe of Melissa's pantsuit; she looked completely radiant in it, and especially glittery in the sun when we popped outside after the ceremony for some couple's photos. And as a lover of a good suit and waistcoat, I also found myself coveting the deep purple that David was wearing! We got some gorgeous photos on our short walk around the harbourside; sitting by the water at one point, we realised we could see a lot of their guests through the windows of Watershed, and a hell of a lot of waving and laughing ensued!
We finished up with a few shots just outside Watershed itself, incorporating the busy city vibes that I love about photographing weddings in central Bristol.
If you'd like to know more about my Something Smaller package, be sure to have a look through the details here, or get in touch if you're interested in booking me to photograph your wedding!