an english country garden

I'll be honest; I've not been great at blogging over the winter. I fell out of the habit after the last season ended, and haven't quite managed to get back to it properly since. But, two weddings in two the 2016 JNP season and I'm refreshed and inspired and excited to share some of the beautiful weddings I shot last year that I didn't quite manage to blog at the time. It's Sunday morning around 7am (up early the day after a wedding as ALWAYS), the sun is shining through the french windows and I have a particularly lovely wedding to show you that will remind you that England in the summer can actually be really nice.

When I met Robyn and Joe in a noisy bar in central, one of the first things they told me about their wedding was that they wanted it to be very 'English garden party', and when we got round to it, I have to say it was the perfect way to describe their day. The day started at Robyn's parents' house in North London, where Robyn and her girls had their hair and make-up done and Robyn donned THOSE Jimmy Choos.

The ceremony was held at the magnificent St. James's Spanish Place, a huge Roman Catholic church in Marylebone. I'd perused some photos before the wedding, but oh my goodness none of them did it justice. It was completely breathtaking, and I knew I needed to get some good wide angle shots to attempt to convey the vast, ornate beauty of it:

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The wedding had such a grand feeling of occasion to it; which isn't surprising given the location and ceremony, but it commanded a stillness and respect I've not experienced before. After throwing confetti on the steps just outside, we all headed to Regent's Park for the reception (and I got to ride in the front of the wedding car, fancy!) where champagne and canapés were served to guests in the sunshine. It was held in a big white open marquee on the grounds of Regent's University London, whose buildings are covered in ivy which was an amazing backdrop for the photos and made the English garden theme work excellently. The grounds were a treat for the couples' and group photos, and were led to the 'Secret Garden' (literally called that!) away from the other guests for this. 

Seriously, that ivy. <3. The rest of the images from this English country garden wedding are below, and I definitely think it will leave you excited for the summer in London again.

JNP