Nadine Van Biljon

Tracie and Andy chose a really unique venue in London, The Swan at Shakespeare's Globe, for its fantastic views over St Paul’s Cathedral from the ceremony room so when it came to taking their couple portraits, we absolutely had to feature this majestic building. When you get married in the very centre of London, there really is no such thing as ‘alone time’, and for two fairly private people, stepping out onto the Millennium Bridge with a few hundred tourists and city workers was a bit of a daunting prospect. I’m so happy they managed to lose their inhibitions and embrace the moment as well as each other…and I’m very grateful to Mother Nature for putting on a pretty spectacular cloud show for us to add to the drama.

It was one of those days…fluctuating between bright blue skies, followed by torrential downpours. We’d been on weather watch all day, second guessing whether the rain would hold off long enough for Alice and Ed to enjoy their drinks reception in the grounds of her parent’s fantastic home in East Sussex. For the most part it did, and then the heavens opened with a vengeance sending everyone scurrying across the field towards the marquee. Once everyone was finally inside, sure enough the rain stopped, the sun popped out and so did the most amazingly vivid double rainbow. The couple had just sat down for their meal but they dropped everything to come and marvel at Mother Nature’s most generous wedding gift to them. Less than two minutes later it completely vanished and I gave my own quiet thanks to the photography Gods.

Nina and Matt got married at the stunning St Ermin's in Westminster, London. One of the reasons they chose the hotel was because of its beautifully ornate rooms. They knew they wanted a photo on the sweeping staircase in the hotel lobby but I wanted to create something dramatic for them befitting of the opulence of the hotel. I would normally take a shot like this towards the end of the night but Nina was rushed into the hospital only a few days before the wedding for major surgery and, understandably it was looking like she might not have the energy to stay that late. So in the late afternoon as the guests were taking their seats for the wedding breakfast we took a little time out to create this shot. I exposed for the chandelier and the various lights in the lobby and used a video light to highlight the couple. Thankfully the couple is as delighted with the image as I am.