What high energy wedding photography looks like at Kew Gardens

Kew Gardens is the perfect venue for a wedding celebration especially when you want to wow your guests.

Being a Kew Gardens Wedding Photographer was always my ultimate dream.

If you asked me 10 years ago where I wanted to photograph weddings, Kew Gardens would have been at the number one spot. It’s such a special are of London that I personally love to visit as well as professionally. Having previously worked at Kew Gardens numerous times, I was able to understand exactly what locations worked best for my clients; A + O on their fast-paced wedding day. Planned by the wonderful Michelle and her team at Elegante by Michelle J.

“Getting married at an iconic venue such as Kew Gardens guarantees wow factor for your guests, but it’s important to bear in mind a few things that come with the territory of marrying at a public place. These include restricted access times, strict supplier lists, noise restrictions and limited privacy in some instances. Weddings at venues such as Kew really benefit from having a wedding planner on board, helping to ensure it doesn’t become a ‘cookie cutter’ celebration and that your desires and the venue’s needs can collaborate successfully.” Michelle, Elegante by Michelle J.

A huge thank you to my amazing second shooter, Chloe Ely who accompanied me on film and digital.

Film Photography

I have been photographing with different mediums my entire life (like most of those born in the 90s!). Only in the past 3 years have I really started regularly shooting with 35mm as I really appreciate the authentic, rawness of a film photograph. I was really excited when A + O asked if I could capture some Kew Gardens Wedding Photography on film! If you are wanting film on your wedding day please just ask and I can add this to your package.

Wedding Portraits at Kew Gardens

A + O wanted to explore a lot of the grounds at Kew, one particular location which is now a favourite of mine is King William’s Temple – the stone tones and the architecture are the perfect backdrop. Of course, Palm House was a key location too, though the humidity is a lot to handle in your wedding attire! My clients were really drawn to Black and white so I have shared lots of my favourite B+W Portraits.

Couple embracing infront of the Palm House in Kew Gardens

Bride and Groom at top of the stairs in the iconic Palm House, Kew Gardens

Bride and Groom walking up iconic staircase in Palm House, Kew Gardens

The Ceremony in the Nash Conservatory

The Nash Conservatory is the ideal spot for a ceremony; it’s close to the entrance gate for guests arriving on foot and the building itself is a beautiful structure – the sun sets beautifully behind the trees North of the ceremony which is idyllic.

Chuppah set up for ceremony in the Nash Conservatory

The reception at The Orangery

The guests wandered from the Nash Conservatory over to The Princess Diana conservatory for some canapés and drinks amongst the Lilypads whilst A + O and I were exploring the grounds. The Conservatory is the perfect spot for guests to explore in-between the ceremony and dinner. The day was finished in the Orangery which had been transformed into a central hub of entertainment. The band were set up directly infront of the entrance with a large dance floor in the centre of the space rather than the end of the room. This encouraged lots of guests to dance throughout the night with entertainment from the incredible Dos Tiempos and House of Lemon’s latino funkers.

““Entertainment, music and dancing are always hugely important at any Jewish wedding. For Annabel and Oli we kept all of the joy and familiar customs like the Hora and Isreali dancing, but opted for 3 different artists in place of a traditional Jewish wedding band. Uri Gold sang for the Chuppah and Isreali dancing sets, and we worked with Latino Funkers to keep the atmosphere high throughout dinner and Dos Tiempos to bring the night home. We’ve planned a lot of Jewish weddings, and this one was certainly up there for how great a party it was!” Michelle, Elegante by Michelle J.