THE WEDDING DAY

I am so looking forward to photograph today's wedding in South London. The bride and groom are relaxed and creative, just the right couples for my alternative and modern wedding photography.

I arrived at the wedding venue very early. It's only 9.30am, and I'm already at The Windmill on the Common Hotel, where the bride is getting ready with her sister. This historic venue is so full of character in the heart of Clapham Common in South London. Major renovations are taking place, but it certainly looks good already.

THE WINDMILL ON THE COMMON

Although we're in London, it feels as though we're in the middle of the countryside. The Windmill on the Common is surrounded by 200 acres of green space. The venue is very friendly and cosy. The olive green wooden panelling of the interior gives the place a touch of modernity in a retro style. Okay, time to get to work now. The bride Beth has arrived from the hairdresser with her sister Rhiannon. Beth's room is exceptional. Well, she is the bride, after all. Decorated in a very welcoming and quirky way that makes you feel at home.

MORDEN PARK HOUSE WEDDING

The wedding has a very '60s feel, and Beth looks like an Italian actress from that era. She's so incredibly photogenic – this wedding is going to be amazing. I can't wait to see Benny, the pug, with his tuxedo. I'm looking forward to the red bus, the fun and the cosy reception at The Windmill. The ceremony is held at the Merton Registry office at Morden Park House, a beautiful grade II listed building dated 1770. The interior has several outstanding features, such as the grand imperial staircase, wrought iron balustrade, and black and white marbled entrance. After the ceremony, the guests travelled in a red double-decker bus to the reception. Oh, I love everything about this laid-back wedding. Simple, stylish, and quirky with an urban twist.

THE BRIDE BEAUTIFUL WORDS

We had decided not to hire a photographer for our wedding as we have many talented photographers for friends coming to our day. When I met Paola, we immediately hit it off. She's so upbeat and has such a great portfolio I realised she's not just any old wedding photographer! When you hire her, you get a photojournalist who'll document everything you don't expect or think about until after the wedding day. I am so glad I met Paola. She's thoughtful and thorough and really, really kind. She captured the essence of our day even better than we could have imagined. Looking at the photos now, I had no idea she was taking pictures all through the day and evening, she stayed in the background the whole time, and yet she must have hardly sat down! Paola's fantastic and so are our pictures, our biggest problem now is choosing which of them to leave out of the wedding albums they're all so great! In Paola, you get a photographer, an artist and a friend all wrapped into one lovely parcel. I hope we stay in touch for a long time!

I would love to hear from you if you are looking for an alternative wedding photographer in London.