Wedding Photography at Wandsworth Town Hall with a Dixie Queen Thames River Boat
This wedding of two grooms, Andrea and Lee, was so unique on so many levels. They held their wedding reception on the Dixie Queen, a Thames riverboat. It was super fun and the perfect way to enjoy London's iconic sights!
Dixie Queen's interior is charmingly vintage, and the atmosphere is magic. It's more like a ship than a boat, cruising the River Thames with the grace of a 19th-century paddle steamer.
The couple - Italian-English wedding on the river Thames.
Andrea and Lee were wearing matching suits, the sweetest touch was that they both had custom made brooches of their beloved cat!
Andrea is Italian, so it was wonderful to be able to speak to his relatives and friends. It felt like I was back in Italy, everything was so strangely familiar!
Without any doubt, the most extraordinary moment of the wedding was when Tower Bridge, all lit up at night, raised to let Dixie Queen and the newly married couple through. It felt so special. Andrea and Lee opted for a free seating arrangement, so the guests were able to choose their seats. It was wonderful to see how everybody got along.
After cutting the cake, the couple had their first dance as newlyweds with their own mothers. The atmosphere was very uplifting, everybody embraced the language barrier in a very friendly way.
This is what Andrea and Lee said about their wedding…
Why did you pick this venue and was there any significance to the space?
Wandsworth Town Hall: We had attended other weddings at the venue, and really liked the style and the atmosphere of the building. In particular, the Art Deco entrance and staircase was particularly attractive to us.
Boat: We were looking for an original and fun venue, a place where guests could also experience London as well as enjoying our wedding party. The opening of Tower Bridge was certainly an important feature of the experience.
What was your favourite part of the day?
Too many to choose from! Apart from saying “I do”, which was a very emotional moment, the boat party was very special. The weather was perfect for a river cruise, and the opening of the bridge at the beginning and at the end of our journey added that special moment of wonder and excitement for everyone on board.
What songs did you play at your wedding?
For the ceremony, we played First day of my life by Bright Eyes as the opening song. It’s a wonderful and moving song, with beautiful lyrics.
This was followed by Baby’s Romance by Chris Garneau, a song we both loved when we first met.
For the boat party, we selected a number of tracks which were played by a live jazz trio. The song for first dance (with our mothers!) was Crazy for you by Madonna, which was beautifully adapted and played by the band.
Photographer - who and what made you decide he/she/them were the right choice to capture your special moments?
Paola De Paola was recommended to us by friends. We liked her style of photography, which is very natural and candid. Upon meeting Paola it was clear that she was a good fit for the style of photography we were looking for.
Cake - tell us all about it!
We spent considerable time choosing the flavours and the design of the cake and loved the options from Cutter & Squidge in Soho.
We chose untraditional flavours such as Mango and Yuzu, white chocolate and pistachio, coconut, and rose and lychee. We also wanted a simple yet impactful design for the cake, with shades of colour (blush pink, ombre effect), gold leaf decorations and flowers.
Advice - any little pieces of advice you would like other future couples to benefit from your personal experience... How to enjoy the day stress-free.
Ensure you have a clear vision of the day, the flow, and the experience you want your guests to have. Of course, it is your big day, but making it memorable, fun and engaging for your guests will also make it more memorable.
Thank you, Grazie, Andrea and Lee, for this beautiful experience!
Please, get in touch if you are looking for a gay-friendly wedding photographer in London.