I couldn’t have been happier than when Emily booked my services for her wedding at Oxford’s Cathedral at Christ Church and the Bodleian Library. From the start I knew this was going to be an extraordinarily special occasion, as only couples with an Oxford University provenance can marry here.

Simon and Emily were in many respects my perfect clients. As they are both doctors, they were quite unflappable and had made meticulous plans, but were both totally pragmatic about events they had no control over, such as the weather. Emily and I shared the trait of hating to be late anywhere and of planning things in exact detail. I knew that unless there was an earthquake, things were going to run like a Swiss watch. Oh yes, they’re a stunning looking couple too.

I needn’t have worried about the weather. I arrived in Oxford early in the morning to blazing sunshine with not a cloud I the sky.

First stop was Emily’s house for her bridal preparation shots. I don’t rush in snapping away for these, I like to take my time to introduce myself to everyone, and get a feel for the vibe of the day. I want and need to now all the important details; to really get a feel for their day. My job was made so much easier by the complete absence of clutter and Emily’s great interior design taste. If things at the house look a bit arranged and staged, they’re absolutely not. That’s not my way; I just record things as they happen. There were so many friendly and happy people at the house that morning; they made my stay an absolute pleasure.

It was not without some consternation that Emily’s mum confided to me that she was also a wedding photographer, working predominately in France. No pressure there then.

After a relaxed morning and using our combined motto of “If you’re not 10 minutes early, you’re late”, Emily packed me off in a taxi to get off to meet Simon, Nav the Best Man and everyone else at the Cathedral.

If I photograph a wedding at a venue I have not shot at before, I always do my level best to visit a week or so before, just to make sure I know the lay of the land am familiar with the location. It’s that professional approach my clients expect of me. As planned I was able to visit the Cathedral and get shown around by the immensely helpful Rev. Ralph Williamson, who could not have been more friendly, along with the knowledgeable Porters I chatted to on way round, who briefed me on how crowed the entrance would be for Emily’s arrival. Prior planning and preparation paid off there for sure, it was packed!

My words really can’t do the Cathedral at Christ Church justice, so suffice to say that it is a magnificent building with quite the most spectacular choir I have listened to first hand. Recently the choir has sung at St Paul’s, Winchester, Salisbury, Worcester, Hereford, Gloucester and Coventry cathedrals as well as Westminster Abbey, Trinity College, Cambridge and St George’s Chapel, Windsor; it is a choir of international renown.

Following the service, Simon and Emily had chosen to walk through the picturesque backstreets of Oxford to the Bodleian Library. Walking is the surest, and quickest way of navigating the city by far. Oxford’s libraries are among the most celebrated in the world, not only for their incomparable collections of books and manuscripts, but also for their buildings, some of which have remained in continuous use since the Middle Ages. Among them the Bodleian, the chief among the University’s libraries, has a special place. Special too are the staff of the Bodleian, who were helpful, accommodating and even conducted a tour for the guests.

Some might not think that the hall would be a fitting place for a rock band, but following the most excellent wedding breakfast, and some genuinely original and entertaining speeches, it would be fair and accurate to say that the party that ended the day, well and truly rocked the house.

Here is a small selection of my images from the day, I hope you enjoy them, and if you do, please leave a comment below, I’d genuinely love to hear what you have to say.

If you like my style of documentary wedding photography, contact me here today to discuss your professional wedding coverage.

This post first appeared on the blog of Bob Owen Photography Ltd

This is my type of group shot at a wedding.

Whilst family groups are an important part of many weddings, I much prefer images such as this from a personal perspective. There are actually 6 conversations taking place here, and everyone is animated and natural.

For some, this might not even be considered a wedding photograph, the bride’s facing away from us after all, but that is to miss the point. Weddings are about the coming together of people and families and that is what I strive to show in my documentary wedding photography.

Pictures of rows of people standing and smiling serve as record shots of who attended your wedding, but the pictures that show the character, love and connection between people, are a series of pictures like this.

This image also serves as a preview of a forthcoming blog post of Simon and Emily’s wedding from the magnificent Christ Church Cathedral and Bodleian Library in Oxford.

If this is your sort of documentary wedding photography as well, please get in touch.

Any ‘brides to be’ reading this might choose to stop reading now, as there’s a bit of technical information for photographers.

Anyone who know me, knows that I’m not a gear head but I’ve recently become a convert to the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 camera, used to make this image.  I generally shoot all my weddings with flagship digital SLRs, but there are times when this small, low profile camera comes into it’s own.

Being discreet at a wedding is usually about how the photographer conducts themselves and what they’re wearing (I always take my cue from the guest dress code) rather than the camera in their hands, but there’s no doubt carrying such a small camera has enabled me to move amongst the guests like, well, another guest, not ‘the photographer’.

I’m not looking for a reaction from the guests, I want their interaction and reaction with each other, so anything that enables me to capture those moments well is going to be something I’ll use to best effect.

The X-Pro 1 can be used to good effect during the bride’s preparation as well, sometimes reducing the feeling that she’s being subjected to a fashion shoot, or being made to feel unnecessarily stressed by the additional attention.

I don’t do camera reviews as such, but if anyone is thinking of an additional camera for using during specific parts of a wedding, this is definitely one to consider. I won’t be using it to replace my SLR cameras at weddings, it can’t compete in some areas, but it’s definitely an addition to my ‘toolkit’.

A small and select band of photographers steered me towards this camera, so thanks must go to them. You know who you are guys; I’m obliged.

Venues:

Christ Church Cathedral

Bodleian Library

This post first appeared on the blog of Bob Owen Photography