Brighton Harbour Hotel Wedding | Ella & David

Oops, bit late with my blog this month but I've actually been quite busy! Not with weddings (obviously) but with volunteering at a vaccine centre in Brighton and a food bank too. Yes, it's great to be giving something back to the local Covid effort in my downtime, but selfishly, I'm just enjoying having physical work to do that involves getting out of the house and meeting people! Hopefully not much longer before I can do that with my camera too. If you're one of my 2021 wedding couples who haven't yet had your pre-wedding shoot, do get in touch. I'm planning on re-starting these in April once the 'Rule of 6 outdoors' relaxation comes into play.

As a bonus of volunteering, I've managed to nab myself some spare Oxford Astra-Zeneca so should be fully vaccinated by the time of my first wedding in June. It seems I'm not the only one feeling optimistic about the government road map out of lockdown as most of my Spring weddings have postponed their special day by literally just a few weeks in the hope of having all of the guests they originally invited. If everything goes according to plan (pleeease!!!) then I'm in for one helluva Summer.

A relaxed Brighton beachfront wedding

This month I'm blogging Ella and David's fabulous Brighton Harbour Hotel wedding from late Summer 2019. The couple were guests at another Brighton wedding I captured the previous year and happily remembered me when they came to choose their photographer. I love it when that happens as it means they've not only seen my photographs, but also watched me capture them. We already have a connection and I know they completely get my relaxed, documentary way of working. It also means my former wedding couple will be on the guest list, and it's always lovely to see them again too, sometimes with little ones in tow!

Brighton Harbour Hotel Wedding_0053

Theirs was my second wedding at Brighton Harbour Hotel, which was only recently restored and opened as a wedding venue. It's a 19th Century Regency period building, with original features and colourful, quirky decor throughout. The Marine room, where most ceremonies and receptions are held, is a lovely light space, with stained glass windows and high ceilings, and looks fabulous simply decked in foliage. At Ella and David's wedding, Brighton florist Tony Dunn worked his magic with gorgeous displays and bouquets in green and white.

One of my favourite features of this venue just has to be its location. Situated on Brighton's Kings Road, it's literally a quick hop across the road to the beach, and great to make the most of the sloping walkway down to the seafront for a confetti arch and quick group photo. Yes, for a Summer wedding, some of your photos are going to include tourists and Brightonians enjoying their weekend, but for Brighton brides and grooms, that's part of the appeal and of what makes your wedding unique. I always enjoying taking a few wide angle street shops and including a little of 'everyday life' in those images. It's fun to look back on and see a bit of street fashion and what passers by were doing outside of your wedding bubble on the day you got married!

Ella and David were blessed with the most amazing Golden Hour too, and enjoyed a bit of couple time (almost) alone, just walking along the beach and looking out to the West Pier. I just followed from a distance. No posing required.

Enjoy this little peek into their wedding day, beginning with a few lovely words:

"We first met Jenny when she shot a wedding we were at. We appreciated how unobtrusive she was, and when we saw the pictures we loved the all the candid moments she captured.

When we booked her for our wedding, she helped us relax into the experience, with an engagement shoot taking the edge off our nerves.

On the day, the only time we knew she was there was when she helped us corral friends and family for group shots, and when she excitedly grabbed us for a few photos as the sun set.

The pictures are perfect, encapsulating all the little moments that made up the day, and all the bits that flashed by too quickly to remember.

We would recommend Jenny to anyone looking for a photographer who can do more than just awkward, posed photos."

Ella & David

Looking for a Brighton wedding venue? You can find more of my images from Brighton Harbour Hotel and other local venues in the Venues I Love page of my website.

If you're planning a wedding and are looking for a relaxed documentary style with some beautiful couple photos thrown in, I could be your photographer. To find out more, please do get in touch about your 2022 or 2023 wedding here!

Until next month,

Jenny x

Ella & David's wedding team:

Venue: Brighton Harbour Hotel

Florist: Tony Dunn Flowers

Dress: Ocean Studio in Hove, Part of True Bride

Cheese Tower: Cave à La Fromage (sadly now closed)

Cake: Cloud 9 Cakes, Brighton

Stationery: Papier

Sound System (hire of PA): Those Party People