Varun & Parisa had their Hindu ceremony at Shri Sanatan Hindu Mandir Temple in Wembley. The temple was stunning- it was like a little part of India was lifted up and placed in West London. I loved the ornate ceiling with the vibrant colours as well as all the carvings on the outside of the building. Parisa is really creative and did the hanging flower installation for the ceremony. I enjoy working for creatives, I also enjoy working for couples that really get my documentary style. During Bride prep Parisa’s Sister was feeding her a banana. I cheekily got a few pics and looked at Parisa with a “is this ok?” face. Parisa said “Olly- this is why we hired you- for the documentary moments- go for it!” A highlight for me was when Varun was paraded into the temple and I think he might have danced for about 30 minutes solid (respect!) I laughed when Parisa’s Dad said “time for a break now” to Varun as he finally reached the temple.
After lunch (which was delicious) the mayhem ensued- Varun’s shoes were stolen by family members and a ransom was demanded. During this time an over-excited cousin dived to the ground to get said shoe and gashed his leg open and ripped his trousers (image beneath!) The day finished with a trip to see Parisa’s Nan in her care home. She has dementia and couldn’t make the ceremony. I was close to crying when Parisa’s Nan held her hands and looked at her so fondly. It’s moments like this that make me very grateful that I get to do this job (although it never feels like a job.)
Olly photographed a friend’s wedding and then did ours two years later after I was taken by the wonderful photos he took for my friend. It was so great to flick through her album and remember exactly how I felt as a guest on the day. After the venue and the priest, Olly was the next thing we wanted to get pinned down because I just KNEW he would capture exactly how our wedding felt.
We very much wanted our wedding celebrations to be focused on us and love and having fun, rather than posed, polished moments and Olly was perfect in helping us achieve that, not only because of his photography style but because of his kind, fun, and helpful nature. One of my Cousin’s, word for word, said Olly was the nicest photographer he’s ever met, and anyone that has had a wedding knows the importance of having vendors that bring positive energy. As the Bride, I felt more at ease when Olly made (sometimes terrible, sorry Olly) jokes and right before our speeches he gave us a really sweet pep talk that genuinely helped me feel calmer and more prepared.
Wedding planning is not easy, but having someone like Olly on your team makes it much easier. He’s organised, professional, and discreet. He knows how to handle difficult family members and is also super flexible – he photographed our wedding day across two separate locations 30 mins apart. If it sounds like Olly is more than a photographer, it’s because he is! But as a photographer he’s an artist, incredibly talented and always in the right place at the right time with his cameras. I’m so pleased that our wedding and reception was captured by him.
