The recent wedding of Barbara and David Owens photographed by Emmanuel College wedding photographer, Nic Skerten.
I’d already met Barbara and David earlier in the year to discuss their wedding in their old Cambridge college, so I was really looking forward to photographing their Emmanuel College wedding in the centre of Cambridge.
Emmanuel College is situated in the heart of Cambridge with cloisters that are just perfect for wedding photography. The late July weather was perfect and the grounds and 400 year old buildings of Emmanuel College looked stunning.,
My day started a couple of hours before the ceremony with Barbara’s bridal preparations with her bridesmaids and friends in one of the ground floor student rooms. There seemed to be a non-stop flow of well-wishers and relatives popping in and out that made capturing authentic, documentary style photographs easy. These times are what I enjoy most about wedding photography – capturing real emotion and moments that will last for ever.
The ceremony took place in Emmanuel College’s beautiful, wood-panelled chapel filled with the couple’s family and friends. It was a very touching ceremony with tears never far away, but with everybody’s faces filled with smiles.
The cloisters outside the chapel came into their own as everyone gathered outside to congratulate the happy couple – with soft golden light reflected off the old stone walls. This is a part of a wedding day that I never try to cut short, as so many other photographers do in order to get formal group shots out of the way. It is the main opportunity at a wedding to capture authentic joy and happiness as family and guests congratulate the bride and groom.
When all the congratulations and embraces had died down a bit it was time for the drinks reception out in the college grounds. Once again another great time for more natural photographs of the wedding party relaxing, chatting to old friends and enjoying the lovely summer weather.
The wedding breakfast was held in Emmanuel College’s Great Hall with it’s beautiful Wedgewood-blue walls. The couple’s wedding cake was a cake made of cheese which must have spurred on Barbara’s father, as his speech was one of the best father-of-the-bride speeches I’ve heard.
Barbara, David and I managed to grab a few minutes during a quiet period of the reception to get some romantic images of them in the college cloisters and the college’s gardens Paddock area next to the Joker, a contemporary bronze sculpture by Wendy Taylor.
Congratulations Barbara and David, may you have many happy years together.
Here are a few of my favourite images from the day.
If you are looking for a wedding photographer for your Emmanuel College Cambridge wedding please get in touch.
