When Jessica got in touch with me to book their small St Albans Register Office wedding, I knew this was going to be a really special one to photograph. With Jessicaβs family in the Philippines and Brianβs mum unable to travel, their wedding was going to be a small and personal celebration, bringing together the people who could be there to see them get married, while also arranging a video stream (and photography by me!) so they could share their special moments with all their family afterwards.
The coupleβs story
Jessica and Bryan have family in different parts of the world – Jessica is from the Philippines and Brian is from Wales – and their wedding day brought together their life here in Hertfordshire.
They have a nine-year-old son, Lloyd, who was a big part of the day, and were expecting around 15 guests to join them at the register office. Jessica did warn me that Brian isn’t particularly comfortable in front of the camera (often doing a cheesy grin!), so it was really important to help them both feel relaxed and get those natural memories of the day.
Why they chose St Albans Register Office
St Albans Register Office is a lovely option for couples who want a simple civil ceremony in a beautiful setting. The register office can accommodate up to 60 guests, and The Gatehouse was originally the governorβs residence of a Victorian prison, making it a pretty unique setting for a wedding ceremony.
The original prison doors and walls are still in use today (and make a really fun backdrop for photos), and there is still an 1840 siege cannon in the grounds.
The surrounding rose gardens give you a lovely space to enjoy after the ceremony, as well as another beautiful backdrop for photographs.
How the day unfolded
Brian and Jessica booked a 1.5 hour photography package with me, which covered their 3pm ceremony, followed by time for family and group photographs before we made use of the grounds for some portraits of the newlyweds. I arrived in time to capture Brian and Lloyd arriving looking super smart! Jessica followed a little later (having had to go back to the hotel to collect her bouquet!) but with a short ceremony there was still plenty of time for everything.
With only around 15 guests, things felt very relaxed from the beginning. Lloyd had an emotional moment when he saw his mum for the first time, and then proudly walked her down the aisle. The ceremony was both emotional and full of laughter (when the rings wouldn’t unwrap) and hugs (the huge one Jessica gave Brian after their first kiss!).
Afterwards, we had confetti outside the amazing prison doors of The Gatehouse, and then headed into the gardens for some photos.
With a focus on Jessica, Brian and Lloyd, we got some lovely relaxed photographs of the three of them on the bench. Then, with Jessica and Bryan, we made the most of the beautiful roses for some couple photos – and a slight malfunctioning kilt made for some hilarious memories for Brian when it very nearly fell down!
Jessica and Brian had booked a classic car to take them on to the Grove Hotel to continue their celebrations afterwards. We got some fun photos to finish their gallery, with Lloyd even getting a chance to sit in the drivers seat! My final favourite shot was everyone waving them off as they left the register office.
My favourite photographs
1. The unwrapping of the rings
The wedding rings were so well wrapped in their beautiful box it took Brian’s brother a good while to unwrap them during the ceremony, amid lots of laughter. Another little moment that probably wasn’t in the wedding day plan, but made the day what it was.
2. Jessica’s big hug
Right after the first kiss, Jessica give Brian a huge hug and this was the moment of the day for me! It was completely spontaneous and such a lovely reaction that I was very happy to have caught it.
3. Lloyd throwing the confetti early
Lloyd was very excited about the confetti. In fact, he was so excited that he held his little packet in his hand from the beginning of the ceremony.
When Brian and Jessica started their confetti walk, Lloyd was at the end of the line and, understandably, couldn’t wait any longer. He threw the whole lot up in the air straight away! By the time his parents reached him, there was just one piece of confetti left in the packet – so he threw that at them instead!
Definitely one of my favourite little moments from the day.
Three useful things to know for getting married at St Albans Register Office
1. Check the parking arrangements
There is limited parking during the weekdays. Guests are advised to use nearby public car parks, so itβs worth letting everyone know about this before the day rather than leaving them to work it out when they arrive.
If you’re getting married on a weekend or bank holiday, there is more parking available to the rear of the building, but again just for the duration of the ceremony.
2. Only bubbles, or white/ivory fresh or dried flower petals can be used as confetti.
The office doesn’t allow human-made or artificial confetti, including biodegradable confetti, canons or smoke bombs. But that’s ok, dried flower petals are equally fun and lovely and better for the planet in my book!
3. The ceremony room is on the ground floor
This is always handy to know if you have elderly guests or anyone with limited mobility.
Gallery
Planning your own wedding?
If you’re planning a small, intimate wedding at St Albans Register Office and want photographs that feel natural rather than heavily posed, I’d love to hear from you.
Contact me here and let’s chat!
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