A Trinity Buoy Wharf Wedding
Trinity Buoy Wharf has got to be up there with the most interesting and unusual London wedding venues I’ve been to. Opposite the Millennium Dome and bang in the middle of the old docks it’s partially pedestrianised (particularly at weekends) so is remarkably free from traffic and road noise - plus of course you’ve got the Thames right there and whatever that intangible vibe is that you get from being by a body of water. The wharf itself is classic ‘gentrified east London’ with the old London Stock brick buildings, brightly coloured repurposed shipping containers and random nautical (and non-nautical) artefacts, so it’s absolutely packed with dock-related imagery which make great backdrops for wedding photos, not least the iconic lighthouse (more on that below).
Something to consider with a London wedding - and your wedding photography - is that your chances or a maxed-out low sun golden hour for couple portraits are reduced - mainly by buildings. However, being on the river means there’s a lot more horizon to play with, depending on the time of year. If golden hour-type wedding photos are important to you it would be worth building in or allowing time for your photographer (hopefully me) to grab you for 15 minutes when the light is right. I sometimes use a sun-tracking app to predict the path of the sun and when it might poke between buildings or be in a good spot…
Back to the morning for a second: Miriam and Joe had a large, Jewish wedding. It was my first Jewish wedding and wow… nothing had prepared me for the absolute scenes that unfolded here. Early in the day they had their first look - a chance for the couple to meet in their wedding dress and suit, spend a bit of time together in the blazing London summer sun, and of course, get some photos. We explored the lanes behind the venue in order to avoid the arriving guests.
M&J returned inside for final prep and I grabbed some guest candids. On this occasion at least the venue is split into two areas - the actual dock - a large open space on the riverside - and the main building which was essentially a repurposed warehouse - very cool and very flexible. There are of course multiple additional rooms that can be used for changing, storage, etc. In fact this 100+ guest wedding only used one of the two large halls.
Out came the Chuppah, then Joe and his parents, and finally Miriam with her parents. The ceremony was beautiful, with the traditional blessings, songs, the symbolic circling of the groom by the bride, and the breaking of the glass.
In contrast to the rather serious religious event that is the ceremony, the wedding feast was a fun, lively celebration for the couple. Man, it was amazing! These special, traditional Jewish wedding dances were a ball to photograph.
Miriam and Joe wanted photos on the lighthouse so keys were obtained and steps ascended - what a unique wedding portrait. Speeches followed in the main space and as the sun went down guests had the option to step outside for some fresh air, or to take in the views of the Thames at dusk.
The dancefloor would be fun for the rest of the night. I stayed late, took way too many photos, but caught some wonderful moments. My favourite was the unprompted limbo - a guest was on crutches and gamely offered one as a limbo bar, with the bride, groom, and several guests seeing how low they could go. I was buzzing taking these, the dancefloor was alive with laughter, music, and feelings of liberation and celebration. I’m smiling as a remember it several months later!
