Yesterday our team photographed a simply wonderful occasion, as Tami and Joel were married in a heartfelt ceremony, followed by an electric night of celebrations. Our day started at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel just after lunchtime, with three photographers (Blake, Steph and Lee) covering different aspects of the preparations. Most importantly we photographed Tami, as relaxed as any bride we’ve ever spent time with, being made up by top makeup artist Philippa Louise in a wonderful room overlooking Green Park.

The ceremony itself, beautifully officiated by Rabbi Josh Levy of Alyth Synagogue, contained numerous sections… starting off with Havdalah, the Jewish ritual which marks the end of Shabbat and the beginning of the week. This theme of new beginnings was particularly apt, with Tami and Joel about to embark on a new life together. There were many esteemed guests, including a large amount who had travelled across from Israel, giving us the perfect opportunity to practise a spot of Ivrit during the group photographs. However one person warrants a special mention and that is Tami’s ‘Nana’, the one grandparent to be present, although of course all of Tami and Joel’s late grandparents were very much there in spirit. Seeing this remarkable lady throw some serious shapes to classic UK Garage was incredible, but more about that later.

The evening was spent in the stunning Ballroom. It’s incredible art-deco style is as chic as it is romantic, and it has played host to many famous films and television programmes – from Jeeves and Wooster and Brideshead Revisited to James Bond’s Goldeneye. It’s a truly beautiful venue which oozes style.

As the newlyweds entered the Ballroom to crowds of cheering friends and family, a high energy set of Jewish music was played by Mark Greenfield and the Flying Pomegranates, seeing the Bride and Groom positively flung around the dancefloor and at certain points, literally thrown through the air! It was clear from an early stage of the evening celebrations that Tami and Joel’s friends were up for a serious party! It’s always great to see Mark, whose other band Los Desterrados explores Judeo-Spanish musical tradition and brings ancient Ladino music back to life for modern audiences. Mark’s wedding to Donna was the first we ever photographed, so thanks again to them both for taking a chance!

Guests were entertained throughout the evening by none other than So Sinatra, crooning classic tunes around the room as everyone sung along. Uniquely, this particular Frank Sinatra then became a DJ, playing an incredible set which included half an hour of bass-heavy UK Garage tunes. Wicked. In the true spirit of a Jewish wedding, there appeared to be a never ending stream of food for about six hours, including an epic Pic ‘n’ Mix, which we personally believe every wedding should have.

Beyond all the ceremony and the style, Tami and Joel are so fun to be around – and when a Bride and Groom are intent on enjoying their day, invariably everyone else does too. It was a fabulous day in every sense. Thanks must go to consummate Toastmaster Simon Green who ensured that everything ran smoothly, it’s always great to work alongside someone so organised and so passionate about making sure events run to plan! It was our pleasure to work with videographers Sam and Jordan from Hertfordshire-based Slikk Productions for the very first time. Many thanks must go to Karolina and her expert team at the Sheraton, for ensuring that our team and everyone behind the scenes were well fed, it makes a big difference!

With three photographers on the scene, we’ve come back to HQ with a massive amount of images so choosing a few for the preview would never be an easy task. We can’t wait to present Tami and Joel with a beautiful, stylish, emotive and comprehensive set of images, but in the meantime here’s what caught our eye at first glance…