Claire and Ricci's NYE Wedding Party | Coin Laundry | Exmouth Market | Islington | London
Near Islington, at the popular Exmouth Market you’ll find the Coin Laundry bar and venue. A perfect choice for cool couple Claire and Ricci who chose New Years Eve 2022 as THEIR time to celebrate! Once more, a wedding postponed due to Covid, the couple eventually tied the knot abroad but made sure their wedding celebration on home-turf so that EVERYONE could attend, and it was quite simply a night to remember. Claire sang, long-overdue speeches were made and as their wedding photographer of course I was there to capture EVERYTHING.
Coin Laundry Wedding Photography
Jacob's Christening Photography | St Giles the Abbot Church | Farnborough Village | Bromley
Jacob’s Christening took place on a beautiful sunny morning at the popular Anglican church of St Giles the Abbot in Farnborough. Farnborough is less than 2 miles from Orpington, and within the London Borough of Bromley, as it has since the creation of Greater London in 1965. The church is popular amongst the local community and is a friendly and diverse place, offering many services.
Jacob and his parents, Godparents and friends and family were all there to witness this baby boy’s Christening and South London Christening photographer Christine Constantine mingled discreetly among them and took some natural pictures.
Inside St Giles the Abbot Church
See more Christening photography here..
Christine Constantine Photography
Christening Party at Chapter One Restaurant, Orpington
Seema and Shyam's Hindu Wedding Photography | Warbrook House | London
Seema and Shyam held their Hindu wedding at magnificent Grade I listed mansion Warbrook House Hotel. Designed by the renowned architect John James in 1724 Warbrook House is the ideal location for weddings and private parties and events.
It is conveniently located near the Berkshire-Hampshire border and makes a totally STUNNING backdrop for your wedding photography. And look at these beautiful flowers!!
Seema and Shyam are clearly a popular couple as so many of their friends and family joined in the celebrations and all dressed in colourful sari’s, lehenga or salvar suits.
The couple opted for many of the Hindu wedding traditions associated with Hindu weddings and it was a pleasure to provide the photography for such a joyous occasion.
Here are many of my favourite images of the day and as they happened with a bit of info about each wedding tradition..
Hindu Groom Photography
Hindu Bridal Prep Photography
Some beautiful traditional elements that I LOVE as a Hindu wedding photographer..
The Groom's Procession (Barhaat)
The groom makes his entrance in style accompanied by family, friends, music and dancing. They are welcomed at the entrance of the ceremony by the bride's parents. Sometimes the bride’s family will toss rice over the groom when he arrives and apply a tilak (a mark with a paste made of ash, clay, sandalwood, turmeric, charcoal or red lead) to his forehand. The tilak represents devotion to God and incites positive thoughts and energy.
The Arrival of the Bride
The bride arrives at the mandap escorted by her uncles or her brothers, although nowadays Hindu brides are increasingly choosing for their dad to walk them down the aisle, as commonly happens in Western culture. The mandap is a decorative structure under which the marriage ceremony is performed. It’s typically adorned with flowers, foliage, lengths of colourful fabric, crystals and often twinkling lights, with ornate chairs for the bride and groom and their parents to sit on.
The Exchange of Garlands
A jai mala is a flower garland exchanged between the bride and groom. It’s symbolic of the first step taken by the newlyweds into marriage. Most couples follow a playful tradition whereby their uncles or brothers lift the bride and groom up and they compete to see who can garland the other first.
The Giving Away of the Bride
According to Hindu scripture, there is no greater gift than the gift of one's daughter. The bride's father places the bride's right hand into the groom's right hand to symbolise their lifelong union. The Hindu bride is also given a mangalsutra, which is a gold and black beaded necklace that symbolises that she is now married. It’s said that the bride receives blessings throughout her marriage when wearing it.
The Seven Sacred Steps around the Fire
A fire burns in the centre of the mandap to bear witness to the marriage, and offerings are made to it during the ceremony. Then the bride and groom hold hands and take seven sacred steps together around the fire while the priest chants Vedic mantras (representing the seven sacred vows of marriage). This ritual marks the beginning of the bride and groom's journey as a married couple.
Before making their vows and circling around the fire, the bride and groom tend to each wear a scarf or piece of long material which are tied together – typically the bride’s veil or dupatta and the groom’s sash. This denotes their eternal bond.
Eylem and Thomas | Chislehurst Golf Club | Kent Wedding Photographer
If the past year has taught us anything, it’s how to adapt when plans fall apart at the last minute. Covid restrictions meant hundreds of eagerly anticipated weddings had to be cancelled, leaving brides and grooms scrabbling to salvage what they could of their best laid plans between lockdowns.
When the pandemic struck, I feared for my one of my oldest friend Eylem’s plans for a lavish bash in the iconic Italian coastal resort of Portofino.
Eylem is originally from Istanbul, and fell head over heels for the gorgeous groom Thomas when she moved to Paris a few years ago.
Together they created a glorious celebration but sadly as the big day approached it became increasingly clear that many of their elderly family and friends would be unable to make the trip from Britain, France and Turkey.
Instead they decided to have a much more intimate low-key wedding at Chislehurst Golf Club in Kent - just for their immediate family and and a few close friends.
The pressure was on!
Although they did not have much notice, staff at the golf club were amazing and quickly managed to pull together a super stylish wedding for Eylem and Thomas – even finding them a delicious wedding cake and a stunning display of flowers.
My beautiful friend looked beyond stunning in her dream dress thanks to the incredible talents of Turkish designer Beyaz Butik (@beyazbutik).
Inside Chislehurst Golf Club
Bridal prep..
Once all the new plans had fallen into place, it was a lovely day and even the good old British weather was on our side. The rain held off so we could capture some fabulous images of the couple in the beautiful grounds of the club. It may not have been the day they had originally dreamt of, but judging by the smiles on their faces, the location had nothing to do with love.
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Alex Christening Day | St Mary's Greek Orthodox Church | The Penridge Suite | London
Baby Alex accompanied by his Godparents, older brother and Mum and Dad was christened at the beautiful St Mary’s Orthodox Church on Trinity Road in North London. As it was also his Dad’s 40th birthday a double celebration was in order - and the family partied the night away with their friends and family at popular North London venue The Penridge Suite. Thank you so much for choosing Christine Constantine Photography to capture Alex’s special day! Check out the pics..
Awesome suppliers list:
Christening outfit/accessories - @sofiacouturebabyboutique
Lights/Plinth/Cake Stand - @roxys_lights
Cake - @mariawestuk1
Balloons/Teddies/Decor - @blownawayeventsuk
Soft Play - @hoppartyhire
DJ/Music - @djfunksy
Inside St Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church
Check out more of my work here:
Greek Christening Photographer
Mark and Sarah's London Wedding | Stoke Newington Town Hall | The Boating Club
An amazing micro-wedding at Stoke Newington Town Hall with the lovely Mark and Sarah - complete with Routemaster bus! Perfect day :-)
Inside Stoke Newington Town Hall
