ELENA + IAN
An Evening Picnic Battersea Park Wedding
This was my first ever Battersea Park wedding. London weddings are often associated with a city vibe so it’s not difficult to understand what makes a Battersea Park wedding so unique…but I will explain anyway. For one…trees. Over 200 acres of ‘em. The centrepiece of any Battersea Park wedding is the Victorian bandstand. Not only is it all sexy + Victorian + stuff…it’s also one of the rare London gems that allow couples to get married outdoors, without later restricting you to a shed to sign the register. Victorian bandstands – sexy. Sheds – not sexy. All this is irrelevant because there is also mini golf + pedellos. Anybody that knows fun…knows pedalos.
I got super excited about Elena + Ian’s plans as soon as their email landed. They basically sent me this list of hilariously annotated wedding photos that they’d come across before finding my work which varied from super cheesy plays with perspective (y’know…brides stamping on groomsmen etc) to the awkwardly “still-cool” photos of couples with smoke bombs (because nothing represents a relationship better than a bomb literally going up in smoke). Anyway… the self-proclaimed “photography nerds” wanted Martin Parr to shoot their wedding, but they somehow found themselves left with me. “If you fancy strolling after a bunch of outcasts roaming a park, let us know + we’ll save you a putter” – I was fully in, elbow deep.
Recommended Battersea Park Wedding Suppliers
Photographer – Chris Barber
Marquee Supplier – Hector’s Haus
Venue – Battersea Park
Jumpsuit – Dig For Victory
Bride’s jacket – ASOS
Shoes – Toms
Suit – Paul Smith
Belt – La Fenice Artigianato
Florist – Grace & Thorne
Cake – Cutter & Squidge
Transport – Tomfoolery
Catering – Pique
Pizza – Putt In the Park
Coffee – Hasta Barista
A Bandstand Battersea Park Wedding in London
“You can have a lie in”, Elena + Ian told me over a coffee in Brighton. So I rocked up to Battersea Park just before their ceremony kicked off. There was no kick off, in fact… I doubt any wedding ceremony in the history of wedding ceremonies has ever had a referee blow a whistle whilst the Father of the Bride + the Bride pass a ball between keepie uppies as they move down the aisle. Anyhow…Elena + Ian pulled up in their bright yellow VW Beetle (her name was Tallulah, incase you needed to know).
The guest of honor was Luna. She really shined during the ceremony. She greeted friends + family from all parts of London + didn’t have any problems overcoming the language barrier with family from Italy. I caught multiple looks with tears in her eyes as she listened attentively to their vows. She didn’t pee OR poop at any crucial moments.
Luna is Elena + Ian’s dog, by the way.
Battersea Park Wedding Ideas
A lot of couples intend to plan “relaxed weddings” before eventually conceding to conforming to the more formal structure of a traditional wedding. Sometimes it’s pressure from friends + family, sometimes venues insist on certain traditions in order to keep to timings. Elena + Ian weren’t having any of that. We headed straight from the ceremony to giant inflatable beach balls + a posh picnic in the park, bathed in the August sun.
Things To Do + See In Battersea Park
“There’s lots to do and see in Battersea Park so we built in some time for our guests to take in the sights and ride the pedalos. We also had lawn games and toys on the Bowling Green; particularly popular with the kids were the giant beach balls. Our evening party featured the greatest entertainment of all (in our opinion)… mini-golf! Once our guests had had their run of the Putt in the Park course, our good friend Dan began his DJ set.”
Giant Beach Balls, Pedalos at Sunset, Mini Golf + Pizza.
As the sun set over London, Elena, Ian + I casually strolled around Battersea soaking up all the “congratulations” from strangers in the park. I have travelled all over the world photographing weddings in exotic places, historic buildings + around beautiful architecture but nothing beats the simplicity + straight-up realness of photographing two people in love, in a place they feel at ‘home’. There was never any doubt but… for Elena + Ian… that. meant. Pedalos. The sun set behind the leafy trees of Battersea Park
Near-death-experience overcome…we strutted through green leafed central London (such a unique flex for a London/city wedding) all the way up to MINI GOLF + PIZZA! So just to recap… that’s giant beach balls, Luna, board games, Italian coffee, mini golf + pizza…in one afternoon. I honestly began to doubt my ability to ever want to leave.
We simultaneously pitched + putted our way around the miniature golf course whilst being completely regular sized humans. There are few things funnier than people losing their minds + chasing after a small ball. It’s another reason that I am partial to ping-pong. My mind began to wonder into the realms of “is there such a thing as “massive golf” which is like regular golf but really huge? That’d be fun, right?
“WE WANTED BRIGHT, CLEAR, GIMMICK-FREE DOCUMENTARY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY FULL OF LIFE AND ENERGY”
As soon as we saw Chris Barber’s website we knew he was the photographer for the job, and he didn’t disappoint. In our discussions with him, he understood immediately what we were looking for, and took careful note of our specific requests. On the day he was a really positive presence – able to direct groups and crowds when he needed to, and at other times catching the kind of shots you’d think a photographer would get in the way of. We’d recommend him without hesitation.
LAYLA + AL
SAY NO TO BORING WEDDING PHOTOS
Planning Your Battersea Park Wedding?
In case you can’t tell… I love Wilton’s Battersea Park weddings. I think my fun wedding photography approach suits the relaxed vibe of Battersea Park. I’d also really like an excuse to come back again soon so hit me up if you’re looking for a wedding photographer who knows all the best spots for photos (because it is huuuuuuuge + full of great photo locations)!
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VOEWOOD WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER 📸⚡️
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