Stepfanie and Ben’s pre-wedding shoot was one of those days where every location carried a real story, which always makes the photographs feel that much more personal. We started in Knightsbridge at Holy Trinity Brompton, the church where the two of them first met, and it felt right to begin the day in the place where their story began. The grounds around the church gave us some lovely quiet corners away from the bustle of the Brompton Road, and the late afternoon light coming through the trees made for some really romantic, intimate frames of the two of them together.
From there we wandered into the mews tucked just behind the church. If you’ve never explored them, the cobbled streets and pastel-painted houses around this part of Knightsbridge are some of the prettiest in London — a gorgeous backdrop and a complete contrast to the grand architecture of Holy Trinity itself. Stepfanie and Ben were so relaxed with each other and it really showed; the best pre-wedding shoots are always the ones where the couple genuinely forget the camera is there, and that’s exactly what happened.
We then jumped over to the City and made our way to St Paul’s Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge. There’s a reason this is one of the most requested locations for pre-wedding photography in London — that sweep of the bridge with the dome of St Paul’s rising behind it gives you a frame that feels both classically London and beautifully cinematic. We took our time here, working with the changing light and grabbing a mix of wide environmental shots and closer, more candid moments.
Borough Market was the next stop, and this part of the day was a real reflection of who Stepfanie and Ben are as a couple. They’re both passionate foodies and Borough is one of their absolute favourite spots in the city — the colour, the energy, the smells from stalls selling everything from fresh truffles to Spanish charcuterie to Turkish pastries. Including locations that mean something to you as a couple is one of the things I always encourage; the photographs end up being so much more than nice pictures, they become a record of the places that matter to you.
We finished the shoot on the South Bank as the light started to soften, walking along the river with views across to Tower Bridge. There’s something timeless about the Thames at golden hour, and ending the day there with the two of them silhouetted against one of London’s most iconic landmarks felt like the perfect close to a really special shoot.
If you’re planning your wedding and would like to capture some beautiful images together before the big day — whether that’s an engagement shoot, a pre-wedding session in your favourite parts of the city, or something further afield — I’d love to hear from you. I offer pre-wedding photography in London as well as destination shoots in Paris, Iceland, Norway, Tuscany and across Europe, so wherever your story takes you we can find somewhere meaningful to capture it.
Wishing Stepfanie and Ben every happiness for their wedding day — it was a real pleasure spending the afternoon with you both.
