East Ham Town Hall
& Forty Hall.

Shari and Mehdi’s story begins with the people around them. There is a dress hanging by the window, a child dressed for the occasion and laughter while the finishing touches come together. Shari’s long veil and Mehdi’s brown suit look lovely against the light in the room.

Before leaving for East Ham, they have a little time together on the balcony. I love including these earlier photographs: they bring back the build-up, as well as the moment everyone is ready to go.

At East Ham Town Hall, the red-brick entrance gives way to pale walls, tall windows and carved wooden chairs. Guests gather inside before Shari walks into the ceremony with her bouquet of white lilies and red roses.

The photographs move between the two of them and the people watching: an exchanged look, a smile from the front row, the rings and the kiss. The room has plenty of character, but those small reactions are what make the ceremony theirs.

Outside, their guests line the steps and the colour returns in a shower of red petals. Shari and Mehdi walk out together through the confetti, followed by kisses and congratulations beneath the town hall’s brickwork.

I like to give this part of the day a little breathing room. A hug from a friend can be just as worth keeping as the big confetti photograph, and it’s lovely to have both in the story before moving on to the reception.

Forty Hall brings a different setting to the next part of the day. The house gives us its red-brick façade and elegant doorway; a short walk brings greenery, open paths and the lake into the photographs. We keep moving between wider views of the place and closer portraits together.

Shari’s veil catches the light as they walk, and there is room for laughter as well as a quieter embrace. The aim is to give them a beautiful collection without making every photograph feel the same. A few simple changes of position and backdrop give this part of their album a lovely sense of variety.

Back at the reception, exposed brick, white draping and red-and-white flowers give the room its colour and texture. Tall arrangements sit above the tables, while outside a flower-covered backdrop makes a lovely place to gather for family photographs.

Around those planned photographs are the smaller moments: conversation by a window, a quick photograph on a phone and the two of them arriving together. I want an album to remember the people who filled the room, as well as how beautifully it was put together.

The speeches bring everyone’s attention back to the tables. There are glasses raised at the top table, laughter between guests and smiles as the speakers share their words.

I’m watching the listeners as much as the person with the microphone. Those reactions give the photographs their warmth, and help Shari and Mehdi see a few of the moments happening around them while they were taking it all in.

After cutting their cake, Shari and Mehdi take to the dance floor. The first dance gives us a close embrace and a quieter moment together before the guests join them.

Then the photographs open out again: friends dancing in a circle and hands in the air. It feels like the right place to end their story, with the people they brought together enjoying the celebration.