A Detail-Oriented, Musical Celebration of Vows in London, by Babb Photo [RF Wedding of the Week]

There were a lot of reasons why Laura Babb, the photographer behind Babb Photo, was looking forward to shooting this nuptial between Matt and Owain (who actually had two separate ceremonies—one more quaint and personal, the other grander in a church).

All photos © Babb Photo

“Matt phoned me up to see if I was available for their date and he told me all about their plans for a London-centric wedding with lots of musical influences and details that reflect their relationship history,” she says. “I’d got such a great sense of who Matt and Owain were, and their excitement about every aspect of their meticulously planned day was infectious.”

“Meticulously planned” might even be an understatement; this couple took details to a whole new level. “There was so much personality injected into every element of the wedding,” the photographer explains. “The details were all specifically selected to reflect Matt and Owain as a couple and their relationship, from their New York and Paris engagements, the floral displays of sunflowers (their favorite), party favors that gave everyone in attendance a taste of the things they love, and the nods to Tiffany where they both got their wedding rings (and were treated to breakfast)!”

In the end, though, details are just details—Babb says the gushing adoration between the couple, as well as the love and support among family and friends, was really the highlight of the day.

“Owain in particular was quite emotional when I arrived, and I sat him down and got him to breathe deeply to calm his nerves,” she says. “That feeling of emotion was palpable through every element of the day and I got quite swept up in it myself. When Matt’s sisters sang them in, accompanied by his dad on the guitar it was really moving, and then when their friends performed at their church blessing I joined the ranks of the misty-eyed guests. There were also performances later in the evening during the speeches. It was a thoroughly musical affair.”

Such a gorgeous wedding didn’t come without its challenges, though, first and foremost being that Babb decided she’d shoot both grooms getting ready by herself. “It was fine ducking between the two rooms but I don’t think I’d want to work that way in the future, as there’s always the worry that you’re missing something in the room you’re not in currently, which adds an element of stress,” she says.

Later in the day, the entire wedding party rode a double-decker, which was a bit challenging to maneuver photo-wise—fortunately her second shooter, Alice was able to contort herself to get the shots they needed.

And finally, the day’s timing was also fairly behind, “but that’s weddings for you,” Babb says. “I always aim to go with the flow and roll with events as they progress, and working in a predominantly documentary style allows me to be flexible if things don’t run to plan.”

Laura Babb’s Gear for the Day
Cameras: Nikon D750 and Nikon Df
Lenses: 24mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4

Check out more Weddings of the Week, and email Libby Peterson or Jacqueline Tobin with submissions.