Orleans House Wedding Photography // As a London wedding photographer specialising in vibrant, characterful weddings, Lizzie and Alex’s Orleans House wedding was a dream to shoot. They met in Ibiza ten years ago, and brought some of that White Island magic to their wedding day this summer. Now I know what you’re thinking – how can Twickenham wedding photography look Balearic? Well, here’s your answer…

Orleans House wedding ceremony

Lizzie and Alex had big dreams of getting married in Ibiza, but a combination of lockdowns and house renovations meant they eventually decided on a more low-key, laid back wedding in London. For the legal bit of the day, they chose an Orleans House wedding ceremony. 

Orleans House is a contemporary art gallery in Twickenham, set in gorgeous gardens overlooking the River Thames. Sounds beaut already, right? But it gets better: the ceremony space for an Orleans House wedding is the Octagon Room, a Grade I listed room that dates back to 1720 and has recently been restored to its full baroque brilliance. We’re talking gold, we’re talking chandeliers, we’re talking cherubs (and not just Alex and Lizzie’s adorable  son), we’re talking marble floors. In other words: an Orleans House wedding ceremony is the best kind of Twickenham wedding photography, because it’s full-on fun and sensational surroundings, without any stuffiness. In fact, it was really important to Lizzie and Alex that their wedding was intimate and relaxed.

Laid back city wedding style

Both Lizzie and Alex looked sensational on their wedding day, both going for a cool, laid back yet modern look that fundamentally felt like them. “As we were doing a more relaxed wedding, we didnʼt want to go super formal.” Lizzie explains. “I donʼt really wear many dresses and I couldnʼt imagine myself in a floor length gown, so I got a bespoke mini dress made by a local dressmaker, Gillian Million. Alex chose a Universal Works green suit which was just perfect for him.” 

Lizzie paired her 60s-esque mini dress with a two-tier ruffled veil, and black strappy Stuart Weitzman heels, whilst Alex finished off his suit with boots from Paraboot. Their flower girls, who walked down the aisle ahead of Lizzie, wore peachy pink dresses with black high-top Converse.

Bringing Ibizan magic to Twickenham wedding photography

Remember that gorgeous Orleans House wedding set up I told you about, with gardens overlooking the Thames? Well, after the ceremony, Lizzie and Alex needed to get their guests to their reception in Teddington – and how better to do it than by water?

“We had to have a nod to Ibiza days and get a boat to take us from Twickenham to Teddington.” Lizzie says. “The sun shone all afternoon and the champagne flowed – it was a highlight of the day.” 

I can confirm on all three counts. The boat was the perfect way to put a spin on the traditional cocktail and canapes hour, and It was so much fun to capture their guests as we cruised down the Thames, with everyone drinking and laughing. When we arrived at the reception venue, we kept family members back a second to snap some super quick family shots, as well as a few portraits of Alex and Lizzie against the bright blue sky. After that, it was time to disembark and join their guests for their reception.

A restaurant reception

From Ibiza, to Italy: the newlyweds were greeted by their guests gathered at Shambles Bar, a cosy Italian enoteca-slash-osteria in Teddington. Again, they’d wanted a venue that was “intimate, relaxed and pretty special”, and the restaurant’s walled garden definitely ticked all three boxes. Tables were named after places in the world that held special significance to the couple, like Zoo Project and Mount Pelion, and were decorated with flowers arranged by Lizzie. Each place setting featured a sprig or stem tucked into the napkin, as well as a ceramic heart made by Lizzie’s mum as the wedding favours. 

And what kind of an Ibiza-inspired wedding would it be without music? Nestled in amongst the olive trees and wisteria with them was a singer, percussionist, and DJ on the decks, who soundtracked their wedding reception. The speeches were split in half, with a few before the main meal, and a few after – aided by a little more red wine, of course! 

Laid back London wedding photographer

I loved shooting Alex and Lizzie’s Orleans House wedding ceremony and Ibizan-inspired reception, because it was a day full of all the most important things: good food, good people, and good decisions that feel right to you as a couple. This, in turn, means that you can enjoy your day and savour every last second – and soak it up all over again once you get the photos back!

Maybe you’re planning a fun, laid back wedding and need a London wedding photographer. Or, maybe you’ve come to this page because you’re on the hunt for some Orleans House wedding inspiration, and you googled “Twickenham wedding photography”. However you came here, I’m very glad you did: and I’d love to continue that friendship (too bold? Too soon?) by hearing more about your wedding day. You can get in touch to tell me all about it here – I’m excited already!

And don’t forget to check out the other legends who made this Orleans House wedding & Ibiza-inspired wedding reception happen:

Dress and veil: https://www.gillianmillion.com/

Bride’s shoes: https://eu.stuartweitzman.com/gb/en/

Suit: https://universalworks.co.uk/

Groom’s shoes: https://www.paraboot.com/en

Rings: https://www.rachelboston.co.uk/

Ceremony Venue: https://www.orleanshousegallery.org/

Reception Venue: https://www.shamblesbar-restaurant.co.uk/

Bouquet: https://graceandthorn.com/

Music: arranged by http://www.liquidstrings.com/