Last week I had the total pleasure of shooting Anna + Sam’s “part 1” wedding at Kindred, London and it was full of love and completely joyful, another brilliant example of how smaller weddings run over with the good stuff; I adore the intimacy of smaller weddings and their day was absolutely no exception. Kindred is an effortlessly cool member’s club is Hammersmith full of plants and quirky decor (100% how I dream of decorating my house) with space to hold a ceremony and a reception too. Anna runs Kindred, so it was home from home for her and it meant her and Sam were able to have exactly the day they wanted with their nearest and dearest and even brought their dog Chutney along for the celebrations! I was only with them for a short time but I enjoyed every second, Anna + Sam are such great fun and I laughed hard and cried a little bit behind the camera too. Thanks for having me along you two!!

How did you meet?

In a bar in Nottingham where we were students.

Tell me your proposal story

Context – we were living in a flat with a gorgeous roof terrace. Sam had originally planned for the fire brigade to come over and tell me that there was some smoke seen from the roof and I should go check it out. Unsurprisingly, the fire brigade didn’t think that was a great idea. So instead, Sam got the local friendly estate agent who rented us our flat to call me at 9:30pm and tell me to go to the roof because a neighbour had complained there was something ‘going on’ up there. I was really freaked out and ran up to the roof expecting to see some burglar or something…! Sam was up there with some candles and proposed. It took me a minute to switch moods from alarmed/freaked out to recognising what was going on…!! But it was really sweet in the end, and after he’d said some nice things about me and popped open some Champagne, all was well.

Why did you choose Kindred for your wedding day?

Kindred… because I have the pleasure of running it – I’m biased but it’s a cool venue, the team are great, and it has everything under one roof which makes it easy to host an amazing event. Great for small weddings and able to do ceremony and reception all in one place.

 The perfect venue for an intimate wedding in London

What was it you loved about your outfits and accessories that made you choose them?

I love my Nolita dress from Carol Hannah NYC because it’s floaty, fun, and flattering. The Carvela wedges were super fun to wear too. Sam was wearing a totally gorgeous Paul Smith bright cornflower blue suit and a Ted Baker floral tie. We wanted it to be an informal kinda formal urban wedding vibe.

Tell me about the vision you had for your wedding including your theme/colour scheme/styling/flowers:

We didn’t think much about this. The venue speaks for itself and brings the pizazz – and Francis Smith Flowers who did our floristry was incredible. We asked for muted pinks and oranges, and seasonal flowers and she absolutely smashed it.

What was your first dance and why did you choose it?

Nope didn’t have one – had some lovely live jazz music during our dinner which was great.

A quirky and eclectic alternative wedding venue in London

What were the most wonderful parts of the day for you?

How fun and hilarious our ceremony was. Babies and dogs running around, Sam trying to make me laugh while saying the serious bits. My sister and brother in law played and sang “Best part of me” by Ed Sheeran and Yebba which was amazing and a real highlight.

Why did you choose Hannah Hall Photography as your photographer, and what was your experience of your photography on the day?

She’s bloody fabulous! Her use of light and dark make incredibly dramatic, bold images and I just love the stories she tells by documenting the day. She was discreet but fun, and helped us feel at ease during our posed photos by giving some direction and guidance without it becoming awkward or uncomfortable.

What would be your best bit of advice to other couples planning their wedding?

 Try not to control everything on the day – if you can, give it over to a professional to organise!! Well worth the cash not to stress on your wedding day – because once it’s over it’s over, and there’s no point wasting it stressing about the small stuff. Just turn up and enjoy.

Anna + Sam’s intimate wedding at Kindred London happened with the help of…

Venue: Kindred London // Florist: Francis Smith Flowers // Dress: Carol Hannah Bridal // Suit: Paul Smith 

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