Charlotte and Richard’s September celebration had a clear autumn St Albans shape: a civil ceremony at the registry office, then a short move to Loft Restaurant for the reception. It felt personal without being overworked, with speeches from both sides of the room and an unplanned first dance waiting later in the evening.
Ceremony
We joined Charlotte and Richard at St Albans Registry Office, with Richard arriving ahead of the ceremony and Charlotte following shortly after. The Gatehouse gave the ceremony a simple, focused setting, keeping the attention on the vows, the reactions and the first moments just after they stepped out together.
Speeches and Wedding Breakfast
At Loft Restaurant, the speeches came before the wedding breakfast, which gave the reception a real lift before everyone sat down to eat. Charlotte’s father, Richard, Charlotte herself, the maid of honour and the best man all spoke, so there was a good mix of humour, gratitude and the sort of small personal details that make speeches worth filming properly.
Evening
There was no formal cake cutting, so the evening built naturally towards the first dance at around half past eight. Charlotte and Richard had left that moment unplanned, which gave it a relaxed, genuine feel on film, surrounded by the people who had come with them from the registry office to Loft Restaurant.