Islington Wedding Photographer: Liza O'Malley Photographer

“Liza we absolutely love them. What a magical day!! Thanks so much for the photos, we absolutely love them and everyone is really chuffed with how gorgeous they look!”

Katy & Theo

Natural unposed glory – the only way to go!

As an Islington wedding photographer, I have been lucky to be part of many awesome and unique north London weddings. The wedding of Katy and Theo was fabulous, in all its natural, unposed glory! The couple’s wedding was a beautiful blend of simplicity, honesty, and love with stacks of joy, laughs, tears and some fabulous dance moves to boot!

When I met Katy and Theo, I knew I was going to be in for a great day. I had previously photographed their friends Hugh and Dave’s wonderful wedding at Battersea Arts Centre in 2019.

I knew it was going to be a goodie!

Katy said “Theo and I met for the first time at the 30th birthday party of our mutual friend, in the Abbey Tavern pub in Kentish Town. The room was covered in gold tinsel and Theo offered to share his mac and cheese balls with me. We went on our first date two nights later, but the sparks the really flew on our second date a few nights later, where we ended up doing an impromptu singalong to the soundtrack of Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat.”

Relaxed unposed moments were key

The couple’s brief to me before the day was clearly in going to be totally in tune with me and my ethos. “We want our wedding to be relaxed and not follow traditional rules. The ceremony is the most important part of the day, and we want to capture all the candid moments that truly reflect who we are as a couple.”

The Islington couple told me “The wedding is going to be pretty small, with about 50 guests, and we want it to feel very relaxed. The idea of keeping it small is so that we can spend time with everyone, and we want the photographs of the day to reflect the intimate feel of the day. We are not looking for those typical ‘set piece’ shots, instead we really want natural, of-the-moment photos that are a lot more relaxed.”

As an experienced Islington wedding photographer who has been around the block a few times!!!…. I knew exactly what they meant. I love capturing these candid moments. With Katy and Theo I was able to focus on capturing genuine emotions and reactions throughout the day. What a dream!

Their wedding was such a beautiful reflection of their personalities and style. As always I felt privileged to capture their special day.

Getting ready the non traditional way

The day began at Katy and Theo’s flat in Canonbury. The couple finished getting ready together with their close friends and best people, before walking to the Islington Town Hall for their ceremony. The natural, candid moments of the couple preparing for their big day were great to capture. Katy did her own makeup and put on her wedding dress. Time for Theo’s buttonhole and the straightening of the tie. There first look was totally relaxed and chilled. Very emotional.

Great fun walking to the Town Hall

Then we walked together the short distance to Islington Town Hall. This was a great opportunity to capture some lovely action shots in the streets of Canonbury. It was raining a little, but didn’t matter with see-through brollies in hand.

The ceremony was held in the council chambers room of Islington Town Hall. A stunning venue with beautiful architecture and plenty of natural light, from the huge dome above. I had been there many times before as an Islington Wedding Photographer. The ceremony was a beautiful blend of laughter, tears, and love as the couple exchanged vows in front of their close family and friends

The Drapers Arms: perfect pub venue

Confetti on the steps followed then we moved on. The reception was at the beautiful, old worldly, Drapers Arms with all of its character and charm. I love photographing weddings in London, especially in beautiful pubs like the Drapers Arms. The atmosphere is always relaxed and fun. The rustic vibe of the venue provides the perfect backdrop for some beautiful and natural photos. There was loads of beautiful natural light streaming in the large windows and many candid moments. I loved the great buzz in the air. Everyone was enjoying the mingling and catching up, sharing drinks and laughs. Everyone totally soaked up the love and happiness of the day. This is one of my favourite parts of the day. I was not disappointed.

Strolling around Barnsbury

For the couple photos, we took a stroll through the residential streets around Barnsbury. These are streets that Katy and Theo often wander through, so they were very familiar with the area. We were able to capture some great shots of them, with the colourful buildings and greenery as a backdrop.

Then it was back to the Drapers Arms and time for the wedding breakfast intermingled with some very, very good speeches. The gorgeous flowers in the dining room upstairs were perfect. Oh and I forgot to mention the food at the Drapers Arms was absolutely delicious.

Then everyone was off again walking the short hop to King’s Cross for the party to be continued at Supermax, an urber-cool cocktail and vermouth bar in the heart of King’s Cross. This lively atmosphere and funky decor and disco grooves provided the perfect backdrop for everyone to get down on it! Of course, I was there in amongst it on the jammed dance floor.

One happy Islington Wedding Photographer

I was so pleased to have the privilege of capturing Katy and Theo’s special day in all its natural, unposed glory. If you’re looking for an Islington wedding photographer who can capture those real and candid moments, then get in touch – I’d love to capture your special day!