Lucy and David's intimate micro-wedding in London in May

A stunning cultural fusion micro-wedding, with a church ceremony, followed by portraits at St Dunstan's in the East, and a reception onboard Harpy the Houseboat at Tower Bridge

Lucy and David's original wedding plans had to change drastically when Covid restrictions dealt them a series of blows. The large celebration that they had envisioned, with all their extended families and friends, had to become an intimate micro-wedding with fewer than 15 guests. But from devastating necessity flourished something beautiful, and by taking a step back from the expectations of a big wedding, Lucy and David's approach made everything that much more personal.

In the morning I helped Lucy's brothers finish decorating the houseboat with flower garlands, and admired the stunning table, adorned with fresh flowers and tableware in pastel tones. Every detail of the wedding included both their families and sparkled with care and love. This is the most special aspect of small weddings: the whole day celebrates these two people coming together, the intimacy of their love for one another, and the involvement of those closest to them.

The incredibly talented Gavin Harvie styled Lucy's hair into perfect old-Hollywood waves and finished it with her delicate lace veil and 'something blue' heirloom hair pins. She wore an elegant understated Sassi Holford dress that complemented her beautiful figure, and her mother wore a gorgeous azure blue outfit that she had made herself. David's mother and sister looked stunning in traditional saris and gold jewellery, and David's deep green suit and bow tie looked really stylish.

The couple married in a beautiful Christian ceremony at St Bartholomew The Great's church, Barbican. Some local friends gathered outside to shower them with confetti and congratulate them, photographed by myself and videoed by Jack Corphine.

As there was no strict timeline for the rest of the day, we took an Uber to a few special spots for their portraits together, while their families made their way to the houseboat for some drinks. I suggested St Dunstan’s in the East, a hidden ruined church where trees grow through windows and vines wind themselves around the walls. The ancient arches and dramatic lighting made this spot an absolute dream to photograph and with a bit of Photoshop magic I was able to create the illusion that we had the entire place to ourselves.

We then went back to St Bart's hospital courtyard, where Lucy and David had met and worked. Their brothers had decorated David's car as a fun surprise, so they put the roof down and drove off with the wind in their hair, back over to Tower Bridge for their reception. The bride and groom were welcomed by their families with a shower of rice, a cultural custom which is said to bless the newlyweds with prosperity for their future. They also presented flower garlands to each other and lay them on each other in a beautiful ritual, as well as being fed special homemade sweet treats by David's mother.

The reception on board the houseboat felt like a stylish dinner party, with a lovely cake made by Lucy's brother and delicious authentic Tamil food catered by women-led team Papi's Pickles. It was amazing to be served such divine cuisine; I'm always grateful to be fed anything while working a long day at wedding, but this was really something special! After dinner we gathered outside on the deck for pictures as the sun set over the Thames, finishing off with sparklers.

Lucy wrote: "I can't thank Natalie enough for doing such a truly amazing job with our wedding photos. She made the process of booking very smooth and comfortable and responded to any queries so quickly, she was extremely professional. On the day, she was just absolutely lovely! She got immediately stuck in putting everyone at ease and even helping finish up the decorations. She was very unobtrusive, getting lots of lovely candid shots, but also gave clear directions to make sure we got all the shots we wanted. Neither myself or my husband feel particularly natural in front of the camera but her gentle advice on poses made some really stunning images.

Speaking of - the photos themselves are just jaw dropping!! Some are so moody and glamorous I can't even believe it's us in them, but she also managed to capture loads of relaxed, candid images of us and our families. There is honestly nothing that could have been improved. Thanks Natalie for the most beautiful photos that we will treasure for the rest of our lives."