Eileen & Steve’s wedding at Brighton Town Hall was just before the UK went into a period of lockdown due to the outbreak of coronavirus (Covid-19). They had bought the date forward and we had adjusted the wedding plans to include just the five of us, Bride, Groom, myself and two witnesses. They had bought all the details and decorations they had planned to have as part of the day, and the wedding photography became an essential way of telling a greater story of what could have been.
The place markers were pebbles from Brighton beach, hand painted and personalised, and the other decorations that were seaside themed, were centred around some beautiful lighthouses. Steve had designed and 3d printed all of the lighthouses. He also added lights and programmed each one to the specifications of that particular lighthouse, with the exception of the Brighton lighthouse, which is fictitious, he programmed this in morse code to give a secret message. The level of detail and thought that went into their wedding planning was truly amazing.
The streets were fairly empty for us to get some beautiful photographs in what is usually a very busy area in the Brighton lanes. Despite the strange circumstances of a coronavirus wedding, the day was full of laughter, and I was so privileged to be able to photograph this special wedding.
We started with a few portrait shots against the ancient flint walls in the Brighton Lanes, outside Bohemia on Meeting House Lane. Steve looked great in his peacock waistcoat, with the teal/turquoise colours complementing Eileen’s dress. They were joined by their witnesses, Sue & Grant, for a quick drink and some laughs at the pub before we headed to Brighton Town Hall for the ceremony. Of course, there are antibacterial wipes, essential wedding equipment for a coronavirus wedding!
Eileen & Steve, Brighton Town Hall Wedding, Brighton Lanes, East Sussex 
Eileen & Steve, Brighton Town Hall Wedding, The, Brighton, East Sussex 
Brighton Town Hall Wedding Ceremony
A short walk from the pub to the town hall, only passing another small wedding party outside the town hall. A quick bit of hand sanitiser before going in of course! In the regency room at Brighton Town Hall, the laughter filled the room during the ceremony and the registrars were really great.
Wedding Photography in the Brighton Lanes
Sue & Grant, the witnesses threw as much confetti as possible for our confetti shot at the end of the ceremony! The Brighton Lanes were quite deserted as most of the boutique shops were closed. We took advantage of this and got some great shots of Eileen & Steve in the lanes and in the small Meeting House Lane, a passage full of jewellery shops and restaurants in Brighton’s popular tourist quarter.
Our final shots were of an impromptu first dance at Hotel Du Vin with some off-camera flash. I wanted to create a real atmosphere of dramatic movement, using strong flash and a closed down aperture, along with a couple of shots using the ambient lighting too.
View the full wedding here: https://philipbedford.zenfolio.com/p326747458
