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Hackney Wedding Photography
The style, the spirits, and the story behind the story
I always love Hackney wedding photography, but Emily and Kelvin’s wedding in MKII was a record-breaker of a day. ‘How?’, I hear you ask. Well first of all, these guys were THE MOST stylish wedding party the world has ever seen. I mean, they were hella cool down to the last thread.
But before we even talk about the wedding, lemme give you the backstory. Covid (the bitch) had thrown a big ol’ spanner in the works. And by the time we got to their wedding in MKII, E&K had been through four wedding dates and two venue changes.
Just. Imagine. The stress.
But these guys took it all in their stride. And with Emily’s graphic designer talents, and Kelvin’s project manager organisation, between them they were the ultimate power-couple dream-team. Their day was a full-blown celebration of their love story, their cultures, and the city they both call home. If you’re looking for inspiration for your wedding in MKII, take notes. This is a masterclass in understated, colourful cool.
And the award for ‘The most stylish wedding party’ goes to…
Our story begins with Kelvin and his boys. Now I’ve always been a sucker for a stylish groom. But I gotta say, K and the lads set a whole new benchmark. The patent leather shoes, the sunnies, the suave as hell royal blue tuxedos…these guys looked immaculately cool. Throw in that lethal mix of Hennessy and Wha Gwan and the crazy amount of love in the room, and I could already tell it was gonna be an epic day.
A few doors down, the girls were getting ready too.
And holy shit, can we just take a second for Emily’s dress?! Her gorgeous Alonuko gown was made bespoke by Emily’s supremely talented friend, Olu (who’s a big fucking deal, by the way!) So not only was it modern, stylish, and super sexy, it was a labour of love. And truly one-of-a kind. She paired the incredible dress with an elegant bouquet of white summer blooms, gorgeous hair and makeup, and hand-painted, pink pom pom shoes (‘cause why the hell not?!)
And just like Kelvin’s boys down the road, Emily’s bridal party brought their fashion A-game. From the sage-green bridesmaids dresses, to the world’s cutest flower girl in pink heart Converse, the girls looked freaking amazing. We finished our drinks, put on the last few finishing touches, and headed to MKII for the wedding.
Styling inspo for your wedding in MKII
MKII in Hackney is an insanely cool space. If you’re looking for a unique wedding venue in London, this place is a total vibe! The concrete floors, white walls and cool textures, the amazing natural light. It’s just this huge, rough-around-the-edges blank canvas waiting to be turned into something epic. All you gotta do is style it right.
And do I even need to say it? You know my guys styled it right!
Vases of white roses, delphinium and daisies lined the aisle. Paper lanterns hung from the metal beams like giant white pom poms. And behind the altar stood a bespoke geometric reredos, bringing a vibrant splash of colour into the huge white space.
I always get excited to see what my couples do with a blank canvas wedding venue like MKII. And it was such a joy to finally see E&K’s vision come to life in such an achingly cool way.
Celebrant-led ceremonies are the way to go
The atmosphere as everyone arrived was absolutely buzzing. Hugs all-round; quick shots of tequila in paper cups. And not long after everyone took their seats, we heard the pitter-patter of tiny Converse, and pink pom pom heels on the concrete floor.
Everyone in the room knew how long E&K had been waiting for this moment. How much bullshit and stress they’d had to go through to get here. And as Emily made her walk down the aisle, you could just feel the excitement in the room that we were finally all here together.
They had a celebrant-led ceremony, which is definitely the way to go! From the ceremony itself, to their personally-written vows they shared, to the rum they toasted, it was a proper celebration of them and their love story. It was absolutely hilarious, really sweet, and insanely emotional. Basically everyone cried.
When it was all over, they strutted and danced their way down the aisle as husband and wife. And a little while later, we were all outside; the sun on our face, and rainbow confetti filling the air.
Hackney Wedding Photography: After your wedding in MKII, you gotta hit the streets of Hackney
We had a few drinks and a bit of a chat in the sunshine, and then hit the Hackney streets. And I gotta say, this is one of the best things about having your wedding in MKII. Exploring London as a newly married couple is a freakin’ awesome experience.
We took off with the wedding party to get some fun group shots with the guys. Had a laugh, did a few slut drops, cracked some smoke bombs (y’know, all the good stuff). And then I snuck off with E&K to go for a little adventure, just the three of us. I love the streets of Hackney, and Hackney wedding photography is always a unique experience.
As a wedding photographer, you just can’t beat that ‘anything can happen’ energy of London. It’s infectious. The endless cool backdrops, the people, the sounds…there’s nowhere like it in the world. And knowing we were walking the same streets E&K walked together when they first started going out- where they might one day walk with their children- just made the whole experience all the more special.
The only way to style your wedding reception in MKII
We got back to MKII to find the place transformed.
Long banquet tables stood on each side of the huge, industrial space. And the iconic pink reredos stood behind E&K’s sweetheart table on the front stage.The styling was modern, understated, and effortlessly cool. Stationary mirroring the reredos; florals echoing the blooms in Emily’s bouquet. Every detail was subtle, but exceptionally considered.
The speeches were non-stop emotional rollercoasters. The spirits flowed. And I can’t stress this enough…the food from Juici Jerk was properly fucking tasty. And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, I spied a table piled high with doughnuts for dessert. We’d all been waiting a long time to celebrate with these guys. And E&K made damn sure it was worth the wait!
The evening that followed was a blur of music, rum, and spectacular colour.
Everyone changed into traditional Sierra Leonean clothing for the party. And with it came this massive wave of colour and energy into the vast white space of MKII.
As the sun set and darkness fell, we all headed outside one last time to give E&K a sparkler send off. Music flooded out of MKII and into the night, and Emily and Kelvin laughed, danced and kissed in the golden light of the sparklers. I don’t know if it was the wall of colour, the sparkler fumes, or the sudden realisation we were at the end of a years-long journey, but that was a moment I’ll never forget.
Are you looking for Hackney Wedding Photography?
If you love my work and think I’m the gal to tell your story, I’d be so excited to hear from you. Get in touch today and let’s chat.
Supplier Squad
- Venue:MKII
- MC:Folly Fresh
- Photo Booth:Blithe Booth Co.
- Florist:Grove Flora
- Catering:Juice Jerk
- Drink:Twiss Up
- Hair Stylist:Anouk
- Wedding Gown:Alonuko Bespoke
- Bridesmaids Gowns:NA-KD
- Grooms Suit:Jide Adesina
- Celebrant:Inner World Outer Life
