Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Wedding

Zoe and David’s Wedding at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

I always love returning to be a Royal Military Academy Sandhurst wedding photographer and I always love working with great couples like Zoe and David. I have worked with them before when we did an engagement shoot together so it felt like meeting up again with friends.

Bridal Prep

On the day I first caught up with Zoe who was getting ready at Hilton St Anne’s Manor in Bracknell. She had her bridal party with her which consisted of mum Beci, bridesmaids Rebecca, Gemma, Vanessa, Samantha and Emma. Along with three utterly adorable flower girls. Everybody was in good spirits (loved the co-ordinated pyjamas ladies!) and there was a little bubbly on hand to calm any last-minute nerves.

Zoe looked amazing in her dress that she bought from Enzoani Blue. It had a really distinctive scooped back and a full skirt that gave her a fairy-tale bride silhouette. It was perfectly complemented by an elegant bouquet of white flowers with green foliage. Zoe beamed all day (us Berkshire wedding photographers do love a smiley bride!)

Before we left, I captured a gorgeous father seeing the bride moment before we left for the ceremony. The pair of them travelling to the ceremony in style in a classic Viscount limousine.

Having served in the forces for over 20 years military weddings are my speciality. Being a Royal Military Academy Sandhurst wedding photographer gives me a chance to combine my love of photography and for the forces which is always a real honour.

Ceremony

The ceremony was held at Royal Military Academy’s Memorial Chapel, and I whizzed down there quickly so that I had a chance to catch up with David before the ceremony. David looked resplendent in No1 service dress which he wore for the ceremony and reception. David was in safe hands with his best man Gary and groomsmen James, Matt, Ross and Jez.

The Memorial Chapel is the third-largest royal chapel in the country and seats over 1,000 people. So, every one of Zoe and David’s 120 guests were guaranteed a good seat! It has a really majestic feel so was perfect for a military wedding.

After a lovely ceremony, Zoe and David left to a guard of honour who created a sword arch for them to walk under. A military tradition that symbolises a safe passage to married life. I got some fantastic group images on the iconic Old College steps and whilst Zoe and David’s guests travelled on to the reception location to enjoy a drink’s and canapes reception, I took them around the grounds and building for a quick portrait session. Zoe and David were great to work with and I got some fantastic images. It was my favourite part of the day.

The Reception

The wedding reception was held at Royal Military Academy’s Robertson House. Zoe and David travelled in the classic viscount limousine and guests travelling in a fun vintage red double-decker London bus.

Robertson House is an impressive venue for a wedding reception. The chandeliers, black and white tiled floors, spiral staircase and teak panelled library always give me so many beautiful backdrops in my images.

The wedding reception was full of laughter and chatter along with some seriously delicious food and there were some emotional speeches. Which brings me to another reason why I love capturing military wedding photography. The bonds forged between people in service are always reflected in heartfelt speeches.

I must talk about the cakes. One was a traditional three-tiered wedding cake and one was a tiered cake made of various cheeses. Both were so beautiful they warranted their own images. Another military tradition is to cut the cake with a sword, it made a fun moment and was a great memory to capture.

The Party

The evening celebration started with two dances. There was a sweet daddy-daughter dance for Zoe and her father Ivan and a romantic first dance for Zoe and David. Both were accompanied by the fantastic Session UK wedding band who made sure the dance floor remained full for the remainder of the evening.

After dark, there was a little rain and I took Zoe and David outside for a romantic moonlit image in the rain under an umbrella. It was my favourite image of the day.

Zoe and David’s wedding was a joy to shoot. A fantastic wedding day where everybody thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Being a Royal Military Academy Sandhurst wedding photographer really is the best job in the world. I’ll leave the last words to Zoe and David, here’s what they had to say about working with me.

“There aren’t enough words to describe how perfect the whole experience of dealing with Alex prior to the wedding to receiving the most amazing pictures has been.

It was genuinely like having a friend there all day. And our photos just show how committed he is to achieving the perfect snapshots of our big day.

We will forever treasure our photos and continue to always be grateful to Alex for them.
I absolutely think you would be stupid not to have Alex as your photographer. His photos speak for themselves!”