My style of documentary wedding photography is all about moments. Real moments of the day that flow to form a narrative telling the unique story of each couple’s day. There are of course the big moments; the vows, the kiss, the speeches, the first dance. But there are also a multitude of little moments throughout the day, too. Moments that for the most part will go unnoticed on the day or forgotten in the passage of time. With everything going on that day, it’s simply inevitable. And that’s where I come in.

Since I am not a traditional wedding photographer and pride myself on storytelling in its purest form, I always look for these quiet moments on the day. In this picture the bride waits patiently with her father outside the doors to St Etheldreda’s, perhaps peeking in to check whether all the guests are in their pews, perhaps hoping to catch a glimpse of her husband-to-be. What we can be sure of is that this is the moment before it all happened. The last few seconds of her unmarried life. And for me, it’s a really important part of this individual story.

Compositionally this picture works for me as the shadow, windowsill and pews all serve as lead in lines, drawing your eye to the bride who is neatly framed by the one open door.