Steff & Jan’s wedding at Bedruthan Steps Hotel was exactly the kind of day I love photographing. Relaxed, full of personality, and with plenty going on without feeling overly planned.

I always like to take in the landscape as I approach a wedding, and on the way to Steff & Jan’s wedding, I stopped at Mawgan Porth beach to photograph Bedruthan Steps Hotel with the sun shining over the coast. It was the end of February, so it wasn’t the usual Cornish wedding backdrop of blue skies and sunshine, but we got a little glimpse of it that day.

Elegant, but with a bit of punk thrown in

Rebecca at Rebel & Anchor, their wedding planner, referred them to me. When we first spoke, they described what they wanted from the day as pretty simple: seeing their friends and family, everyone having fun, and an excuse to get a little bit dressed up. Perfect.

The day followed a fairly traditional order: guests arrived in the early afternoon before the ceremony, then there were drinks, dinner and speeches, and eventually the band got the dance floor going in the evening. But as with any good wedding, plenty happened around that basic structure.

After the ceremony, guests were treated to a magician during the drinks reception, giving me plenty of opportunities to capture reactions and interactions between everyone. Steff & Jan also brought their dog Chester along for some photos, because obviously he had to make an appearance. And I do love dogs at weddings!

And then there was the ball pit.

Steff & Jan had specifically asked for a photo of the two of them in it, so I wasn’t going to let them leave without getting that.

For me, this is what makes photographing weddings like this so enjoyable. You get the important stuff — the ceremony, speeches, family photos and all the things you’d expect — but it’s the slightly unexpected parts of the day that can make a gallery feel like their wedding rather than just another wedding.

I spent the day photographing as things happened, keeping it relaxed and giving Steff & Jan direction when they wanted it, but mostly letting them enjoy themselves with their friends and family.

They were brilliant to photograph, and I’m really pleased with how the images captured the day’s atmosphere, the venue’s character, and all the people who made it what it was.

Steff & Jan had this to say afterwards:

“Brian is super friendly and extremely professional. He excelled at candid photos, which was exactly what we wanted for our wedding. He is also very creative and brought out the best in our wedding location. Adaptable and relaxed, he blended into the day and produced stunning results that we are over the moon with.”

It was a brilliant day, and a great reminder that weddings don’t need to follow a particular formula. Give me good people, a great location, a bit of personality and a dance floor, and I’m happy.

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For their Bedruthan Steps wedding, Steff & Jan booked my Story Package. Their day brought together family, friends, a little elegance with a punk edge, and plenty of fun. From Chester joining them for photos to that all-important ball pit shot.

If you’re looking for a Cornwall wedding photographer, or planning your wedding elsewhere in the UK, then please get in contact.

Suppliers

Photography: Brian Robinson
Venue: @bedruthanhotel
Wedding Planning: @rebelandanchor.co.uk
Dress: Kiva & Zen Bridal
Hair: @samhugheshair
Florals: @rebelandanchor.co.uk and @circle0fseasons
Cake Blossom & Bee Bakehouse
Magician: @magicsingh
Photo Booth: Flicksbox Photo Booths
Band: The Indie Killers