Bromley Old Palace Wedding – from Marvel to Minions!

Yep it’s a weird title but read on… This wedding is personal and it was an absolute honour to be at for so many reasons. A few years back when I was at a crossroads in my life, I took up digital photography to see if I was any good at something creative. As it happens, I quite liked it so started attending a city & guilds course where I met a whole bunch of amazing people, and one of them was Shen. Every week we’d meet at college, comparing the last weeks assignment photos or homework and generally chatting our way through each session or shoot, and over 4 years, we built up some great friendships. Fast forward a few years and I’m meeting Shen, Rachel & Monica for coffee when Shen announces she’s met someone. Well, it turns out to be not just someone, but the love of her life. Eva.

The Proposal

Fast forward a few more years and they’re finally engaged and they’re totally gorgeous together. Their lives have been re-written and they’ve been through huge changes to be together…. and so after a Christmas eve Proposal (I even do an engagement shoot with them in Brighton which you can check out here), the wedding date is set. Of course I’m going to shoot the wedding! What an honour really, especially when it’s one of my besties! So slowly but surely, their wedding plans start coming together and after months and months of planning, hard saving, DIY’ing and crafting the details, the big day is finally here.

Two Brides Wedding Day

We planned it so that I could cover both Shen & Eva’s preparations separately – it’s two brides after all – so I headed over to Shen’s mum’s first thing. Neither of them are particularly girly girls so I was really curious to see what they’d be wearing. With love hearts all around their home, I couldn’t have been more surprised to see Shen’s amazing Vivienne of Holloway wedding dress – a red dress with white hearts. And it turns out, Eva’s was the opposite – white with red hearts from Oh My Honey, a dress she’d spied on RNRB. They’d also made their own matching pom pom bouquets and Shen had customised Converse! They’d exchanged wedding gifts to open on the day and Shen’s mascara was already running before she’d even left! Looking absolutely incredible, I left Shen and headed off to Eva at their home where she was getting ready with her 2 mums, Ruth and Rachel. More pressies, more tears (wow Shen – quite how you pulled off those pressies, well, just WOW!) and a little bit of prosecco for dutch courage and Eva was ready to go. One last snuggle with the cats and we were off.

So I headed off to Bromley Old Palace where Shen was patiently waiting outside as they were doing a first look. It was a big moment for them and with all their guests seated and waiting, Eva rocked up in a vintage bright red Mark 1 Ford Escort that roared… you could literally hear it all the way down Bromley high street before it turned the corner into the tranquil courtyard of the Old Palace. Any nerves soon went as soon as they saw each other and hugged, ready now, finally to get married. Shen’s gorgeous nieces were their flower girls and Shen & Eva were walked down the aisle by Shen’s mum who couldn’t have been prouder, it was written all over her face!

The Wedding Ceremony at Bromley Old Town Hall

There were a few memorable moments during the ceremony too. Shen’s false eyelashes fell off (yes really!), mum blubbed LOTS and they all laughed from start to finish. After mixing up their pieces of paper with their vows on, they then read their very personal vows to each other. And so they were married and announced as the new Mr and Mrs!! Oops, the Registrar corrected herself very quickly, then they were off out into the glorious sunshine where they were covered in confetti and  hugged hard and congratulated by friends and family. After a few photos, we all headed off to Keston Village Hall to their reception.

The Reception at Keston Village Hall (here’s where the Marvel & Minions bit is!)

They’d decorated the hall in the days leading up to the wedding with some help, and it was a fabulous mix of all the things they loved – hand cut table confetti from marvel comics, hand-made heart puzzle piece favours for every single guest, origami heart bunting, vintage cameras on old records, festoon lighting, fairy lights, hearts everywhere, minions, as well as a tattoo station and minion seaside board (made by friends!!!) to entertain guests. And a stunning cake with a mini Shen & Eva and their cats Jazz & Juno!! There were so many personal touches everywhere, they filled the hall with their personalities!

BBQ Dinner was served with all the trimmings, and then the speeches began, starting with Shen’s mum singing a LuLu intro to get things rolling before crying her way through most of her speech, with more emotional speeches from both brides too! Way to go ladies. Then the party started and what a party it was! Music contributions from all guests added into their brilliant play list, that kept everyone on the dance floor – with epic drunken dancing, conga lines, oops upside your head and proud Mary were all insane! They partied like it was 1999!

Shen & Eva now collectively knows as ShEva gave it their all, married their best friend and filled the room with so much love and laughter. It was seriously EPIC. Love you gals to the moon and back and wishing you the happiest of marriages filled with much love and laugher (and many cats!!) xxx