Civil Wedding & Reception | The Roman Baths | Bath

Breathtaking, beautiful and amazing. Just a few words to describe Alex and Sheenal’s wedding and reception at the historic Roman Baths in Somerset.

The start of the celebrations

The weekend of celebrations started at The Gainsborough Hotel in the heart of Bath where both Alex & Sheenal were staying. It was a great opportunity for me to use this wonderful setting to take getting ready shots of Sheenal and her family for the evenings event.

Part one was the Mendhi night which was being held at the nearby Holburne Museum. With their closest friends and family all dressed up for the occassion, it was clear to see it was going to be a special night. Both Alex & Sheenal looked amazing and it was just a case of me documenting their Mendhi night in an unobtrusive way. I managed to find 10 minutes with the couple alone for some portraits in the lovely setting.

A spectacular setting

The focus now switched to the main event – their wedding at The Roman Baths. Again, it all started at The Gainsborough Hotel for the getting-ready shots of Sheenal and her family, and Alex with his groomsmen. Both were in a really relaxed mood and ready to go for what proved to be a wedding to remember.

Alex arrived with his groomsmen at the Roman Baths to greet his guests who were all taking in the stunning location. Luckily it was a clear and warm day as the ceremony was to be held outside in the bath itself.

With everyone set in their positions and guests lining the perimeter for the best position, Sheenal made the short trip with her bridesmaids from the hotel to the venue. With Alex looking on from the other side of the bath, Sheenal made her way round with her parents and sister. It felt like a really special moment in time, especially with the Bristol String Quartet beautifully playing during Sheenal’s entrance.

There was pin drop silence as everyone impeccably observed the ceremony. As dusk turned to night, this added to the romantic atmosphere. The light from the fire lamps around the venue felt like you were being transported back in time. It was an absolute joy photographing in this situation even though the changing light made it tricky. However, adding some creative lighting helped me illuminate the ceremony and add to the historic atmosphere.

Getting the party started

After the ceremony and the formal portraits, guests made their way up to the Pump Room where the reception was to be held. The room looked amazing with decorations and fresh flowers by The Wilde Bunch. The Roman theme continued from their table plan through to place settings and name tags. The attention to detail all added up, and you could tell it took a lot of time planning this wedding and reception.

Dinner, speeches and cake-cutting followed before guests made their way to the dancefloor to party the night away.

As a Documentary Wedding Photographer, I have to say that this was probably the most memorable wedding and reception I have photographed. Not only were Alex & Sheenal an amazing couple to work with, the settings for their Mendhi night and especially the wedding were jaw-dropping.

I had an amazing time photographing their events, and it was made all the easier by the hospitality of their family and friends throughout the weekend. Also a special shout out to all the other suppliers for their hard work (listed at end of post). Lastly, thank you to Alex & Sheenal for choosing me to document their event and congratulations once again.

It was hard to narrow down the images taken during the weekend but I’ve tried. So grab yourself a cup of tea, relax and enjoy: