YORK PLACE

PHOTO & FILM STUDIO

documentary wedding group shot

Turner Contemporary Wedding Photography // Juliane & Luke

Is This Something?

THE BREAKDOWN:
SHOOT LOCATION:
Turner Contemporary, Margate, UK
IN BRIEF:
Relaxed, creative wedding in artistic surrounds.

Taking inspiration from the seemingly insignificant

“Incredible photographers! Thank you so much for being part of our wedding day, and capturing the moments big and small. We and our guests love the pictures so much, we’ve gotten so many compliments on them. One couple even said they want to get married again (to each each other – phew) just so they could hire you! We’ll forever cherish those memories you managed to capture so well.”

Juliane & Luke’s wedding was one of our absolute favourites of the year: amazing people, a fabulous, chic and contemporary setting and an environment that allowed us the creative space to create the kind of photographs we love. In fact some of our favourite ever photographs were taken on this day; many of them during a relaxed and stylish drinks reception, yet on the face of it the photographic scenario of that particular scene perhaps doesn’t, on the face of it, sound quite so enticing …

Space is limited, the setting is concrete, the light is flat. Guests mingle and talk happily but there are no “obvious” moments occurring, no activities or preordained entertainment to focus upon. As a photographer where do you begin?

You may have noticed that we’ve been a little quiet on the blog lately, though writing has actually been a particularly strong theme in our lives over the last few months, and in fact the last few years. In 2020 we started collating ideas of how to fully answer the question above, to try to put our photographic process into words and explain all aspects of our approach in as much detail as we can. The result was our book “Is This Something?” which we’re proud to have finally released to the world in June. Learning not just how to write a book, but how to publish, print, sell and distribute it has been quite the learning experience but we’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response from photographers in so many countries and at such different stages of their journeys as photographers.

The book covers every part of a wedding day but the question of what to do in those scenarios where not much is happening, those scenes without magical light or dynamic activity is very much at the heart of it. “Is This Something?” is a question we ask ourselves often when photographing such scenes, yet it is these parts of the day that we can truly allow our creativity to run wild and, consequently, that we love to photograph so much.

So back to Juliane & Luke and their absolute blast of a wedding day at the perfectly suited (and hugely inspiring) Turner Contemporary in Margate. For much of the day we were treated to unusual settings, great light and fascinating stories. But as the guests stepped out to that overcast drinks reception, surrounded by concrete (stylish concrete, but concrete nonetheless!) we found ourselves not with limitations but with our idea of perfection: a collection of interesting and expressive personalities and a blank canvas in which to create photographs.

So often the makings of a photograph come not through big “newsworthy” events but through the subtleties of interaction, the shape and sensibility of the scene in front of us. The moments that reveal the most don’t have to shout out to be photographed, sometimes they whisper so quietly the question comes first to our minds “Is This Something?”

And, in the case of Juliane & Luke’s wedding, they most certainly were.

Dominique & Liam

getting ready of a bride. Towel over face
boy standing in hallway at the george and heart pub in margate
a photo of the queen in a frame
the george and heart pub interior with guest
bride on the phone at the george and heart pub
bride helping groom to put on jacket at the george and heart pub
groom doing up his jacket at the george and heart pub
the bride having the finishing touches to her dress at the george and heart pub
bride and groom walking to the wedding in margate
the general public watching the wedding guests walking to the event
wedding guest with margate beach view
bride, groom and wedding guests at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests waiting outside turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests at the outside of turner contemporary art gallery
bride and guests wait to go into turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests in margate
child looking out the window at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests arriving at turner contemporary art gallery
turner contemporary art gallery wedding ceremony
wedding guests getting ready for the ceremony at turner contemporary art gallery
bride walking down the aisle at turner contemporary art gallery
bride and groom exchange rings at turner contemporary art gallery
bride and groom during the wedding ceremony at turner contemporary art gallery
brides mum watching the ceremony at turner contemporary art gallery
mother of the bride watching the ceremony at turner contemporary art gallery
turner contemporary art gallery wedding ceremony bride and groom exchange vows
wedding guests watching the ceremony at turner contemporary art gallery
bride and groom first kiss at turner contemporary art gallery
children messing around during the ceremony at turner contemporary art gallery
children balancing books on their head at turner contemporary art gallery
bride and groom leaving the ceremony at turner contemporary art gallery
bride and groom leaving the ceremony going past the musicians at turner contemporary art gallery
bride and groom with the peace symbol at turner contemporary art gallery
boy laughing with musicians in background at turner contemporary art gallery
guests leaving the ceremony at turner contemporary art gallery
bride and groom hugging at turner contemporary art gallery
two hugs happening simultaneously at turner contemporary art gallery
bride and groom at turner contemporary art gallery wedding reception
wedding guests at turner contemporary art gallery
turner contemporary art gallery wedding guests
groom hugging wedding guest at turner contemporary art gallery
guests at the wedding reception turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests at turner contemporary art gallery
children playing at turner contemporary art gallery
turner contemporary art gallery drinks reception. Wedding guests drinking champagne
wedding guests at turner contemporary art gallery. Kent wedding reception
wedding guests drinking and smoking at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests outside at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding reception at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests at turner contemporary art gallery in margate
wedding guests at turner contemporary art gallery in kent
reportage wedding photography at turner contemporary art gallery. wedding guests in margate
wedding guests at the turner contemporary art gallery wedding reception
wedding guests in Margate
Wedding guests at turner contemporary art gallery kent
wedding reception at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests at turner contemporary art gallery
group of guests at wedding reception in turner contemporary art gallery
twins at wedding reception at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests in strong light at turner contemporary art gallery
turner contemporary art gallery wedding reception
wedding guests at turner contemporary art gallery
turner contemporary art gallery outside wedding reception
bride, bride's daughter and wedding guests at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests chatting at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests drinking and laughing with groom at turner contemporary art gallery
multi storied images at turner contemporary art gallery
children running around outside at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests at turner contemporary art gallery
bride and wedding guest experimenting with high heels at turner contemporary art gallery in margate
turner contemporary art gallery wedding reception. hand pointing at photograph
children looking at the cakes at turner contemporary art gallery wedding reception
wedding guests looking at photo display at turner contemporary art gallery
baby in pram looking at cakes at turner contemporary art gallery
multi storied wedding groupings at turner contemporary art gallery
documentary wedding photography at turner contemporary art gallery. child playing with the door at margate wedding reception
margate wedding reception at turner contemporary art gallery
turner contemporary art gallery wedding reception. Groom chatting in foreground with child playing with dad in background
child wearing sunglasses at turner contemporary art gallery
documentary wedding group shot
bride and groom with all wedding guests walking to margate beach
bride, groom and daughter in a documentary moment
bride kissing daughter in a reportage moment at margate
wedding guests outside turner contemporary art gallery
bride holding her daughter talking to wedding guest
wedding guests at turner contemporary art gallery
parent spinning child around outside at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guest looking at painting at turner contemporary art gallery. Observational take on the moment
wedding guests framed through art at turner contemporary art gallery
evening light at turner contemporary art gallery
bride chatting with wedding guests at turner contemporary art gallery in margate
dress lit by evening light framing a wedding guest at turner contemporary art gallery
turner contemporary art gallery evening wedding reception. Children playing a game of cards.
bride walking past with wedding guest drinking a beer with a starburst over the face in margate
turner contemporary art gallery wedding reception in margate
child sticking out his tongue at turner contemporary art gallery
turner contemporary art gallery first dance
lowlight wedding dance at turner contemporary art gallery
bride and groom first dance at turner contemporary art gallery
bride and groom first dance at turner contemporary art gallery wedding reception
dancing at turner contemporary art gallery
contrasted light dancing at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding reception dancing at turner contemporary art gallery
turner contemporary art gallery dance floor
evening wedding reception at turner contemporary art gallery in margate
low light dance floor turner contemporary art gallery
evening food at turner contemporary art gallery
shooting from the outside at turner contemporary art gallery
evening light turner contemporary art gallery
child touching the photo board at turner contemporary art gallery
child bathed in golden light at turner contemporary art gallery
bride and groom dancing in golden light with guests surrounding them at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests outside on the turner contemporary art gallery balcony
child peeking into the margate venue
wedding guests chatting with bride at the evening reception at turner contemporary art gallery
unposed family group shot at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests blowing up plastic instruments at turner contemporary art gallery
private event at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding speech at turner contemporary art gallery with child in foreground
guests watching the speeches at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding speeches at turner contemporary art gallery
children playing during the speeches at turner contemporary art gallery
best man speech at turner contemporary art gallery
baby not impressed during best man speech at turner contemporary art gallery
child picking nose during speeches framed between art work at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests laughing during speeches at turner contemporary art gallery
groom's speech at turner contemporary art gallery
private event at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests playing with blow up instruments at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests listening to speeches at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests loitering at turner contemporary art gallery
child cuddling up to his parent at turner contemporary art gallery
turner contemporary art gallery dance floor
blue dance floor at turner contemporary art gallery
bride and groom dancing on blue dance floor at turner contemporary art gallery
margate blue dance floor
guests dancing on the blue lit dance floor at turner contemporary art gallery
hang the dj graphic on blue dance floor in margate
bride and groom blue dance floor at turner contemporary art gallery
guests holding up signs on blue dance floor at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests on dance floor at turner contemporary art gallery
smiling face on the dance floor at turner contemporary art gallery
wedding guests at turner contemporary art gallery
turner contemporary art gallery building lit in blue

Getting married at the Turner Contemporary?

If you're getting married at the Turner and connected with our relaxed, documentary wedding photography we'd love to connect and discuss your plans!
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