The day began with me meeting Mary and Dominik at The Store Hotel in Oxford. Before the ceremony, we headed out for a relaxed walk around the Broad Street, taking advantage of the beautiful surroundings of the Bodleian Library and Radcliffe Camera to capture some bride and groom portraits.

I love this part of a wedding day. Away from the schedule and the excitement of the ceremony, it gives couples a little time together to take everything in. Oxford's historic streets and distinctive architecture provided a beautiful setting for Mary and Dom's portraits, with the photographs capturing the anticipation and excitement of the day ahead.

Rather than making the portraits feel too formal or overly posed, we kept things relaxed and natural, allowing the two of them to enjoy time together before the ceremony started.
From Broad Street, we made our way to the magnificent Divinity School, where guests gathered outside to greet Mary and Dom before the ceremony in Convocation House.

Few places could offer a more atmospheric setting for a wedding. Tucked within the historic buildings of the University of Oxford, Convocation House dates from 1634–1637 and was built to accommodate meetings of the University's governing body, known as Convocation. For Mary and Dom, it was a wonderful place to begin married life together.

Photographing a ceremony in a historic venue like Convocation House also brings its own challenges. The light is considerably lower than it is outside, so I pushed the film one stop to help me work in the available light while maintaining the natural, documentary approach I wanted for the photographs. The result was an opportunity to embrace the atmosphere of the room rather than fight against it.

One of the highlights of the day came next: Mary and Dom climbed aboard a punt at Wolfson College and travelled along the River Cherwell to Cherwell Boathouse for their reception and party. It's hard to imagine a more quintessentially Oxford way to travel to a wedding reception. With the sun shining and the river providing a beautiful, peaceful setting, the journey itself became part of the celebration.

Cherwell Boathouse has long been part of Oxford's riverside life. The Edwardian boathouse and punt station date back to the early twentieth century, with the punt-hire business established in 1904. Today, the riverside setting is well known for its relaxed atmosphere and beautiful views along the Cherwell. Arriving by punt felt perfectly in keeping with the spirit of Mary and Dom's wedding: a little unconventional, wonderfully romantic and full of personality.

With the formalities behind them, the rest of the day was all about enjoying the company of their guests, celebrating together and making the most of the sunshine. The atmosphere was fantastic fun, and it was a pleasure to document the day as it unfolded.

The beauty of shooting a wedding on 35mm film

For Mary and Dominik's wedding, I photographed the entire day on 35mm film, using a Nikon F3 and a Nikon F100, loaded with Kodak Ultramax and Kentmere 400.

Shooting a whole wedding on film is a deliberate choice. Every frame matters, and there is a different rhythm to working with analogue cameras. Rather than taking endless photographs, I work carefully with the available light, anticipate moments as they happen and look for genuine interactions that tell the story of the day.

Kodak Ultramax brings vibrant colour and a lively, classic film character, while Kentmere 400 offers a versatile black-and-white option with a distinctive, grain-rich look. Together, they gave me the flexibility to capture the colour and warmth of Oxford in the sunshine, alongside more atmospheric moments in the darker interior of Convocation House.

Pushing the film one stop for the ceremony allowed me to work with the low light inside the venue, embracing the character of the space while keeping the photographs true to the atmosphere of the moment.

For me, film is about more than the aesthetic. It's about slowing down, paying attention and creating photographs that feel meaningful long after the wedding day has passed. The subtle grain, organic tones and timeless quality of analogue photography felt like a natural fit for a wedding surrounded by so much history.

From the first portraits around Broad Street to the ceremony in historic Convocation House, the extra photographs at Wolfson College and the unforgettable punt journey to Cherwell Boathouse, Mary and Dom's wedding was a joy to photograph.

The weather played its part, the atmosphere was fantastic, and the whole day felt like a true celebration of the two of them. It was relaxed, full of character and packed with lovely moments — exactly the sort of wedding that reminds me why I love documenting weddings on film.

Congratulations Mary and Dom!