Gemma & Jack

Their Story

From a Costume Party to a Life Together.

Gemma was dressed as Mary Poppins. Jack was Captain Jack Sparrow. They met at a costume party in 2015, a fitting beginning for two people who share a love of film and would go on to work on films together. Gemma as an actor, Jack as crew.

Their relationship grew through four years of long distance at university, with plenty of train tickets, petrol and journeys to see each other. Later, lockdown meant another three months apart. When they could finally build a home together, they were more than ready.

Jack proposed on the Southbank in November 2021, overlooking the London Eye and Westminster. By the time they married at Hodsock Priory on 6 October 2023, they had moved into their first home. After years of travelling to be together, there was something particularly lovely about that: a front door they both came home to.

Affection, with a Little Mischief

When I asked Gemma and Jack about their relationship, they spoke about care, affection and how much they loved spending time together. They also made it clear that taking the mickey out of each other was part of the deal.

That combination gave their photography a clear direction. They wanted romance and closeness, with plenty of room for laughter. Both were comfortable being affectionate, and their enthusiasm for adventurous photographs came with just one practical request: try to keep Gemma's dress nice.

Their engagement shoot had been fun, and they were keen to bring that same openness to the wedding. They wanted photographs with a little imagination, reflecting their personalities and their willingness to try something different.

A Personal Way of Seeing the Day

Gemma and Jack had a strong sense of what mattered to them visually. Their plans included kilts for the groom's party and thistles in the flowers, bringing their families' Scottish heritage into the celebration.

Alongside those considered details, they wanted the spontaneous moments preserved. When I asked why they had chosen me, they said: "We love how you capture the true and natural candid moments that other photographers would miss."

That trust meant a great deal, particularly as Jack was already a friend. I was being asked to pay attention to the small, familiar things that made them who they were together. My approach was to leave room for both: a little creative direction for their portraits, and the freedom for the rest of the day to unfold. Their humour and affection were already there. The photographs needed to make space for them.

Memories That Stay Close

After the wedding, Gemma and Jack wrote that I had captured "so many moments of the day" and "truly solidified our memories". I love that choice of words.

So much of their story had involved finding ways to spend time together. Their wedding brought the people they loved into one place to celebrate the life they were building. Being trusted to preserve that, as their photographer and their friend, made this wedding especially personal.