A Wildly Fun Two-Bride Wedding at The Elephant at Pangbourne | Lisa & Sian

A 5pm ceremony, matching tattoos, a cheese cake cut with a sword, indoor fireworks and a first dance that turned into the Hokey Cokey. Buckle up.

Where do I even begin with Lisa and Sian? A 5pm ceremony can only ever mean one thing: this was always going to be a party. And oh, what a party it was. This wedding packed some serious punch, and I had the absolute time of my life photographing it.

A little something to set the scene: before the big day, Lisa and Sian and I had done a gloriously silly, brilliantly awkward 80s themed engagement shoot together. What I did not know was that they had secretly framed those photos and dotted them all around The Elephant at Pangbourne as a surprise for their guests to discover and giggle at throughout the day. Honestly, the sweetest, funniest touch. I’ll be blogging that shoot separately, because it deserves its own moment in the spotlight.

“We are absolutely IN LOVE with the images.”

Lisa, The Elephant at Pangbourne

A chilled, prosecco-fuelled start

The day began with rain, so I arrived nice and early to beat any traffic and weather drama. Lisa, being a makeup artist herself, was the picture of calm doing her own makeup, while Sian was in the room next door curling her hair. Lovely, relaxed vibes all round. And then the prosecco started popping, and, well, we did not look back from there.

Two brides, and a flash-lit ceremony

The 5pm ceremony was indoors, with the rain still coming down outside, which meant just one thing as far as I was concerned: hello, flash. I made absolutely sure these two got the beautiful, even lighting they deserved on their big moment.

Sian walked down the aisle first with her mum, followed by Lisa with her dad. And the outfits, oh the outfits. Sian, who famously does not do dresses and had told me in no uncertain terms during the engagement shoot that there was no way she would ever wear one, walked in and stunned absolutely everyone in a gorgeous white dress. Lisa, meanwhile, looked utterly spectacular in a striking black wedding gown. The ceremony itself was full of laughter thanks to Sian’s brilliant comedic quips, and everybody was crying and laughing all at once. Beautiful is the only word for it.

The great confetti operation

Now, we had been told confetti could only happen if it was not raining, and only outdoors. So of course, as if by absolute miracle, the rain stopped the very moment the ceremony finished. Cue me marching every last guest outside with their reception drinks in hand, and reader, I was not holding back on the bossing. I knew how much the girls wanted their confetti moment, and I was going to make sure every single person was lined up and ready. It worked a treat, the confetti was bright and colourful exactly how I love it, the girls looked incredible, and, bonus points, I did not fall over. A win all round.

Matching ink (and a cocktail)

Before I could even settle in for some candids, an announcement went out: the tattoo artist had finished setting up and was ready to go. Yes, really. There was no chance on earth I was missing the brides getting their matching tattoos done. We spent a good while making sure the placement was just right, and then Lisa hopped into the hot seat first, sipping her cocktail and looking completely unbothered, what a queen. Sian went next and took it all in her stride, chatting away merrily the whole time. I will admit the tattoo queue never once died down, which was a personal tragedy, as I had my heart set on a little elephant of my own. It was not meant to be. Sigh.

Speeches, a banquet and the boys

Being a later wedding, it was pretty much straight into the wedding breakfast. One of the bridesmaids gave a lovely belated reading that had been meant for the ceremony (oops, it happens), and then everyone tucked into a wonderfully informal banquet.

It was around here I realised Lisa had not yet had any photos with her two sons, so I insisted we grab some before they disappeared off. Teenage boys are, understandably, not always desperate to be photographed, but we got some really lovely ones. Hashtag win. I then suggested a few with close family, and somehow, in the way these things go, the next thing I knew I was setting up to photograph forty-plus guests in a pitch-black garden. Most photographers might have had a small breakdown at that point, but luckily I had my trusty flashes on hand, so we lit everyone up as best we could, and I may have suggested the front row twerk or lunge to help the folks at the back get seen. You rather had to be there.

Champagne, an elephant, and colour everywhere

After a few quick portraits with just the two of them, we headed out front for the iconic champagne spray, alongside none other than the famous elephant itself, because why on earth not. And while we were at it, I threw some colour gels on my flashes and really went to town. Dreamy, punchy, and so very them.

A first dance with a twist

Then it was leg it back indoors, flashes at the ready, for a first dance with a difference. These two absolute legends had secretly arranged with the band to strike up the Hokey Cokey, I kid you not. So what began as a sweet, romantic first dance suddenly erupted into the entire dancefloor putting their left leg in and shaking it all about. I loved every single second.

Cheese, swords and indoor fireworks

You would think that was enough excitement for one day. It was not. Next came the cake cut, except the cake was made of actual cheese, and it was cut not with a knife but with a sword. How that came to pass, I genuinely could not tell you, but I adored it.

Then another surprise: the girls had organised a shot trolley to be wheeled out to a shot anthem, and unbeknownst to them, the guests had secretly clubbed together to have indoor fireworks go off as the song played. Absolutely epic. The band were phenomenal too, coming out to sing amongst the dancers before running a karaoke set with the guests, and I stayed right through until they finished and the silent disco kicked off. Epic, from start to finish.

Lisa and Sian, thank you for one of the most joyful, funny, jam-packed days I have ever had the privilege of shooting. You two are something special.

What Lisa Said

“We found Emma two years ago and instantly fell in love with her style of photography! We didn’t want boring posed wedding photos, we wanted fun, bright, candid photos that really captured the atmosphere. We were lucky enough to meet Emma before the big day, where we had an 80’s themed cringe engagement shoot (these images were used at our wedding and were a huge hit with the guests!)

Emma is warm and friendly and makes everyone feel comfortable instantly. She also sent us the finished wedding gallery in under two weeks which was a pleasant surprise. We are absolutely IN LOVE with the images. They are exactly our style and I cannot stop looking at them all. A beautiful mixture of love, laughs and most importantly…. the dance floor!”

Lisa & Sian, The Elephant at Pangbourne

Planning your own wedding at The Elephant at Pangbourne?

The Elephant at Pangbourne is a wonderfully characterful, eclectic venue in Berkshire, made for couples who want their day to be exactly as fun and individual as they are. If you are getting married there, or anywhere across Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and beyond, and you want someone to throw themselves wholeheartedly into capturing the real, hilarious, emotional story of your day (flashes, bossing and all), I would love to hear from you. I am currently booking for 2027, so head over to my contact page and let’s have a chat.

The dream team

Venue: The Elephant at Pangbourne, Berkshire. Lisa’s dress: Creatiques Bridal Boutique (@creatiquesbridalboutique). Sian’s dress: Boo Bridal Boutique (@boobridalboutique). Tattoos: Sophie Spooner (@sophiespoonertattoo). Photo booth, love letters, post box and audio guestbook: Demon Photobooths (@demon_photobooths). Content creator: Molly Baird Photography (@molly.baird_photography). Music: Sara Louise Vocals (@saralouisevocals). Hair and makeup: the brides and their friends. Flowers: a talented friend of the couple. Photography: Emma Staley Photography.