LUXURY WHITE TIE PARTY AT THE KINGS OBSERVATORY
C & M
Three years after I photographed their intimate wedding ceremony at the glorious Kings Chapel of the Savoy in London I had the opportunity to capture Celia and Max’s luxury London wedding celebration at The King’s Observatory in Richmond.
The candlelit wedding dinner which was months in planning and weeks in build saw the luxury London wedding planners Albion Parties create a structure filled with personal and bespoke details such as handpainted wallpaper by Guy Goodfellow.
A full moon added to the atmosphere and the lake came alive after dark filled with lily lanterns whilst the observatory itself was lit up with dynamic projections.
“It was built in 1769 by that great Anglo-German hero, Mad King George III. As well as not knowing who he was half the time, King George had no idea where he was any of the time. But such was the universal condition of the Georgian era. We simply didn’t know how far Earth was from the other heavenly objects. Now King George, when he wasn’t banging on about his mental health or conspiring to lose his American colonies, was keen to resolve this point. So he built his observatory in order to witness a rare celestial event: the Transit of Venus. This is the moment, once every 88,000 days, when the planet of love passes across our sun’s face, and on that day, it’s possible to work out Earth’s distance from both objects if they are clearly observed. So that was the plan: build something unique and fingers crossed for clear skies on the day. Which has been our plan for tonight. It worked in 1769 and I hope you’ll agree that it’s worked tonight.” Max Bernitz
“HELEN IS AN EXCEPTIONALLY TALENTED PHOTOGRAPHER WHO CAPTURES THE TRUE ESSENCE OF EVERY CELEBRATION SHE PHOTOGRAPHS, TELLING THE STORY OF THE DAY WITH BEAUTIFUL, NATURAL IMAGES. WE HAVE WORKED WITH HER FOR OVER A DECADE AND SHE IS ALWAYS A JOY TO COLLABORATE WITH – CALM, PROFESSIONAL AND CONSISTENTLY DELIVERING OUTSTANDING RESULTS.”
Katie Crichton Stuart - Albion Events
CREATIVE TEAM
VENUE | The King’s Observatory | @thekingsobservatory
PLANNERS | Albion Parties | @albionparties
FLOWERS | Tattie Rose Studio | @tattierosstudio
WALLPAPER | Guy Goodfellow | @guygoodfellowcollection
CATERING | Food Initiative | @foodinitiative
STATIONERY | GGP Print London | @ggprintlondon
PRODUCTION | Ingenius Productions | @ingenius_productions
MARQUEE | JB Marquees | @jb.marquees
PRIVATE EVENTS AT THE KINGS OBSERVATORY
Set within the peaceful surroundings of Richmond’s Old Deer Park, The King’s Observatory is a remarkable setting for private celebrations and large-scale events. Its historic architecture and lakeside gardens provide a dramatic backdrop for creative event design, allowing planners to transform the space completely. For Celia and Max’s celebration, Albion Parties created an immersive environment filled with hand-painted wallpaper, layered interiors and atmospheric lighting, turning the observatory into a richly detailed setting for an unforgettable evening.
I create editorial wedding photography for private celebrations across London, the UK and Europe, and design-led events like this are always a joy to document.