Small South London Wedding at Belair House, Dulwich Village

bride and groom hug and smile surrounded by flowers in a south london park

The theme for Georgie and Alex’s small South London wedding at Belair House in Dulwich Village was timeless elegance – and they absolutely nailed it.

Although their day was technically a postponed celebration (their third date change!), they never compromised on what mattered most: celebrating their love in a relaxed, intimate way. “Alex proposed in autumn 2020 during a weekend in the Chilterns,” Georgie shared. “We were engaged for five months before getting married. We wanted something small, meaningful and didn’t want to wait!”

If you love the idea of keeping things small and meaningful, discover more about my small wedding photography approach.

Small South London Wedding Ceremony at Belair House

The setting for Georgie and Alex’s small South London wedding was Belair House, a beautiful two storey Georgian mansion situated in (no surprises here) Belair Park, in Dulwich Village. “We love Dulwich Village, as it is the scene for many moments together and with family,” Georgie says.

wide photograph of wedding venue Belair house in south london with a blue sky

close up of the doorway of belair house wedding venue

The light-filled Ballroom at Belair House was the perfect setting for their intimate ceremony, surrounded by just six close family members. Though Georgie’s dad sadly couldn’t attend due to illness, the day was still full of emotion, love, and meaning – a truly personal celebration.

If you’re considering a similar day, small weddings in South London are a beautiful way to celebrate your connection.

You might also like to see this intimate Chelsea wedding day or this Hackney Town Hall celebration.

small initimate wedding ceremony at south london belair house

wide shot of wedding ceremony as mum reads a reading, bride and groom look on and a guest films on her phone

A theme of timeless elegance

In keeping with their theme of timeless elegance, Georgie and Alex kept their décor simple yet beautifully refined. They worked with Floral Jems to create romantic floral arrangements, including a bough of white blooms and greenery across the ceremony windows, another adorning the signing table, and a soft circle of petals to frame the space and make it feel even more intimate.

Georgie’s bouquet featured classic white peonies, roses, and ranunculus, perfectly in tune with the couple’s chic, understated style. “We were very early in peony season and Jem went to such lengths to make sure they opened in time — the flowers sat in a bath with lights on for a few days to encourage them along!” she recalls.

The result was an atmosphere that felt calm, elegant, and effortlessly romantic. Everything a small South London wedding should be.

wide photograph showing white ceremony room at belair house with floral detail on the floor making a pathway

Elegant City Wedding Chic

Georgie had to change her dress last minute, as her pregnancy bump was too big by the time they finally got a date in the diary for their small South London wedding! Four days before, she bought her buttoned Ghost midi dress online. She wore this with pearls, an elegant headband with a birdcage veil, and Manolo Blahnik heels – later changing into white trainers for comfort. She also wore Chanel No. 5 perfume, a gift from Alex that held special significance as it was the perfume her dad had bought her mum for over four decades.

photograph of bride and grooms wedding invite decorated with a perfume bottle and vintage rings

But perhaps the real knockout of Georgie’s amazing, Jackie O-esque outfit was her super chic tailored bridal coat, which had been designed bespoke by an old school friend of hers, Rosie Armitage. “I loved my outfit.” Georgie recalls. “I always loved the look of Town Hall wedding outfits being more of a suit than a big puffy dress. I wanted a simple but elegant dress and a coat I could wear again for special occasions (namely our son’s Christening!).”

close up photo of buttons on bride's wedding dress

brides Ghost wedding dress hangs next to a cream bespoke jacket on a wardrobe

Alex wore a Reiss suit, which they’d bought pre-pandemic but had never been used due to working from home.

black and white groom portrait as groom looks off to the right of camera

portrait of a groom in a blue suit from reiss

Reception Drinks on the Terrace

After the ceremony, Georgie and Alex had invited a few more people to join them for a relaxed drinks reception on the terrace at Blaire House – it was the perfect continuation of their small South London wedding. They also cut their cake outside, a delicious two tier lemon and elderflower cake by Violet Cakes, the bakery behind the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Royal wedding cake.

close up of flowers decorated on a two tier white wedding cake from london's Violet Cakes By Claire Ptak

two tier white wedding cake from london's Violet Cakes By Claire Ptak

Small South London wedding portraits

Georgie, Alex and I took a moment away from their guests to capture some relaxed portraits, just the two of them (well, three, including the bump!) We made use of the beautiful interiors of Belair House – including the grand staircase and beautiful ballroom, which enabled a hilarious photo where Georgie’s sister and best friend photobombed in the background! We also went for a stroll through the lush surroundings of Belair Park. With the bright blue sky and the April sun shining down, it was a perfect time to have a breather and soak it all up.

bride and groom holding hands and strolling through a south london park looking content and relaxed

bride and groom pose for a couple portrait while bride's sister and guest pull silly face in the background through a window

We also gathered the guests for a confetti photo, using the cute personalised pouches that Georgie and Alex had provided them, as well as group photos with their families.

bride and groom walk through real white petal confetti

Despite Alex being camera shy, Georgie said: “My husband absolutely hates having his photo taken”, but their wedding portraits “are some of the very best that I have ever seen of him, Laura just manages to tap into what makes people feel at ease.”

Cosy, comfortable, and classic beauty

All in all, I had the most glorious time photographing Georgie and Alex’s small South London wedding; they were so beautiful, and so beautifully in love, that it was a total pleasure to capture. Luckily for me, they loved having me there too (how awkward would it be if they didn’t?!)

Client Testimonial:

“Our experience with Laura was absolutely incredible and I would recommend her over and over again. She was excited and enthusiastic from day one, asked all the right questions and made us think about what we really wanted and what was really important. On the day, she was just perfection. She made us all feel totally at ease and was there to offer advice and a laugh when any wobbles looked like they were on the horizon. We were absolutely thrilled with the end results and how well she interacted with our guests on the day. Laura is kind, fun, full of energy and enthusiasm and exactly the kind of person you want taking pictures of the most special day of your life. Her photos managed to capture all of the intimacy and emotion of the day and we have had so many compliments. Thank you SO much Laura for a fantastic job.”

No, Georgie and Alex – thank you – for trusting, and choosing me!

If you’re planning a small South London wedding, or something larger but still joyful – anywhere in the UK, I’d love to hear about your plans. You can get in touch here to check your wedding date and chat through your ideas with me.

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