Jonny Donovan
Award-Winning London Wedding Photographer
London, UK & International
I’m passionate about creating beautiful, authentic wedding photographs filled with real emotion
Your wedding should not be a photoshoot
I’m a South London wedding photographer who shoots entirely in a documentary style, which is a fancy way of saying I'll photograph your day in a relaxed manner without turning it into an annoying photo shoot.
“Oh. My. God. The Photos are Phenomenal!”
— Rowan & James
Documentary Wedding Photographer
I look for natural moments brimming with emotion, because you’ll always prefer a photo of a real moment over a posed one. As an award-winning wedding photographer in London, I work almost entirely with available light and blend in with your guests to be as unobtrusive as possible.
I want you to remember what your wedding day looked like but, more importantly, how it felt
“Really, really brilliant – beautifully shot”
— Paul & Hannah
Award-winning photographer
In my 12 years as a south-London based wedding photographer I have had the privilege of documenting so many personal moments for my couples and photographed in some incredible places along the way. Being an award-winning photographer has allowed me to hone my skills and capture the most meaningful memories for my clients.
“I watched the slideshow twice and cried both times!”
— Alice & James
Your wedding day belongs to you, not me
I’m a London wedding photographer who approaches each celebration without preconceived notions of how it should unfold, which is what I appreciate about every wedding - no two days are alike.
For me, it's not just about documenting what happens, it's about capturing the story of you as a couple, the bonds with your family and friends, and the distinct connections you share. Your wedding album shouldn't be a collection of staged scenes but a gallery of genuine, unscripted moments that unfold in a beautifully unique way.
“Wow! The photos are absolutely amazing!”
— Kristy & Mark
Recent Wedding Stories
Please click below to view a complete wedding story
How do I work?
I love working with natural light and will always use it if I can, but I always carry lights with me as winter weddings can sometimes mean working in near darkness!
I avoid staging or posing my couples and just let things unfold in all but two areas of the day: Firstly the formal or group photographs (my couples often don’t want these images but feel they should have them - when else do you get the whole family together, right?) and, secondly, when I photograph your bridal portraits. I tend to put you in some nice light and then allow you to be yourselves.
My full coverage of your wedding day begins with your morning preparations and goes right up until your guests are burning up the dance-floor.
The full coverage includes:
An online pre-wedding consultation.
All of the best photographs; beautifully edited and fully licensed for unlimited personal use, at high resolution (upwards of 400 images).
A slideshow set to music that you can watch like a movie of your wedding day.
A password protected online gallery where your guests can view and order a huge range of stunning print products directly, wherever they are in the world.
Fast digital delivery
“Beautiful photos that tell the story of the day with sensitivity and wit”
— Emily & James
Why I shouldn’t be your wedding photographer
Choosing your wedding photographer is one of the most important decisions you’ll have to make in the run up to your big day. It’s important to love their work, but also to feel like you like them as a person, so finding the right fit is key.
If you are more concerned with how many likes your wedding will get on Instagram, rather than how much fun you are going to have on your day, I’m probably not the right photographer for you.
If you’ve made a multi-page moodboard document of wedding poses and the latest instagram presets, we’re also probably not going to align.
But if you want the emotional essence of your day crafted into a beautiful visual story which transports you back in years to come, then we should definitely talk.
“Honestly you have made it all feel real again as I was beginning to think it was all a dream!”
— Georgia and Ben
My approach
I love that people let it all hang out at weddings - it’s why I photograph them.
I’m passionate about capturing all the craziness, drama, comedy, and heartbeat-skipping emotion that make your day unique to create a gallery full of stunning images which show your love for each other and create a candid, relaxed, quirky photos, which get your personalities across. Because it's those fleeting moments, captured when you didn't know you were being photographed, that will mean the most to you and your family in years to come.
And if you like I can also photograph a few beautiful, natural portraits of the two of you together just being yourselves, without taking you away from your guests for too long. Nothing cheesy, just you looking like you on your best day.
Because let's face it, you are going to look incredible on your wedding day.
Pricing
12 Hours
£2300
Includes:
Pre-wedding consultation
Arrival: 2–3 hours before the ceremony
A minimum of 500 fully edited, high-res images
Password-protected online gallery
Digital delivery
Free downloads for all
A movie slideshow of images
All UK travel included
9 Hours
£1800
Includes:
Pre-wedding consultation
Arrival: 2 hours before the ceremony
A minimum of 400 fully edited, high-res images
Password-protected online gallery
Digital delivery
Free downloads for all
A movie slideshow of images
All UK travel included
Micro Weddings
£240 /h
Includes:
Pre-wedding consultation
Approx. 50 fully edited, high-res images per hour of shooting
Password-protected online gallery
Digital delivery
Free downloads for all
A movie slideshow of images
All UK travel included
Minimum 3 hours
For information about my stunning range of bespoke albums and printing options just get in touch.
I’m based in South London but we can have a preliminary chat over Zoom or Teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Absolutely. I'm based in South London (where West Norwood meets Dulwich) but I love to travel.
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Of course! I live in South London and would love to meet you in person or on Zoom/Teams/Skype.
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Absolutely. I like to keep them short and sweet though so I can concentrate on the documentary photography.
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It would have to be pretty serious to prevent me from attending! In the event, I have a network of photographers that I can call upon to take my place. There is no extra cost to you if I have to source a replacement.
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I love working alone as it reduces my profile so I can get more natural photographs, but i f you have a very large wedding (300 or more guests) I can arrange it for you no problem.
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You'll receive a minimum of 400 finished images for my full day coverage, sometimes as many as 500, depending on the light and the weather. I aim to complete the post-production of your photographs and slideshow within 2-3 weeks of your wedding.
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All client images are kept for a minimum of 12 months on our back-up system, and the online gallery also remains online for 24 months, with an option to extend. It is very important that you download and back-up your images as soon as you receive the link to the online gallery. Remember that you should always back files up to multiple locations to be totally safe and avoid heartbreak.
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Absolutely. Low resolution, subtly watermarked, online versions for social media use will be supplied alongside the high-resolution watermark-free versions for printing.
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Completely. I have both third party liability and professional indemnity insurance. I also carry backup camera bodies, lenses and lights.
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I started taking pictures professionally whilst working abroad as a reporter for the BBC World Service and The Associated Press. When I came home I wanted to continue with my reportage photography so weddings were the natural thing to do.
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I'll send you out a contract to sign and return and once you've done that and paid a booking fee (part of the total cost, paid up front) the date is yours.
Dates book up quickly as couples get in touch daily, so do drop me a line and tell me about your wedding. I would love to be a part of it.
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Absolutely, I have a stunning range of beautiful bespoke albums and printing options available on request.
