Society event with a twist for royal wedding photographer
A photographer has released pictures of the most exclusive wedding to happen in Bath this year.
Tabitha and Jonathan were married on March 7, surrounded by friends, family, and more guests than we’ve seen in months.
Joe Short, who captured Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018, was the obvious choice for the Sylvanian couple’s special day. However, the lead-up to the celebration wasn’t without its hiccups, he explained.
The Bath dad, 49, said: “I have been stuck for work for lockdown. I did a few micro-weddings last year but nothing like the amount you’re normally covering in a year.”
He added: “My daughter Juno is nine and massively into Sylvanian Families. When she came out of her room one day and said, ‘We’re having a Sylvanian wedding’, I got really excited about it.
“Then she broke the news that Colin the hedgehog, ‘a family friend’, would be taking the photos. I couldn’t believe she was savvy enough to come out with something like that.”
But after “coaxing Juno round” with the promise of a new Sylvanian bride and groom from ebay, he was hired.
Tabitha and Jonathan (pre-loved but in excellent condition) came with a chapel, wedding cars and the Reverend Bernie Beaver.
Juno spent weeks planning the couple’s big day, even borrowing extra guests from a friend to make it all the more special, and by the time the weekend came, Joe was ready for his biggest assignment yet.
He said: “I wanted to be in full wedding mode and shoot it on a Saturday, but it was quite windy and getting those guys to stand up in the wind is pretty tricky.
“So they kindly moved their big day to the Sunday when the sun was out and at this time of year, the sun is a little more flattering.”
The Bath dad spent all day laying in the garden, working out how to get the best angles of Tabitha and Jonathan. He didn’t miss a beat and even caught the moment Grandma Viv had too much bubbly and fell over the piano. The family dogs were the only fly in the ointment, as they wandered into shot and even “took a pee behind the marquee”. After getting some romantic snaps of the new Mr and Mrs, Joe waited until the evening “when the guests had had a few drinks” to catch the couple’s first dance.
He said: “It was fun to be working again. Some of the genuine techniques I would use in a human wedding, I dusted down and used.”
The highlight of the evening had to be the moment Jonathan and Tabitha danced to a rendition of (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life by the Sylvanian Aliens.
Tabitha leapt into Jonathan’s arms for that famous lift but – disaster – his arms were too short and she landed on his head. The crowd loved it and, despite the sticky ending, it really was a night to remember.
You can find a full account of the day and more photos at https:// joeshortweddingphotography.com/ sylvanian-family-lockdown-weddingphotographer/