St John’s College Wedding
Pekka & Muriel
Pekka and Muriel married at St John’s College, Cambridge, in a small, intimate wedding, exactly how they wanted it. Bridal prep at Muriel’s home was relaxed and quiet, filled with classical music, as she and her small bridal team got ready for the day.
When Muriel walked down the aisle at St John’s College Chapel, the whole room fell silent. She looked elegant and completely at ease, and it’s one of those moments where you could feel the entire chapel hold its breath.
The Ceremony
From my position I watched Pekka’s face as he saw Muriel enter the chapel, pure pride. Their wedding was exactly what they’d planned: small, intimate and genuinely perfect.
The Grounds at St John’s College
St John’s College is one of those rare Cambridge colleges that manages to be genuinely impressive and relaxed at the same time. Surrounded by iconic views, Pekka and Muriel’s guests wandered the grounds and took in the best of Cambridge.
Drinks were served on the main lawn with the Bridge of Sighs in the background, and the wedding party gathered in the college’s beautiful cloisters.
The Reception at La Pergola
From the college, the wedding party moved to one of Muriel and Pekka’s favourite family restaurants, La Pergola in Cambridge, where the Italian family-run restaurant welcomed the guests with real Italian hospitality.
I shoot weddings with 300 or more guests, and I shoot small, intimate ones like this. Both are packed with just as much emotion, and I think smaller weddings like Pekka and Muriel’s will only become more common.
A huge thank you to Pekka and Muriel for letting me be part of their day, and to St John’s College for their genuinely welcoming approach to wedding photographers, and to every guest who let me grab just one more shot.
Planning a Cambridge College Wedding?
If you’re planning a wedding at a Cambridge college, read our guide to photographing a Cambridge college wedding for what to expect, from chapel ceremonies to college grounds and formal photography restrictions. To see more of my approach to relaxed, documentary wedding photography, visit our wedding photography portfolio.
About Juan
I’m Juan Muiño, a wedding photographer based in and around Cambridgeshire, UK, shooting throughout the UK as well as destination weddings. I’ve been a photographer all my life, and alongside weddings I run a portrait studio and shoot headshots for actors, performers and presenters.