Old Marylebone town hall wedding photography

Intimate weddings in London

With the uncertainty around how weddings will look in the coming months many couples are choosing to continue with a smaller event for this year and have a bigger celebration next year as restrictions around social gatherings are restricted. An elopement or intimate wedding gathering is no less special, momentous or joyful and the photographs from that time even more important for sharing with those who can’t be present.

Getting married at Old Marylebone Town Hall

One of the first weddings of the year and a nice warm up for the season was at Old Marylebone Town Hall for Alex and Christina. They chose to get married on a Sunday and was one of those tiny, intimate ceremonies that I feel so lucky to be witness to. I met them first at their home enviably located in one of those beautiful buildings overlooking Regents Park. The day was sunny and the mood cheerful. After photos on the beautiful terrace we hopped in cabs to the town hall for more photos prior to the ceremony. It’s such a treat to have so much time to capture the portraits and family pics. I’m used to capturing weddings at Old Marylebone Town Hall on a Saturday when, like every other civil ceremony venue in town there is a constant stream of brides, confetti showers and hugging guests tripping up and down the iconic steps in heels. But this Sunday we had it entirely to ourselves. The ceremony took place in one of the smaller spaces, the Marylebone Room with only 4 witnesses. What made this day so special was the remarkably personal and in depth marriage vows that Alex and Cristina read to each other which I found incredibly moving.

And after… on to the Ritz of course for afternoon tea. The location that they chose as a meeting point for their first date :-)

black and white close up of couple kissing not showing eyes

bride and groom arrive at Old Marylebone town hall for marriage

close up of bride hugging groom from behind

the pillars at Marylebone old town hall with bride and groom dancing

bride and groom walking down stairs at registry office with pillars behind

black and white bride and groom walking down sunlit hall

close up of woman signing marriage register surround by bride and registrar black and white

mother and father framed by bride and groom during wedding vows

picture from behind bride of groom putting on wedding ring

bride smiling at groom during wedding ceremony as she puts on his ring

father reading speech to bride and groom in light filled ceremony room

first kiss couple kissing in small ceremony room

black and white bride and groom depart ceremony room with window behind

bride and groom coming down grand staircase in Old Marylebone town hall

bride and groom exiting Old Marylebone town hall through confetti tunnel

bride and groom exiting Old Marylebone town hall through confetti tunnel and kissing

bride and groom on steps - three quarter length

bride standing next to pillar with foliage in foreground

three male guests laughing and holding big bunches of roses

groom leaning into a car window to kiss a bride in the car

bride and groom in back seat of a car leaning in close to each other taken from front seat

close up black and white of couple kissing showing wedding ring

How many hours of photography do you need for your wedding?

Whilst my Saturday’s tend to be fully booked during the summer with full wedding day shoots, I love to make my calendar available for small mid week marriages for those couples who are choosing a local London marriage and may only want a few hours coverage to to capture maybe the ceremony and some family snaps, or just a short amount of time at home for preparations or after for canapés at their chosen wedding reception venue. You can book photography with me from one hour upwards. For one hour I can arrive ahead of you to capture your arrival on the steps of Old Marylebone Town Hall, your civil ceremony. and then some portraits photos afterwards of the two of your around the Hall. Additional hours can be added before and after depending on your day. If this is an elopement and you don’t need to head to a reception straight after then we can choose another picturesque or sentimental location within London for a longer portrait session.

You can call me on 07894 557881 or send me a message to discuss your plans and what you are looking to get from your wedding photography.

Old Marylebone Town Hall

Major internal and external renovations of the grade II listed Old Marylebone Town Hall took place in August 2013 when the venue was temporarily closed with alternative wedding venues being offered by Westminster Register Office. It didn’t open again until early 2018. Each of the 7 available ceremony rooms, all named after London areas, have been designed individually so that they retain unique characters and their capacities range from the intimate Marylebone and Paddington Rooms offering a maximum of 15 guests up to the Westminster Room which has a capacity of 96. So whether you are planning a very intimate elopement with only witnesses presence or a larger celebration of family and friends. You can book your room at The Old Marylebone Town Hall online. They even hold open evenings so you can explore the spaces at your leisure and see which is going to be perfect for your wedding.

A celebrity Favourite for weddings

Old Marylebone Town Hall is one of London’s most recognisable civil wedding venues. It has hosted the nuptials of such high profile couples such as Sir Paul McCartney (with Linda in the sixties and Nancy Shevell in 2011), Ringo Star, Liam Gallagher twice, Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith. It also was proud to host 20 same sex couples legalising their union on the very first day of civil partnerships back in 2005. It’s loved for both it’s history and it’s photogenic architecture (roman inspired columns), as well as it’s very central London location, close to some of London’s most beautiful parks - all of which makes it London’s busiest register office. The usual confetti shot on the stairs between the pillars has now become such an iconic London wedding photograph and is so recognisable. Make sure you have lots of biodegradable confetti or dried flower petals to make sure you capture this beautiful moment after your wedding.

Westminster Register Office Wedding

Register office weddings are increasingly popular as couples want more flexibility to choose how they make their commitments to each other and are not always comfortable with a religious ceremony. You can customise your ceremony - from the order of events, the music selection, the vows and speeches. It’s also much more budget friendly (costing as little as £185), allowing you to spend more on your reception or party. It’s easier to have a smaller wedding at a register office and the spaces available, such as Old Marylebone Town Hall offer beautiful rooms filled with flowers and elegant lighting. They also offer unusual spaces and frontages which provide photogenic backdrops for couple portraits and family photos.

How is a register office wedding different to a church wedding?

The format of getting married at Old Maryblebone Town Hall will be a little different to what you might have seen previously at church weddings. The rules and restrictions are completely different and you have a huge amount of flexibility to run the day as you want it. You can arrive together or separately 30 minutes ahead of your ceremony and will need to have a legal interview with the registrars. This should only take about 10 minutes each. You have to have two witnesses at the ceremony who speak the language. This must not be register office staff and also I as your photographer cannot be a witness, but it doesn’t need to be someone you know - you could as a passing stranger on the street!

Where to have your couple portraits after the ceremony

This really depends on the timings and also lighting and weather on the day. Chat to me beforehand if you can and I can assist with your wedding planning and scheduling to ensure you have enough time to capture all of the key moments such as your arrival and the classic confetti shot on the stairs. If you only want to spend 15 minutes on your couple photos then the steps and the columns of Marylebone Town Hall is a more than wonderful backdrop for your pictures. We can also use the elegant interiors before you head outside - or if the weather is not great. The inside of Marylebone Town Hall offers sweeping staircases and light filled corridors. Regent’s Park is nearby and offers a more natural setting for your pictures. If it’s a beautiful day and your reception is walking distance then it always makes for fabulous documentary photos for me to capture you leading your guests through the streets of London, taking in some of the most recognisable city landmarks - and of course using the wedding reception venue itself. Make sure you bring a pretty, unbranded umbrella along in case of rain - bad weather can’t be helped but it can be used to tell the story of your day.

Family group portraits after the wedding

Old Marylebone Town Hall offers a perfect backdrop to capture your family and group portraits after the ceremony. Once you have made your grand exit through the confetti tunnel as you family and friends line the stairs then I will help to arrange the groups. I’ll get a list of must have photos from you ahead of time so that you don’t even have to think about this aspect of the day and we can get it done quickly and hopefully with some laughter.

The best civil ceremony wedding venues in London

As a London based photographer I love capturing local city weddings. Some of my other favourite London civil ceremony venues as well as Old Marylebone Town Hall, include The Asylum in Peckham, Bugh House in Hampstead, Islington Town Hall, Chelsea Town Hall and the iconic Gherkin.

A wedding photographer for your day

Are you getting married at Old Marylebone Town Hall and are considering your options for a photographer? I’d love to chat to you about your plans for the day. You can call me on 07894 557881 or send me a message.