Wedding Photography at The Bloomsbury Hotel in London
The couple leaves The Bloomsbury Hotel after their wedding ceremony. Everything about the hotel is attractive, including the outside displays of foliage and greenery.
A wedding ceremony and/or reception at the Bloomsbury Hotel in London is one of sheer 5* luxury and opulence. The hotel is situated in the relative peace and tranquillity of Great Russell Street, yet is only a stone’s throw away from Tottenham Court Road Station, Leicester Square and Covent Garden. Nestled amongst beautiful garden squares and with eclectic boutique sand shops on the doorstep, The Bloomsbury Hotel is a gem of a venue for your wedding day celebrations.
There are so many attractive settings and backdrops for photography at The Bloomsbury. This sofa was in the corridor near the groom’s room, so we made use of it for a few fun shots.
The groom and best man wait in the Seamus Heaney Library, just before the bride’s arrival.
The Bloomsbury Hotel as a Wedding Venue
There are several wedding spaces of varying sizes that the Bloomsbury offers. Each has its qualities and aesthetics that make your day a unique and memorable experience. You can book each room for just your ceremony or the reception or both.
The venue that I have photographed in is the Seamus Heaney Library, and this page features Carrie and Evan’s wedding.
Bridal Preparations Upstairs at The Bloomsbury
When you have your wedding ceremony and reception in the same hotel you stay in, you won’t have to travel anywhere. The bride can have her preparations upstairs, whilst the guests arrive and are greeted by the groom in the downstairs wedding space. For a photographer, this is wonderful, and they can float between both areas to document proceedings from both sides.
Whilst the bride prepares herself in an upstairs bedroom, the guests start to arrive, and I’m on hand to take some natural greetings shots such as this.
As well as reportage photography, I also take some posed shots but with an element of fun.
The groom points to a portrait of Seamus Heaney at the back of the library that bears his name.
A London Borough of Camden Wedding Ceremony
The Bloomsbury Hotel is in the London Borough of Camden, and it’s their registrars who conduct the civil wedding ceremonies within the borough. The Camden registrars are very relaxed with few rules, but your photographer still needs to remain discreet and observe the occasion whilst getting those precious and expressive shots.
However, Carrie and Evan’s ceremony was more of a family celebration and blessing and not a legally binding ceremony, so registrars were not present.
Bride Carrie waits outside the Bloomsbury Hotel’s library shortly before her marriage ceremony.
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The bridesmaid (in this case the bride’s daughter) walks down the aisle towards the waiting groom.
The library makes for an unusual and striking backdrop to the wedding ceremony. As Carrie makes her entrance, an attentive member of the Bloomsbury Staff holds the door.
There are certain times of the day when your wedding photographer should take a whole sequence of photos, and the bride’s arrival and entrance should be one of these moments.
A tender touch from mother to son: The celebration was all about family and love. Fleeting moments such as this mean so much for couples to have documented.
The family took it in turns to read warm wishes and sentiments. And the Bloomsbury Hotel provided the perfect backdrop to photograph them.
My camera is always poised, ready to click when something happens. Carrie certainly showed when something tickled her, which made for some great photography.
As well as close-ups, I take more sweeping shots to capture the bigger picture.
Expressions are everything when shooting candid family portraits. I look the looks of love and joy on the faces in this photo.
It was the groom’s turn to read with the pleasing backdrop of library books.
I’m always looking out for different and unusual angles during a wedding ceremony. In this, I spotted a gap between the bride and her son and shot through it to give a kind of ‘point of view’ shot.
During the ring exchange, the couple only have eyes for each other.
This composition shows another corned of the Seamus Heaney Library – a kind of ‘snug’ for people to sit and read.
The first kiss is essential but sometimes very fleeting. I ask the couple to slow down at this point, so I’m sure to get the shot.
A wide-angle shot to include some of the guests too.
Time for another sequence. I take about 8-12 shots as the couple walk back down the aisle as husband and wife.
The Drinks Reception and Congratulations
As the ceremony concludes with the first kiss and register signing, the newly-weds walk back down the aisle hand in hand to the back of the room. The very attentive Bloomsbury staff serves them Champagne or Prosecco, and they toast their marriage.
The library is lovely and intimate for up to 40 guests and now is the time for those emotive congratulations photos as family and friends take their turn to hug the couple and offer their words of good wishes. Below is a selection of images from this time.
The light in the Bloomsbury’s library is OK but needs a bit of bounce flash to fill in the shadows. You can see it highlighting the couple well in this photograph.
Warm hugs for the groom. No stiff upper lips here as the couple and most of the guests were American.
Some photographers don’t like guest photography, but I embrace it. I love to take photos of people taking pictures, after all – it is part of the day!
Cheers!
Read More>> Having a Short or Micro-Wedding Day?
There’s always one! I love this as his expression gives nothing away. It suits him well.
These newly-weds went elsewhere for their wedding meal. Here they are descending the staircase. There are angles and areas of light and shadow all over the Bloomsbury Hotel. Perfect for your wedding photographer to make use of.
The bride leading groom out into the foyer: She was all smiles throughout – lovely to see!
Another part of the exit sequence as they make their way through the Bloomsbury.
Shot just before the photo at the top: They paused briefly in the entrance doorway.
This kind of foliage is unexpected outside a hotel in Central London. The new entrance on the side of the building is really special.
And finally back outside onto Great Russell Street and on to their wedding breakfast…
The Bloomsbury Hotel,
16-22 Great Russell Street,
London,
WC1B 3NN.
