Wedding Photography at Fulham Library
The Fine Art Collection Corridor deep within Fulham Library presents an unusual and stunning backdrop to those all-important wedding portraits.
Fulham Library is one of London’s more recent wedding venues only accepting bookings since 2016. Grade II Listed, the library was built in 1908 at 598 Fulham Road.
With its prime location in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, it is conveniently situated and easy to get to for you and your guests. Parson’s Green is the nearest underground station on the District Line.
This page features images from the marriage of Jenny and David whom I photographed in Autumn 2019.
Bride Jenny and David pose shortly after I took the previous photo at the end of the corridor. I had to ask her to be more serious for this one, and she carried it off beautifully.
A portrait taken from this unusual angle shows the entire height of the ornate entrance at the building’s front. I didn’t use this one as it made the couple look exceptionally tall!
The bridal party arriving on the corner of Fulham Road and Clonmel Road whilst some late guests try to sneak past discreetly.
The wedding guests sitting with the groom standing at the back shortly before the bride’s entrance: A wide shot of the Exhibition Hall, Fulham Library’s wedding space.
Fulham Library as a Wedding Venue
As a new venue, the library has maintained its original features, making for a fantastic experience for the bride and groom.
Wedding ceremonies take place in the Exhibition Hall on the first floor. The guests must pass through the Fine Art Collection Corridor (see photos at top and below) to get there.
The corridor comprises a long hallway full of glass-fronted, dark oak bookshelves running the entire length from floor to ceiling. It makes for a fabulous backdrop for the bridal party to make their entrance. It is also well worthwhile to spend time here with the newly-weds after their ceremony and drinks reception.
Here’s part of the sequence as the bridal party enter the Exhibition Hall:
The bride waits with her father at the end of the Fine Art Collection Corridor just before entering for her marriage ceremony.
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The bridal party begin to enter the Exhibition Hall. I question the logic of placing a coat stand adjacent to the entrance door – I did this in black and white purposefully as an orange Sainsbury’s bag was not a good look! Maybe I’ll mention it on my next visit.
The Exhibition Hall is pure white which means no odd colour casts to contend with in the photo edit.
The Fulham Library Exhibition Hall
Wedding Ceremonies take place in the Exhibition Hall, which can accommodate up to 120 guests. There were 70 guests for the wedding on this page, so at maximum capacity, things may appear a little less spacious. However, I found there to be lots of room to move around, particularly at the front where I could change my position to get the best ceremony portraits.
The room has white painted wood panelling which is excellent for natural photography.
The room immediately struck me as having the appearance of an overlarge attic room which is only apparent in the photos when taking a wide-angle shot of the whole room. I loved the character and structure of the hall.
As the bride Jenny reaches the ‘altar’, she and her groom see each other for the first time.
Another view of the Exhibition Hall: Shooting from the back shows the front where the Hammersmith and Fulham registrars conduct the ceremony.
I like to move discreetly during the ceremony to take shots from various angles and perspectives. The Exhibition Hall’s ‘clean’ look enables me to take a nice distraction-free shot of the couple from the back.
“If any person present knows of any lawful impediment…” The couple usually turns to look at their guests at this point (sometimes appearing slightly worried!), and I’m ready to capture the moment.
Family and friends’ readings are a popular way to personalise your wedding and lengthen the ceremony a little.
Although I do move around, I’ve never had a couple complain that I was distracting. At this point, you’ll only have eyes for each other.
A few seconds after the last shot, this one shows off some more of the room’s upper part.
The all-important exchange of rings – the H&F registrars are very amenable to photography with few restrictions.
I love the eye contact from Jenny here as she places the rings onto David’s finger.
It’s intimate moments like this that make me love what I do.
I enhanced their moment of marriage by including family and friends in the background.
The first kiss: I ask couples to remember to slow down for this shot as sometimes it can be all too fleeting.
Signing the Register – Hammersmith & Fulham Rules
The registrars introduced themselves to me as being the ‘nice’ borough registrars. And I must say they were an absolute pleasure to work alongside. They have no rules and are happy for the photographer to move at will to take the required shots. They even offered to move out of the way to enable me to get a ‘clean’ picture of the couple.
The Hammersmith and Fulham registrars care about making the day unique for the couple. They are friendly, happy and amenable throughout as in this photo taken as a witness signs.
Regarding the actual signing, I’m happy to say that there are no restrictions there either. Obviously, they expect the photographer to exercise common sense.
The register is a legally binding document (it says so in the vows) and should be treated with respect. This includes discretion and tact when photographing the signing.
There is also the grey area of data protection, so it is best not to get too close during this time. However, I appreciate the fact that they let me shoot the signing and which is better than just having a ‘dummy’ register set up.
I’m always on the lookout for moments of love and affection such as this. It’s a nice, contextual image of how things were at that moment.
Wedding Bookings at Fulham Library
Useful to Know When Booking Your Wedding:
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- They take wedding bookings for any day of the week.
- The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham registrars can be contacted by phone on 020 8753 3877 or emailed at fulhamlibrary@lbhf.gov.uk to discuss your ceremony.
- Bookings cost £350 (Mon-Thu), £450 (Fri) & £550 (Sat-Sun).
- You are required to pay a £100 deposit to secure the booking.
- There is the option of a drinks reception after the ceremony if required.
- Parson’s Green is the nearest tube station which is on the District Line.
- There is time allowed for up to two readings from family and/or friends.
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Wedding Congratulations, Drinks & Group Shots
Below is a selection of congratulations photos which demonstrate the relationships between the couple and the guests well. Fulham Library offers lots of space for me to move around to grab a variety of these shots.
The venue puts on a drink’s reception for about an hour after the ceremony. It’s a great way for everyone to mingle and enjoy the setting and ambience before moving on elsewhere for the wedding breakfast and after celebrations.
I love to capture both bride and groom hugging simultaneously. Often they are separate when they meet and greet the guests, but it’s great when they’re together like in this one.
This guest was the person who introduced the couple to each other. It’s worth finding things like this out, so I know who to prioritise for shots like this.
The white walls at Fulham Library enable me to use bounce flash to good effect without fear of awkward colour casts in the photos.
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I think the chap on the right was trying to keep out of the photo; however, he didn’t bank on my use of a wide-angle lens.
The bride’s brother congratulates her with a hug. However, it’s the couple on the right having a cheeky kiss that makes the photo more striking.
During the drink’s reception, the bride and her father share a moment, and she wipes away a tear from his cheek.
There’s always one: I love daft moments at weddings, and this chap was happy to send himself up.
I stood on a chair to take this group shot of the whole wedding party. The Exhibition Hall at Fulham Library provides ample space for this shot.
During the drink’s is an ideal time to take any portrait shots that the couple need and I do this at the front end of the hall by clearing some chairs back. An usher who knows most of the guests is useful to give me a hand ‘ushering’ people as I needed them.
A smaller group shot of the couple with their parents: Incidentally, the door on the right had a ‘Fire Exit’ sign above it. I removed it where possible for aesthetics.
The bridesmaids all looked pretty as a picture as they posed with the bride.
Sometimes group shots are quite serious and staged, so it’s good to mix things up a bit. I took a sequence of these guys lifting the bride.
Couples Portraits at Fulham Library
As the wedding party make their way downstairs, I take the opportunity to steal the couple away for some portrait shots of them together. There are a couple of examples at the top of the page, but I also include some below to show off more of the fantastic Fulham Library wedding venue.
These portraits also neatly coincide with the couple’s exit through the building to the outside world. It’s a sequence which I also photograph.
Placing the couple at the bottom right of the frame allows a wider shot to show more of the book display cabinets.
Fulham Library Wedding FAQs
Q. WHY GET MARRIED AT FULHAM LIBRARY?
A. The venue with its main hall is very distinctive, spacious, light and aesthetically pleasing. The staff are friendly and attentive and keen to give you the best wedding day experience.
Q. HOW LONG BEFORE OUR WEDDING CEREMONY CAN WE GAIN ACCESS TO THE ROOM FOR PHOTOGRAPHY?
A. You generally have about 30-40 minutes for your guests to arrive and be seated. It’s totally up to you how you arrive – whether together or separately as is traditional. The groom generally joins the guests before the bride enters. Your photographer should arrive around this time to take some scene-setting shots of the arrivals.
Q. IS PHOTOGRAPHY ALLOWED OF OUR WEDDING CEREMONY AND VOWS?
A. Yes, of course. The registrars are relaxed and happy for photography throughout the vows, exchanging rings, and register signing.
Q. IS CONFETTI ALLOWED AFTERWARDS FOR A SEQUENCE OF PHOTOS?
A. Biodegradable confetti or bubbles are allowed outside the venue. The council are very strict about the biodegradable aspect and rightly so. No confetti cannons, rice or plastic confetti, is permitted.
Q. WHAT IS THE LIGHT LIKE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY INSIDE THE VENUE?
A. The library corridor and stairs are dim, but the all-important main hall has good natural light during daylight hours. But whatever the light, a good photographer will have no problem dealing with it and taking a fantastic set of photos to tell the story of your day.
Freshly married and the bride walks ahead of her new husband as they exit to the outside world.
A nice touch: David punches the air as he appears behind Jenny at Fulham Library entrance doorway.
And finally: A nice standard kissing shot of the couple on the steps of the fabulous Fulham Library.
598 Fulham Road,
Fulham,
LONDON.
SW6 5NX.
Fulham Library Official Weddings Page
