Old Marylebone Town Hall Wedding Photographer

Old Marylebone Town Hall Wedding Photography – Weddings at Westminster Council House

Westminster Council allows confetti at it’s venues which makes for some great wedding photography.

Westminster Register Office History:

Anyone watching ITV documentary ‘Births, Deaths and Marriages‘ cannot fail to have taken note of the historic importance of Old Marylebone Town Hall.  I feel very fortunate to have photographed weddings and civil partnerships at this splendid Westminster wedding venue.

Westminster Register Office (often mistakenly called registry) has been the scene of many iconic weddings.  Most famously that of Paul and Linda McCartney in 1969.  Other rock ‘n’ roll weddings have included fellow Beatle Ringo Starr, Pretender Chrissie Hynde and Liam Gallagher.  Both he and McCartney married here twice.

This shot of a reading in the Soho Room at Christine and Sarith’s Wedding shows off the ornate design of the feature fireplace well.

The Old Marylebone Town Hall was built between 1914 and 1920 by Sir Edwin Cooper in W1.  Understandably the years took their toll on the building and in 2013 it closed down for a four year refurbishment.  Happily it has now reopened: during the Old Town Hall’s sabbatical, I photographed Westminster weddings at Asia House, Mayfair Library and the intimate but rather splendid Fitzrovia Chapel.

Having provided wedding photography at Old Marylebone Town Hall since its reopening, I’m happy to report that the refurbishment has been very tasteful and in keeping with the historic grandeur of the building.  The building looks much more fresh and clean both inside and out and I look forward to being wedding photographer for many more happy couples at the venue in the future.

The splendid frontage of Westminster Council House would make a perfect backdrop for your group and posed photography.

Old Marylebone Town Hall as a Wedding Venue:

The first time I visited in my capacity of wedding photographer was for a civil partnership.  I was immediately struck by the resplendent façade and splendour of the Wren-esque pillars.  Stone lions guard the entrance outside which at some weddings, the children have a great time playing on.

The area just in front of the front door and behind the two central pillars offers some stunning direction light.  This makes for a great location for some wedding portraits, especially of the bride and groom.

We’re Absolutely Delighted with the Photos…

[We] were thrilled when we came across Guys’ portfolio – perfect for our 3.15pm wedding at The Old Marylebone Town Hall. …Guy was most definitely able to steer us in the right direction. He was professional, courteous and thoughtful in his approach to our big day, in both the build up and on the day itself.

We had a couple of conflicting requirements; “we don’t want too fake, we don’t want too posed” and “please pose people so that we all look nice in the shot”.  Thankfully Guy knew exactly what I was talking about and on the day he managed to hit both requirements and took some truly wonderful shots of our wedding. He was completely unobtrusive, even in what was a very small venue for both the ceremony and reception.

Our photos were ready for us when we returned off honeymoon which was great, and we’re absolutely delighted with them. Even after the final invoice has been paid Guy continues to be responsive to extra requests and questions. From the bottom of 2 awkward photo subjects hearts, thank you for providing us with the most beautiful visual cues to our memories of our great day – we will treasure them always.

– Sarah & Chris

I love vibrant, colourful wedding photography and this group photo is enhanced by the fresh floral displays on the mantelpiece of the Soho Room.

The interior at Old Marylebone Town Hall is equally as splendid with many more pillars and plush wooden panelling.  The corridor leading down to the ceremony rooms is vast.  As the couple walk through to meet the registrar, I like to photograph them using the natural light from the promenade of windows.

The Westminster registrars really are very friendly and helpful.  Best of all, they work well with the photographer and have no restrictions.  This helps ensure the happy couple have some great shots of their wedding day.

If you are having an LGBT wedding, the venue is perfect and very gay friendly.

Contact Westminster Council on 02076 417500 to discuss your bespoke requirements.

A straight shot taken at the ceremony. The Sarah & Chris didn't seem to notice my presence at all.

Westminster Register Office Wedding Photography Rooms

There are 7 rooms to choose from for your Old Marylebone Town Hall wedding photography.  Here is a list of them including my highlights of what makes them special:

The happy newly-weds leave the small but beautiful Soho Room.

The Soho Room:

Seats 14 guests with 6 standing. Again, light and airy with a carved feature fireplace and stunning chandelier. The room is painted in a muted pale green.

The Knightsbridge Room:

This exceptional light and airy room seats up to 30 guests comfortably.  I love the blue/grey velvet seating and large windows in this room.

The Marylebone Room:

10 seated and 5 standing guests.  With its deep and glossy wood panelling, this room is darker than some of the others but no less striking.  The sculpted plaster ceiling and modern chandelier finish the room nicely.

The Paddington Room:

Holds 7 seated guests (5 of those on pouffes) and 8 standing guests.  Similar to The Marylebone Room with dark panelling, a matching carved wooden fireplace and modern chandelier.

The Pimlico Room:

Light, bright and fantastic for photography, the Pimlico Room seats 20 guests and is decorated in pale green with amazing feature fireplace.

The Westminster Room:

The largest of the rooms at Old Marylebone Town Hall seats up to 96 guests, so suitable for a larger wedding party.  It is wood panelled, but with 3 large windows facing the couple and guests, this is the lightest panelled room.

The Mayfair Room:

Pictured below, The Mayfair Room will cater for 30 seated guests.  With its tasteful modern lighting and mocha and grey painted walls, this room would make a fantastic venue for your wedding day.

This photograph shows off the size of the Mayfair Room - Perfect for smaller weddings.

In the ceremony rooms, there is plenty of room to move around to photographs different angles of the couple nicely. This one shows off the detail on the back of the bride's dress.

The Westminster Register Office registrars are very relaxed about photographing the signing of the register. Many boroughs aren't...

The couple leaving the ceremony is always a happy shot and the relief that it all went well often shows on their faces.

The main staircase is very ornate and is wonderful for helping tell the story of the wedding day.

The light outside Old Marylebone Town hall is stunning and great to capture both staged and natural wedding portraits such as this.

I love the greeting and congratulatory photos after the ceremony. This is one of the key times for capturing the atmosphere.

Above and Below: Silly and straight. Sarah & Chris didn't mind acting out in front of the camera. They were also great at playing it straight when asked too!

The Old Marylebone Town Hall,
Westminster Council House,
97-113 Marylebone Road,
London NW1 5PT.

https://www.westminster.gov.uk/

Old Marylebone Town Hall Wedding Photographer - Guy Milnes Photography.