Today on the blog I have a fantastic London wedding for you, with a ceremony at Marylebone Town Hall and a wedding reception at the Depot in Islington. It also features groomsmen portraits on the Underground, a London taxi, vintage bus and wedding portraits on the cobbled London streets.
Bridal prep at Sommers Town Coffee House
Jenna and her girl gang got ready in the cutest little airb’n’b at the Sommers Town Coffee House. Down a little side road about 5 minutes from Euston station, it’s a super cute bit of London I’ve never stumbled across before. With it being so close to Marylebone town hall, it’s also the perfect place to get ready.
Jenna had a picture of her dream dress in her mind and she ended up buying that exact one!
Now I LOVE a burnt orange and gold colour scheme and this is exactly what Jenna’s bridesmaids were wearing. They looked breathtaking! Burnt orange is such a rich colour it makes an amazing statement colour for weddings.
Groomsmen underground journey to Marylebone Town Hall
While the girls stayed in Euston the night before the wedding, the boys had a steak dinner and stayed at the Pelham in Kensington. After getting each other ready, they made sure to leave time for a tipple at the Pelham’s Gentlemen room. The perfect way to kick off a stylish London wedding!
Once they’d toasted the day, the gents headed off for Marylebone Town Hall. They wanted to get some cool shots on the underground on the way so that’s what we did! I love that some of these look almost like album covers.
Wedding ceremony in the Westminster Room at the Old Marylebone Town Hall
As the boys made their way on the Underground, Jenna was putting the finishing touches to her outfit and then jumped in a white taxi to the town hall.
Jenna walked down the aisle to Songbird by Fleetwood Mac which was a sure fire way to make me nearly cry already! The ceremony was really cute, and Jon’s nephews were ring-bearers.
After the ceremony, we had some time to do quick couples portraits inside Marylebone Town Hall, before heading out to those famous steps for the confetti moment.
Marylebone Town Hall wedding portraits
This is a venue I shoot at all the time, but this was possibly the busiest I’ve ever seen the town hall! There were at least 3 other wedding parties on the steps of the town hall as we came out. One of my top tips for London town hall weddings is to never assume you can do group shots there. Often they are busy and you get rushed off the steps, so I always like to have a back up location in my mind. Luckily, I knew we could use The Depot’s cobbled entrance for group shots later in the day.
After some photos on the steps, the guests piled into a vintage London bus to take them to The Depot for the wedding reception. Myself, Jenna and Jon hung back to get some couples portraits in one of my favourite secret spots near Marylebone Town Hall.
This cobbled little back street is just round the corner from the town hall and is perfect for some quick portraits after your ceremony. Would you believe that on this week in March, it had been sleeting, and yet for this day it felt like a summer afternoon!
Wedding reception at The Depot in Islington
After some quick portraits, we jumped in the cab and headed for The Depot. The canapes and drinks were already doing the rounds and their wedding guests looked like they were having a fab time. I will go out there and say it, hands down The Depot do some of the best wedding canapes of all the London wedding venues! Your guests definitely won’t go hungry.
After a lively drinks reception, the guests got called in for the wedding breakfast. The room looked effortlessly elegant with cream table runners and dried flowers in clear vases. It complimented the vibe of the Depot so well!
After an amazing three course wedding breakfast, there were some brilliant speeches and then cocktail hour kicked off! These included The Depot’s classic Espresso Martini, and a bespoke banana rum cocktail from Jenna and Jon’s travels.
It was during the cocktails that we took out 10 minutes to get some more couples photos before the light outside disappeared. The venue know me well so let me into their top secret photo area! We got some really cool industrial portraits before heading back into the party.
Cocktail hour and wedding party time at the Depot
When we returned, Jenna and Jon’s incredible DJ was setup and everyone was super up for a party! After a first dance to ‘Stand by me’ with backing vocals from all the guests, everyone jumped straight on to the dancefloor. I’m happy to say they all stayed there until I left. Good evening entertainment is such a vital spend!
I am a recommended supplier at The Depot and have shot there so many times! You can also check out my blog for Jaime and Tommy’s Depot wedding, with a ceremony at Islington Town Hall. If you’re getting married in London and want a photographer who loves a party at The Depot, drop me a message. Let’s have a chat about your wedding day and get the party started 🙂
