Trinity Buoy Wharf, my favourite wedding venue in London. Roberta and Conor planned an amazing day at Trinity Buoy Wharf’s main building, the Chain Store. The sun was shining and everyone was just so relaxed, it was such a pleasure to be a part of the day.
Read more about Trinity Buoy Wharf here.
I met the wedding crowd at Tower Bridge where we waited for the Boat to arrive to take us to Trinity Buoy Wharf. Along the way we went through a small storm which meant people took cover anywhere they could, luckily this was the only bad weather we’d have all day.
There’s a number of places to have your ceremony at Trinity Buoy Wharf, Alice and Richard chose The Drawing Room a venue that reminded me a lot of St Chad’s Place in King Cross, the venue my wife and I had our reception in… it’s now a burger restaurant!
They then migrated over to The Chain Store where they had their wedding breakfast and drinks out on the Trinity Buoy Wharf’s terrace overlooking the Thames.
A fantastic day at a fantastic venue!
Read more about Trinity Buoy Wharf here.
Ok, it’s been quite a while since we wrote our last installment about our favourite venues, best London pub venues. So we’re now back with another awesome list of my favourite places to host your wedding day. These venues vary a little from the traditional pub, barn and country house options. But they still offer everything you need to host an amazing wedding in London!
As we are on lockdown right now, I know you can’t actually visit any venues. So we’re hoping that maybe this post could serve as a substitute whilst we’re stuck inside and hopefully give you a few ideas for when we’re released back into the wild.
thezettertownhouse.com
The Zetter Townhouse
Clerkenwell
London
EC1V 4JJ
The cobbles of St John Square outside gives you an old London feel before you even get through the door. Inside feels like a boutique bar and living room. It also had a science/academia/magic vibe going on, like a Hogwarts speakeasy… but maybe that’s just me.
I spent a long while just taking photos of the amazing selection of art, ornaments and taxidermy before I moved on to anything else. There’s more than enough for two weddings guests who’d never met, to get a conversation started.
At the far end, is the cocktail bar, serving a range of bespoke drinks catering to all tastes. It all feels well thought out and authentic rather than a venue trying to be something it’s not. Downstairs is the dining room and party area. It’s not huge but everytime I’ve been here the dancefloor has been in full swing. Need another drink? No need to worry, there’s a bar down here too. There’s also enough room to lay your evening food out.
The Zetter Townhouse has rooms upstairs for the couple and some of their guests, but if you do run out of space there’s always the Zetter Hotel across the road.
claptoncountryclub.co.uk
38-40 Upper Clapton Road,
London
E5 8BQ
Any old part of London that can be kept and repurposed as something we can keep using and appreciating, I’m totally up for! Clapton Country Club used to be a Tramshed and it has thankfully kept that industrial work space atmosphere.
The brick buildings and reclaimed materials give the venue an intimate, rough round the edges feel, like a working artist studio. The main dining area is more urban but with an added rustic touch. It makes you feel comfortable and at home.
It’s a short drive away from Hackney town hall. So, you can get ready there in the morning, meet your guests at the town hall, say your vows and be back at the country club within the hour. Perfect!
www.olympiccinema.co.uk
Olympic Studios 117-123
Church Road Barnes,
London
SW13 9HL
www.theroost.co.uk
142 Sandringham Rd,
Clapton,
London
E8 2HJ
www.wiltons.org.uk
Wilton’s Music Hall,
1 Graces Alley (pedestrian access only)
London,
E1 8JB
I first visited Wilton’s Music Hall a few years back when a couple of close friends got married there. At that point, I’d never even heard of it, but I became immediately keen to shoot there!
If history is your thing, or London is your thing, or theatre is you thing… or just really cool things are your thing, then Wilton’s should be a big contender for your venue. It’s completely magical, filled with history and atmosphere.
The buildings have lived many lives – homes and an ale house in the 1600s, concert hall and saloon throughout the 1800s, a methodist mission saw it through the two world wars until the 1950s, and then it was almost all over when as a derelict rag warehouse in the 1960’s it was listed for demolition. No Londoner was going to stand for that. Especially John Betjeman, who fought with many others to save it.
Through many periods of restoration, it is now an arts venue. Though indeed restored, it’s very much frozen in time as a music hall – from the moment you walk in, it’s like finding yourself in Victorian London. You can almost see the popular entertainment acts play and hear the audience merrily willing them on.
You can hire the whole venue, which includes the bars, the Victorian staircase, and the Hall with its famous barley-twist columns – there are countless photo opportunities and backdrops, everywhere you look is steeped in faded Victorian charm. This venue is so special and completely unique and a fantastic place for a proper east-end knees up.
This is the second post about my favourite wedding venues (part one can be found here) and this time I’m focusing on the building that is so many people’s humble home from home – the old English pub.
Pubs have really upped their game over the last few years and can now hold their heads high amongst the many wedding venues on offer. What they lack in grandeur and size they make up for in modesty, intimate down-to-earth atmosphere and of course, price!
There are so many great pubs in London and I don’t pretend to know them all, but the below are some of the ones I’ve shot in and can highly recommend. So, in no particular order, here are my top pub wedding venues in London – enjoy!
thedepotn7.co.uk
1 Carpenter’s Mews, North Road, London N7 9EF
The Depot (previously Shillibeers) is a few minutes walk from the Caledonian Road station and tucked away just below the Pleasance Theatre. It’s one of the bigger pub venues I’ve shot in, but still has loads of atmosphere. It also has a nice little cobbled area outside for those warmer days and for any group shots you might want.
[smart-grid row_height=”400″ captions=”false” lightbox=”none”]
[/smart-grid]
thelondesborough.com
36 Barbauld Road, Stoke Newington, London N16 0SS
This has got to be my most shot in pub venue in London, it has an unofficial partnership with Stoke Newington Town Hall which is a two minute walk up the road and the Londesborough seems to be the place to go after your ceremony. Packed full of warmth and atmosphere, The Londesborough has a nice long bar area big enough for 50-70 people to chat before moving down to the restaurant area for your wedding breakfast. Nice and cosy!
[smart-grid row_height=”400″ captions=”false” lightbox=”none”]
[/smart-grid]
https://princealbert.pub
60 Dace Rd, London E3 2NQ
I love this place. This pub has the perfect layout, a nice central bar with room for people to mingle around the outside. It also has a small garden and a separate upstairs area for the wedding breakfast, so whilst not enormous, it has enough space to cater for every part of your day.
[smart-grid row_height=”400″ captions=”false” lightbox=”none”]
[/smart-grid]
thepeasant.co.uk
240 St John Street, London EC1V 4PH
The Peasant is a great pub with a downstairs bar for the reception and a lovely french bistro-styled eating area upstairs. The downstairs is a traditional wooden bar area with a lovely tiled floor and enough room for dancing in the evening, but the restaurant area is the best feature – the decor and the layout gives off a lovely family feel.
[smart-grid row_height=”400″ captions=”false” lightbox=”none”]
[/smart-grid]
theartisanofclerkenwell.com
53 St John’s Square, Clerkenwell, London EC1V 4JL
As you can tell by the name, The Artisan has a trendier, urban, industrial style and is more cocktail bar than traditional pub but I’m still including it here, as it is such a great venue. Follow the long bar down into the seated, eating area which is a great sized dance floor in the evening.
[smart-grid row_height=”400″ captions=”false” lightbox=”none”]
[/smart-grid]
royalinnonthepark.com
111 Lauriston Road, Hackney, London E9 7HJ
This place feels like a royal home with a bar plonked in the centre. A place from the mid-Victorian era, its large marble pillars and black and white chequered floors give you a sense of quality and sophistication without being snobby. It’s also right next to Victoria Park so you can do a quick 5k to burn off your meal.
[smart-grid row_height=”400″ captions=”false” lightbox=”none”]
[/smart-grid]
thegreenclerkenwell.com
29 Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0DU
Based in the heart of Farringdon, this lovely little venue has everything you want from a London pub. It has a bar downstairs for reception drinks and an upstairs area for the wedding breakfast. The location is great for group and couple shots as well.
[smart-grid row_height=”400″ captions=”false” lightbox=”none”]
[/smart-grid]
trafalgartavern.co.uk
Park Row, London SE10 9NW
Located on the edge of the Thames, this pub gives off a nautical atmosphere, which isn’t surprising as it couldn’t be any close to the water. With a bustling pub downstairs, the weddings take place upstairs where you have your own bar, reception room and ceremony/dining hall which has loads of room to boogy when converted in the evening. This place has everything you need!
[smart-grid row_height=”400″ captions=”false” lightbox=”none”]
[/smart-grid]
Early this year, on a slightly grey February day, I had the huge pleasure of shooting the engagement shoot of these two bright things on Hampstead Heath. They’ve since been married in San Francisco – one of my all time favourite places in the world. Perfect. Congratulations guys!
[smart-grid row_height=”250″ randomize=”true” captions=”false” lightbox=”magnific-popup” title=”false” thumbs=”false”]
[/smart-grid]
Daniel and Lewis had a beautifully simple wedding day with the ceremony at midday followed by a stroll around the grounds of York House in Richmond. Choosing to keep the guest list low, only two close friends were invited to the day, so I count myself very lucky to have been there to capture such a lovely, intimate celebration.
[smart-grid row_height=”250″ randomize=”true” captions=”false” lightbox=”magnific-popup” title=”false” thumbs=”false”]
[/smart-grid]
Mikey started his wedding day with dip in Hampstead Heath Men’s Pond with a group of his best mates and family – an activity I had never photographed before! Luckily the sun was shining and everyone seemed game enough to plunge in the cold water. The rest of the day was a blast from there – fun and modern elements of the day took the form of a reading from Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch during the ceremony, a first dance sung by one of the beautiful bridesmaids, and matching bespoke Converse for dancing (amongst other things!), whilst a more traditional edge was covered by the beautiful surroundings of Camden Town Hall for the ceremony and Gibson Hall for the reception. A London wedding at it’s finest.
I had a little help from a great second shooter called Dawn for the main part of the day, a few of these shots are hers.
[smart-grid row_height=”250″ randomize=”true” captions=”false” lightbox=”magnific-popup” title=”false” thumbs=”false”]
[/smart-grid]
Dress | Stella York at Forever Bridal
Suit | Moss Bespoke
Ceremony | Council Chamber, Camden Town Hall
Reception | The Gibson Hall
Buses | Ensign Buses
Flowers | Amber Rose
Cheese cake | La Fromagerie
It’s really exciting when someone asks for an engagement shoot in a part of London I’ve not had time to explore. When Victoria and Adam suggested their home borough of Peckham, I jumped at the chance, and was not disappointed. Vibrant and eclectic, we found many interesting locations including the Bussey Building, and the sunny summer’s Sunday morning, made for a great shoot.
[smart-grid row_height=”250″ randomize=”true” captions=”false” lightbox=”magnific-popup” title=”false” thumbs=”false”]
[/smart-grid]
Summer flashback! A gorgeous evening engagement shoot with Sinead and Andrew in Hyde Park this July.
Click on images to view fully
A highlight about shooting in the summer, is being able to do engagement shoots after the working day as the sun starts to fall across the city. The warm, hazy days produce beautiful light and warm glowing backdrops for my favourite kind of pictures.
Jo + Mikey chose Hampstead Heath for their engagement shoot (and it’s where they actually got engaged!), and we had a great time walking around one of London’s best green spaces, shooting and getting to know each other in the usual relaxed fashion. I love their complementary patterned outfits, the easy summer vibes and ending with a pint in the pub… my favourite way to finish any shoot!
Click on images to view fully
This summer (remember that?!), Sofya + Jamie had an intimate wedding ceremony at the Mayfair Library in London for close friends and family. It was such a sweet, colourful affair – from Sofya’s floral headdress and dusky-pink knee-length lace dress, to the retro bunting, Mexican piñata, old school photos and dressing up hats at The Stag where the reception was held afterwards. Here are our favourite shots…
[smart-grid row_height=”250″ randomize=”true” captions=”false” lightbox=”magnific-popup” title=”false” thumbs=”false”]
[/smart-grid]
If an engagement shoot is any measure of the wedding then Kali and Thom’s wedding was going to be fantastic. With a 1920’s theme and set in the Farringdon’s Artisan restaurant and bar it wasn’t going to disappoint. After Kali and Thom had made their vows at Islington Town Hall, everyone jumped on a Routemaster bus for a quick drive through London (seeing some of the new James Bond film being shot near St Paul’s), the route ending at the Artisan where fun, food and dancing was had until the early morning.
[smart-grid row_height=”250″ randomize=”true” captions=”false” lightbox=”magnific-popup” title=”false” thumbs=”false”]
[/smart-grid]
It was cloudy and on the brink of rain when I met Kali and Thom but that wasn’t going to stop us. After all it is January in England – it’s not like we weren’t expecting it. We made our way through Greenwich Park and up to the Meantime Museum, where we experienced a coffee/football incident that almost ended the shoot! But after a quick timeout, we head back down to the Greenwich Market and then on to Kali and Thom’s favourite pub, The Cutty Sark. Both of them are so sweet and easy-going it felt like walking with a couple of good friends, so it’s no surprise I’m very much looking forward to their wedding in April this year.
Here’s where we prove you can still have a beautiful, meaningful day celebrating love and friendship, while blowing tradition out of the water. Michael and Andrew decided to opt out of some of the conventional elements you might come across at a wedding, and the result was a relaxed, fun day, full of warmth and happiness at the Bingham Hotel in Richmond. Congratulations guys, it was a pleasure capturing the day!
Ellie approached us with the idea of a family photoshoot to celebrate her dad’s 60th birthday, at his urban allotment in Caledonian Road, London. Urban vs nature is one of our favourite photographic subjects, stemming from many student projects rooting around forgotten, overgrown car dumping grounds and delapidated power stations. So off Dan went!
Warning: contains seasonal veg, oodles of sister love and a ridiculously cute baby…
Ben and Amy are unbelievably sweet and completely in love – two things that make my job easier! We headed down to a bustling Columbia Road flower market one sunny (and momentarily rainy – it is England after all) Sunday afternoon to take some snaps of this gorgeous pair. It is such a pleasure to know and work with them, and after this engagement shoot I can’t wait to photograph their wedding in Chichester this September.
