Photographing Intimate weddings at Old Marylebone Town Hall

As much as I love the big grandeur weddings in fields or at historical halls, being able to capture the intimacy of a town hall is also a great experience. I tend to form better connections with my couples loved ones, as rarely consists of more than 50 guests and usually more like 6 - 10 guests at the ceremony.

I particularly love photographing weddings at the Old Marylebone Town Hall as it is on par visually as the grandeur venues but cosy enough to capture the intimate moments.

Five (5) Facts about the Old Marylebone Town Hall

1. The building, in Marylebone Road was built 1914–20. The building is faced with Portland stone and is an example of Edwardian Graeco-Roman classicism, with a tower in the style of Christopher Wren and fluted columns.
2. Sir Edwin Cooper was commissioned to design the town hall, following a competition in 1911.
3. The 7 ceremony rooms are named after different parts of the borough; Paddington, Westminster, Knightsbridge, Marylebone, Mayfair, Pimlico and Soho.
4. You can have your dog as your ring bearer 🙂
5. The Westminster room is the most popular ceremony room followed by the Soho Room.

The Soho Room

This room is brightly lit with comfortable seating in front of a beautiful mantelpiece decorated with delicate carvings. The chandelier provides bright light for your guests during ceremonies. Below are some images I've photographed in the Soho Room.

The Westminster Room

This is the largest room with beautiful wood panelling and an impressive elaborate plasterwork ceiling. Plush carpet adds to the luxurious feel of the room. Below is a mixture of two different weddings I've captured in the Westminster Room. I will either photograph with flash (overcast day) or natural (sunny day), dependent on the weather conditions on the day of the wedding.

The Interior

Inside the hall itself makes for great photography. From waiting for the registrar's in the Paddington Room, to the impressive hallways lined with paintings, to the marbled staircase for couples portraits. I've included a mixture of three different weddings with examples of the interior.

The Exterior & Surrounding Area

The Exterior of the hall with its Fluted Columns and Edwardian Graeco-Roman classicism, complete with lion sculptures, makes for the perfect backdrop for pre wedding and post wedding photographs. And the stairs leading up to the hall is a brilliant way to capture confetti and group photos. Below is a mixture of wedding photography of the exterior of the Old Marylebone Town Hall. In addition to having the hall itself, directly behind it is a lovely mews (cobbled street) called Thornton Place which is an excellent spot for a couples photoshoot following the ceremony.