Lovely early afternoon wedding for Khilan and Pia at Old Marylebone Town Hall on Saturday. Married at half one, confetti outside, photos around the local streets, then a short walk to The Landmark for champagne. A good way to spend a Saturday.
The ceremony
Register office ceremonies are quick. The registrar’s bit, the vows, signing the register, the kiss — you’re in and out in under half an hour.
That’s fine by me. It just means knowing where to stand before each moment happens rather than reacting to it afterwards. I don’t direct anything during a ceremony, so if I’ve got it right the couple barely notice I’m there. Khilan and Pia didn’t look at me once, which is how it should be.
It was a small group, and everyone in the room actually knew them. You can see that in the photos — nobody’s posing, nobody’s checking whether they’re in shot. Some of my favourite frames from the afternoon are of the people watching rather than the couple.
Confetti on the steps
The steps outside are probably the most photographed spot in Marylebone, and fairly so — you get the height, the symmetry and all that cream stone behind you.
Confetti’s over in about four seconds, so I shoot a lot of it. The frame you want is almost never the one you’d expect either. It’s usually half a second later, when someone’s laughing with their eyes shut and there’s a bit of it stuck in their hair.
Photos around Marylebone
One of the nice things about marrying here is you don’t have to go anywhere. A couple of streets from the front door and you’ve got Georgian terraces, quiet corners away from the noise of Marylebone Road, and plenty of good backdrops without getting in a car.
Portraits with Khilan and Pia were mostly just a walk with a few stops. I don’t pose people into shapes — I give them somewhere to head and something to talk about, and work around them while they get on with it. It takes the awkwardness out of it, and you end up with photos of two people rather than a catalogue.
Champagne at The Landmark
From the town hall it’s a few minutes’ walk east to The Landmark, which is hard to beat for finishing off a Marylebone afternoon. We had champagne with everyone first, then took a bit more time around the hotel afterwards.
It’s a completely different thing to photograph — grander, warmer, and there’s always somewhere to go whatever the weather’s doing. After the quiet of the ceremony room it’s a good note to end on.
Khilan and Pia
Congratulations to you both, and thanks for a really enjoyable afternoon. Your full gallery’s on its way.
If you want to see what the same venue looks like after dark, have a look at Gayathri and Pranav’s evening wedding in the Paddington Room.
Getting married at Old Marylebone Town Hall?
If you’re marrying there and want the ceremony plus an hour or two afterwards, I’ve written a full guide to the venue — the ceremony rooms, how the day usually runs, the best spots nearby for photos, and my hourly prices. There’s a live date checker on the page as well, so you can see if your date’s free before you get in touch.
Old Marylebone Town Hall wedding photography — prices and availability
Coverage starts at £350 for an hour, and every booking includes all your images fully edited, high-resolution downloads, and your gallery ready within 24 hours.
More weddings at Old Marylebone Town Hall
A few more weddings I’ve photographed here. For the ceremony rooms, prices and a live date checker, see my Old Marylebone Town Hall wedding photographer page.
Patricia & ThomasA half-four ceremony in the Knightsbridge Room with immediate family, before their celebration in Italy.
Gayathri & PranavA 7pm ceremony in the Paddington Room, confetti in the dark and portraits by lamplight on the cobbles.
Nathalie & RutgerA December ceremony that finished after dark, and a sparkler send-off down the front steps.
Syrus & BibiA summer ceremony in the Westminster Room, then portraits in Regent’s Park.
