Mayfair Library Wedding Photographer
Register office weddings at Mayfair Library, from the photographer who shoots Westminster ceremonies most weeks. Hourly coverage, every image edited.
Mayfair Library is Westminster Register Office's quiet Mayfair venue. A Victorian library on South Audley Street, stained glass, antique bookcases, and Mount Street Gardens next door.
It is run by the same Westminster Register Office team as Old Marylebone Town Hall, where I have photographed more than thirty weddings, and it is ten minutes' walk from Claridge's, where I have photographed more than twenty. I know the Westminster routine and I know these streets. There's more of my work as a London wedding photographer on the home page.
Mayfair Library wedding photography prices
Coverage is booked by the hour, which suits a register office well. Most couples need the ceremony and an hour or two afterwards rather than a full day. Every booking includes the same thing: all your images, fully edited.
The ceremony and the steps.
- The most affordable way to have me there
- Arrival on the front steps
- The full ceremony and the signing
- Confetti and family groups
- A short portrait set around the venue
The ceremony and a proper portrait walk.
- What most register office couples choose
- Everything in the one-hour session
- Time for Mount Street and the mews
- Or Mount Street Gardens for greenery
- Portraits without watching the clock
The ceremony through to the celebration.
- For a ceremony that turns into a day
- Everything in the two-hour session
- The walk to lunch or to drinks
- The start of the celebration
- Room for Hyde Park or Berkeley Square
Looking for affordable wedding photography at Mayfair Library? The one-hour booking is exactly that. £350 for the register office hour, every image edited, and your gallery online within 24 hours. Full-day London coverage is on my London wedding photography prices page, and a longer afternoon is covered by half day wedding photography. Marrying at Old Marylebone, Chelsea, Islington or Camden instead? See all my London register office weddings.
What I will come back with, from the hour
- The stepsArrival, confetti, and the wide frame of the red brick and stone library with the two of you on the front steps.
- The ceremonyVows, rings, the kiss, the signing, and the look between you as your guests applaud.
- Group portraitsQuick and painless, fifteen minutes at most. I line them up, you just stand there.
- Couple portraitsFive to ten minutes in Mount Street Gardens or on Mount Street, done in less time than a coffee.
How I photograph a Westminster register office wedding
These are from Old Marylebone Town Hall and Chelsea. Mayfair Library is run by the same Westminster team, with the same half-hour ceremony, the same registrars' routine and the same confetti outside afterwards. I work the same way, so this is what your Mayfair Library gallery will look like.
Documentary first. I do not stage the ceremony or move your guests around. Groups take fifteen minutes at most, and couple portraits are a short walk, not a production. Then the whole gallery, every image edited, is online the next day.
Five recent couples, in their own words
Five recent couples who married with Westminster Register Office at Old Marylebone Town Hall. Same registrars, same routine, same next-day gallery you would get at Mayfair Library. Tap a photo to see their wedding.
Amazing experience! Barrie knew exactly what to do and was very patient with our family. We got married in the Pimlico Room at Old Marylebone Town Hall and had our photos the very next day.
See Nicoleta & Alistair’s wedding →
Barrie was the photographer for our wedding at the Old Marylebone Town Hall and we are absolutely delighted with the photographs. He was able to capture all the crucial moments before, during and after the ceremony and the early part of our dinner reception. The challenge of the dark outside when we left the building was no issue – he captured our exit to sparklers and city atmosphere beautifully. Booking, clarifying our wishes and timings were all very straight forward. We would highly recommend Barrie's work!
See Nathalie & Rutger’s wedding →We wanted it shot in an elopement style as it was just one of the many pre-wedding events before our big fat Indian wedding. He absolutely nailed the brief, knew exactly what he was doing, worked with our mad Indian families really well and captured some incredible photographs… I highly recommend Barrie if you are looking for a no fuss, genuine person to capture the true essence of your big day.
See Gayathri & Pranav’s wedding →Barrie was fab! He knew Old Marylebone Town Hall really well (even the registrars knew him). He made us feel comfortable and took us to really cute places to get some special shots. Would highly recommend! The colours are also lovely in the photos. Thanks Barrie!
See Patricia & Thomas’s wedding →
Barrie was the photographer for our civil wedding ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall and he was great! Professional, friendly and creative throughout the day. The photos are amazing, stylish and plentiful, posted in a gallery for us the day after which we really appreciated. Highly recommend him for any event or special occasion.
See Khilan & Pia’s wedding →Availability
Is Your Mayfair Date Free?
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If your date is free and you would like to go ahead, you can book online in a couple of minutes. I will be in touch straight afterwards to talk through the details of your day.
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Why couples choose Mayfair Library
Mayfair Library opened in 1894, and the date is still carved over the Portland stone doorway. Red brick, white stone, tall windows, and a Grade II listing. It is a working public library to this day, with ceremonies held in the rooms upstairs.
When Old Marylebone Town Hall closed for its restoration in 2014, Westminster Register Office moved most of its weddings here for the best part of four years. Marylebone has since reopened, and Mayfair Library has stayed on as Westminster's smaller, quieter venue.
Couples choose it because it feels nothing like a town hall. Two rooms rather than seven, so it feels calmer than a big town hall, and a Mayfair address. Mount Street Gardens is next door, Mount Street is round the corner, and The Connaught and Claridge's are a short walk away for lunch.
It suits a small wedding perfectly: the two of you, your families, a few friends, and a walk through some of the most beautiful streets in London afterwards.
The two ceremony rooms at Mayfair Library
Westminster uses two rooms upstairs. Both have stained glass, period bookcases and good window light, which matters more than anything for photographs in a small room.
- The Mayfair RoomUp to 50 guests. The larger room, with a long aisle and a stained glass bay window looking out over Mount Street Gardens. The tall windows give soft side light through the day. I use the length of the aisle for your entrance and the wide frame, then move to the side for the vows.
- The Marylebone RoomUp to 24 guests. Smaller and more antique in feel, with a fireplace, bespoke bookcases and stained glass windows. In a room this size I stay to one side and keep the camera quiet, and the fireplace makes a natural backdrop for the signing and a family group.
You will see older guest numbers quoted online. These are Westminster's current figures, but check your own booking confirmation. Rooms are booked directly with Westminster Register Office, not through me.
What the ceremony is actually like
The Westminster registrars run a tight, kind ceremony. You arrive, a front-of-house usher meets you, there is a short interview with the registrar, and then they call you in. The ceremony itself runs to about twenty-five minutes: readings, vows, rings, the signing, the kiss, applause.
Then you are out on the front steps for confetti and groups, and into Mount Street Gardens for portraits. The whole thing is calm and quick. I know the Westminster routine from Marylebone, so I am already in the right place when the doors open.
Plenty of Mayfair Library couples get ready in a hotel nearby and walk over. If that is you, I can start at the hotel, like the many mornings I have photographed at Claridge's.
Confetti, witnesses and timings
Not strictly my department, but couples ask me all the time. Mayfair Library follows Westminster Register Office's rules.
- Confetti outside onlyNever inside the library. Biodegradable petals or paper only: no rice, no metallic, no plastic. Bring more than you think you need and hand it to the people who will actually throw it.
- Two witnessesAged 16 or over, able to speak and understand English, and there for the whole ceremony. Westminster does not supply them.
- Arrive half an hour earlyWestminster asks couples to arrive around 30 minutes before the ceremony for the registrar interview. Check your own booking confirmation, as exact times vary.
- No step-free accessThe ceremony rooms are upstairs and there is no step-free access, so tell Westminster early if any of your guests will struggle with stairs.
- Your photographer is not a guestWestminster does not count photographers towards your guest numbers, which matters in a room for 24.
- Getting thereBond Street, Green Park and Hyde Park Corner are all about ten minutes on foot. Parking in Mayfair is limited and expensive, so taxis are easier.
- Giving noticeYou both give notice at your local register office first, then there is a 28-day waiting period in England and Wales.
Wedding portraits near Mayfair Library
Mayfair is one of the best parts of London for portraits, and the library sits right in the middle of it. Walking times are from the front door on South Audley Street.
- Mount Street GardensNext door. Plane trees, old benches and a quiet that is hard to believe so close to Park Lane. The natural first stop for couple portraits.
- Farm Street ChurchAcross the gardens. The carved Gothic Revival front makes a striking backdrop, and it is under a minute's walk through the gardens.
- Grosvenor ChapelA minute up South Audley Street. A white Georgian chapel front that photographs cleanly in any light.
- Mount StreetOne minute. Pink terracotta Victorian buildings, smart shopfronts and black railings. Classic Mayfair.
- The mews and white terracesFive minutes or so. White stucco, black doors, lanterns and ivy, like the photograph at the top of this page.
- Berkeley Square & Hyde ParkAbout seven to ten minutes either way, for bigger trees and open space if you have booked two hours or more.
Where couples go after the ceremony
Most couples walk. Everything below is close enough that your guests will not need a taxi.
- The ConnaughtAbout three minutes, on Carlos Place. Champagne or lunch, and the corner it sits on photographs beautifully.
- Claridge'sAbout ten minutes, on Brook Street. I have photographed more than twenty weddings there, see my Claridge's wedding photography page.
- Mount Street restaurantsA minute or two. Mount Street and the streets around it are full of restaurants that will take a table for a small wedding lunch. Sam and Matt stopped for photographs outside Bacchanalia after their St Paul's Cathedral wedding.
- Park LaneAbout five to eight minutes, for the big hotels and Hyde Park beyond.
- By taxiWith two or three hours booked, Westminster, Buckingham Palace and the Mall are a short ride away for portraits.
Seasons at Mayfair Library
The ceremony is indoors, so the weather never stops a wedding. It does change Mount Street Gardens and the streets around it.
Weddings I have photographed in and around Mayfair
Mayfair is a part of London I have worked in for twenty years. A few weddings from these streets, and from Westminster's other register office.
Claridge’s
Ten minutes from the library. Getting ready, receptions and portraits at Mayfair’s best-known hotel.
See the guide →
Sam & Matt
Married at St Paul’s Cathedral, then an afternoon of portraits on Mount Street and the Mayfair streets around the library.
See the wedding →
Old Marylebone Town Hall
Westminster’s main venue, run by the same team as Mayfair Library. Seven rooms and the famous front steps.
See the guide →Also on Euston Road: Camden Town Hall, opposite St Pancras.
Your Mayfair Library wedding photographer
I am Barrie Downie, a London documentary wedding photographer with more than 20 years and 500 weddings behind me.
I observe and react rather than direct, so your photographs are a record of what actually happened. Westminster Register Office weddings are a big part of my work, with more than thirty at Old Marylebone Town Hall, and I have photographed more than twenty weddings at Claridge's, ten minutes from the library.
If you are nervous about the camera, a short pre-wedding shoot around Mayfair is the best fix. An hour in the mews and gardens and you will know exactly how I work by the day itself.
Whether it is the two of you and two witnesses in the Marylebone Room or fifty guests in the Mayfair Room, I am happy to talk it through.
BarrieMayfair Library wedding questions
How much does a Mayfair Library wedding photographer cost?
Coverage is priced by the hour: one hour is £350, two hours £550 and three hours £750. Every booking includes all images fully edited, an online gallery within 24 hours, high-resolution downloads and a shareable link for family and guests. Most couples book two hours, which covers the ceremony, confetti, groups and portraits in Mount Street Gardens and the streets around it.
Is Mayfair Library part of Westminster Register Office?
Yes. Mayfair Library on South Audley Street is one of Westminster Register Office’s ceremony venues, run by the same team as Old Marylebone Town Hall. Westminster moved most of its weddings here from 2014 while Marylebone was being restored, and kept Mayfair Library on as its smaller venue afterwards.
Where is Mayfair Library?
Mayfair Library is at 25 South Audley Street, London W1K 2PB, on the corner of Mount Street Gardens. The nearest stations are Bond Street, Green Park and Hyde Park Corner, each about ten minutes on foot.
How many guests can you have at Mayfair Library?
Westminster lists two ceremony rooms. The Mayfair Room holds up to 50 guests and the Marylebone Room up to 24. Older websites quote lower figures, so check the numbers on your own booking. Your photographer is not counted as a guest.
What are the ceremony rooms like at Mayfair Library?
Both rooms are upstairs in the Victorian library. The Mayfair Room is the larger, with a long aisle, tall windows and a stained glass bay window over Mount Street Gardens. The Marylebone Room is smaller and more antique in feel, with a fireplace, bespoke bookcases and stained glass.
Can you take photos during a ceremony at Mayfair Library?
Yes. Westminster Register Office allows a professional photographer during the ceremony, and photographers are not counted towards your guest numbers. I work quietly to the registrar’s direction, without flash during the vows.
Is there step-free access at Mayfair Library?
No. The ceremony rooms are upstairs and there is no step-free access, so let Westminster know early if any guests will find stairs difficult. Old Marylebone Town Hall is the alternative Westminster venue if access is a concern.
Can we have confetti at Mayfair Library?
Yes, outside only. Westminster allows biodegradable confetti such as dried petals or paper, but no rice, metallic or plastic confetti, and never inside the building. Most couples have it on the front steps or the pavement straight after the ceremony.
Where are the best places for photos near Mayfair Library?
Mount Street Gardens is next door, with Farm Street Church’s Gothic front across the gardens and Grosvenor Chapel a minute up South Audley Street. Mount Street’s terracotta buildings are a minute away, and Berkeley Square and Hyde Park are seven to ten minutes’ walk.
Where can we go after a Mayfair Library wedding?
The Connaught is about three minutes’ walk and Claridge’s about ten. Mount Street and the surrounding streets have plenty of restaurants for a small wedding lunch, and Park Lane’s hotels are five to eight minutes away.
Have you photographed Westminster Register Office weddings?
Yes, more than thirty at Old Marylebone Town Hall, which is run by the same Westminster team as Mayfair Library. I have also photographed more than twenty weddings at Claridge’s, ten minutes’ walk from the library, so I know both the Westminster routine and the Mayfair streets.
How quickly will we get our photos?
For weddings up to five hours, your full gallery is online within 24 hours, every image edited, with high-resolution downloads and a link to share. Most register office couples open their gallery the morning after the wedding.
As featured in
Getting married at Mayfair Library?
A full celebration, a small civil ceremony or an elopement. Send me your date and I will let you know straight away whether I am free.
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