Rosewood London Wedding Photographer
The old Pearl Assurance building on High Holborn: a private courtyard behind a carriage arch, a marble staircase, the Mirror Room, and one of the best arrival shots in central London.
I have been photographing weddings at Rosewood London since the hotel opened in 2013. It is one of many weddings across London I photograph each year.
It sits at 252 High Holborn, between the City and the West End, in what was built in 1914 as the headquarters of Pearl Assurance. It is licensed for civil ceremonies, and it gives you more variety inside one building than almost any other London wedding hotel: a courtyard open to the sky, marble indoors, a restaurant that photographs itself, and a carriage arch to arrive through.
The rooms at Rosewood London
The Grand Ballroom
The main room, with two staircases for the entrance. The hotel takes up to 350 for a ceremony and around 280 for a seated dinner.
The Mirror Room
Mirrored 1920s detail and a marble fireplace. The headline ceremony room, and the one most couples picture when they book here.
The Pyx
Panelled and intimate. The right size when you want the ceremony to feel private rather than staged.
The courtyard
Behind the carriage arch, surrounded by the pillared facade and strung with festoons after dark. Drinks receptions, and summer ceremonies.
Quietly, in one building
Documentary for most of the day. I am not the photographer barking instructions across a lobby or stopping the day to rebuild a moment that has already happened. At Rosewood that usually means preparations in one of the suites, where the windows facing High Holborn and the courtyard give you soft light without anything being set up, then the ceremony, then out under the arch.
The one part I direct is the portraits: fifteen or twenty minutes at a time that suits you. Group shots are kept tight. Send me the family combinations beforehand and we will get through them while everyone still has a drink in their hand.
If your wedding breakfast is in the Holborn Dining Room, the room does most of the work on its own. Edwardian detail, leather banquettes and brass fittings, and very little that needs lighting.
Where I take portraits at Rosewood
- The carriage archThe porte cochere on High Holborn. You shoot from inside the courtyard looking out, and the architecture frames everything that drives in. Best at golden hour, or after dark with the lights on.
- The courtyardOpen to the sky and surrounded by the pillared facade. Natural light for portraits, and the candid half of the drinks reception.
- The grand staircaseMarble, depth and drama, straight up from the lobby. It is the one portrait spot here that works in any weather.
- Lincoln's Inn Fields and Chancery LaneTen minutes' walk if you want to step outside the hotel, along with the Royal Courts of Justice and the lanes towards Covent Garden. More on my City of London page.
What Rosewood London wedding photography costs
The same collections I offer for every London wedding, priced by the hours you actually need.
Ceremony through to the speeches.
- For smaller weddings and daytime receptions
- Ceremony in the Mirror Room or the Pyx
- Drinks in the courtyard
- Family groups kept short
- Dinner details and speeches
Preparations through to the first dance.
- The standard full London wedding day
- Getting ready in the hotel suites
- Ceremony, drinks and portraits under the arch
- Dinner in the Ballroom or the Holborn Dining Room
- The first dance
Preparations through to the last dance.
- For big celebrations where nothing gets missed
- Everything in Classic
- Portraits in the courtyard after dark
- The evening party
- An unhurried pace all day
A second photographer is £1,250 and albums are quoted separately. The full breakdown is on my London wedding photography prices page. Other central London venues: NoMad London, The Ned and One Whitehall Place. How I approach a five-star day is on my luxury wedding photography page, and every venue I cover is on my wedding venues page.
Rosewood London wedding questions
Is Rosewood London licensed for wedding ceremonies?
Yes. It is a civil ceremony licensed venue. The Mirror Room is the usual choice, the Pyx suits a smaller ceremony, and the courtyard works in summer. Confirm the licensed room for your date with the hotel.
How many guests can Rosewood London hold?
The hotel takes up to 350 for a ceremony and around 280 for a seated dinner or a standing reception. The Mirror Room on its own seats about 100, or 200 standing.
What is the carriage arch, and does it matter?
It is the arched gateway on High Holborn that cars drive through into the private courtyard. It matters because you can photograph the arrival from inside the courtyard looking out, with the building framing the car. There are not many London hotels where that shot exists.
Where are the portraits taken?
The arch, the courtyard and the marble staircase cover almost everything without leaving the building. If you want to step outside, Lincoln's Inn Fields and the lanes around Chancery Lane are ten minutes' walk.
How much does a wedding photographer at Rosewood London cost?
My collections are £1,350 for five hours, £1,800 for eight and £2,200 for eleven, with every image edited and the gallery delivered within a week.
How quickly do we get our photos?
Your full edited gallery within 24 hours for a smaller wedding, and within one week for a full day, in a private online gallery with high-resolution downloads and no watermarks.
Getting married at Rosewood London?
Send me your date. I read every enquiry myself and I'll let you know straight away whether I'm free.
Rather use the longer form? Head to the contact page