Most of the Westminster weddings I photograph happen inside about a mile. The Savoy at one end, Whitehall in the middle, Parliament Square and the Abbey at the other, with the river running along the side of all of it. It’s the most photographed stretch of London there is, and on a wedding day that’s both the attraction and the thing you have to plan around.
This page is the practical version. The venues I’ve actually worked at, where the portraits are, how a Westminster day tends to run, and what it costs.
The Savoy
The Savoy sits on the Strand at the eastern edge of Westminster, and it’s one of the London hotels I’ve photographed weddings at. Farzana and Benedict’s is a good one to look at if you want to see how the building photographs through a whole day.
The Lancaster Ballroom is the big room, and it’s the one licensed for ceremonies. The River Rooms are smaller and double height, with windows over Embankment Gardens, so they’re bright in the daytime in a way most hotel function rooms aren’t. For portraits indoors I’d take the Beaufort Bar, black and gold and very dark, which makes for a completely different set of pictures to anything outside.
Then there’s Savoy Court, the forecourt off the Strand. It’s the one road in Britain where traffic drives on the right, and it’s the best arrival shot in this part of London. Embankment Gardens and the river are two minutes’ walk away. More on the building itself on my Savoy wedding photographer page.
One Whitehall Place and the Royal Horseguards
One Whitehall Place was built in the 1880s by Alfred Waterhouse as the National Liberal Club, Gladstone’s club, and it’s now part of the Royal Horseguards Hotel next door. The Gladstone Library is the room most couples want: floor-to-ceiling books, tall windows, and room for a little over two hundred at dinner. The building takes up to about 350 for a drinks reception.
The reason I like it for photographs is what’s outside. You’re on the river, Whitehall is behind you, and Westminster Bridge is a five-minute walk. You can see how that works in practice in Rahul and Nazrin’s wedding, and there’s more on the venue on the One Whitehall Place page.
Westminster’s register office is in Marylebone
This catches a lot of people out. Westminster Register Office is Old Marylebone Town Hall, on Marylebone Road, not anywhere near Parliament. If you’re planning a civil ceremony in the borough, that’s where it’ll be.
It’s also one of the buildings I photograph most. I cover short register office ceremonies by the hour, from £350, and the Marylebone Town Hall page has everything on the rooms, timings and where we go for portraits afterwards.
Where the portraits are
Almost everything is within a ten-minute walk, which is unusual for somewhere this central. The ones I use most:
- Westminster Bridge. Parliament on one side, the London Eye on the other. Busy all day, so it’s a quick stop rather than a long one.
- The South Bank looking back. The best view of the Houses of Parliament is from across the river, and it’s calmer over there.
- Victoria Embankment Gardens. Trees and benches between the Savoy and the river. Useful when the light is harsh.
- Whitehall and Horse Guards. Stone, symmetry and a lot of space, early on a weekend.
- St James’s Park. Five minutes from Parliament Square, and green enough that the pictures don’t look like the middle of London at all.
The honest caveat is the crowds. On a Saturday afternoon in summer, Westminster Bridge is shoulder to shoulder. I plan the portraits around that, which usually means going a street back from the obvious spot, or doing the landmark shots early and keeping the afternoon for somewhere quieter.
How I photograph a Westminster wedding
Mostly quietly. I cover the day as it happens and stay out of the way of it. Then, at a time that suits you, I take you away for fifteen or twenty minutes for the portraits, which are the editorial, slightly dramatic pictures couples tend to book me for. You’re back with your guests before anyone notices you’d gone.
For Westminster that usually means getting ready at your hotel, the ceremony and drinks at the venue, a short walk to the river or Parliament Square when the light is right, then back inside for dinner and the dancing. If your day is split across two places, say a church ceremony and a reception at the Savoy, I’ll help you plan the timings and the portrait stops in between. I know the route and how long it actually takes on a Saturday.
Pre-wedding shoots in Westminster
If you’re getting married here, it’s worth doing your pre-wedding shoot here too. We go early in the morning, when Westminster Bridge and Whitehall are nearly empty, and you get used to having your photograph taken in the same streets you’ll be walking through on the day.
What it costs
The same as anywhere else in London. There’s no Westminster premium.
- £1,350 for five hours
- £1,800 for eight hours, which covers getting ready through to the first dance
- £2,200 for eleven hours
- Register office ceremonies by the hour, from £350
Every photograph is edited, the gallery is ready within 24 hours for a smaller wedding or within a week for a full day, and a second photographer (£1,250) or an album can be added if you want them. The full breakdown is on my London wedding photography prices page, and for The Savoy and the big Whitehall hotels, see luxury wedding photography.
Nearby
A lot of Westminster weddings spill into the next neighbourhood along. I also have pages for St James’s, Mayfair, Belgravia, Knightsbridge and the City of London.
Questions couples ask
Is there a register office in Westminster?
Yes, but it isn’t where most people expect. Westminster Register Office is Old Marylebone Town Hall on Marylebone Road. I photograph there often and cover short ceremonies by the hour, from £350.
Where do you take portraits at a Westminster wedding?
Westminster Bridge, the South Bank looking back at Parliament, Victoria Embankment Gardens, Whitehall and St James’s Park are all within about ten minutes of the main venues. I plan around the crowds, so the landmark shots are quick and the longer portraits happen somewhere quieter.
How long do the portraits take?
Fifteen or twenty minutes, at a time that suits you. You’re not away from your guests for an hour.
How much does a Westminster wedding photographer cost?
My prices are the same across London: £1,350 for five hours, £1,800 for eight and £2,200 for eleven, with register office ceremonies from £350.
Tell me your date and your venue and I’ll let you know straight away whether I’m free. Get in touch here.
Barrie
