Micro Wedding Photographer London
Twenty guests or fewer, a register office or a private room, and a day with no rush in it. Small weddings get the same care as big ones.
A small wedding isn't a smaller version of a big one. It's a different kind of day.
No seating plan to fight over, no hour of group photos, time to talk to everyone who came. After twenty years of London weddings, I love how relaxed these days are, and how close to the moments I get to be. Most of my small weddings start at a London register office. I've photographed more than 60 of them.
Small day. Full story.
With twenty people in a room, everything is close. Every face, every reaction, every quiet word.
So I work quietly and stay out of the way. No barked instructions and no long list of posed groups. Just the day as it happens, with a few good portraits of the two of you.
And because the day isn't packed with formalities, there's more room for the moments nobody planned. Those are nearly always the best pictures.
BarrieA London micro wedding, start to finish
No two are the same, but a lot of them look something like this.
The ceremony
A register office like Old Marylebone or Chelsea, or a licensed private room. Short, personal and full of feeling.
The steps
Confetti, hugs and a few quick groups while everyone is together and happy.
A walk together
Twenty minutes for portraits on the way to lunch. A park, a mews, a quiet square.
Lunch or dinner
One long table in a restaurant private room. Toasts, stories and plenty of laughing.
With a small group you can often walk from ceremony to lunch. No coaches and no fleet of taxis, just a short stroll through London.
Getting the basics right
Small weddings feel simple to plan, so they're easy to leave late. A few things to sort early.
- Give noticeLegal notice goes to the register office where you live, at least 29 days before the wedding.
- Book the venueSmall venues with character are few, so the good dates go quickly.
- Find two witnessesYou need two. If no one close can be there, ask the register office what they can do.
- Decide on coverageA ceremony and portraits needs two or three hours. Add lunch and the speeches and five hours is about right.
What micro wedding photography costs
A small wedding doesn't need a full day of coverage. Pick the hours that fit. Every image is edited, and your gallery arrives the next day.
The ceremony plus a proper walk for portraits.
- For the ceremony and a few groups
- Arrivals and the ceremony
- Family groups on the steps
- Portraits in a park or by the river
- A relaxed pace
From arrival through to portraits and the start of your meal.
- Room for lunch to begin
- Everything in two hours
- Toasts at the table
- Drinks or dinner afterwards
- No rush at all
Ceremony, portraits, the meal and the speeches.
- For a longer day with lunch or dinner
- Getting ready, if you like
- The ceremony and family groups
- Portraits around London
- The meal and speeches
- Gallery the next day
All options are on the wedding photography prices page. Just the two of you? See elopement photography. If you'd like a few more hours, half day wedding photography covers the ceremony through to the speeches. Two register offices I photograph often are Chelsea Old Town Hall and Old Marylebone Town Hall.
What couples say
"He worked so well with the timings of our day and helped us to still feel as though we could enjoy the day without being taken away for too long from our guests." Ella and Gaal, Google review.
We had Barrie come by and photograph our civil ceremony / wedding registration at Old Marylebone Town Hall. We wanted it shot in an elopement style as it was just one of the many pre- weddings events …
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 recom…
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 ple…
Barrie is incredible! He is a total pro and the best in the business! We love our photos so much. We got married at trading boundaries and he was the perfect photographer. So special. Thank you Barrie
Barrie was such a great photographer for our wedding from start to finish. He was so friendly and make us feel so calm and relaxed on our big day. The photos he took were amazing and we loved all of t…
Micro wedding questions
Do you photograph small weddings in London?
Yes. Most are register office ceremonies with under 30 guests. Hourly coverage starts at £350, or the 5-hour collection is £1,350, and your gallery arrives within 24 hours. See my London register office weddings.
What counts as a micro wedding?
There's no fixed rule. I'd call it about twenty guests or fewer. With just the two of you and two witnesses, it's more of an elopement.
How many hours of photography do we need?
For a ceremony and portraits, two or three hours. If you want lunch or dinner and the speeches too, five hours usually covers it. See half day wedding photography for what that includes.
Where can we have a micro wedding in London?
Register offices like Old Marylebone and Chelsea are popular, often followed by lunch in a restaurant private room. Hotels, members' clubs and small chapels work well too, as long as the room is licensed or you marry at a register office first.
Do you photograph small weddings the same way as big ones?
Yes. Same approach, same care, same edit. With fewer guests I just get closer to the moments.
How quickly do we get our photos?
The next day for anything up to five hours, which covers every option on this page. Every image is edited, in a private online gallery with high-resolution downloads.
Planning a small wedding?
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
Barrie was the photographer for our late November 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, d…