NoMad London Wedding Photographer
The old Bow Street Magistrates' Court, opposite the Royal Opera House: a courtroom turned ballroom, a glass-roofed atrium, and a bar downstairs with no daylight at all.
NoMad London is the old Bow Street Magistrates' Court, a working courthouse until 2006 and a hotel since 2021.
It sits directly opposite the Royal Opera House, it is Grade II listed, and it was restored rather than gutted, so the original detail survived. The main event space is still called the Magistrates' Ballroom, and two of the private dining rooms are named after Bow Street magistrates. What matters for photographs is that the rooms here are genuinely unlike each other. A gallery from a day at NoMad does not end up looking like the same room forty times over, which is more of a risk at a big hotel than couples expect.
The rooms at NoMad London
The Magistrates' Ballroom
The old courtroom: a mural across the walls, a stage, a private bar and its own street entrance. The room for anything that needs scale.
The Atrium
The glass-roofed restaurant, and the only part of the building with real daylight. Around 250 for a standing reception. Use it while the light is good.
Fielding and De Veil
Two private dining rooms beside the ballroom, named after Bow Street magistrates. The Fireplace Room upstairs seats about 24 for a rehearsal dinner.
Common Decency
A subterranean cocktail lounge with no daylight at all. The natural home for the end of the night, and a completely different look from the rooms above it.
Mostly a lighting problem
The atrium is daylight. Common Decency downstairs has none at all. The Magistrates' Ballroom sits somewhere between the two depending on the hour. I work with what is actually in each room rather than lighting them all the same way, which is the difference between a gallery that reads as one day and one that reads as four separate shoots.
One practical note on colour: the rooms here are already doing a lot, with pattern, texture and art on the walls. Flowers and bridesmaids in a strong colour tend to compete with that rather than sit inside it. Muted usually photographs better in this building than bold does, which is the opposite of the advice you would get for a plain marquee.
To be straight with you: I have not photographed a wedding at NoMad yet. The photographs on this page are from other London weddings. What I do have is twenty years of London weddings in buildings that ask the same questions, and I will walk the rooms with you well before the day.
Where to take portraits near NoMad
- Bow StreetThe Royal Opera House colonnade is directly opposite the front door, which is about as short a walk as London gets.
- Covent Garden piazzaTwo minutes away. Busy in the middle of the day, quiet and very good early or late.
- Floral Street and the side streetsNarrow, architectural, and shaded when the piazza is blown out.
- Somerset HouseTen minutes' walk for a courtyard and the river. More on my Westminster page.
What NoMad 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 atrium or the ballroom
- Drinks and portraits
- 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
- Ceremony, drinks and portraits on Bow Street
- Dinner in the Magistrates' Ballroom
- The first dance
Preparations through to the last dance.
- For big celebrations where nothing gets missed
- Everything in Classic
- Portraits in Covent Garden after dark
- The party downstairs in Common Decency
- An unhurried pace all day
A second photographer is £1,250 and albums are quoted separately. The full breakdown is on my wedding photography prices and packages page. Other central London venues: Rosewood London, The Ned and One Whitehall Place. Planning something smaller in Covent Garden? See micro wedding photography in London, or my London wedding photographer page for the bigger picture.
NoMad London wedding questions
Is NoMad London licensed for wedding ceremonies?
Couples do marry at NoMad, and it is listed among Westminster City Council's wedding venues. Which rooms are licensed can change, so confirm that with the hotel for your date.
How many guests can NoMad London hold?
The Magistrates' Ballroom takes around 75 for dinner and about 120 standing. The atrium restaurant holds roughly 80 for a ceremony and up to 250 standing. The Fielding Room seats about 24, or 50 in the evening, and Common Decency downstairs works for anything from 50 to 150.
Does NoMad London have outdoor space?
Ask the hotel directly what rooftop and outdoor access your booking includes, because it varies between bookings. It is not something you want to be discovering on the day.
Where do the best photographs come from?
The Magistrates' Ballroom for anything that needs scale, the atrium while the light is good, and the lounges for the quieter half of the day, when people are talking and nobody is performing. Portraits go out onto Bow Street and into Covent Garden.
How much does a wedding photographer at NoMad 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 NoMad 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