Some weddings you remember for the venue. This one I remember for the noise.
Anos and Yanos got married at Old Marylebone Town Hall, then walked everyone round the corner to The Marylebone Hotel and threw one of the better parties I’ve photographed. It helps when one of your close friends happens to be DJ Spoony.
The ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall
The day started on the steps of Old Marylebone Town Hall. Anyone who has been there knows the scene — guests arriving in their best, confetti being handed round, someone checking the time every thirty seconds.
Anos wore a flowing white gown with lace detail. Yanos was in a black tux.
Register office ceremonies are short. The registrar’s bit, the vows, signing the register, the kiss — under half an hour and you’re back outside. I don’t direct anything while it’s happening, so it’s a case of knowing where to stand before each moment rather than reacting to it afterwards.
This one was small and close. Family and a few friends in the room, no more. When everyone there actually knows the couple you can see it in the photos, and some of my favourite frames are of the people watching rather than the two at the front.
Confetti on the steps
Those steps are the most photographed spot in Marylebone, and rightly so. The height, the symmetry, all that cream Portland stone behind you.
Confetti lasts about four seconds, so I shoot plenty of it. The frame you want is rarely the one you’d expect. It’s usually half a second later, when someone’s laughing with their eyes shut and there’s a bit of it stuck in their hair.
The Marylebone Hotel
The reception was a two-minute walk away at The Marylebone Hotel. Round tables, low light, flowers on every one. Nothing had been left to chance.
It’s a completely different thing to photograph after the quiet of a ceremony room — warmer, louder, and there’s always somewhere to go whatever the weather is doing outside.
DJ Spoony on the decks
DJ Spoony is a close friend of theirs, which is a very good friend to have at your wedding.
Nobody sat down after he started. Old garage, big singalongs, chart stuff — he played the lot, and the floor stayed full. I spent most of the evening down there, because that’s where everyone was.
The rest of the night
Speeches, dinner, more dancing. It kept going well past the point most receptions start to wind down.
I grabbed a minute with them somewhere in the middle of it. “It’s surreal,” Anos said. “Today has been a dream.” Yanos was less romantic about it: “And having Spoony play for us? That’s the cherry on top.”
Congratulations again to you both.
Photographing weddings in Marylebone
I’ve shot a lot of weddings at Old Marylebone Town Hall, so I know how the day runs. Where the light is, which streets nearby work for portraits, and how quickly you get moved off the steps for the next ceremony.
That matters more than it sounds. Town hall days are tight. Knowing the building means I’m not working it out on the day while you stand around waiting.
My approach is unposed. For portraits I don’t arrange people into shapes — I give them somewhere to head and something to talk about, then work around them while they get on with it. You end up with photos of two people rather than a catalogue.
The other advantage of marrying here is that you don’t need to go anywhere. A couple of streets from the front door there are Georgian terraces and quiet corners away from the noise of Marylebone Road, and The Landmark and The Marylebone Hotel are both a short walk.
Getting married at Old Marylebone Town Hall?
If you’re planning your own ceremony there, I’ve written a full guide to the venue — the ceremony rooms, how the day usually runs, the best spots nearby for photos, and my hourly prices. There’s a live date checker on the page too, so you can see whether your date is free before you get in touch.
Old Marylebone Town Hall wedding photography — prices and availability
Coverage starts at £350 for an hour, and every booking includes all your images fully edited, high-resolution downloads, and your gallery ready within 24 hours. You can also see my full London wedding photography packages.
More weddings at Old Marylebone Town Hall
A few more weddings I’ve photographed here. For the ceremony rooms, prices and a live date checker, see my Old Marylebone Town Hall wedding photographer page.
Patricia & ThomasA half-four ceremony in the Knightsbridge Room with immediate family, before their celebration in Italy.
Gayathri & PranavA 7pm ceremony in the Paddington Room, confetti in the dark and portraits by lamplight on the cobbles.
Khilan & PiaA half-one ceremony, confetti outside, photos around the streets, then a short walk to The Landmark.
Nathalie & RutgerA December ceremony that finished after dark, and a sparkler send-off down the front steps.More on the venue and the area:
- 100 weddings for £100 — the town hall’s centenary offer and a bit of its history.
- Wedding photographer Marylebone — the other venues I cover in the area.
