Erica and Derri had a church wedding in the East End, then brought everyone across the city to Stationers’ Hall for the reception. Vintage was the theme and they committed to it properly, starting with Erica’s dress.
The church
The morning was clear, which helps in a church. Most of them are darker than people expect and you’re working with whatever comes through the windows.
I don’t use flash during a ceremony. I’d rather have the room as it actually looked than a version of it lit by me. In a church that means finding the spots where the light lands and being there before the moment happens rather than after it.
Erica’s vintage dress
Erica wore a vintage dress — lace detailing, a classic cut, nothing about it borrowed from this decade. Derri wore a tailored suit in a deep shade that sat well against it.
Old fabric photographs differently to new. Lace catches light in a way modern satin doesn’t, and vintage colours are usually a bit softer, so the two of them together looked of a piece rather than like two separate outfits. That sounds like a small thing. In photos it isn’t.
Stationers’ Hall
Stationers’ Hall is on Ave Maria Lane, just off Ludgate Hill by St Paul’s, and most Londoners walk past the entrance without knowing it’s there. Inside it’s oak panelling, stained glass and a lot of very old wood.
It’s a good room to photograph and a slightly demanding one. Dark panelling absorbs light, so you can’t rely on the walls bouncing anything back at you. The stained glass gives you colour but it’s directional, and it moves through the afternoon. You plan around both.
What you get for that is a room nobody has seen a hundred versions of already.
The reception
Speeches, dinner, cake, first dance. The usual order, done well.
Speeches in a panelled room are a gift. The sound stays in, nobody drifts off to the bar, and you get the whole room reacting at once — which is usually the better photo. I spend most of the speeches watching the tables rather than the person talking.
Congratulations to Erica and Derri, and thanks for a good day.
Getting married at Stationers’ Hall
Worth knowing if you’re considering it:
- It’s dark inside, and that’s fine. Just make sure your photographer is comfortable working in low light without lighting the whole room up. The panelling is the point.
- St Paul’s is on the doorstep. Five minutes out of the reception gets you a completely different set of pictures. Worth the five minutes.
- It’s a City venue, so weekends are quiet. The streets around Ludgate Hill empty out on a Saturday, which makes portraits outside far easier than anywhere in the West End.
You can find booking details on the Stationers’ Hall wedding hire page.
If you’re getting married there, or anywhere else in London, have a look at my prices and send me your date.
