Claridge's Wedding Photographer
Art Deco rooms, that staircase and a Ballroom full of daylight, photographed quietly by someone who knows how the building works.
Claridge's is on Brook Street in Mayfair, and it's the London hotel I'd put first for a wedding. I've photographed more than 20 weddings here.
It was remodelled in the 1920s and 30s and never got modernised out of it. The chequered floor, the staircase and the mirrors are the real thing, not a reproduction. There is one caveat, and I'll come to it.
I know the building and how it works
Where the light falls, when the foyer goes quiet, and how to get twenty minutes of portraits without an audience.
I've photographed weddings at Claridge's across more than twenty years of London work. Everything from a full day with a church in Hampstead and two London buses, to an intimate ceremony with just immediate family.
On the day I work quietly. Two cameras, available light, no barked instructions and no forty-minute group list. Editorial when you need me to be, documentary the rest of the time. You shouldn't notice I'm there for most of it. There's more of my London wedding photography on the home page.
BarrieWhere weddings happen at Claridge's
Most weddings here use a mix of the public spaces, one of the event rooms and a suite upstairs.
The chequered floor and the staircase
A black and white floor, a sweeping staircase, and mirrors and chandeliers throwing light around. The two shots everyone wants here, and worth ten minutes of your day.
Creams, golds and daylight
Up to 240 seated, with the Mirror Room alongside for later. The neutral palette won't fight your colours, so your flowers photograph as the shade you chose. The tall windows give a daytime reception real natural light.
Getting ready upstairs
Preparations in a suite are quiet and unhurried. Downstairs, the French Salon and the Drawing Room take up to 120 each and link together, and the private rooms suit weddings from around sixteen.
The caveat. Claridge's is a working hotel, and the foyer and staircase are shared with guests checking in and having tea. It's entirely workable. Those shots are done quickly at a quiet moment, not assembled slowly with an audience.
The small things, photographed properly
Rings, shoes, flowers, the dress on its hanger. I photograph them in window light while you're getting ready, usually in about ten minutes, then get back to the people.
Details from weddings I've photographed. Tell me what matters to you and I'll make sure it's covered.
Henry and Charlotte, Hampstead to Mayfair
They married at a church in Hampstead on a summer's day, then brought everyone back to Claridge's on two London buses. Charlotte got ready in a suite at the hotel, and the cake was cut with a Samurai sword.
More from Claridge'sJane and David, an intimate wedding with just their immediate family · Other Mayfair venues
Getting the best out of the building
Fifteen or twenty minutes of portraits, then you're back with your guests. A few things make those minutes count here.
- Do the public rooms early or lateMid-afternoon in the foyer is the busiest it gets. Straight after the ceremony, or once dinner has started, you get the same backdrops with a fraction of the audience.
- The Ballroom changes with the hourThe tall windows are the reason to hold a daytime reception there. After dark it's chandeliers and mirrors, which is a warmer picture. Both work, they just don't match.
- Greenery is a drive awayBrook Street is handsome but has no garden. Hyde Park is a few minutes by car, so allow twenty minutes there and back, or leave it out.
- Winter works hereThe interiors carry the day, so a January wedding looks much like a June one. That's rare, and a good argument for an off-season date.
How a Claridge's wedding usually runs
Every wedding is different, but most days here follow a similar shape. This is roughly how it goes from where I'm standing.
The morning, in the suite
Preparations upstairs, quietly. Available light, no set-ups, and the details done while hair and make-up finish.
The ceremony
Two cameras, one wide and one long, from the back and the side. Nothing that interrupts it.
Drinks and portraits
Fifteen or twenty minutes in the foyer, on the staircase and in one room. Family groups come from a list you send me beforehand.
Dinner and the evening
Speeches on a longer lens so the reactions are real. Then the first dance, with the chandeliers and mirrors doing most of the lighting.
What Claridge's wedding photography costs
London collections, priced by the hours you actually need. With getting ready in a suite and the evening in the Ballroom, most Claridge's couples choose Classic or Premium.
Ceremony through to the speeches.
- For intimate weddings and daytime receptions
- Ceremony in one of the hotel's rooms
- Drinks, portraits and family groups
- Dinner details and speeches
- No evening party coverage
Preparations through to the first dance.
- The standard full Claridge's wedding day
- Getting ready in the suite
- Ceremony and drinks reception
- Portraits in the foyer and on the staircase
- Speeches, cake and first dance
Preparations through to the last dance.
- For big Ballroom weddings where nothing gets missed
- Everything in Classic
- The evening party and dance floor
- Late dancing and the send-off
- An unhurried pace across the whole day
A second photographer is £1,250, and worth it if you're getting ready at the hotel and the groom is somewhere else. Albums are quoted separately. Full details are on my London wedding photography prices page, how I work at hotels like this is on luxury wedding photography, and if you're still looking at venues nearby, see my Mayfair wedding photographer page.
What couples say
A few words from couples I've photographed, in London and further afield.
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…
Claridge's wedding questions
How many weddings have you photographed at Claridge's?
More than 20. I know the foyer, the staircase, the Ballroom and the suites upstairs well, and how the hotel runs on a wedding day. Collections start at £1,350 for five hours, and your gallery comes back within 24 hours for a smaller wedding or within a week for a full day.
Can you get married at Claridge's?
Yes. The hotel is licensed for civil ceremonies, so the ceremony and the reception can happen under the same roof. Confirm which room your licence covers when you book.
How many guests can Claridge's take?
The Ballroom seats up to 240, or 500 standing. The French Salon and the Drawing Room each take up to 120 and can be linked, the Clarence Room up to 100, and the smaller private rooms suit weddings from around sixteen to thirty-five.
Can you take photos in the foyer and on the staircase?
Yes, and they're the best backdrops in the building. They're shared with hotel guests, so they're done quickly and at a quiet moment rather than slowly with an audience.
Is there anywhere green for photos?
Not on site. Hyde Park is a few minutes by car if you want greenery in the album, so allow about twenty minutes there and back.
Is Claridge's a good winter wedding venue?
One of the best in London. The interiors carry the whole day, so photographs from a January wedding look much like those from a June one.
How much does a Claridge's wedding photographer cost?
My collections are £1,350 for five hours, £1,800 for eight and £2,200 for eleven, with every image edited. Galleries come back within 24 hours for smaller weddings and within a week for a full day. A second photographer is an optional £1,250.
When will we get our photos?
Within 24 hours for a smaller wedding and within a week for a full day, in a private online gallery with high-resolution downloads and no watermarks.
As featured in
Getting married at Claridge's?
Send me your date. I read every enquiry myself and I'll let you know straight away whether I'm free.
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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…