St Paul’s Cathedral Wedding in the OBE Chapel | Sam & Matt

Sam and Matt got married at St Paul’s Cathedral on Saturday 4th July 2026. The ceremony was at 11am in the OBE Chapel, down in the crypt, with a small group of family and their two children right in the middle of it.

It was a hot, bright summer day. We started at the Corinthia in Whitehall, crossed London for the ceremony, and finished with a long family meal in a private dining room at Bacchanalia in Mayfair.

Getting ready at the Corinthia

Sam and Matt both got ready at the Corinthia in Whitehall, with their children. Tall sash windows, plenty of daylight and room to move, which is what you want on a morning like this.

The rings came out first. I always photograph them before anything else is going on, on a clean surface by a window. It takes two minutes and nobody has to be involved. Then breakfast, with Matt in his dressing gown for as long as he could get away with it and their daughter keeping him company.

Hair and make-up

Sam’s hair was by Harold Casey (@haroldcaseylondonhair) and her make-up by Ria Cardosi (@cardosibeauty), a Charlotte Tilbury artist. They set up in the corner of the room by the big blue painting, and the light there was lovely.

Their daughter wanted to get involved with the lipstick, and nobody stopped her. If you can, get your artists to set up by a window. It’s the best light in any hotel room and it costs nothing.

The children

Both children were ready, so I sat them in the window for a few minutes. Their daughter wore a flower crown and their son wore a shirt and tie. These are the same two I photographed at their christening at St Paul’s last year, so it was nice to be heading back there.

Small children give you a few minutes at most. Good window light, somewhere to sit and no instructions is the best recipe I know.

The dress and the car

Then Sam was in the dress. We did a few frames at the window, then she came down through the hotel to the front door, where the car was waiting on Whitehall.

Hotel entrances get busy, so I like to do the door photos quickly, before the day properly starts. Two minutes there is better than trying to find a quiet spot later.

Across London to St Paul’s

Sam travelled with her mum. They did the last stretch on foot, one of them holding the veil clear of the road, and a red bus went past at exactly the right moment.

If you’re going by car, work out the drop-off point beforehand. A short walk is fine and gives you good pictures. A long one in a veil is not.

Arriving at St Paul’s

We came up the west steps and in through the doors. The cathedral was open as normal, so there are a few visitors in the background of some pictures. That’s part of the building.

I like to photograph the bride on her own inside before the ceremony. The floor does most of the work: chequered marble, the dome above, and nothing else going on.

The OBE Chapel

You can’t just book a wedding at St Paul’s. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire sits at the east end of the crypt, and it’s there for members of the Order and their families. Matt’s father, Malcolm Wilson OBE, is the reason Sam and Matt were able to marry there.

After the cathedral upstairs it feels small and quiet. Their daughter was in charge of the veil on the way in, which she managed with a lot of enthusiasm.

Vows and the register

The service started at 11am. It was short, quiet and family-sized. I stayed at the back and let it happen. If you’re planning something similar, check the photography rules with the cathedral early, because they can differ between the chapels and the main building.

After the vows, Sam and Matt signed the register at the table to the side, then walked out of the chapel with both children.

Family photos in the cathedral and on the steps

After the ceremony we went back up into the cathedral for a few family photos by the statues, then out onto the west steps for the bigger group in the sun.

For group photos, I start with the biggest group and work down: everyone together, then each side of the family, then the immediate family. People are happier when the big one is done first. The children had their own ideas by this point, and some of my favourite frames of the day are of them twirling in front of the huge west doors.

Portraits around the cathedral

We spent about ten minutes with Sam and Matt on their own. The colonnade, the west doors and the steps are all in one place, and the stone is pale and the floor chequered, so you don’t need anything else. Their children joined in again, and the veil did what veils do in a breeze.

The shade under the portico is useful on a bright day. You get soft, even light even when the sun is high.

Over to Mayfair

From St Paul’s we drove to Mayfair for the meal at Bacchanalia on Mount Street. We took a few minutes on the quiet streets nearby first, before going in.

Dinner at Bacchanalia

The meal was in one of Bacchanalia’s private dining rooms, with the family round one table. It’s a very decorated room, with marble, gilt and statues, so it’s hard to photograph badly.

There were speeches. Matt stood up with his notes, Sam laughed at all of them, and the children were at the table for cake. A small wedding is easier to photograph than a big one. Everyone can see each other, and the reactions are as good as the speeches.

Sam and Matt

Congratulations to you both. Thank you for having me along on a day that really couldn’t have gone better, and thanks to your two as well, who made a lot of these pictures. Enjoy being married.

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Getting married at St Paul’s?

Weddings at St Paul’s are only open to people with a connection to the cathedral, such as members of the Order of the British Empire and their families. If that’s you, I’ve written a guide to photographing there, with the best spots and how the day tends to run.

St Paul’s Cathedral wedding photographer: location guide and prices

For a smaller day, have a look at my half day wedding photography or City of London wedding photography pages, or read who can marry where in London’s churches.