Liliya and Charles married at Chelsea Old Town Hall with just their immediate family there. The morning started at a nearby hotel, they arrived by horse-drawn carriage along the King’s Road, and after the ceremony there was a drive round London for photographs at the Royal Albert Hall, Westminster and Big Ben.
Arriving by carriage
Liliya got ready at a hotel close to the town hall. From there, she and Charles came to the town hall in a horse-drawn carriage along the King’s Road. You can’t arrive quietly like that on a normal London day, and people along the road stopped to watch.
Chelsea Old Town Hall
John McKean Brydon designed the building in the 1880s. It has a Grade II-listed neoclassical front on the King’s Road, with columns and a flight of steps that every couple stops on when they come out. Inside, the rooms are small and the light is good, with tall windows on the King’s Road side.
After the ceremony there were more photographs at the town hall before they set off across London.
Across London afterwards
A register office ceremony is short, so there was plenty of the day left. From Chelsea they went to the Royal Albert Hall, then across to Westminster and Big Ben. It’s an easy route from the King’s Road, and it gives you a set of pictures that could only be London.
Congratulations to Liliya and Charles.
Planning a Chelsea Old Town Hall wedding
- Ceremonies are short. Twenty to thirty minutes: the registrar, the vows, the rings, the signing, and out onto the steps. Plan what happens next.
- Choose the room for your numbers. The Brydon Room takes up to 38, the Rossetti Room 12 and the Harrington Room 8. Larger ceremonies can use the Small Hall or Main Hall, booked separately through the council.
- Portraits close by. The King’s Road is right outside, St Luke’s Church and Gardens are five minutes on foot, and Albert Bridge and the Embankment are a short walk south.
- Allow time if you want landmarks. The Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gardens and Westminster are all doable with a longer booking and a car.
More about the rooms, timings and hourly coverage is on my Chelsea Old Town Hall wedding photographer page. For another wedding there, see Alexander and Laura, who were witnessed by two Chelsea Pensioners. There’s more on the area on my Chelsea and Westminster pages, or have a look at my prices and send me your date.
