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Category Archives: Westminster Register Office

London Russian wedding | Maria & Anton

Catching up on posts from last month – and here is Maria and Anton’s wedding with their son Leo, who I had photographed about a year ago as a ‘bump’ and then as a newborn. Maria and Anton’s wedding was at Westminster Register Office at the Old Marylebone Town Hall and Leo chose this week to start walking.

After the ceremony itself, the registrars suggested that Anton bring his bride over to the table where they would sign the register – a suggestion he took literally.

Maria, Anton and their guests went a few minutes down the road to Orrery, also in Marylebone for lunch and we took some time out for portraits.

Maria and Anton’s friends had baked a beautiful loaf for them to have with salt and vodka to start their married life.

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London Russian wedding | Marsha & Anton | A single

Marsha and Anton married today in what has been a whirlwind week with Anton also accepting a job in Moscow and their son, Leo starting to walk. I first met Marsha about a year ago when she had a maternity session, then we photographed Leo when he was about a week old, along with his parents and baby things. Their ceremony was at Westminster Register Office, followed by lunch at Orrery in Marylebone High Street. Here’s a single from their wedding … and it was so very difficult to choose just one.

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Westminster Register Office | London Wedding

I quite often photograph midweek register office weddings with the couple and a few guests, loving the innate intimacy. It also means that we can do some portraits – especially if the couple is about to move to Canada and wants to capture the London-ness of their ceremony, with black cabs, red post boxes and double-decker buses … and did I mention rain and umbrellas? Here are some photographs from Sheri and Dan’s day.

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Westminster Register Office | Wedding photos | Vicki & Dave

Vicki and Dave’s London wedding yesterday was a fabulously warm mix of cultures and hugs finished off with a 10-course banquet. I started with Vicki getting ready and then popped to Dave’s room, where he was getting ready with his son Jack. But first, the shoes.

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Vicki and her father arrive at Westminster Register Office.

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Once Vicki had gone through checks with the registrars, Dave was waiting.

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Luckily, when Dave was getting ready, he put two hankies in his pockets.

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When we arrived at the Paddington Novotel, Vicki’s niece took her job as flowergirl to include helping Vicki with her veil during the drinks reception.

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After Vicki and Dave had spent some time with their guests, we went outside for some portraits.  It was a tad windy.

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We came back inside the hotel and I stole Vicki away for a portrait with this hot pink paintwork.

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Dave’s son Jack was very popular with some of his new and younger relatives.  This little girl kept following him around the hotel, imitating his every move.

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Westminster Register Office wedding | Raelene and Kevin

Greenwich couple Raelene & Kevin set up their wedding itinerary yesterday so that I could capture the moment when Kevin set eyes on Raelene. I had known they were arriving at Marylebone Town Hall together on a traditional red double-decker bus with Kevin on the top deck and Raelene on the bottom. Relatives shielded Raelene from Kevin with a pashmina until he had made his way to the top of the town hall steps and was looking away. Raelene could then walk up behind him, ready for him to turn around.





Raelene on her way to meet the registrars.

Raelene and her father Alex enter the ceremony.

Raelene and Kevin had composed their own vows to each other – and could not have looked happier when they were pronounced man and wife.


Raelene’s two bridesmaids Michelle and Pam had handed out cones of confetti to the guests, who had arranged themselves very neatly down the steps of Marylebone Town Hall to wish Raelene and Kevin well.


Kevin’s first duty as husband was to hold a compact mirror for Raelene to touch up her lipstick. He was a huge success … and wonderfully, the compact matched Raelene’s Jenny Packham dress as if it was made to order.

We stopped off by Lambeth Bridge to get some photographs of the bridal party with the Houses of Parliament in the background – a very London scene. This is one of my faves and includes the distinctive Thames lights with fish details that Raelene very much wanted included.



The bus then took us all to The Guildford, a Greenwich brasserie close to Raelene and Kevin’s (and my) home. After canapes and Pimms in the sunshine, I took Raelene in the street just outside The Guildford for some portraits. Kevin joined us for a few more before it was time for them to sit down for dinner.

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Westminster Register Office | Landmark Hotel | Charlotte and Christopher

Charlotte and Christopher married yesterday at Marylebone Town Hall with a very London theme, complete with a Routemaster bus history tour and drinks at one of London’s oldest pubs.

I met them at the Landmark Hotel, where they were getting ready. Charlotte wore a stylish black and white dress and jacket.

Christopher looked smart as he distributed champagne to family and friends.

Buttonholes were handed out, which matched Charlotte’s bouquet.



And then some family portraits … starting with Christopher and his mum Johanna.

Christopher and his dad Brian.

And then Charlotte and her mother Kay, who had a major hand in organising the day.

We crossed the road to Marylebone Old Town Hall for their ceremony, complete with dots of light snow. Charlotte and Christopher welcomed their guests at the door of the register office. While Charlotte found part of the ceremony hilarious – which hand does the ring go on again? – Kay and Johanna were a tad emotional.



After the ceremony, guests piled onto a Routemaster bus with Andrew, a guide, who gave passengers a hugely detailed history of the journey we took from Baker Street to the Prospect of Whitby, in Wapping. Apparently London has four Cathedrals, of which St Paul’s is one, and the Tower of London now has 23 towers.

When we arrived at the Prospect, it was very familiar territory, as I used to live about 100 metres from the pub – and seemingly nothing has changed. We took advantage of a lit sculpture outside the nearby Wapping Project for a portrait of Charlotte & Christopher before they went into the warm. Andrew the guide, meanwhile visited WP, a former hydraulic pumping station, which he thinks used to provide power for such things as lifting curtins in the West End theatres.


Charlotte & Christopher overlooking the Thames, with a fog-covered Canary Wharf in the background. Just off the balcony is a hangman’s noose, referencing the Prospect’s quite bloodthirsty history.


After drinks, nibbles and lots of chatting, there were some speeches, before I finished, leaving the group to hop on the Routemaster again & head off for a three-course meal and the remainder of the evening.



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Westminster Register Office | London wedding photos | Nicola and Anthony

After a long time away from the blog due to my shoulder injury, I’m catching up on weddings, starting with Nicola and Anthony, who married at Westminster Register Office last month. Waiting for Nicola were her and Anthony’s daughter Ava in the safe arms of grandma and Anthony himself.

Ava’s special dress and shoes were everything a little girl could wish for.

Supporting Anthony while he waited were his two best men.

Stunning Nicola, on the arm of her father, wore a vintage ’60s bridal gown.

Some of the ceremony was serious … some was not!

Married!

Chatting on the way out.

Confetti …

… and more confetti.

Spirited to their reception in a Phantom, Nicola & Anthony arrive.


We took some time to make the most of the atmospheric lighting.

A few yards away, we found this lit window, brilliant for the kind of funky portraits Nicola and Anthony had in mind.

And for a photograph of them with their friends, they wanted to recreate the Quadrophenia poster.

And our session finished for them to join their family and friends in celebration.

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London wedding portraits | Covent Garden | Paula and Alan

Paula and Alan were married today at Westminster Register Office. But rather than have me photograph the wedding, they chose to have a portrait session instead. So after their ceremony, they, their friends and I headed off to Covent Garden. While their friends had a drink & lunch in the shade, watching street entertainers, we wandered around some cute spots for portraits of them and their daughter. Paula and Alan will view their portraits in about a month when they return to London from their home on the outskirts of Paris.



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London wedding photos | Westminster Register Office | Rowena and Matt

Rowena wore the most fabulous ’40s vintage dress for her marriage to Matt yesterday at Westminster Register office. With her period hairstyle & tea rose bouquet, she perfectly complemented Matt’s specially made dark green suit & green tie. They had chosen not to see each other before the ceremony, so when Rowena walked into the ceremony, Matt’s expression said it all.



After some group photographs on the steps, family and friends travelled to Stoke Newington’s Abney Hall for their wedding breakfast and more celebrations.

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The Goring Hotel wedding | Karin & Kevin

Karin & Kevin married today at Westminster Register Office, followed by drinks & lunch at the Goring Hotel. Karin looked totally stunning and Kevin was suitably sharp, and their daughters Laura and Olivia in a girl’s favourite colour – pink.

One of the most wonderful things about photographing a wedding is the opportunity to capture the joining of two families and the generations and friends around them.






It’s great when, despite no shared language except smiles, this young woman understood where I wanted to shoot this portrait.


And some family portraits.


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