Old Marylebone Town Hall wedding photographer

Your ceremony room should be ready 30 minutes before your ceremony time.

If you are arriving together and having your pre-ceremony interview together you should arrive no later than 15 minutes before your ceremony time.

If you are planning separate arrivals so that you do not see each other before the start of your ceremony:

First person arrives 30 minutes before your ceremony time. The Ushers will welcome you and take you to a ceremony room for your pre-ceremony interview

Second person arrives 15 minutes before your ceremony time. The Ushers will welcome you and take you to a ceremony room for your pre-ceremony interview, ensuring that your partner is out of sight

Your guests should not arrive until 30 minutes before your ceremony as they will not have access to your ceremony room before this time.

They may wish to wait outside the building if the weather is nice. The Ushers will invite your guests to your ceremony room around 25 minutes before your ceremony. If guests have roles to play – flowers, ring bearers, readings, music, witnesses, service sheets – this allows more than enough time.

Around 10 minutes before your ceremony the Registrars will introduce themselves to your ring bearers, readers, music maestro, and witnesses. They will clearly explain to each what will happen and when, and they will help your music maestro link your music to the ceremony room speakers.

Please note that confetti is not allowed upstairs. There is plenty of time to distribute this after your ceremony and this should only be done outside the building.

Disabled access

This must be booked in advance by completing a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PDF download) and emailing it to registeroffice@westminster.gov.uk.

This is because access is via the London Business School (LBS) next door. On the day please arrive outside Old Marylebone Town Hall (not LBS) and ask one of your party to let an Usher or Facilities Manager know that you have arrived. The Usher or Facilities Manager will accompany you via LBS through to the second floor of Old Marylebone Town Hall which leads to all seven ceremony rooms. On your return journey please ask one of the Ushers to accompany you back down to street level.

Loos

UPDATE: The powder room is closed during Covid-19

Women first left and back on yourself. There is a little lobby here with a small sofa. Opposite the sofa on the left is the disabled loo. And on the right is the powder room with a full-length mirror.

Men first right and back on yourself.

Baby changing available in both the women’s and men’s loos.

There are no loos once you go upstairs (except for the couple who will be accompanied to the nearest loo by an Usher or Registrar).

Cloakroom

UPDATE: Please keep everything with you at all times during Covid-19

Opposite both the men and women’s loos there is plenty of space for coats, umbrellas, hats, bags, suitcases, pushchairs and prams, wine and champagne, and confetti. Only take valuables upstairs with you. It is hot in all the ceremony rooms so do not be tempted to take your coat.

Please note that confetti is not allowed upstairs. There is plenty of time to distribute this after your ceremony and this should only be done outside the building.

Pushchairs and prams

UPDATE: Please keep these with you upstairs (via lift) and into the ceremony room during Covid-19

Please leave these downstairs as there is nothing worse than these appearing in every single one of your ceremony photos. Use the lift opposite the women’s loo to take your babies upstairs to the second floor (button 2). The entire building is breastfeeding friendly and my favourite place is the little grey sofa in the lobby outside the women’s loos.

Lift

There is a lift opposite the women’s loo which takes those less able, those with babies or musical instruments, or the happy couple up to the ceremony room floor (button number 2).

If you need anything do ask one the Ushers on duty. They are all spectacularly helpful.

Dogs

UPDATE: Dogs are not allowed inside the building during Covid-19 but you can have photos taken with them outside before or after your ceremony

Yes. Old Marylebone Town Hall is a dog-friendly venue. Music to my ears as I love dogs. Bring some bottled water and a water bowl with you and I’ll look after this for you.

Flowers

Yes. You can put someone in charge of delivering your own floral display to your ceremony room (no earlier than 30 minutes before your ceremony). If you would like the existing display moved please ask an Usher. Please remove your displays promptly at the end of your ceremony.

If you would like your bouquet/s and button hole/s delivered to Old Marylebone Town Hall that’s absolutely fine. Ensure that these are handed to an Usher and that they are clearly labelled with your name.

Music

You can arrange your own music and your musicians usually have plenty of time to set up and practice before your guests are invited into your room.

I have seen harpists, violinists, three and four piece strings, single and double guitarists, swing vocals, and even a mariachi band. [No amps allowed]

Harpists should arrive at the foot of the Old Marylebone Town Hall steps and ask a passer-by to go into the building to alert an Usher or Facilities Manager. They will then accompany them to their ceremony room via the London Business School entrance.

Furniture

Can I move the furniture? I am asked this surprisingly often. The answer from the Team at Old Marylebone Town Hall is a firm, ‘no’. Every single layout has been meticulously planned for design and health & safety. They are keen to protect every single surface and that includes the floor. [You can of course ask Ushers to move chairs to make way for wheelchairs]

UPDATE: Your interview will most likely take place in your ceremony room during Covid-19 so your guests may be asked to hold off entering your ceremony room for 5 minutes or so while this takes place

Your Registrar will conduct a legal interview with both of you, either together or separately. You will be asked to confirm all of the details that you gave in your Notice.

This interview will be held (in private) in one of the other ceremony rooms on the same floor as your ceremony room.

The Registrar will walk you through your ceremony plans and it is also an opportunity for them to get to know you a little.

If you are together this interview lasts around 20 minutes. If you are having separate interviews it is 10 minutes x 2 and a total of 20 minutes. In both cases this leaves 10 minutes for the Registrar to introduce themselves to and guide your ring bearer/s, reader/s, witnesses, and music maestro.

Please reassure your guests with duties that both Registrars will look after them beautifully. Nothing is rushed.

UPDATE: Readings are not taking place during Covid-19

The Registrar will welcome you and your guests, you will say your vows, exchange (optional) rings, and then sign the official Register. You can also choose to have a piece of music played during your entrance and the signing of the Register. You may also choose to have up to two (non-religious) readings made by either of you, a guest, or even the Registrar.

Ceremonies last between 10 and 25 minutes. If you have only a few guests, no music, no readings, and you do not exchange rings then allow 10 minutes from walking in to walking out again.

You need two witnesses for your Old Marylebone Town Hall wedding. There is no legal age limit, but witnesses must understand the language of the ceremony and have the mental capacity to understand what is taking place. Old Marylebone Town Hall staff are not allowed to act as witnesses.

I have photographed two weddings with one witness aged 13, the other aged 14, and me the second witness on both occasions. For under 16s you must agree this in advance with Westminster Register Office and explain that your younger witness is mature enough to understand what is taking place.

You do not need to know your witnesses.

UPDATE: During Covid-19 it is recommended that you give guests their own little box or cone of confetti as opposed to the grab a handful approach described below. The very safest option right now is to choose ribbons. Try Etsy’s My Elegant Bridal Shop based in Bristol (look under ‘wedding wands and decor’) which offers plenty of pretty colours (plus bells too so that everyone can make some noise). Two wands per person should cover it

After your ceremony the Ushers will invite your guests to leave your ceremony room and take their position on the iconic Old Marylebone Town Hall steps.

Your photographer should ensure that everyone is in position (and has some confetti) and then give you the thumbs to exit. The staff at Old Marylebone Town Hall never rush this part and they work brilliantly with your photographer to ensure you have a fabulous confetti throw experience.

For the most stunning effect brightly coloured biodegradable paper confetti works brilliantly. A single colour, two colours, or a three colour mix all work best. You can match these to your bouquet or simply choose your favourite colour/s. Pretty Little Party Shop offers a colour mix service.

For the romantics at heart, I recommend Shropshire Petals for their dried petals. They offer a 1 litre bag (per 10 guests) and guests can all grab a handful once they are all lined up outside.

The easiest option by far is to order your confetti in advance from Old Marylebone Town Hall. It will be ready for you on the day of the ceremony. The Ushers will hand it to your guests as they leave the building. To order please fill out their pre-order wedding confetti request. It comes in little boxes (per 2 guests).

Plastic pops, paper cones, or by hand?

I’m not a fan of the plastic pops as guests don’t always know that the handle is just a handle and some try pulling it with no result… very disappointing. While it’s easier to transport (they have a lid) they look a bit yucky in your photos since they are made of plastic. Shropshire Petals send a recycling bag with your order but on the day it’s a bit of a faff to collect them all, take them to your reception venue, and then home again.

Paper cones are great and get the angle just right. Fill them before you get to Old Marylebone Town Hall and wrap a piece of fabric over the boxed container/s to keep everything together.

For a simple no faff approach I would simply have bags and go down the two lines outside asking guests to each grab a handful.

Any other advice?

It’s very tempting when you walk outside under a barrage of confetti to look down or close your eyes. Do try and look straight ahead if you can. Rely on your partner to get you down the stone steps safely.

And finally, bring extra confetti for a second (more posed) throw so that you have a double go at getting that perfect confetti photo.

UPDATE: During Covid-19 the option for photographs inside Old Marylebone Town Hall is limited and sometimes not allowed at all. It depends on how busy they are on any given day

Options include:

Your ceremony room because they are all beautiful – full of stunning period features and elegant decor.

Old Marylebone Town Hall the interior corridors and staircases make for wonderful photographs / the exterior offers brilliant fluted columns with stunning light, and of course the stone steps are beautiful too

Walking to your drinks venue the streets in the area all have pretty doorways and street scenes

Regent’s Park is arguably the prettiest garden in London. There are many options throughout the gardens but I have my favourite spots guaranteed to make your photos look amazing.

Your Reception Venue may have interesting interiors and exteriors that are important to you so do ask me if this is of interest

London Landmarks – you can also choose to have photos taken at the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben (check for refurbishment scaffolding first), St Paul’s Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge, Tower Bridge, or a location that is special to you both

The time of year and position of the sun plays a large part in this decision, so choose a photographer who knows the area well, at all times of the day, and in the different seasons. Photography between 11am and 3pm when the sun is at its strongest can be trickier to work with so ask your photographer for advice.

UPDATE: You may not be allowed back into Old Marylebone Town Hall for couple or group photographs during Covid-19. Underneath the fluted columns is out of the rain and the light is sensational there for both your group and couple photos

Umbrellas work beautifully in light to medium rain.  For heavy to torrential rain you can have your groups and couple portraits taken inside the Old Town Hall. The benefit of an Old Marylebone Town Hall wedding is that you can take most photos underneath the tall columns where the light is best anyway.

Choose your umbrella with care. Whatever colour you choose will reflect that colour on your faces AND make your faces darker than the rest of you not shielded by the canopy. Black causes panda eyes and darkness. White casts a a mushy (unflattering) light. Clear works best and their designs have come a long way in the last few years (i.e. not as fuddy-duddy) so don’t rule them out. If you don’t have clear be prepared to tip the canopy slightly back to allow light into your eyes. Check with your bride first. Her hair may not thank you if you tip it back too much!

Maybe you aren’t even engaged yet, or you are right at the start of your research?

I can’t fault these two excellent guides to getting married or registering a civil partnership in England and Wales:

Citizens Advice: Getting Married
Citizens Advice: Registering A Civil Partnership