Photographing Weddings at The Ned Hotel
There are wedding venues, and then there is The Ned. A Grade I listed former bank with a rooftop terrace looking out over St Paul's Cathedral, a sweeping spiral staircase, and a main banking hall that stops you in your tracks — it's one of those rare venues where every corner tells a story. I feel enormously privileged to have photographed weddings here, and this page is my attempt to show you why it's so special.
The Ned Hotel
The Ned sits at 27 Poultry in the heart of the City of London, just steps from Bank Underground station. The building was designed in 1924 by the legendary Sir Edwin "Ned" Lutyens — one of Britain's most celebrated architects — for Midland Bank. The venue takes its name in his honour. With its soaring columns, intricate stonework, and extraordinary sense of scale, it's not difficult to see why it was awarded Grade I listed status.
The building lay vacant for eight years before Nick Jones — founder of Soho House — took on the challenge of transforming it into a world-class hospitality destination. It reopened in 2017 with 250 bedrooms, ten restaurants, seventeen bars, a private members' club, a rooftop pool, spa, gymnasium, and an entire events floor dedicated entirely to weddings and private celebrations.
For the film fans among you: The Ned appeared in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, used as a location when it was still an operating bank. Given its sheer scale and drama, it's not hard to picture why it caught a film director's eye.
Why The Ned Is Extraordinary to Photograph
As a photographer, walking into The Ned for the first time is genuinely breathtaking. There is light everywhere. The main banking hall — with its marble columns and vast windows — floods every image with a gorgeous, diffused glow. The contrast between the warm interior tones and the cooler daylight creates a natural drama that you simply cannot manufacture.
The spiral staircase is one of those locations that photographers dream about — perfectly symmetrical, architecturally stunning, and offering a dozen different angles depending on where you stand. I've shot portraits there in both the morning light and late afternoon, and it is different and beautiful every time.
Then there is the rooftop terrace. On a clear day, the views of St Paul's Cathedral are nothing short of cinematic — and as a backdrop for couple portraits, it is hard to beat anywhere in London. Whether you use it golden hour or during the blue hour in the early evening, the terrace delivers images that feel genuinely iconic.
Planning a wedding at The Ned? I'd love to hear about your day — get in touch and let's chat about how I can capture it.
Get in TouchThe Ceremony
Wedding ceremonies at The Ned take place on the events floor, which the venue dedicates entirely to you for the day. The largest room — The Tapestry Room — accommodates up to 120 seated guests, while The Saloon offers a more intimate setting. Every ceremony space is beautifully decorated with period details that provide a timeless backdrop without needing a single additional prop.
My approach during the ceremony is to be as unobtrusive as possible. I position myself to capture every expression, every glance, every hand-squeeze — without any of your guests being aware of where I am. The ceremony is the emotional heart of the day and the photographs from this moment tend to be the ones couples come back to most often, years later.
Portraits & Couple Time
I'll usually steal you away for about twenty minutes during the drinks reception — just the two of you, no guests watching, no pressure. At The Ned we have the spiral staircase, the rooftop terrace, the long illuminated hallways, and the grandeur of the main banking hall all at our disposal. Twenty minutes is more than enough time to create images that you will keep forever.
I never ask you to pose. Instead, I give you simple prompts — walk towards me, whisper something in their ear, look at the city — and let everything happen naturally. The resulting images feel genuine, because they are. You'll look back at them and actually remember how you felt in that moment, not how you tried to look.
"Our daughter recently married at The Ned and Ollie took some amazing photos of her special day — producing exactly what she had asked for! Photos were natural and he captured the whole mood of the day beautifully. Great communication throughout and would thoroughly recommend!!"
The Wedding Breakfast & Reception
The Ned's kitchen is as celebrated as any in the City. With ten restaurants in-house — ranging from a New York deli to a Milanese trattoria — the catering at a Ned wedding is quite unlike anywhere else. As an evening unfolds, the whole venue comes alive: speeches echoing through beautiful rooms, dancing well into the night, and a sense of occasion that never lets up from first light to last dance.
This is the part of the day that becomes pure documentary photography — no direction from me, just being in the right place at the right moment. The laughter during speeches, the first dance, the moment a guest loses themselves completely on the dancefloor — these are the images that make the album feel whole.
Looking for a photographer who captures the real moments — the laughter, the dancing, the completely unplanned ones? Let's talk.
Say HelloRecommended Supplier at The Ned
I'm proud to be recognised as a recommended photography supplier at The Ned Hotel. Being on the venue's preferred supplier list means I know the building deeply — the light at different times of day, the quieter corridors that make for incredible portraits, the moments the events team create that are worth anticipating with a camera ready.
The Ned's in-house wedding coordinators are exceptional — experienced, calm, and genuinely invested in making every wedding unique. Working alongside their team allows me to focus entirely on the photography, knowing the logistics are in safe hands. If you're in the early stages of planning your Ned wedding and looking for a photographer, I'm always happy to jump on a call, share more of my work from the venue, and talk through what the day might look like.
The Ned Hotel — Venue at a Glance
Everything you need to know about planning your wedding at one of London's most iconic addresses.
- Address: 27 Poultry, City of London, EC2R 8AJ
- Nearest tube: Bank (Central, Northern, Waterloo & City lines)
- Grade I listed: Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, 1924
- Events floor: Six rooms + two outdoor terraces
- Largest room: The Tapestry Room — up to 120 seated
- Accommodation: 250 bedrooms on site
- Restaurants: 10 in-house dining concepts
- Packages from: Approx. £30,000 for 100 guests
- Filming location: James Bond's Goldfinger (1964)
- Photography highlights: Roof terrace with St Paul's views, spiral staircase, banking hall
Let's Make Something Beautiful
Whether you're just beginning to plan your Ned Hotel wedding or you're finalising suppliers, I'd love to hear from you. Drop me a message and let's have a proper conversation about your day.
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