Old Marylebone Town Hall · London NW1
Marylebone Town Hall
Wedding Photographer
Documentary wedding photography at the Edwardian landmark on Marylebone Road that has been marrying couples since 1920.
Documentary photography · Central London
A building made to be photographed
Old Marylebone Town Hall is one of those venues I never tire of. Every time I walk through those doors I feel the same thing. This building was made to be photographed.
I'm Oliver, a documentary wedding photographer, and Marylebone is one of the venues I know best in London. I have photographed weddings here for years, in every one of the ceremony rooms and in every kind of light, and it still gives me something new each time.
The appeal is partly the architecture and partly the pace. Ceremonies here are short and the building keeps moving, which means the day has a real energy to it. Nobody is standing around waiting to be arranged. Things happen quickly, and I photograph them as they do.
What follows is everything I have learned about photographing here: the rooms, the timings, the steps outside, and where couples tend to go afterwards.
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Since 1920
Edwardian landmark · 97-113 Marylebone Road
What makes Marylebone Town Hall special
Old Marylebone Town Hall sits at the southern end of Marylebone Road, one of the most recognisable streets in London. The building dates to 1914 and is a striking example of Edwardian Greco Roman classicism: imposing fluted columns, a colonnaded tower, and a facade that stops you in your tracks. The foundation stone was laid in 1914 and the building was officially opened in March 1920 by Prince Albert, the future George VI. It has been marrying couples ever since.
A History of Famous Weddings
Over the years it has seen some of the most famous weddings in British history. Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach, Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit, Sean Bean and Georgina Sutcliffe, Cilla Black and Bobby Willis. That history adds something you cannot manufacture, a sense that your day is part of something much longer running.
The Steps and the Facade
The grand stone steps outside, the columns and the sweeping facade make for some of the most dramatic confetti photographs of any venue in London. That combination of scale and intimacy in a single frame is rare, and it is the reason Marylebone photographs so well even on a grey day.
Inside the Building
The curved architecture frames portraits almost by itself. The corridors have a texture and depth you simply cannot replicate in a modern building: painted walls, ornate ceilings, old wood. It makes documentary images feel properly historic, and I always leave Marylebone with photographs I am pleased with.
Getting There
The town hall is a short walk from Baker Street, and Marylebone and Edgware Road stations are close by too, which makes it one of the easiest venues in London for guests travelling in. Regent's Park is minutes away on foot.
The Spaces
Seven ceremony rooms, one building
Westminster Register Office runs seven ceremony rooms here, from a hundred guests down to eight. Whichever one you book, the bones of the building do the work.
The Westminster Room
Up to 100 seated
The largest and most popular room, and the best lit space I photograph in anywhere in London. Walnut panelling, elaborate plasterwork and tall windows down one side. On a clear morning the light in there is genuinely extraordinary.
The Mayfair Room
Up to 30 seated
Bright and airy with neutral walls. A good middle option if the Westminster Room is more space than you need but thirty of your favourite people are still coming.
The Knightsbridge Room
Up to 30 seated
A fireplace and a soft grey palette give this one a calmer, more domestic feel. It keeps the grandeur of the building without the scale of the main room.
The Pimlico Room
Up to 20 seated
Modern and bright, and one where the closeness of everybody in it comes through in the photographs. Some of my favourite images have come from rooms this size.
The Soho Room
Small and relaxed
Natural light and an easy, informal feel. Suited to a short ceremony with a handful of people rather than a full guest list.
The Marylebone Room
Up to 12 seated
An intimate wood panelled room for very small ceremonies. Very few guests, very little distance between anybody, and a lot of feeling in the frame.
The Paddington Room
Up to 8 guests
The smallest of them all, with comfortable sofas rather than rows of chairs. Built for elopements and for the two of you plus your witnesses.
The Steps & Facade
Outside
Not a room, but the space you will spend fifteen to twenty minutes in and the one most people remember. Columns, stone steps and confetti, with Marylebone Road behind you.
The Corridors & Staircase
In between
The connecting spaces are quietly the best part of the building for portraits: painted walls, ornate ceilings, old wood, and curved architecture that frames people without any help from me.
Documentary · Unposed · Honest
My approach at Marylebone
Marylebone rewards a photographer who already knows the building. The ceremony is short, the schedule is tight and the best moments arrive quickly. Knowing where to stand before they happen is most of the job.
Confetti on the Steps
The steps are the set piece. You get roughly fifteen to twenty minutes out there before the next wedding arrives, so I keep it moving. Confetti first, while everybody is together and full of it, then the group photographs from a short list we agree in advance, then a couple of quiet minutes with just the two of you. The steps face south west, so from late afternoon the light on them is lovely. Morning ceremonies get softer, more even light and a quieter street.
Working the Timings
Ceremonies run to about twenty minutes and there is another wedding before yours and another after it. That is worth knowing rather than worrying about. I would suggest arriving thirty minutes before your slot, which gives time for guests gathering outside and the two of you in the moments beforehand. Agree the groups in advance and the whole thing is comfortable. Leave it to chance and it becomes a scramble.
Where You Go Afterwards
Regent's Park is a few minutes away and gives you greenery and space for portraits. Marylebone Village has the kind of streets that photograph beautifully without needing to travel, and the Landmark Hotel is directly opposite for something grander. I have photographed couples who went on to Brunswick House, to private members clubs, to pubs around Marylebone High Street, and to receptions right across the city. The town hall works as the anchor of the day rather than the whole of it.
Marylebone Town Hall weddings
A selection from weddings photographed at Old Marylebone Town Hall over several years. Click any image to open it full size.
Full Galleries
Real weddings at Marylebone
Every wedding here is different. These are a few of the days I have photographed at Old Marylebone Town Hall, each with its own gallery.
Old Marylebone Town Hall & Barrafina
Helen & Benoit
Marylebone & The Italian Greyhound
Nick & Liz
Marylebone & Brunswick House
Lizzie & James
Marylebone Town Hall
Gemma & Andy
Marylebone is one of many London venues I work at regularly. There is more on how I cover weddings across the capital on my London wedding photography page, and if yours is a smaller celebration my micro wedding coverage may be the better fit.
What couples say
In their words
An absolutely fantastic wedding photographer. We hired Oliver to take the wedding photos on the day of our registry office wedding in London and they look incredible. He also did a pre shoot with us which was really useful. Definitely recommend!
Helen Oswell
Old Marylebone Town Hall, London
Oli surpassed all expectations for what I had for a wedding photographer and took all the stress out of the process. It was truly enjoyable to work together. Oli has a vibrant and easy going energy that brings the best atmosphere to your special day and his documentary style perfectly captures genuine moments without the worry of posing. Also, his commitment to the dancefloor was superb.
Lizzie Salmon
Marylebone Town Hall & Brunswick House, London
What a talent and professionalism! So glad he was part of our big day and took such amazing shots! Thank you again for everything! Absolute brilliant!
Majo Suarez Viacava
Old Marylebone Town Hall, London
Everything you need to know
Marylebone Town Hall, common questions
Old Marylebone Town Hall is Westminster Council House, 97-113 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5PT, a short walk from Baker Street station. The foundation stone was laid in 1914 and the building was officially opened in March 1920 by Prince Albert, the future George VI.
There are seven ceremony rooms. The Westminster Room is the main space and the best lit, seating up to 100 beneath walnut panelling and tall windows. The Mayfair and Knightsbridge rooms take up to 30, the Pimlico room up to 20, and the Soho, Marylebone and Paddington rooms are smaller again, down to eight guests for an elopement. Capacities are set by Westminster Register Office, so it is worth checking them when you book.
Ceremonies usually run to about twenty minutes, on a tight schedule with weddings before and after yours. Allow thirty minutes beforehand for arrivals, and expect roughly fifteen to twenty minutes on the steps afterwards for confetti and group photographs.
It depends entirely on what follows. If the town hall is the whole of the day, two to four hours is usually plenty. If you are going on to a reception elsewhere, most couples choose either half day or full day coverage.
Regent's Park is a few minutes away for greenery and space. Marylebone Village has streets that photograph beautifully with no travel involved, and the Landmark Hotel sits directly opposite for something grander.
Yes, many. It is one of the venues I know best in London, and I am familiar with the rooms, the light in each of them, and how the building's timings actually work on the day.
Let's talk about your wedding
Is your date available?
Get in touch to check availability, hear more about how I work and find out what is included. I would love to photograph your Marylebone wedding.