Joanna & Kathryn's Same-Sex Wedding At Old Marylebone Town Hall
Joanna and Kathryn got married in the Knightsbridge Room at Old Marylebone Town Hall, then brought their guests south of the river for a reception at art'otel Battersea, with Battersea Power Station and the London skyline as the backdrop for the rest of the night.
This is a real wedding, not a styled shoot or a generic venue guide, and it's the kind of day I love sharing as part of my LGBTQ+ wedding photography work across London: what it actually looks like, room by room, moment by moment.
A Wedding At Old Marylebone Town Hall
Joanna and Kathryn booked a custom wedding package with me, so rather than a morning of getting ready coverage, we met at the town hall itself and started straight away with portraits. This kind of coverage suits a day like this well, and it's one I'd recommend to any couple planning a same-sex wedding in London who want a calm, well-paced day without a long list of coverage hours. There's less to manage, less waiting around, and far more room to actually feel the day as it happens.
Portraits Outside The Town Hall, Before The Ceremony
Before the ceremony, we took a short set of portraits on and around the famous front steps, while the building was still quiet and the morning light was soft. Photographing before the ceremony, rather than after, meant Joanna and Kathryn could enjoy those few private minutes together without a room full of guests waiting, and it took the pressure off the post-ceremony window later in the day.
Exchanging Vows In The Knightsbridge Room
The Knightsbridge Room at Old Marylebone Town Hall holds up to 30 guests and is known for its soft blue palette and dual-aspect windows, which fill the room with natural light. It's one of the gentler, more romantic ceremony spaces in the building, and it suited Joanna and Kathryn's same-sex wedding perfectly.
There's something particularly moving about photographing a moment like this. The formality of a register office wedding, the officiant, the legal wording, the quiet seriousness of it, sits alongside two people who are clearly, completely ready. Watching them say their vows, surrounded by the people who love them, in a room built for exactly that purpose, never stops being a privilege to document.
Portraits Inside The Town Hall
Straight after the ceremony, before the noise of confetti and congratulations took over, we found a few quiet minutes inside the building for portraits. Old Marylebone Town Hall's interiors, the panelling, the staircases, the light through the windows, give you a completely different feel to the steps outside, and it's a nice contrast to include in the gallery.
Confetti And Celebrations On The Famous Steps
From there, Joanna and Kathryn stepped back out onto Old Marylebone Town Hall's famous front steps, one of the most recognisable backdrops for a London wedding, for confetti. This is usually where the day shifts gear: quiet vows give way to noise, hugging, confetti and everyone trying to get a phone photo at once.
There's something about that moment on the steps, public, visible, entirely unselfconscious, that seems to land differently for every couple. For Joanna and Kathryn, it was pure joy. Their friends and family clearly felt it too, and the energy on the steps was loud in the best way.
Group Photographs
With confetti done, we moved through a short list of group photographs on the steps while everyone was already gathered. Keeping this list short and agreed in advance made a big difference. It meant we could get through the photos quickly and get back to the part of the day guests actually remember, which is being together.
Transfer To Battersea
With portraits and group photos done, the whole party made the journey south of the river to Art'otel Battersea for the reception, giving everyone a natural pause between the ceremony and the next part of the celebration.
An Art'otel Battersea Reception With Power Station Views
Art'otel Battersea was one of the standout parts of shooting this same-sex wedding. The hotel sits right alongside Battersea Power Station, and several of the reception spaces look straight out over the river and the London skyline.
As the light changed through the evening, the power station's chimneys and the city beyond made an incredible backdrop for candid reception photography, speeches, first dances, and quieter moments between guests. It's a genuinely striking venue for a wedding reception, and one I'd recommend to any couple looking for something with a modern, urban feel that still photographs beautifully after dark.
Why Old Marylebone Town Hall Works So Well For A Same-Sex Wedding
A few things about the building keep coming up when couples ask why they chose it:
As a working register office, it's simply where you legally marry, with the same process for every couple.
The range of ceremony rooms, from the intimate Paddington Room for 8 guests up to the Westminster Room for 100, means it works for a tiny wedding or a bigger celebration.
Its central London location makes it easy for guests to reach, and easy to pair with a reception venue elsewhere in the city, exactly as Joanna and Kathryn did with art'otel Battersea.
It photographs beautifully, both inside the ceremony rooms and on the famous steps outside.
Frequently Asked Questions About Same-Sex Weddings At Old Marylebone Town Hall
Does Old Marylebone Town Hall perform same-sex marriages?
Yes. As a Westminster register office, Old Marylebone Town Hall conducts legal marriages and civil partnerships for same-sex couples in exactly the same way as for opposite-sex couples.
Which ceremony room is best for a small wedding?
Smaller rooms like the Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Pimlico, Soho, Marylebone and Paddington Rooms all suit intimate weddings well. The Knightsbridge Room, where Joanna and Kathryn married, holds up to 30 guests and has a soft, romantic feel thanks to its blue palette and natural light.
Is Art'otel Battersea a good wedding reception venue?
Yes. Its position next to Battersea Power Station gives it striking views over the river and the London skyline, which makes for a distinctive, modern backdrop for both daytime and evening reception photography.
How much photography coverage do I need for a town hall wedding plus a separate reception venue?
Joanna and Kathryn's day, portraits, ceremony, confetti, group photos and a transfer to a separate reception venue, was covered comfortably within a custom booking. If your day includes more time with guests afterwards, or a longer reception, half-day or full-day coverage may give the timeline more breathing room.
What if we feel awkward in front of the camera or don't know how to pose?
Most couples feel a bit self-conscious at first, and that's completely normal. I keep direction light and give small, simple prompts rather than formal poses, walk together, talk to each other, hold on to each other, that kind of thing, so the photographs stay natural rather than stiff. Starting portraits before the ceremony, as we did with Joanna and Kathryn, also helps, since there's time to relax into it before anyone else is around.
Planning Your Own Same-Sex Wedding At Old Marylebone Town Hall
If you're planning a same-sex wedding at Old Marylebone Town Hall, or anywhere else in London, and want photography that captures the day as it actually happens rather than a stiff, staged version of it, I'd love to hear about your plans. As a same-sex wedding photographer based in London, I always start with a conversation about what matters to you as a couple, not a fixed template.
You can also browse more real weddings or read about micro-wedding photography if you're still deciding what kind of coverage suits your day.
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