Small Mayfair Library wedding – Sandhini + William

The small Mayfair Library wedding of Sandhini and William had just their closest friends and family, as they were planning bigger celebrations later in the year.

William arrived in a very smart suit and Sandhini was her colourful self for their Marylebone Room civil ceremony.

Marylebone Room at Westminster Library - where civil marriages take place while the Old Marylebone Town Hall is being refurbished.
The groom arrives on the steps of Mayfair Library ready for his small civil ceremony in the Marylebone Room.

Friends and family had a good catch up while Sandhini and William checked their details with registrars.

Guests chat on the steps outside the Marylebone Room before a small wedding at Mayfair Library.
Guests chat in the Marylebone Room before a small civil wedding ceremony.
Wedidng guests chat in the Marylebone Room before a small wedding at Mayfair Library.
Wedidng guests chat in the Marylebone Room before a small Mayfair Library wedding.

One of the guests had a fabulous illustrated book of The Owl and the Pussycat for her reading during Sandhini and William’s ceremony.

The Owl and the Pussycat reading with an owl illustration - before a wedding in Marylebone Room, Mayfair Library - home of Westminster weddings.

William gave his godchild a pat on the head as he and Sandhini walked down the aisle towards the registrar.

The bride and groom enter the Marylebone Room for their civil marriage ceremony with Westminster Registrars.
Bride and groom say their marriage vows in the Marylebone Room with Westminster registrars.
Bride and groom say their marriage vows in the Marylebone Room with Westminster registrars.

Family and friends watch Sandhini and William take their vows.

Family and friends watch the bride and groom say their vows in the Marylebone Room at Mayfair Library, Westminster.
A small child watches a bride and groom getting married in the Marylebone Room, Mayfair.
The bride's brother watches her marry in a ceremony at Mayfair Library - home of Westminster registrars.
A bride and groom are all smiles as they exchange rings in their civil wedding ceremony at Mayfair Library.
A bride and groom are all smiles as they exchange rings in their civil wedding ceremony at Mayfair Library.
A bride and groom kiss after being pronounced man and wife in the Marylebone Room, Mayfair Library.
A bride and groom after they kiss while the Westminster registrar applauds their change in status.
Wedding witnesses sign the register as a Westminster registrar, family and the bride and groom look on in Mayfair Library: photographer Rebecca Portsmouth
A Westminster registrar hands over the wedding certificate to the bride and groom in the Marylebone Room, Mayfair Library. Photographer: Rebecca Portsmouth
The end of a civil marriage ceremony in the Marylebone Room, Mayfair Library. Photographer: Rebecca Portsmouth

London vow renewal: Emma + Chris

Emma and Christopher chose Mayfair Library for their London vow renewal, six years to the day after their wedding. This time, they had family with them who were not able to attend their original ceremony.

As their ceremony was at the end of a London winter day, they chose to start their photography early for some couple portraits in Mount Street Gardens and family photographs before their ceremony. Isn’t Emma’s navy gown gorgeous!

Emma and Chris have portraits at Mount Street Gardens before their London vow renewal at Westminster's Mayfair Library. Emma and Chris have their wedding portraits taken in Mount Street Gardens before their London vow renewal in the adjacent Mayfair Library. A bride and groom walk through Mount Street Gardens for bridal portraits before their vow renewal in the Marylebone Room, Mayfair Library. A bride wears a full-length navy lace gown for her vow renewal in bridal portraits in London's Mount Street Gardens.
The bride and groom joke with the registrar and a guest before their vow renewal at Mayfair Library.
There were some initial checking of details with the registrar.
The bride jokes with a guest who is playing the music at her vow renewal ceremony at Mayfair Library.
Some of the younger guests were impatient for Emma and Chris’ vow renewal to start.
Young wedding guests wait in the Marylebone Room in Mayfair Library. A vow renewal at Mayfair Library A young guest does a reading during a London vow renewal at Westminster's Mayfair Library. A bride and groom exchange rings in a vow renewal at Mayfair Library, in South Audley Street, London. The bride and groom exchange rings in their London vow renewal. The bride and groom exchange rings in their London vow renewal. Married!  In Westminster Registry Office's Mayfair Library. A witness signs the certificate of vow renewal at Mayfair Library, London.

 

Marylebone Room wedding | Tas + Ravi

The Marylebone Room wedding of Tas and Ravi in Mayfair Library was on one of January’s cold but stunningly beautiful winter days, allowing us lovely portraits in the adjacent Mount Street Gardens.

Tas and Ravi’s wedding ceremony was with their closest family and friends. Tas wore a beautiful red sari and carried a bouquet of red roses and gypsophila or baby’s breath and Ravi had a red rose buttonhole on his blue wedding suit.

London bride and groom Tas and Ravi check civil wedding ceremony details with a Westminster registrar in the Elizabeth Barrett waiting room.

 

 

A red rose and gypsophila wedding bouquet + red wedding sari at the Marylebone Room wedding of Tas + Ravi. Ravi and Tas walked into Mayfair Library’s Marylebone Room together to meet their family and friends.  Ravi’s mother held a box with their two wedding rings for safekeeping, bringing it forward at just the right moment in the ceremony. The groom's mother holds a box with the two wedding rings inside during Tas + Ravi's civil marriage ceremony in the Marylebone Room, London.

 

 

Bride Tas and groom Ravi are all smiles at their Marylebone Room  wedding officiated by Westminster registrar Patricia Gordon. The bride and groom exchange rings during their Mayfair Library wedding ceremony. The groom's mother had the wedding rings safe until the appropriate moment.   Will the groom's wedding ring go on his finger at this Mayfair Library wedding of Tas and Ravi? A close-up photograph of the bride and groom's hands during their Mayfair Library wedding ceremony in Westminster. Bride and groom Tas and Ravi laugh during their Mayfair Library wedding ceremony when Tas has problems getting Ravi's ring on his finger.

See – married! Tas and Ravi show off their shiny new wedding rings and their witnesses sign the register while other family members congratulate them on their marriage.

Witnesses sign the register while guests congratulate the newlyweds at Tas + Ravi's Mayfair Library wedding ceremony in Mayfair, London, W1. The bride and groom sign the register in front of their friends and family at their Mayfair Library wedding ceremony in Mayfair, central London.

 

 

Tas and Ravi walk down the period staircase at Mayfair Library while their guests are outside with confetti.The bride and groom descend the period wooden stairs at Mayfair Library in South Audley Street, ready to be covered in confetti by their guests. Family and friends cover the bride and groom in confetti on the steps of Mayfair Library in South Audley Street after their wedding ceremony. Bride and groom wedding portraits in Mount Street Gardens - Mayfair, London, after their wedding at Mayfair Library. Wedding couple  portraits in Mount Street Gardens after the Mayfair Library wedding of Tas + Ravi next door. The wedding photographs of Tas + Ravi after their Mayfair Library civil wedding ceremony in the adjacent Mount Street Gardens, Mayfair. The Mount Street Gardens wedding photographs of Tas + Ravi after their Mayfair Library civil wedding ceremony. Newlyweds Tas + Ravi stroll through Mount Street Gardens for some wedding photographs after their civil ceremony at Mayfair Library next door. The reflection of a bride and groom as they stroll through Mayfair's Mount Street to their wedding breakfast nearby. Newly-wedded bride and groom Tas + Ravi stroll through Mount Street and Berkeley Square in London's Mayfair on the way to their wedding breakfast. Bride and groom Tas + Ravi kiss in London's Berkeley Square, W1, after their Mayfair Library wedding ceremony, Westminster.

 

Tas + Ravi walk several blocks to Atul Kocchar’s Michelin starred restaurant Benares for their wedding breakfast. They had a portrait next to the water feature they love before I left them to celebrate with their guests.A bride and groom sit next to the water feature in Benares before their wedding breakfast.

Roosevelt Room wedding reception | Emine + Richard

Emine and Richard’s wedding at Westminster Register Office and the Roosevelt Room wedding reception at Brown’s Hotel was a beautiful and classic day.  Emine chose a tea rose dress with gold shoes, a ribbon headband and roses from Scarlet and Violet.

Scarlet and Violet wedding bouquet - London florist Waiting in the corridors of power - Westminster Register Office's at Old Marylebone Town HallBride Emine and groom Richard walk into their civil wedding ceremony at Westminster's Yellow Room - 2013 A Scarlet and Violet rose wedding bouquet and glitter gold wedding shoes

Richard may have been more nervous than a typical groom; this was the first wedding he had ever attended.Bride and groom at start of ceremonyEmine's best woman taking her bouquet during her civil wedding ceremony. Emine and Richard during their wedding ceremony.Westminster Register Office Yellow Room civil wedding ceremony

Married!  Now, time for photos, lots of photos!

Signing the register at Civil Ceremony - Westminster Family paparazzi at wedding - signing of the register

Some family congratulations and then confetti.

Wedding confetti on steps of Old Marylebone Town Hall, Westminster

Emine and Richard headed in a London black cab to Brown’s Hotel, giving them time to look at their shiny wedding rings.

Newlyweds in back of London black cab on way to Brown's Hotel, Mayfair

Friends were waiting to congratulate them outside Brown’s.

Guests wait to congratulate bride and groom outside Brown's Hotel, Mayfair, London

Emine and Richard’s wedding reception was in one of Brown’s private dining rooms – the mirrored and classic Roosevelt Room, named after former American President Theodore Roosevelt, who first stayed at Brown’s for his marriage to Edith Carow. Brown's Hotel Roosevelt Room wedding reception  signs - London Mayfair hotel

Emine had arranged iced biscuits by Biscuiteers as her wedding favours. Wedding favour biscuits by Biscuiteers

And flowers by Scarlet and Violet decorated the table and mantlepiece.
Wedding breakfast and cake with pink tea roses - London hotel private dining roomPink tea rose wedding arrangements with eucalyptus by London wedding florists Scarlet and Violet Scarlet and Violet wedding flowers at Brown's Hotel private dining roomScarlet and Violet wedding flowers at Roosevelt Room in Brown's Hotel

We took some portraits of Richard and his mates … and Emine and her mother.Groom, best man and mates - a portrait at the Roosevelt Room wedding breakfast at  Brown's Hotel

Bride and her mother portraits in the Roosevelt Room

Guests were having a rather lovely time with champagne before they sat for the wedding breakfast. Brown's Hotel wedding drinks reception - the Roosevelt private dining room
Bride, groom and guests at wedding breakfast at Brown's Hotel Roosevelt RoomWedding breakfast reflected in mirrored walls of the Roosevelt Room at Browns Hotel

 

 

 

 

 

Duke of Wellington wedding | Anita and Christian

The London register office wedding of Anita and Christian at Westminster’s Yellow Room and  Duke of Wellington‘s private room was a relaxed event.  They arrived at Old Marylebone Town Hall together in a London black cab giggling and kissing.
London black cab arrival for bride and groom at their wedding at Old Marylebone Town HallAnita and Christian love the Old Marylebone Town Hall and wanted their wedding photographs to reflect this. I photographed the architecture as they were checking their details with the registrar.

Old Marylebone Town Hall interior details at a civil wedding ceremony

Their ceremony started with Christian having to list Anita’s many Christian names. He got them right!

Yellow room civil ceremony - Old Marylebone Town Hall in Westminster, London

Their families were beaming at this point. London civil wedding ceremony in Westminster - family and guests

Who has the rings? Is that a Vulcan salute?

Who has the rings? I do!

I now declare you husband and wife!  Have you ever seen a bride look as pleased as this?I now declare you husband and wife Happy chats after Anita and Christian’s London register office wedding in the Yellow Room. London register office wedding ceremony in Westminster's Yellow RoomBride and groom after their London register office wedding at Old Marylebone Town Hall

We walked to the Duke of Wellington a couple of blocks away.

Walking to Marylebone's Duke of Wedding after their Westminster wedding civil ceremony.

Anita and Christian posed for some portraits on the way. I love the way London’s architecture changes so much in such a short distance, while walking to their Duke of Wellington wedding reception.

Guests drank Pimms and beer.

Summer Pimms making for wedding breakfast at the Duke of Wellington, MaryleboneAnita and Christian’s rings with a tulip from Anita’s bouquet. Wedding ring photographs - with flowerVintage handkerchiefs, tiny clothes pegs and photos decorated Anita and Christian’s wedding breakfast table. Vintage handkerchief - wedding favours at London civil wedding ceremony

The Duke of Wellington’s private room, overlooking St Mary’s Church: after everyone had sat down, I left them to settle in for the wedding breakfast. Congratulations Anita and Christian! Duke of Wellington wedding reception in a  private room. The Duke of Wellington is in Marylebone's Crawford Street

Westminster Register Office wedding | Karen + Matthew

I want to share the Westminster Register Office wedding of Karen, Matt and their two sons at Old Marylebone Town Hall. They travelled from Norfolk to have their ceremony and celebrate with afternoon tea and all looked fabulous.  The guys had their best cufflinks on and they brought a toy owl called George with them from Karen’s work, which travels to different occasions – apparently this was George’s first wedding.
While Karen was with the registrars, the small guys figured out where they were going to sit and checked they had the rings. They were so excited to be handing over the rings and seeing their mother in such a beautiful dress.

Ring bearers wait in the Yellow Room for a Westminster Register Office wedding of their parents.Westminster Register Office's yellow room decorated with a Christmas tree.Karen the bride waits outside Westminster Register Office's yellow room with the registrar.The start of Karen and Matthew's wedding at Westminster Register office's Yellow Room.The Westminster Register Office wedding of Karen and Matthew starts.Karen and Matthew's sons hold the rings waiting for the right moment in the wedding ceremony.

There was a first with Karen and Matt’s wedding – a high five – first with each other and then with the boys.Bride and groom high five each other at Westminster Register office wedding.

While Karen, Matth and their witnesses were signing the register the boys had an important job to do – last-minute checks on a reading of The Owl and the Pussycat.Wedding ceremony reading - The Own and the PussycatKaren and Matthew sign the wedding register in Westminster's Yellow Room.Bride and groom's sons read The Own and the Pussycat during the wedding ceremony.Two small boys read The Owl and the Pussycat during their parents' wedding ceremony.Karen and Matthew congratulate their sons on their reading of The Own and the Pussycat.

Karen, Matthew and their family leave Westminster Register Office.

Don’t you love youthful enthusiasm!

Karen, Matthew and their sons leave Old Marylebone Town Hall where they were married.


Bride and groom Karen and Matthew on the famous steps of Old Marylebone Town Hall, Westminster, London.Wedding portraits outside Old Marlebone Town Hall after a civil marriage ceremony.

The family then headed off for afternoon tea to celebrate.

Karen, Matthew and their family leave Westminster Register Office wedding ceremony  in a London black cab.

A London black cab (taxi) leaves Westminster Register Office.

Karen and Matt let me know when they had seen their photographs: “They’re stunning and really capture the fun and informality.  The boys look gorgeous and again you have captured their characters”. It was a huge pleasure to be part of such a happy day.