Skip to main content
Tag

Kate Middleton

wedding couple hug in Royal Suite at The Goring Hotel

Goring Hotel Wedding Photography in Belgravia and The Royal Suite

By London Wedding Photographer, Wedding VenuesOne Comment

We have photographed many lovely Goring Hotel weddings in London’s Belgravia, and this special day for Robyn and Ciaran was no exception. It has always been a pleasure to return to one of the most impeccably run and exclusive hotels in central London.

Bride waits in hallway at London Goring Hotel wedding

Bride and groom in the Goring Hotel gardens

The staff are fantastic from the front of house to the chefs in the kitchen, and we are not surprised that they are popular with discerning brides and grooms.

Groom and best man at Goring Hotel photo

Wedding ceremony photo at The Goring Hotel central London

This time round it was an added pleasure to be photographing too in the Royal Suite where the Duchess of Cambridge stayed before her wedding day to William at Westminster Abbey.

Wedding recessional photo from Goring Hotel wedding photographers

Created in 2011 the Royal Suite has to be one of the greatest hotel accommodation spaces in the whole of London, and we have seen a few! With two beautiful bedrooms, balcony, bathrooms grand piano and many royal and military artefacts, it is truly special and a wonderful place for the couple to have a drinks receptions later in the day.

Wedding couple pose in the Royal Suite at Goring Hotel wedding

After a lovely intimate ceremony in the downstairs garden and dining room, the wedding party enjoyed champagne and canapés in the Goring’s beautiful private gardens at the back of the hotel.

Laughing outside the Goring Hotel on their wedding day image

After a mixture of natural documentary photography of the proceedings and family shots we snuck the couple away for a short time to photograph them in the gardens and just outside the hotel.

Wedding couple pose outside The Goring Hotel

For another fifteen minutes before the inside drinks reception started in the Royal Suite, we photographed the newlyweds in this wonderful space soaking up the classic atmosphere and decor.

Goring Hotel Wedding Photographers couple in garden image

Later in the day the wedding party enjoyed dinner and speeches downstairs again in the garden rooms, and then danced the night away to a fantastic acoustic quartet.

Take a look at a couple of our other blog posts of wedding days at The Goring here:

Goring Hotel Wedding Photographer and

Another lovely wedding at the Goring Hotel in London’s Belgravia

By David Green

Wedding photo of couple in lobby of Goring Hotel London

Another lovely wedding at the Goring Hotel in London’s Belgravia

By London Wedding Photographer, Wedding VenuesOne Comment

We always look forward to a wedding at the Goring Hotel as we have photographed there many times, sometimes several times a year, and have always had a fantastic experience.

Wedding couple outside The Goring Hotel

Many people know this iconic hotel for the fact that the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton has long been an admirer, and in fact chose to spend the evening there before her Royal wedding to Prince William. We have documented weddings at the Goring before and after this famous event, but were sadly not available on the day!

Bride and groom by railings at London Goring Hotel

Take a quick look at google maps and you can see the description of the hotel says: “high-end hotel with royal warrant.” Every corner of The Goring exudes class, we have never seen such a well run and spotless yet cosy environment. The staff are super friendly and professional, and many have worked there a long time, and it shows in a good way.

Bride down the aisle at Goring Hotel wedding ceremony

Have a read of a previous wedding post here: Goring Hotel Wedding Photographer and here’s another when we tested a new camera from Fuji at the Hotel: Fuji X100 for your London wedding, and wedding? Yes at the Goring Hotel

wedding ceremony image from Goring Hotel ceremony

For this lovely day we were contacted by Hong Kong couple Yickyin and Leo who fell in love with the venue when they saw it. Both now live and work in London, and planned a very intimate ceremony and reception at the hotel which is perfectly suited to such an approach.

Laughter on the sofa downstairs at Goring Hotel wedding photo

As there would only be twelve or so people there, we decided that to be discreet but still get our Big Day Weddings style and approach the special day could be photographed by David alone.

Exchange of rings at Goring Hotel Chinese wedding

We got to know the couple at their engagement shoot with us on a very windy and overcast day at Alexandra Palace, blogged previously here: Engagement Shoot at London’s Alexandra Palace in Muswell Hill There is one of my favourite shots from that day immediately below.

Couple jump in front of London's Alexandra Palace image

Coverage started with the wedding couple arriving together in a customised Mini Cooper, very English. For the short time we had available before the ceremony we took the chance to take some couple shots around the hotel and just outside, with one eye on the impending rain clouds.

Looking at each other in Goring Hotel reception image

The wedding ceremony itself held downstairs in the hotel was intimate, emotional and moving, even for this veteran of ten years. Afterwards I captured some formal family shots the couple wanted, and then general reportage of the drinks and canapés time with some extra guests too who came for the wedding breakfast.

Kissing by the Christmas tree at Goring Hotel

After tossing her bouquet Yickyin sat down with Leo and some family speeches began and a few more tears were shed. Tears of joy I should add! All in all a lovely wedding with a great couple at one of favourite London venues.

Couple play in the garden of Goring Hotel

By David Green

wedding couple pose on the stairs at The Goring Hotel

We are often photographing in Belgravia, here’s another recent example of a big day in the same area: Caledonian Club Wedding in London’s Belgravia

exchange of rings image London

Be sure to check out our galleries on the website too, with many weddings showcased in and around greater London and the home counties.

wedding couple kiss in London Islington doorway

Another great Islington Town Hall Wedding, then on to Hoxley & Porter and The Albion

By London Wedding Photographer, Wedding Venues3 Comments

Sometimes but not always for a smaller and more intimate wedding just one of us will photograph the special day. Usually that’s myself, David, while Joanna has a day off! I really enjoyed working with and photographing the thirteen people involved in this great Islington Town Hall wedding.

Faded wedding photo at the entrance of Hoxley and Porter

Francesca and Stuart the bride and groom had communicated with me only via email, which happens occasionally, as we usually try and meet people face to face at some point before the big day. However it’s not always possible, and it’s certainly not a necessity.

Groomsmen chat on the steps of Islington town hall
Couple with balloons on Upper Street crossing at Islington Town Hall wedding

Photo of exchanging of wedding rings at Islington Town Hall

What that meant was the first photographs I would take would be the first time I had seen either of these good people. The minute I saw Stu walking towards the Town Hall with his groomsmen, with a broad grin on his face when I waved to him, I knew we would all get on well. It was the same feeling I had when I saw Francesca arrive in her London wedding taxi.

Bride and groom hold wedding balloons Londons Islington borough

Unusually for a wedding at Islington Town Hall we all had to access the building from an entrance on a side street. That day (it was a Tuesday) Kate Middleton the Princess of Cambridge was also visiting the building at the same time for a charity engagement. Although I tried to walk through the front entrance and question Kate on why she didn’t book us for the Royal wedding, security and MI5 agents were having non of it! We all imagined and hoped for a scenario where Kate would mistakenly walk through the wrong door into the wedding ceremony, then we could either politely chuck her out, or invite her for an impromptu snap with the couple.

Final kiss at Islington wedding ceremony

As this was a celebration for Francesca and Stu with closest friends and family, the wedding ceremony itself was held in the Lord Mayors Parlour, one of my favourite wood panelled rooms in Islington. It felt a privilege to document such a love filled and intimate ceremony. Afterwards everyone made sure the couple were absolutely showered in confetti, I know, I was picking it out of Stu’s hair hours later! By this time though, both Elvis and Kate Middleton had left the building…

image of wedding party throwing confetti atIslington Town Hall

We all walked together the short distance to their first reception venue the atmospheric Hoxley and Porter on Upper Street. Now as I remember this place used to be called the Grand Union Bar when I lived nearby, and with it’s bowed out front window it is a very recognisable part of Upper Street’s history.

Wedding_couple_holding_balloons_outside_Hoxley_and_Porter_in_Islington

It’s undergone a fantastic transformation for Hoxley and Porter into a kind of Orient Express look and ambience, very well done I must say, with fantastically friendly and attentive staff. While the wedding party enjoyed bubbly and nibbles I snuck away with Francesca and Stu for some couple shots around the immediate area of Upper Street.

Bride from Islington wedding at Hoxley and Porter

As you can see from some of these shots these guys really loved their balloons, which were also used to designate their special area in Hoxley and Porter. I risked life and limb, as I always do, to get a shot from the middle of the road of them crossing the street near the appropriately named Cross Street. I have quite a few plaster cast art pieces bought from a supplier who is sadly no longer there I noticed as I scanned around for familiar haunts. Not that I would go shopping in the middle of a wedding day!

Couple smile on stairs inside for Islington Town Hall wedding photographer

After Hoxley and Porter we all caught cabs to the nearby Albion on Thornhill Road, another gem in Islington from the Georgian era. As it was now dark the Albion was beautifully lit as a venue for their atmospheric second reception. The couple had their wedding cake on display and their evening wedding table ready for the feast and speeches to follow. All I saw was laughter, smiles, love and affection all day long from everyone there, and oh yes…balloons.

couple chat by tree and autumn leaves after their Islington wedding

I’ve put a couple of extra images at the end here for two reasons. The first, I love the fact in this particular image below that both bride and groom were both overcome with emotion at the same time, and they simultaneously reached for the hankies.

Bride and groom cry at Islington wedding ceremony

The second is for mirrorless camera lovers, as I decided to quickly experiment with a new toy the Fuji XT1 interchangeable lens camera. I put a prime lens on the 35mm 1.4 as this can literally see in the dark and gives a nice shallow depth of field at an aperture of 1.4. I brought two other main cameras – Canon’s, but it was nice to whip out the Fuji every now and then as it’s small, silent and therefore very discreet.

wedding couple hug and kiss at Islington town hall

newlyweds turn round for photo on Islington footpath

photo of Islington wedding bouquet on autumn leaves

Wedding lights and candles by mirror photo

You can read about another Islington wedding at the town hall just four days earlier here: Islington Town Hall Wedding Peasant Pub Clerkenwell Reception

And another from earlier in the year featured on our blog here: Islington Town Hall Wedding

To find out more about the Hoxley and Porter experience you can check out their website here: Hoxley & Porter

By David Green