Fitzrovia Chapel Wedding Photography

Fitzrovia Chapel Wedding Photography.

It isn’t hard to understand why I love to photograph weddings at Fitzrovia Chapel. The golden hues bounce around and there is abundant gothic charm. Although it is small it is perfectly formed and you can get some stunning portrait photographs on the altar and towards the rear of the chapel. Fitzrovia Chapel weddings are a joy to photograph.

Fitzrovia Chapel is a very beautiful and intimate place to have your wedding ceremony. Seating just a few more than 70 people, it is perfect if you want a small but traditional wedding.

This was my second visit to Fitzrovia Chapel to shoot a wedding and I cannot wait to go back. This secret wedding venue, nestled into the very heart of London, is like a glistening jewellery box.

Photographing the prep for a Fitzrovia Chapel wedding.

When you are getting married in a golden chapel like Fitzrovia, you need a suitably opulent hotel to get ready in. Enya chose L’Oscar; a hotel carved from a grade two listed, Baroque style former church. A perfect match! The golden tones at the hotel married beautifully with the golden mosaics at the chapel. I matched my photography style, opting for a Baroque lighting vibe where possible.

Photographing weddings at Fitzrovia Chapel

Weddings at Fitzrovia Chapel are really special to photograph but not so easy to find! The venue is located at Pearson’s square in London’s W1, nestled into a new development. This was unexpected to me on my first visit as it is in stark contrast to the interior of the church.

When you walk in to the golden chapel, you are immediately struck by its beauty. The decor is created through mosaic and marble tiles and everywhere you look there is another beautiful detail to photograph.

However, Fitzrovia Chapel wedding photography is not easy to execute, for various reasons. The main issue is the size and the amount of space you have at the front of the chapel. You have to decide whether you are going to commit to being visible at the front, or if you will hide on the balcony. I was able to photograph this wedding from the altar and also from the balcony, which looks down on the chapel.

How Should you photograph weddings at Fitzrovia Chapel?

As you can see in the photos, there isn’t much room for a photographer at Fitzrovia Chapel. In the lead up to the wedding we decided where it would be best for me to be positioned based on my clients’ vision of their photography. They wanted me on the altar with them for the ceremony. Therefore, we arranged that I would move to the back of the church during the reading. This worked perfectly as then we got images of both of them saying their vows, as well as the wide shot of them walking back down the aisle. I suppose the down side to this arrangement is that I was clearly there. This is one of the few venues where I predetermine where I will stand for the ceremony, for this very reason.

After the ceremony I used the balcony to get an arial group shot of the entire wedding party. Then, once the ceremony was finished, drinks were served at the back and I did some beautiful portraits of the couple back up on the altar, in between all the candles.

Entertainment at Fitzrovia Chapel weddings

Enya and Chris hired a string trio to play at their wedding, filling the chapel with a range of tunes. As everyone was leaving, they played a house music classic. Chris and Enya couldn’t help but stop for a little dance, which made for a fantastic set of images.

Traditional Double Decker London Bus

How else would you travel from your central London wedding? A red double decker is surely the only option. I love to get on board the buses as it makes for some excellent documentary wedding photography. There’s always some fun to be had on the bus. If you’re hiring a bus to take you between venues here is my advice.

Have plenty of drinks – you never know how the London traffic will be. These guys had Champagne and it was hilarious watching them trying to pour it.
Create a playlist of sing along favourites ready for that extra party vibe
Consider a stop off for a quick jump off and on portrait session…. Scroll down to see our stop at The London Eye!

L’Oscar: The wedding reception.

After the ceremony at Fitzrovia Chapel, Chris and Enya brought everyone to L’Oscar for the wedding reception. It was dusk when we arrived and the lighting was perfect. We leant into the business of the street and created portraits that felt very “London”. I love finding that special moment when the space works in between the madness of all the people.

The wedding reception room was nothing short of fabulous and was the perfect conclusion to this elegant wedding.

We finished the photography off with a private cake cutting back in their room. This was a cute moment that I have never photographed for anyone before. It made it feel a bit like an elopement, just for a little while.