A London City Wedding is always a treat to photograph and as a Kent-based wedding photographer, I’ve shot my fair share of London weddings In the past, and each has been as magical as the other. It’s an amazing city with something seriously special about it that’s true of nowhere else – and with that, inevitably, there comes some extra London-specific things to think about when you’re planning your wedding, too.

Availability for your London City Wedding

Most venues in London aren’t wedding-specific, so their busy season won’t just be limited to the wedding world’s most popular season of summer. With corporate dos and launch events taking place in all sorts of venues across the city all through the year, city centre venues are typically higher in demand than venues outside of the city may be. Also, be wary of Christmas parties (and not for the obvious reasons…). A lot of people living in London means a lot of Christmas parties to be hosted – it’s simple maths – and they start earlier than you think. If you’re looking at having a December wedding, be aware that a couple of extra months of planning could make all the difference.

Traffic at your London City Wedding

London’s not exactly short of iconic transport options perfect for pictures, like red Routemaster busses and black cabs, but don’t forget to think about when you’re going to get from A to B as well as how. Traffic can be heavy in London on a good day in, so allow plenty of time for your people to get to the party. Think about how the photographer (that’ll be me!) will travel, too – for example, if you want photos of you arriving at your venue a gorgeous vintage vehicle, think twice about putting them on the bus with all the guests, just in case it arrives later.

Parking

Really ticking off a glamorous list here, aren’t we? It’s not the shiniest of topics, but it is a really important one for a London wedding – parking. Parking is few and far between at a lot of venues, especially central ones, so it may be worth giving your guests a little map with the nearest car parks highlighted, if they’re planning on driving.

Group photos

As a documentary wedding photographer, I mostly take candid photos of the day as it happens naturally, but I do always advise my couples to have at least a few group photos (read more about why here). These can prove trickier to plan in city centre locations, as they tend not to have the kind of space required to fit all your dearly beloved in one frame. Make sure your venue has all the room you need for all the people you’ve got before booking.

Crowds

Now, I don’t think this is something to be wary of – rather, I think it’s something to totally embrace. London’s busyness is an integral part of its charm, but It does also mean that portraits may take a little more work. This is all part of the beauty of it though, capturing the real moments as they unfold – you’ll be surprised at how many of your fave wedding photos may just include a random person who happened to be at your perfect moment, at the perfect time. Don’t worry, we’ll totally get some of you genuinely on your own as well – it’s just something to bear in mind if you have visions of romantic strolls down backstreets with no one else around. (Even in the backstreets, that’s a rarity).

If you’re planning a London City Wedding, it’s easy to get lost in it all, but remember – enjoy yourselves. London is vibrant and hectic and steeped in history, so remember to soak it all up on the day and live every moment – I’ll be there to capture it, every step of the way.