St. Giles’ of Cripplegate and Ironmongers Hall Wedding Photography

Including beautiful portraits around The Barbican

You never really know who you will meet – when or where or under what circumstances. When Catherine and James met, the distance seemed, well, challenging. If there is one thing I have learned about people and love – if the love is strong enough, no amount of distance can pull them apart.

The Proposal

Catherine and James were set up by mutual friends of theirs at a wedding. James was a groomsman and the newly married bride was insistent that Catherine meet him. The two clicked and by the time James was boarding the plane back to London the following day, they had decided to give love a shot. A week later Catherine was on a flight to London and stayed six weeks. This was the start to a beautiful albeit long-distance relationship. Within a year they had met each other’s families and chatted about their future together.

At the end of a month long stay in London, James took Catherine out for a long walk in Hyde Park. He seemed insistent that they not return to the hotel to retrieve Catherine’s coat and instead steered her into Hotel 41 a superbly romantic hotel tucked away on an upper floor in London. James who had been journaling for months on marriage, read to Catherine what he had wrote and proposed. It was a very sweet moment as they both have a love of stories and writing and it was touching for Catherine to hear his words and thoughts. They passed the rest of the day tucked away in that hotel eating food from all the places they had travelled, sipping wine and dreaming about the future.

The Ceremony

The ceremony was held at the church of St. Giles’ of Cripplegate located within the Barbican. Both families are steeped in religious tradition and it was the couple’s desire to respect that tradition. They decided on Anglican vows to honour Catherines family and focused the ceremony on music – her brother on piano for the processional along with a wonderful rendition of Ave Maria and May the Lord Bless You and Keep You. They chose a lovely poem to read, The Life That I Have and were lucky enough to have Catherine’s childhood minister and family friend attend the wedding to give the homily. Catherine looked stunning in her beautiful gold, cream and cap sleeved dress as both of her parents walked her down the aisle, which was a lovely touch.

Ironmongers Hall

When planning the reception, they agreed on Ironmongers Hall  – a very traditional English venue with rich dark woods and lit by glowing candles. They both wanted a relaxed wedding and show their American guests the “English English” style in London and ensure that their British counterparts felt at home as well. The florals were simply stunning! The bouquets were large and had a vintage colour scheme of creams, dusty blues with deep hints of red. Tall pieces adorned the church and trailing ivy at Ironmongers. The rooms are stunning at Ironmongers – rich with history and right in the heart of the city, yet tucked away as if a hidden sanctuary. James’ love of storytelling led them to decide on hand written notes to their guests in lieu of favours.

Some of the most memorable moments from the day were the portraits the couple took before the ceremony. This time was precious for both Catherine and James because they were able to relax and enjoy each other before all the chaos commenced! Seeing their family and friends so happy for them, the ceremony music and having all they loved in one place was so surreal and very special. All those swing dancing lessons paid off well into the evening as the couple moved and grooved with family and friends alike.

What would this lovely couple give as advice to others when planning one of the most memorable days of your life? Pick people and vendors you trust, stick to the plan and don’t get hung up on the details, and above all, do what matters most to you.

Wedding Dress – Anthropologie BHLDN / Florist – Green Florist /

Ironmongers Hall wedding photography, please head over to my contact page to find out more about photography at this gorgeous venue.