Was this the coolest ever Chelsea Old Town Hall wedding?!

This is truly the COOLEST London Micro Wedding…. Let’s play a little game, shall we? Let’s plan the most stylish, most quintessentially ‘London’ wedding ever. To start with, we’d need an insanely stylish bride. Then we’d go for an adventure to all the best photo spots in London. And to finish, we’d have a massive party in a cool little pub where everyone just goes crazy. But where would we have the ceremony? What’s the most iconic London wedding venue? Well there’s no competition. It’s got to be a Chelsea Old Town Hall wedding. 

Because Chelsea Old Town Hall isn’t just a wedding venue. It’s a piece of cult history. You’re treading the same aisle as Judy Garland. Saying your vows in the same room as Bobby Moore. And being showered with confetti on the same steps as Marc Bolan. And as soon as you step outside, you’re smack bang in the middle of the swankiest, trendiest part of London.

So when you decide to have a Chelsea Old Town Hall wedding, you know it ain’t gonna be a normal day. And Ainsley and Garth’s intimate wedding was definitely not a normal day. 
It was as though I’d made a magic wish to photograph the most epic, stylish, quintessentially London wedding ever. In fact, I’d go so far to say it was one of my favourite weddings of all time.

How to dress the part for a Chelsea Old Town Hall wedding.

Ainsley and Garth got ready together in their house in Vauxhall. And I love that this whole ‘getting ready separately’ thing has been kicked to the curb since Covid. Because it’s such an amazing experience to share together. And the perfect way to start your wedding day.

Now if you’re going to get married at Chelsea Town Hall, you need to bring your fashion ‘A Game’. And man, these guys came to play! And I’m not just talking about Garth’s flamingo socks.

Ainsley totally rocked that 70’s retro look. The white zip-up mini dress with a plunging back and shoulder pads was a total vibe. Combine that with the pillbox hat and veil her mum wore back in the 70’s, bold red lip and gold mesh ankle boots and you’ve got one seriously cool bride. She was ready for the COOLEST London micro wedding to date.

London wedding photography before the wedding.

After they’d finished getting ready, we took an Uber to Albert Bridge for some couple’s shots. Albert Bridge was in one of Garth’s favourite movies, Sliding Doors. So it was a great place to start our first little photo tour before the ceremony. After the bridge, we passed by the iconic pink LOVE door on Oakley Street. We also made a little pilgrimage to Bob Marley’s house! 

Unfortunately, both their families were stuck back in Australia (Covid strikes again). So we headed to a church where they Facetimed Ainsley’s parents before doing family photos with frames of their family. 

Then after a few beers with friends in The Sydney Arms in Chelsea, we strolled over to Chelsea Town Hall. Getting ready together, a few photos, a few beers…can you imagine a more chilled-out, relaxed way to start your wedding day?!

The money shot of Chelsea Old Town Hall wedding photography.

The ceremony rooms in Chelsea Old Town Hall have been recently renovated. They’re contemporary, intimate and quiet. 

And the ceremony itself was heart-meltingly romantic. Because beneath Garth and Ainsley’s effortlessly cool exterior were two people very much in love with each other. They’d written their own vows as well, which made the whole ceremony that much more special. 

And then came the money shot. That iconic, epic, famous confetti shot on the steps of Chelsea Old Town Hall. There’s not really much I can say that the photos can’t. So I’m just gonna leave these here for you.

London wedding photography photo tour.

As a London wedding photographer, there are few things I love to hear more than “let’s go for a two hour photo tour around London!” My heart starts beating faster and my mind reels with the possibilities! So when Ainsley and Garth told me they were going to ditch their friends for a couple of hours and take me for a tour around the city, I was like a kid in a candy store. 

To top off the COOLEST London Micro Wedding I’ve ever done we started off on foot in Chelsea, visiting the two pink doors at Turner Studios in Chelsea. And when you’ve got a bride in a retro dress, you’ve got to visit Chelsea fire station, right? Those huge red, white and black doors give off some serious retro diner vibes! Such a cool backdrop for photos. 

Now honestly, Chelsea is such an eclectic, stylish area we could’ve quite easily spent two hours walking around there taking photos. But we hit that city hard. We made London our bitch.

Garth hailed a cab and we went to the neon graffiti glow of the Leake Street Arches in Victoria. We then stopped for a coffee and a brownie (and for Garth to put plasters on his feet!) before heading over to join the party.

Sunset shots at Southwark Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral.

The reception at The Great Guns Social started off a pretty relaxed affair. We had a few BeaverTown beers and one of their friends jumped up and played guitar. The sun was shining, the beer was cold and the food was awesome.

After a few hours, the sun had begun to set so we jumped in a taxi over to the peppermint and gold Southwark Bridge. I told you we made London our bitch, didn’t I?! 

From there we strolled across the river to get some sunset shots on Millenium Bridge. They walked hand-in-hand through the buzzing city streets, in the shadow of the famous dome of St Paul’s Cathedral as it climbed into the dusky silver sky. 

We then made our way back to the reception at The Great Guns Social. And while we’d been gone, what had started off chilled-out and relaxed had gradually progressed into awesome drunken madness. Music was in full swing, the doughnut tower had been pretty much destroyed and an epic party was in the making. I mean shit really kicked off. BEST. WEDDING. EVER…So do you think this is the COOLEST London Micro Wedding ever?

Looking for a Chelsea Old Town Hall wedding photographer?

I love couples like Ainsley and Garth. Totally up for anything, effortlessly cool, super stylish and just so easy to be around. It was like spending the day with two old friends. And they were absolutely in it for the photos! 

But most importantly, they treated their wedding day like a proper adventure. They wanted to experience everything, go everywhere. And drain every last drop of fun out of their day. And I was so fucking happy I got to be there to capture it for them! 

So do you agree? Is this the COOLEST London Micro Wedding?
If you love my work and want me to capture your day, I’d love to hear from you. Get in touch today and let’s chat.

Suppliers –

MUA – @weddingdaymua
Ceremony – @marrymeinchelsea
Reception – @greatgunssocial
Music – @chrismossopacoustic 
Dress – @netaporter
Door – @pinklovedoor