I promised myself that I wouldn’t take any September bookings this year. With my own wedding just around the corner, I was meant to be slowing down, catching up, and getting prepped for my big day. But… when Kessiah & Chris reached out about being the photographer for their London wedding spanning across The Ned, Old Marylebone Town Hall AND The Hackney, I instantly knew I had to say yes.
I’d met them a year before at his sister’s wedding and remembered clearly how amazing they – and their entire family – were, both to photograph and just generally be around. Some couples you just can’t say no to, and these two were absolutely that!
And when I look at the results from the most perfect day they had, I am SO GLAD I agreed to be their London wedding photographer. Just have a little scroll and you’ll see what I mean…
Bridal & groomsmen prep at The Ned: starting the day in style
The day began at The Ned Hotel in City of London, where both the groomsmen and the bridal party were getting ready. To be honest, it’s been a bit of a dream for me to photograph wedding prep there – a spot so famous for its history, beautiful light, stylish interiors, and a buzz that feels very “London wedding chic.”
The boys immediately cracked into their cocktail stash and filled up their new personalised hipflasks as they flicked through the stag do photo album Chris by his groomsmen. Once they worked out how to get their bow ties looking right, we headed to the lobby of The Ned for some groomsmen photos – I tried out something new with a more narrow direct flash for impact during the groom’s portraits, and love how the photos came out!
London roadblocks & a bride on a mission
Meanwhile, our beautiful bride was busy upstairs putting the finishing touches to her wedding day look. She answered her pearls-or-no-pearls debate just in-time for the first look with her dad, and then hurried downstairs to meet the Big Red Vintage London Bus they’d hired for the afternoon and get to the ceremony at the Old Marylebone Town Hall on-time.
We waited outside The Ned for an age, before getting the call that the wedding bus couldn’t access the street due to road closures for works and an upcoming protest (thanks, Tony…). This meant one thing: the bride had to walk (at one hell of a pace in heels, might I add) across central London to get to her wedding transport. And she did it with absolute determination, veil and all, weaving through surprised crowds until we finally managed to locate the bus.
What could have been a disaster turned into one of my favourite, most quintessentially-London moments of the day: the determination, the urgency, the hustle & bustle of the city on a Friday. And somehow… we made it to the ceremony just in time.
A warm ceremony at the Old Marylebone Town Hall
The Old Marylebone Town Hall is iconic for good reason. Kess & Chris officially tied the knot in the warm, wood-panelled Westminster Room, surrounded by around 70 of their closest family & friends. I adore this room for the deep reds it brings to my photography.
After the ceremony, their videographer Libby and I took the newly-weds to explore some of the hall’s beautiful corridors and famous staircases for couple portraits, before heading outside to the famous scalloped stonework for more photographs and a joyful confetti moment on the steps.
The excitement was building to get on the big red London wedding bus, especially as hand-made party bags were given out…
Cocktails on-the-move to The Hackney
Once everyone boarded the bus, MOTH cocktails were on-tap (a genius move), and we made our way to the reception venue, The Hackney in East London (surprisingly, not actually located in Hackney).
Spirits were high, and Kessiah & Chris were even more genius by getting a lot of their reception receiving line done whilst on the bus. This meant that once they got to The Hackney for their reception, the catch-up small talk was done and they could get straight into having fun with their guests.
Bride & Groom portraits around The Hackney wedding venue
Doing their meet’n’greets on the vintage London bus also meant that Kess & Chris had more time to dedicate to photos, so when the bus arrived at the wedding venue and the guests got into the bubbly, we stole the bride & groom away for more couple portraits around The Hackney’s area, in Cambridge Heath.
One of the highlights was an impromptu shoot at Love Shack. Seeing us taking photos under his signage, the owner came out to congratulate the couple and (just as I thought we were getting told off) then ushered us into his restaurant to let us use a secret room behind a bookcase (yep, I know, ‘stranger danger’...) filled with vintage treasures, fairy lights, and eclectic charm. We got K&C to practice their first dance, and honestly, it was magical, intimate, creative; no notes.
Wedding reception at The Hackney: modern-rustic, and full of little touches
By the time we arrived back at The Hackney, the reception was already in full swing. It doesn’t take much looking at these photos to know why this is one of my favourite London venues as a wedding photographer. The space was dressed beautifully with florals, and the green and gold of the wedding breakfast tablescape was a perfect match for the venue’s leafy, textural interiors. Every guest found a personalised, hand-made flower-pressed bookmark waiting at their place setting – including Libby and I! (Thanks guys, I use it every day!)
And as always, the food at The Hackney did not disappoint. This wedding venue never misses.
Speeches were a-plenty but there was never a dull moment. In a slightly unconventional speakerlist, we heard from the father of the bride, mother of the bride, father of the groom, the groom, the groomsmen, and the bride. Laughter, tears, and stories filled the room, and you could feel how deeply loved this couple is. For me, it was also awesome to see how the family are still doing so well since Chris’ sister’s London wedding last year!
And then onto the cake cut… the bride’s very talented sister, Tasmin, made the wedding cake: three bold, sculptural pieces spelling out “K + C.” A subtle nod to Arsenal was tucked into the icing, a detail that made some (Chris.) smile more than others.
Ain’t no party like The Hackney’s parties
After the cake-cutting, immediately came the first dance – something I always recommend couples do as you already have all your people gathered around in one place! A bit of boogying was followed by one of my favourite bridal outfit changes of the year – a short, beaded number paired with flip-flops, perfect for a night of all-out dancing. And dance they did!
The atmosphere was electric all the way until it was time for me to leave at 9pm, and I have no doubt that the wedding came to an end with people still jigging away merrily!
All in all, a BEAUTIFUL wedding for BEAUTIFUL people in a BEAUTIFUL setting of The Ned, Old Marylebone Town Hall & The Hackney. I am very glad I went against my own vow and took this wedding photography on!
Wedding suppliers:
Wedding photographer: Meeeee @laurensquirephotography
HMUA: @gracexhayward
Ceremony: @adaytorememberlondon
Venue: @thehackney.co
Videographer: @libbybluntvideography
Florals: @verdantflowers
Suit: @dkny
Dress: @justinalexander @eveliebridal
Find out more about how I photograph weddings in London & afar, click here, or to get in touch and chat about your upcoming London wedding (bonus points if it’s at The Hackney!!), hit me up on my enquiry form.
Wedding photography FAQs
Where can we find out more about your wedding photography?
For full deets about how I work an what you can expect when you book me as a wedding photographer in London or afar, check out my wedding photography info page, and have a read of my wedding brochure.
What’s special about you as a wedding photographer?
I think there are two key things that make me stand out:
1. My Stealth Mode (coined by a couple back in 2021!) is my superpower. I seem to be nowhere, and yet I’m somehow everywhere. This means my candids are elite!
2. I edit in a style that is timeless, but it still has an edge. It will wow now just as much as it wows in years to come.
Where are you based?
I am based in East London, and typically work all over London, but I am absolutely up for taking my wedding photography anywhere in the UK.
How do we pick a wedding photographer – London has so many!
Honestly, it’s true, the capital is FULL of great togs. But eventually, you’ll get a good feeling about someone. What’s really important is that your London wedding photographer ticks these boxes for you:
- The edit style of their photography matches the feel/vision of your wedding (timeless, punchy, quirky, airy, grungy, etc.)
- The shooting style of their photography matches your priorities (candid-heavy, posed/editorial, fine art, etc.)
- You both feel comfortable with them, or excited by them – this person is going to be with you for most of your wedding day, so the vibe has to be right!
When will we get our wedding photos back?
My promise to you is that you will get your beautiful gallery of wedding photos back within 6 weeks of your wedding, but in reality, it’s usually a lot sooner (it just depends on how far into the wedding photography season we are!)
What if we’re worried about being in front of the camera for portraits?
This is really common, but please don’t worry! The wedding portraits part of the day can be as big or as small as you want it to be – but my recommendation is that you do set some time aside to get photos of just you two – even just 10 mins. Your future selves will thank you for it!
I rarely pose you, but I might give you a prompt from time to time (“play with each other’s wedding rings”, etc.).
Your portraits are usually the first moment you get alone after tying the knot, so I like to give you some distance while I let you two just catch up on all your thoughts and feelings of the day so far. It’ll be like I’m not even there!
Got questions? Want to check the vibes? Or ready to book your wedding photographer?
Let’s start talking!
Copyright Lauren Squire Photography 2026
Events, Live Music & Wedding Photographer in East London, UK
