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Chantelle weds Marie in St Pancras London’s most romantic building

Chantelle weds Marie in St Pancras London’s most romantic building

This beautiful wedding was, for me, one of the most unique days on record, that ..I got to record. Chantelle & Marie ~ the most gorgeous Brighton couple hauled their friends north to the big city to host their celebratory nuptials in Camden Town, from whence they hail.

These two are unlike any I’ve been fortunate to photograph in the past. I realize I say this every time, but that’s the beauty of Shotgun Weddings. I get to shoot the most unique, glorious individuals that have ever said a vow. And seriously – how can you not love these ladies?

Chantelle and Marie are a fun, funky, strong & buzzing with life Brighton-Gay-Couple who have been together for 16 years. (According to the Office of National Statistics, the average length of a marriage in Britain is 11.3 years. So they’re already winning!)

I jokingly offer a return customer discount—you know, second wedding / third wedding etc! But, I’m afraid this is the only chance I’ll have to photograph this gorgeous couple getting hitched. That is, unless they do a 10-year-anniversary vow renewal thing. I’d shoot that. (Call me, ok?)

If you know Camden Town, you’ve probably heard of the St Pancras Hotel. It’s stunning. And for a few nights for pre and post wedding, these two—and many friends—called a HUGE 4 story Penthouse ‘home’ in the exclusive ‘Chambers’ of St Pancras Hotel. They not only holed up in the hotel, they also hosted their reception there for close family and friends – it was that huge and accommodating! That was a first for me!

Chantelle & Marie opted for the classic Registry Office Wedding down at Camden Town hall, and then all the guests paraded through central London to the legendary St Pancras station for photographs. (See more of those in the slide-show galley below.)

I then whisked the couple away to Regents Park in a classic black London Cab for some lovey-dovey rural portraits. We skipped through meadows, kissed the flowers and gazed wistfully at the flowing rivers, drowning out the hustle & bustle of the big city. And then, you know, we raced back through the Westway traffic and shot up the interior of St Pancras Station to the world famous staircase (which has to be seen to really be believed!). Here’s an excerpt from their website:

St Pancras Station was opened in 1868 and is one of the wonders of Victorian engineering. Along with the former Midland Grand Hotel, it is a masterpiece of Victorian Gothic Architecture and one of the most elegant stations in the World. Sir John Betjeman called this Gothic treasure “too beautiful and too romantic to survive” in a world of tower blocks and concrete. Its survival against the odds will cause wonder; the building itself will take your breath away.

After years of devoted restoration, the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel is being hailed as London’s most romantic building. Its glorious Gothic Revival metalwork, gold leaf ceilings, hand-stencilled wall designs and a jaw-dropping grand staircase are as dazzling as the day Queen Victoria opened the hotel in 1873.

After THAT mind blowing moment, we headed back for a  sumptuous Philippino buffet  in honor of Marie’s Filipino heritage. Coupling that with copious amounts of sweet things and bottles of bubbly, it was a pretty decent day.

Now head down and click on the gallery, and I’ll give you a few things to look for. Find our tour of C&M’s castle where we got to shoot in the bridal suite! Find my shot from a ladder, where I perched myself on a high bookcase, just to capture them sprawled out on their kingsize bed. And check out that bathtub – actually, you may want to grab yourself a bottle of bubbly and draw your own bath before enjoying the rest of these photos. (You’ll thank me!)

This was very special family Wedding affair, done in a classy, unique and truly original way. So glad I was there for this once-in-a-lifetime day!

Special thanks to St. Pancras for their incredible hospitality and for making this such a memorable wedding.