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An Unrivalled Wedding Venue On Regent Street In The Heart Of London
Wedding Photography at Hotel Cafe Royal is pure bliss, so I was over the moon when Laura and Fred got in touch and asked me to capture their wedding day. From the moment we spoke, I could feel the excitement as we discussed the opulent rooms and grand designs. And how could I not be excited to take stunning photos at this grade ii* listed building that’s been recently refurbished to a standard so swanky, it’s original patrons (ahem, Winston Churchill, Brigitte Bardot, Princess Diana to name a few) would be impressed by?!
I was completely captivated the first time I visited. Situated on bustling Regent street and close to Piccadilly Circus, with total sound proofing, it’s a true hidden gem. You have sleek winding stair cases and rooms totally adorned with mirrors, just sheer modern, luxurious elegance. When discussing the iconic pompadour ballroom, Hotel cafe royal describes ‘ The Louis XVL style room has a series of fluted Corinthian pilasters and mirrored panels with gilded frames, and its ceiling is decorated with frescos depicting scenes of love.’ It truly is a decadent event space.
Authentic Wedding Photography That Tells Your Story
Laura and Fred’s London day was a coming together of Spanish and British cultures with nods to both wedding traditions dappled throughout the day. With both getting ready on site, it was easy to go between both of them before the guests arrived. There were a few nerves in the air but definitely more excitement!
The Pompadour room where they had their ceremony really was something special and I was able to capture the guests arrival before the ceremony began. As always, I like to capture the feeling of the day and there was certainly so much of that. Everyone at the wedding seemed totally overjoyed, especially the happy couple who were beaming all day at this London wedding.
Photographing Bridal Prep at Hotel Cafe Royal
The suites at hotel cafe royal are beautiful spaces designed to the highest spec to make you feel total luxury during bridal and groom prep. My bride and groom got ready just a couple of corridors away from each other, which meant I could go between the two with ease. Laura’s unbelievably adorable Pomeranian was there with the girls. The rooms in both the bridal and groom’s suite had big beautiful windows which gave dreamy light that draped over the room for portraits.
The Wedding Ceremony at Hotel Café Royal
The Pompadour Room is pretty unrivalled when it comes to sheer luxurious elegance and makes hotel cafe royal wedding photography a dream. With the mirrored walls to the opulent fittings, it really is a sight to behold and the perfect setting for a civil ceremony. On our pre consult call we chatted about the mirrors and how they could propose a problem (i.e. me in your wedding photos!) but I found the angles that ensured that didn’t happen.
In keeping with Spanish wedding tradition, my groom was walked down the aisle by his mum and my bride by her brother. When Fred and Laura met at the top of the aisle, it was just the most beautiful moment to photograph, in fact they were beaming throughout the wedding ceremony, catching a glimpse of each other at every moment.
Group Photos
Through the large double doors, Hotel Café Royal has a beautiful pillared terrace, which we were able to make the most of for the family group photos. The newly weds kept this to just a few key groups but the natural light and setting was perfect for it. The neutral stone and grand columns added simple elegance. And from there we were able to take a peek at the bustling goings on on central London Regents street, which felt like a total juxtaposition from our grand world inside the Hotel Café.
Hotel Cafe Royal Wedding Photography – Couples Photos
Hotel Cafe Royal itself is the perfect backdrop for couples photos and I particularly loved the grand staircase where we took some natural couples portraits. My bride said that it reminded her of the setting beauty and beast which I completely saw too.
We also took to the streets of London to capture the feeling of the day. As you can imagine, it was quite busy on a Saturday in central London’s west end and it wasn’t long before the couple were receiving cheers from the crowds congratulating them! It’s certainly not every day you get to experience something like this and it was joyous to see!
Speeches and Wedding Breakfast
The team at the London Hotel Café Royal had expertly turned the room around and we were back in the exquisite Pompadour Room. The room looked like a fairy tale, with one long banquet style table adorned with beautiful blooms and the finest crockery. Wedding photography of this spectacular backdrop is totally divine! Tears were certainly shed during the speeches and it was so clear to see how adoring the guests were of the happy couple. I was not short of special moments to photograph.
First Dance and The Party
The ornately gilded ballroom was naturally the most wonderful setting for the party. The bride and groom had chosen a Buonasera Jazz Band to set the mood for the evening and the couple kept the dance floor going. It really felt like we’d stepped back in time to an old age romantic London and I felt the history of the venue come alive. As every clever bride should at a chic city wedding, Laura made a shoe change for the evening and swapped to trainers, which kept her in full flow for the evening!
How I work
As an editorial and documentary London wedding photographer, I have a fairly relaxed approach when photographing your wedding day. The run up to your wedding day is where I will be putting the steps into motion to make sure I’ve got all of the important times and information, including group shot combinations. But when your day comes around, I’ll be making sure to capture all those authentic moments including laughter, dancing and all the love between you two and your guests.
Do You Want to Know More About Wedding Photography at Hotel Café Royal?
Are you planning on having a romantic London wedding? Have you chosen Hotel Café Royal as your wedding venue? I’d love to find out more about your wedding and chat about how I can give you your dream wedding photos. Hotel Cafe Royal wedding photography is what I do best.
Just head to my contact form to see if I’m available on your London date and to receive my full pricing guide. If I’m free, we’ll book in a video chat to get to know each other and discuss how I can make your dream wedding photography a reality.
I also keep my instagram up to date with all my wedding goings on – you can follow along here: @tashbustaphotography
