Getting Married at All Souls, Langham Place: A Photographer’s Guide

At the very top of Regent Street, where it bends into Langham Place beside the BBC, stands one of London's most distinctive churches. All Souls, Langham Place is the only surviving church designed by John Nash, the architect who shaped Regency London, and its round colonnade and slender needle spire have been a West End landmark since 1824. If you are thinking of marrying here, this is a photographer's guide to the building, how it photographs, and the corners of the area most couples never think to use.

Why it is such a beautiful place to marry

All Souls is calm, bright and grander than its size suggests. Inside, the eye is drawn straight to the gilded apse and the painting behind it, framed by tall Corinthian columns finished in gold. The room holds light beautifully, which matters more than almost anything else for photographs. Above and behind, a galleried organ and a royal coat of arms add the kind of detail that rewards a closer look. It is a working Anglican church in the heart of the city, so it feels both ceremonial and genuinely central.

A few practical notes for couples

All Souls is a church wedding, so the usual Church of England requirements apply, including a qualifying connection and the reading of banns. The church team will talk you through eligibility, dates and the order of service, so that is your first conversation. From a planning point of view, the location is a gift: it is two minutes from Oxford Circus, so guests arrive easily, and the surrounding streets are some of the most photogenic in London. Most couples move straight on to a reception nearby, which keeps the day relaxed and the travel minimal.

The light, and how the day flows

The interior light is soft and even, which suits a documentary approach: I can work discreetly from a fixed position during the ceremony without flash drawing attention. The gilded apse makes a natural backdrop for the vows and for a few calm portraits afterwards, and the organ gallery is worth a frame on its own. Because the building is compact, the day flows quickly from ceremony to the steps outside, so we plan the portraits to take only a few minutes and never pull you away from your guests for long.

The little secret spots most people miss

This is where knowing the building pays off. Couples often assume the photographs all happen inside, but the best frames at All Souls are around it.

• The circular portico. The ring of columns at the entrance is the single best spot in the area: shelter from weather, beautiful stone, and a backdrop that is unmistakably this church. It is where I take couples for a quiet moment straight after the ceremony.
• The steps and the curve of the colonnade. Shot from low and to the side, the sweep of the round portico gives a sense of scale that a straight-on photo never does.
• The red-bus frame on Langham Place. A classic red London bus passing the spire is the most “London” image you can give a couple, and there is a precise spot and a moment of timing to catch it cleanly.
• Portland Place and the Langham. A short walk gives wide Regency facades, the grand frontage of the Langham Hotel, and quiet stretches away from the crowds for relaxed couple portraits.

Why it helps to have a photographer who knows the building

A landmark church in central London is busy, and the light, the traffic and the foot traffic all change through the day. Knowing where the sun falls on the columns, which moment the buses line up with the spire, and where to step for a calm portrait away from the crowds means we use your time well and you are never left waiting or wandering. I have photographed weddings here and I know its rhythms, so on your day we move with intent rather than hoping for the best.

If you would like to see how a day here actually unfolds, read Dylan and Arianna's wedding at All Souls, see how I photograph weddings, or look through the collections. Central London is where many of my weddings happen, and I would love to photograph yours here.