As far as sumptuous and grand wedding venues go, the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich is hard to beat. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor and has been described as the “finest dining hall in Europe”. Its walls and ceilings are covered in the most intricate of paintings by Sir James Thornhill which pay homage to the great naval battles and maritime power that Britain then held.
The Painted Hall Wedding Photography shows two sides of this magnificent building; the exterior which draws comparisons with Wren’s other architectural achievements including St Paul’s Cathedral and of course Kensington Palace and the interior which could well be described as the British version of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. You cannot fail to be transfixed in wonderment and awe at the artwork you see all around you as you enter the famous Hall.
As a London wedding photographer I dearly wanted to visit the Painted Hall again and that chance came when Lianne and Andy asked me if I would be their destination wedding photographer at the Painted Hall.
Lianne and Andy have very good taste as the Painted Hall really does lend itself well as a wedding venue and I was able to get a good mixture of contemporary and creative shots. I love to have the balance of these dramatic location shots mixed in with completely natural, reportage wedding photographs of family and friends enjoying the day. Capturing people’s emotions is just as important as capturing those powerful posed shots of the bride and groom in all their splendour.
The staff at the Painted Hall really did a great job of coordinating the event and ensuring that the atmosphere was relaxed, light hearted and fun. Of course I was like a kid in a sweet shop, snapping away at almost everything I could trying to capture the very essence of this compelling building as well as the joyous mood of the wedding party.
I hope my selection of the Painted Hall wedding photography excite Lianne and Andy as much as they excited me. A few of my favourites are displayed below. Many thanks to the bride and groom, for entrusting me with this most important of jobs and to my invaluable helpers, Peter Denness and Csaba ‘Chuck’ Grosz.
