St Bartholomew the Great – Eliza & Mike

St Bart’s church wedding photography

The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great in Smithfield and Christ Church in Spitalfields. Eliza and Mike’s wedding combined these two beautiful architectural spaces in London and in doing so combined two of the most historic districts in London. Historic but not on most tourist maps. When Eliza first emailed me last year, I hoped she would book, as I am fascinated by the history of these two parts of London. Indeed her enquiry came at the same time as another wedding enquiry for St Bart’s, which I shot earlier this month. It’s fitting that they choose two London architectural gems as Eliza’s father is an architect. St Bartholomew the Great church is hidden these days by old and modern buildings that surround it and is all that remains of an old Augustinian Priory that stood on this spot since 1123. William the Conqueror’s son, Henry I, was on the throne then. It’s old. It has stood next to a spot that saw executions and protests for centuries. Just around the corner, the Great Fire of London came to a halt. As many film productions have found, it’s Romanesque choir is a ready-made, authentic backdrop for many a drama. It’s a special, atmospheric place for a wedding.

Wedding reception at Christ Church in Spitalfields

But this wedding was a tale of two churches. Across the City, the wedding reception was to take place in Nicholas Hawksmoor’s towering masterpiece, Christ Church in Spitalfields. Built in the early eighteenth century in one of the poorest areas of London, on the very edge of the East End. Today the towering modern office blocks are slowly inching their way across from Bishopsgate towards the church on Commercial Street. Once, the church tower would have been the highest structure around, rising above what became in the Victorian era, a notorious slum area. Across the street, now hidden under a multi-storey car park and an anonymous service road next to Spitalfields Market was the notorious Dorset Street. The location of one of Jack the Ripper’s gruesome murders. On a lighter note, Fournier Street, next to the church still has houses with large attics and lattice windows, where eighteenth-century silk weavers would have worked, in a more prosperous time for the area. There are layers upon layers of history in both these districts, Saturday’s wedding added another.

The coverage begins in Islington, at the home of Eliza’s parents, with hair and makeup preparations. This summer has been pretty good weather-wise. Friday’s wedding had been dry but oppressively humid. But the rain came to London in the early hours of Saturday and stayed. If not heavy it was a light, persistent drizzle. It was umbrellas up arriving at the church. Eliza’s father had to improvise to keep the rain off his daughter as she walked to the church – not sure where the ushers were? Even the rector chose discretion and waited inside for the bride. With the ceremony then complete, the rain picked up, so it was a wet wait for the guests lined up for the confetti ambush! Most guests then went on a minibus tour as the immediate family dashed over to Spitalfields to get some family group shots done. Then it was time to use the unique space in the restored Christ church. Drinks, canapes, meal, speeches, dancing!! An English wedding ( with a flavour of South American ) in a historic venue, in a historic area of a historic city. A cracker! ( despite the weather!)

Here are a few images from the day, a day of two churches, St Bartholomew the Great and Christ Church, two London landmarks…