Hackney round chapel wedding - the best east london autumnal venue
Why I think hackney round chapel has the best autumnal light in London
Those windows! The open space! Those WINDOWS! As a light seeking photographer I cannot tell you how much I love capturing weddings in the Autumn. And there’s something about London in the Autumn that seriously overjoys me. The sun is low all day, and unlike winter we have some time before it sets (sunset was around 6pm on this late October day whereas it can be as early as 3.30 in December!) so we’re not rushing to find that golden light. And Hackney Round Chapel is absolutely top of my list for autumnal London Weddings. My second shooter and I were constantly catching each other and smiling with glee when we found a new sunbeam, and it led to the most beautiful candid gallery of storytelling…
Hackney round chapel is one for the big weddings
The space is amazing. Vikki (she/her) and Ruari (he/him) utilised it for their 150 guest wedding perfectly. They set up the dinner tables before everyone arrived around the outside of the circle with chairs in the middle for the ceremony. When the mate-led ceremony ended guests grabbed their chair and popped it behind a table ready for dinner and speeches - boom, no room turnaround needed. And when it came to the. dance-floor, the space was ready again! These logistics are the kind of things that keep a big wedding running smoothly, and their team of best people made sure it all flowed well into the evening from pre-ordering pizzas from across the road for rave sustenance to hopping on the mic and getting everyone to ‘look up!’ and me hanging from the balcony for a mega group shot.
Why a second shooter is a great shout for a hackney round chapel wedding
I always suggest a second shooter as a really good option for a 100+ person wedding, simply so that there’s more of a chance of capturing all your guests and telling more stories. Solo I can do a good job, but with an extra pair of hands we can both do an excellent one. My fabulous second Jess was able to capture candids whilst I took V & R out for a leafy stroll, find moments in the ceremony from the balcony whilst I kept to the floor, and focus on artistic storytelling when I was hitting the group shot list. It was also great from the pre-ceremony stuff. Rather than dividing my time between the two of them, I stayed with Vikki round the corner at her airbnb (and capturing memories like mum dancing in her spanks on the stairs) and Jess arrived to find Ruari and his pals putting final touches to the chapel. A good second shooter is gold and having Jess with me meant I delivered one of my favourite galleries of the year. Check it out!
Venue - Hackney Round Chapel
Cake - @novae_bakery
DJ - Wedding Jam
Band - Archway Big Band
Bar - thebestbar-none
Makeup and Hair - @eastlondonbride
Flowers - Happy and Glorious @happyglorious
