What happens when a couple with a brilliant sense of humour and a wicked sense of style decide they want to say I do? You get Gráinne and Mehul’s brilliant city wedding, that’s what!

Spread across three venues, their London wedding was the ultimate representation of their love, and a chance to celebrate with the friends and family who’ve been there along the way. It’s also perfect inspiration for couples who want to plan a day that’s untraditional – and proof that that’ll be unforgettable, in an epic way!

A hilarious Old Marylebone Town Hall ceremony

There were two things to tell you about Gráinne and Mehul’s Old Marylebone Town Hall wedding: one, the location, and two, the hilarity of it (which was a running theme throughout the day, as Gráinne is a comedian.) 

So let’s begin with the venue! The Old Marylebone Town Hall is an iconic London wedding location, and from the pictures, you can soon see why. The day began with Mehul and all of the guests meeting outside of the Grade II listed building, with its instantly recognisable pillars, before moving inside for the ceremony room. 

This was no less jaw-dropping as they got married in the Westminster Room, which has the most incredible wood-panelled walls. Not only do the walls help the room feel intimate without feeling stuffy, but they also provide an epic backdrop for photos. Plus, the elegant vintage vibes went well with Gráinne and Mehul’s personal style. Mehul wore a sharp three-piece brown wool suit with an orange tie, and Gráinne wore a 60s-style lace dress with bell sleeves and a collar, as well as an elbow-length veil. 

And now: the hilarity. Gráinne and Mehul pulled out all the stops for their ceremony, adding unexpected comical elements wherever they could – Gráinne, for example, entered the room to the Succession theme tune.

Their order of service was also totally tongue-in-cheek, and included gems such as “Mehul to recite all the Tottenham Hotspurs results from the 1980-1981 Division One season (to the music of Ossie’s Dream)”, “Gráinne and Mehul to perform a modern dance piece to express their conflicted feelings about the Tory leadership contest to the theme music of Midsomer Murders”, “A short one woman play about the Salem Witch Trials – feedback forms provided” and “Mehul to give a brief speech about his love for Gráinne through the medium of spreadsheets, followed by a brief speech about his love for spreadsheets through the medium of Gráinne.” Suffice to say, these didn’t actually happen, which actually made the gag even funnier!

Beers and buses

After the ceremony, a confetti throw, and group shouts on the steps, Gráinne and Mehul joined their guests on the bus to get to their next destination. It wasn’t just any bus, though, but a vintage red Routemaster (and a single decker one at that, which I’ve never seen before!) 

Everyone enjoyed bubbles on board before getting off at the reception space, Hammerton Taproom. It’s a 20 line taproom next to the main brewery space, so it was very industrial chic. Once guests had found their seats at their (hilariously named) table, which were split across the ground floor and a mezzanine level, they were treated to a brilliant pub quiz by Gráinne and Mehul’s sisters, the winners of which got a rosette with the happy couple’s picture on it. Then, it was time for pizza and beers – what more could you want? 

London couple’s portraits

Leaving their guests to soak up some more of the artisanal pizza and Pils (I can’t remember whether there was actually a Pilsner there, it just sounded good, ok?!), I whisked Gráinne and Mehul away for some couple’s shots. Hammerton Brewery and Taproom is based just off Caledonian Road so we made use of the plethora of backdrops in the immediate area, including industrial backdrops, and a very London-style zebra crossing.

Like the true performer she is Gráinne then changed into her second wedding outfit, a stunning red sari embroidered with gold with a bag and jewellery to match (Mehul also swapped his orange tie for a red bow tie, too.) By this point we’d made our way to Soho for the final destination of their wedding day, and we took the opportunity for some more couples’ portraits, using beautiful doorways and a charming garden that felt like a private oasis as our backdrop.

Phoenix Arts Club reception

The final venue for Gráinne and Mehul’s wedding day was the Phoenix Arts Club. As well as being the most famous theatrical cabaret and private members club in the world, the Phoenix Arts Club held special significance for them, as Grainne has performed there before.

Their entrance into the room, where they were joined by even more of their friends and family, was inspired: a dramatic, spotlit entrance as they cheered and crossed the floor. After that, the stage was officially announced open, and they and their guests enjoyed speeches and performances from their guests. The night came to a close with an incredible piped three-tier vegan dream from Heart of Cake (topped with little Lego Gráinne and Mehul), a banging dancefloor, and lots of happy campers.

Alternative London wedding photography

I adored Gráinne and Mehul’s wedding, and also them as people – the energy throughout the whole day was so infectious, and we had the BEST TIME. But don’t just take my word for it! Here’s what they had to say about working with me:

“We loved having Marni be our wedding photographer! She was incredibly organised — with meetings and spreadsheets in advance to make everything clear and straightforward, but also flexible around the length of the day, etc. During the day itself, Marni was everywhere, capturing all the moments that mattered, while being really friendly and approachable throughout. The photographs look amazing…and we would highly recommend working with Marni to anyone organising an event.”

(Oh stop it you!) 

If you’re looking for a photographer to cover your alternative London wedding like the one above, then I’d love to hear from you – you can get in touch here to tell me all about your plans. I can’t wait already!

Suppliers

Venue(s): Old Marylebone Town Hall, Hammerton Brewery, Phoenix Arts Club

Mehul’s Outfit: Hunter Treacy Tailors 

Hair & Make Up/ Grooming: Kit Hall 

Cake: Heart of Cake, London 

Catering: Punjab Restaurant

DJ/Band/other entertainment: Marcus Bond, Max Marcus Events.Routemaster buses: The Vintage Red Bus Company Limited