Hotel Café Royal Wedding, London – Danny & Chris

Danny and Chris’s Hotel Café Royal wedding brought together the people and places closest to them. After twelve years together, they planned every detail of a day that would take them from an intimate civil partnership ceremony to their favourite Chiswick House Park and an evening reception in central London. Their dog Brandy was with them throughout. We photographed the story from preparations at home to the dance floor.

Getting ready their own way

It began at home: cards on the shelf, suits, a tie being adjusted and Brandy on the sofa. Familiar gestures took on a different meaning that morning. We watched Danny and Chris help each other get ready and talk with the people around them, letting those moments unfold.

A white taxi and time together

Danny and Chris hired a traditional white London taxi with room for both of us to travel alongside them. The journeys became part of their story: reflections in the windows, smiles and a kiss on the back seat. We were grateful for the trust that allowed us to photograph these intimate, fleeting moments as well as the formal occasions.

London gave them a sunny November day. Outside the register office there was time to greet friends and make a few portraits. The street, the light and the couple’s energy gave us all the setting we needed.

A civil partnership ceremony in Kensington and Chelsea

Their intimate civil partnership ceremony took place at Kensington and Chelsea Register Office, with their closest friends beside them. We photographed exchanged glances, laughter and reactions from the people sitting nearby. Those small gestures tell as much of the story as the rings and signatures.

Danny and Chris asked their guests not to take photographs during the ceremony. Everyone could simply be there with them, watching and responding. Afterwards came embraces, congratulations and confetti outside the register office.

Brandy was part of the story too

Brandy was there from the preparations onwards. She travelled to the register office, joined the walk and appeared at the evening reception. Her presence was part of their everyday life together, and it belonged in the photographs.

A walk in Chiswick House Park

For their portraits, Danny and Chris chose their favourite Chiswick House Park. While the guests headed to La Trompette, we made the most of the weather with a walk alongside the couple and Brandy. Hedges, paths and open space offered a quieter setting after the emotion of the ceremony.

Around the table at La Trompette

Our next stop was La Trompette, where the couple rejoined their friends. We photographed conversations, laughter and the ease of being together, sometimes looking in through the restaurant windows from the street.

“We love it, wow it is amazing, guys you are brilliant! Thank you so much, we had our first photo showing for our friends and everybody loved the photos and your style.”

Danny and Chris

Alongside portraits of the couple, we make room for the people celebrating with them. They give the photographs their personal meaning. Years later, a shared toast or a smile caught between conversations can matter just as much as the moments everyone expected us to photograph.

Hotel Café Royal – an evening in central London

After lunch, we returned to central London with Danny and Chris for the next part of the celebration at Hotel Café Royal. The rooms, light and clothes changed; their connection with each other and their friends remained at the heart of the story.

Back in their hotel room, there was time to get ready again and pause before meeting the guests. Danny and Chris helped each other with their evening clothes. These quieter photographs connect the daytime story with the energy of the reception.

The reception in the Pompadour Ballroom

Danny and Chris made their entrance into the Pompadour Ballroom accompanied by Brandy. Gilded details, mirrors and warm light created a striking setting. Our attention stayed with the greetings and the guests’ reactions.

Marina Ionina, who coordinated their celebration at Hotel Café Royal, helped make space for the couple to enjoy the day with their friends. Following her advice, Danny and Chris chose not to have video coverage and asked guests to put their cameras away during the ceremony. It was their choice for this particular day, and it worked beautifully. The people around them, and the care that went into the preparations, made all the difference.

“Every one of your wedding stories takes the viewer back to those moments, as though they were there, experiencing them alongside the people in the photographs.”

Rysiek / reader and workshop participant; translated from his original comment

From dinner to the dance floor

The evening brought dance performances, toasts and a party together. The story gathered pace: details of the room gave way to movement, laughter and reactions around the tables. We stay beyond the first dance, when the celebrations often become more spontaneous.

As the evening went on, Danny and Chris relaxed into the party with their friends. Behind the elegant setting, we wanted the photographs to hold onto the people and the atmosphere. Danny and Chris, thank you for trusting us, welcoming us into your day and being so open to our ideas.

Your wedding, your people and places

Planning a wedding in London, Poland or somewhere else that means something to you? We photograph couples celebrating in their own way, from intimate ceremonies to gatherings with a large circle of friends. Tell us your date, location and what matters most to you.

We welcome enquiries for 2027 and beyond, with availability confirmed individually. Explore our approach to documentary wedding photography, or discover Jakub and Lyndon’s wedding at Platinum Palace. We would love to hear about your plans.