Museum of Order of St John wedding photographer

Museum of Order of St John wedding, London

Emily & Ross

What a privilege it was to be Emily and Ross’ Museum of the Order of St John wedding photographer in London.

The Museum of the Order of St John oozes history – as you would expect of a building that dates back to the 1500s – and is a fantastic choice for a wedding venue.

Part of St John’s Gate in Clerkenwell – within a stone’s throw from Farringdon Tube station – the Museum of the Order of St John is also in a fantastic location.

It was just one of three great venues for Emily and Ross’ special day. Emily and her bridesmaids spent the morning getting ready at the Zetter Hotel (now called Marrable’s Hotel) just across the road, and the wedding breakfast and party took place at the Artisan of Clerkenwell on the delightful St John’s Square.

It was an amazing day all round – from the laughs shared during bridal prep; the touching ceremony at the Museum of the Order of St John; the hilarious wedding speeches; and the riotous party into the small hours. Oh, and the sensational cheese board.

I love city centre weddings because it gives me a chance to incorporate everyday life into my photos in my own documentary wedding photography style. The photo of Emily and her bridesmaids at the top of this page is one of my favourites from this or any other wedding.

“We received the photos today and have already been to print some out! Justin was amazing for our wedding day and we couldn’t have asked for more. We’re so glad we chose him.”

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Bridal prep for Museum of Order of St John wedding

The stunning Zetter Hotel in Clerkenwell was the perfect place for bridal prep. Emily and her bridesmaids had a blast getting ready and it was only a two-minute walk to the ceremony – good news given that it was raining.

Wedding ceremony at Museum of Order of St John

There can be few wedding venues steeped in as much history as the Museum of the Order of St John. My aim during the wedding ceremony is always to capture that amazing character in the photos.

Museum of Order of St John wedding reception

There was no shortage of smiles and laughter as Emily and Ross’ closest family and friends piled into the Artisan of Clerkenwell to celebrate.

Museum of Order of St John wedding speeches

It was an honour to witness such moving speeches as Emily, her dad Nigel and then Ross wowed the crowd. Ross had even kept his high-school diary to show everyone how he had written ‘marry the girl of my dreams’ under his list of life goals.

Museum of Order of St John wedding party

Emily led by example as she bossed the dancefloor for the rest of the evening. The tunes were pumping until the early hours – a fitting way to end a truly wonderful day.

Museum of Order of St John wedding photography

The Museum of the Order of St John is a remarkable wedding venue in so many ways.

It is part of St John’s Gate, built in 1504 as the entrance to Clerkenwell Priory, which was the headquarters of the Knights of the Order of St John.

The history is almost endless. The buildings were used as the offices of the Master of the Revels in the 16^th Century; 30 Shakespeare plays were licensed there; Dr Samuel Johnson’s first job was at St John’s Goat; and the Gate was once a pub frequented by none other than Charles Dickens.

In 1831 St John’s Hospital was established in the building, and in 1870s the gate became the headquarters of the St John Ambulance Brigade – what is now the charity St John Ambulance which I’m sure you’re familiar with.

The Museum of the Order of St John is more than 100 years old and numbers manuscripts, armour, ancient coins and a cannon from Henry VIII among its historic collections.

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Thanks so much for enjoying Emily and Ross’ brilliant wedding. And big thanks to Karl Chester for helping me with photographs on the day.

Check out my latest weddings, and if you’re looking for a Museum of the Order of St John wedding photographer – or a UK documentary wedding photographer – I’d love to hear from you.