Four years ago this month, my friend Paula and her boyfriend got married at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. I'm only now just getting around to editing my photogaphs of their wedding because there were so many photographs that I liked that I struggled to edit them down. First of all, I cannot believe that it was four years ago. Second, I had a seven-hour flight last December, and used that time to go through and edit the photographs that I wanted to post. When I was looking through the wedding photographs, I was reminded of the good memories of that frosty February afternoon at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
We arrived early at St. Paul's Cathedral. The day was a typical London February day with grey skies and a beautiful view of the cathedral. I took a few photographs outside before we went inside, and I tried to get a sneaky photograph of the interior of the dome and was told off. Because we were attending a wedding, we did not have to pay the extortionate fee of £20.00 per person (or whatever it was). I know that it costs a lot of money to maintain a cathedral, but the price tag is hefty for a Londoner who pays taxes and wouldn't mind visiting every now and again.
Other notables who got married at St. Paul's Cathedral included various royals, such as Diana Spencer and Prince Charles in 1981. (Prince William and Katherine Middleton got married in Westminster Abbey in 2012.)
Weddings at St. Paul's Cathedral take place in the crypt in the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire. The crypt is also where many famous people are buried, including Christopher Wren (who built the new cathedral after the first one burnt in 1666).
To get married at St. Paul's Cathedral, you or your immediate family need to be a VIP. Only members of the cathedral or members of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, the Order of the British Empire, holders of the British Empire Medal, and members of the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor and their children can get married. Paula's father was a member of one of these orders/societies due to his charity work regarding medical conditions.
Without further delay, the photographs of the wedding are below. The bride wore a beautiful white gown and veil with pearls and a boquet of roses that were primarily orange and white with yellows and spring greens. Despite the cold weather and the sleeveless gown, she happily came outside to get photographs taken in front of the cathedral. I can't imagine how cold she was in the sleeveless dress, but you cannot tell it in the photographs. She did have a stylish and warm white fleece and gloves to help keep her warm.
I loved the photographs that I took of the couple goofing around and enjoying their big day, and I also loved the photographs with the groom's friends and the bridesmaids on the iconic stairs of St. Paul's Cathedral.
While the groom and his guys were dressed in black and white, the bridgesmaids were dressed in beautiful beige dresses, holding similar boquets and wearing similar white fleeces.
At the ceremony, the children were also dressed very smart and were very polite. They look so grown up. What a memorable day!
Thank you Paula and Andrew for inviting us.
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