A Barbican Conservatory wedding

A beautiful wedding in this iconic Brutalist location.

A Barbican Conservatory wedding has been on my photography wish list for some time now. I’m a huge fan of the architecture of the Barbican Estate in general; it’s a wonderful place for a weekend mooch or a date day and an even better place for couple photos. When Jess & Reggie’s enquiry landed on my virtual doormat, I don’t think I could have been much more excited, I have been wanting to photograph wedding here since forever.

Wedding ceremony in the Barbican Conservatory

Inside it doesn’t disappoint – a plant lovers dream – the space needs little in the way of other decoration; and that’s sort of how Jess & Reggie played it – wild, spring like flowers – a riot of colour by the awesome Not Salad complimented the tables and ceremony spaces. The construction of the ceremony space meant that I was able to capture some really interesting angles that wouldn’t normally be possible, which made my little photographer heart very happy. After the ceremony the guests strolled through the Conservatory, drinks in hand, taking it all in and the couple and I made the most of having the Conservatory available for photos; the light, the foliage; it was all pretty magic.

After that we took a stroll through the estate itself – along the High Walks, down to the Fountain Court and in those famous stairwells. Reggie is an architect himself, and so it was super important to capture the true magic of the Barbican Centre.

dinner on the conservatory terrace

Dinner was served on long tables up on the Conservatory Terrace, accessed either from directly in the Conservatory itself, or from level 3 of the Barbican Centre. As I mentioned, a cloud of wild flowers set the tone for their tables; and I loved the marked contrast between the concrete surroundings and the lush, green foliage down below, and the view of the epically large Monstera that grows up most of the central pillar of the building.

dancing in the Garden Room

After dinner, The Garden Room becomes yours for a party (though be warned as they do have quite a strict sound limiter, so consider booking a separate venue for your evening party if you really want to cut some shapes) though guests have access to the conservatory should they like to wander it at night, or have a little quiet time away from everyone else.

Some of these photos were captured on 35mm film; you can find out more about adding film onto your wedding coverage here

About weddings at the Barbican Conservatory

• The Garden room can hold up to 220 guests for your wedding

• Catering is operated by their inhouse catering team – Searcys (which means that it’s a cool venue that isn’t dry hire! Yay!)

• The Conservatory holds over 1,800 species of plant

• The Barbican Conservatory falls under Islington Registrars

• Plenty of hotels within a short walk. My top tip for a ‘getting ready’ location would be The Ned, which is a short taxi or a 5/10 min walk.

If you’re hosting a Barbican Conservatory wedding and are interested in stylish, yet honest and heart felt photography, then do get in touch to find out more about working with me.