The Old Marylebone Town Hall — Local services in London

I recently photographed a wedding at the Town Hall, and I have to say, the team they have there are INCREDIBLE!

My couple got married in the Westminster Room in June on a very busy Saturday afternoon. Apparently the Town Hall has 5 weddings on at a time, but because their team are so good you don't get that dreaded "conveyor belt" feeling. OK the stairs out front are constantly full, but a member of staff told me they time everything so each wedding has at least 12 minutes on the step so they can get those all important photos. Once inside, I discovered the Town Hall has their own team of Ushers, and they work really hard so that you don't get mixed up with another wedding. Once inside, I didn't spot another bride/groom, they managed to keep each wedding that well together. As a photographer, I tend to work on the principle that the Registrars out rank me, you literally can't get married without one! So before the ceremony I checked with our Registrar where I could stand without getting in her way. She beamed the friendliest smile, and told me she knew how important wedding photos were, she happily said she would jump out the way so I could be front and centre for the bride walking up the aisle and for the first kiss, no hiding behind vases at awkward angles for me! The ceremony was beautiful. It never felt rushed or "corporate". The Registrar was genuinely happy to be there and be part of my couple's day

We got married in the Westminster room on the 26th October 2019 and I would love to give it more than 5 stars for so many reasons. It's a stunning building with amazing interiors. Our registrar, Lucie, was wonderful and it felt very personal despite being in a registry office. She is a real asset to the OMTH. I also noticed my nan's brooch had fallen off my bouquet moments before walking down the aisle, and afterwards Lucie was so helpful enquiring to see if it had been found (luckily it showed up in the car we had taken there). When there was an issue with our spare certificates not being processed the admin staff resolved instantly and were very apologetic about their system not updating correctly. The staff on the day were also very professional and friendly. All in all, a more than 5 star experience for so many reasons.

However, we were unlucky in that it was raining heavily on our wedding day, and after the ceremony the guests were almost thrown out without even a chance to put coats on and get umbrella's up. I totally get the need to keep people moving and that it is a popular venue, but I would prefer to pay a bit more money and not be totally herded about, with fewer large back to back weddings.

There is also a lovely room downstairs with mirrors to touch up make up etc beforehand which is a great idea, but when I went to use it there were a lot of other people's guests in there so I couldn't even get into it and had no way to look in the mirror before going down the aisle after being squashed into a taxi to get there. It would be nice if this this room was reserved for the bride and groom's and bridal party use only.

All in all it is brilliant value for money for what you get and the people we dealt with all do their jobs brilliantly. I know we still made the right choice and had an iconic London wedding venue. But it was right in spite of these things, and I did feel a bit bad for my guests who were soaking wet and it would have been nice to have had a moment to touch up my lipstick. Small things, but then you only have one wedding day. I'd still completely recommend, but just remember some of the compromises that you'll need to be happy making by getting...

I attended a private citizenship ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall on in May 2025 to support a family member. The ceremony itself was beautifully led by the registrar (Linda), but what followed was deeply upsetting—and disturbingly similar to a nearly identical complaint I later found in a Google review from two years ago, likely involving the same usher.

Right after the ceremony, we spent a short time collecting our belongings and taking a few photos upstairs. After I helped change the baby’s nappy, we went to the hall, hoping to take just a couple of quick photos on the stairs to mark the occasion.

At that moment, a female usher—Thelma—suddenly approached us, raised her voice, didn’t allow us to make photos and demanded we leave immediately, literally shouting, “We want to go home.” There had been no mention of any strict time limits beforehand, and the Town Hall’s own website states visitors are allowed up to 60 minutes post-ceremony. We had been there for under 40 minutes.

The usher’s tone was aggressive and unnecessarily hostile, especially with a small child present. She also made a discriminatory comment—“You people always take advantage”—and when questioned, brushed it off saying, “This is how we speak here in the UK.” Minutes later, she allowed another couple to come in and take photos on the stairs, even helping them herself—completely contradicting the way we had just been treated.

It felt like targeted and unfair treatment. That this same type of incident was reported years ago—and apparently not addressed—is completely unacceptable.

The registrar came downstairs later and was very helpful, but the female usher already ruined the day.

This should have been a happy and respectful moment. Instead, it was needlessly upsetting. Westminster City Council needs to take...