Little Brompton Oratory wedding photographer London
Wedding photographers at the Little Brompton Oratory
Little Brompton Oratory, Brompton Road, London W1J 9LN Tel: 020 7589 6664
The Little Brompton Oratory and the main Brompton Oratory are both fabulous London wedding venues, but it is the latter that is best known with its striking architecture whilst the Little Brompton Oratory is a small relatively unknown chapel that is connected to it.
The Brompton Oratory - A short history
Standing proud on the busy Brompton Road, South Kensington and right next to the Victoria and Albert Museum The Brompton Oratory, actually properly known as the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, is a truly stunning building with its impressive and flamboyant Italian architecture.
The design of the church was by a young 28 year old unproven architect Herbert Gribble who won this fabulous opportunity in a competition in 1876, the rules of which specified it must be designed to the Italian Renaissance style though it is clear today that influences are also Roman Baroque and from Christopher Wren.
The structure was started in 1878 with the main part of the church being built between1880-1884 and the entrance was added several years later and then after the premature death of Gribble in 1894 the wonderful outer cupola was finally finished in 1895 standing some 200 feet high.
The outer wall faces are Portland stone, the vaults and dome are in concrete and the major order of pilasters and the minor order of columns are in Devon marble whilst the apse and alters are in more exotic marbles. Additions to the interior were in three main phases, the first being through the acquisition of some notable Italian Baroque sculpture in the 1890’s, followed by lavish mosaic, plaster and woodwork decoration by the Italian architect Comandatore Formilli between 1927-32 and finally between 2006 and 2010 to mark the 1984 centenary.
All in all a truly stunning church for a London wedding photographer to work at with wonderful wedding photography opportunities inside during the wedding ceremony and with the steps outside the perfect place for the group wedding photographs.
The Little Brompton Oratory
This beautiful little Renaissance chapel which has its services read entirely in Polish is quite difficult to find as there is no obvious signage signalling its whereabouts. It is connected to the main Oratory and offices and can be accessed via a little courtyard with a circular drive that can be found on the left side of the main Oratory, just to the right of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
In the courtyard there is a modest red door with a little sign in Polish stuck to the glass, the door leading to a plain marble hall with just a mirror and a couple of sculptures where guests meet prior to entering the large door to the chapel. As with the main Oratory the chapel is a delight for wedding photographers though the light could be challenging on a dark day.
Wedding photographer opportunities at The Little Brompton Oratory
One concern for a wedding photographer is that movement from the front to the back of the chapel is not allowed so unless there are two wedding photographers present, to move from the front to the back and vice versa you need to go down the office via a corridor out onto the courtyard and in through the entrance hall, which is fine but a bit of a rush if you don’t want to miss any of the important elements.
Dramatic and atmospheric wedding photographs are there for the taking from the balcony at the back which is accessed via a narrow winding spiral staircase. For group wedding pictures the courtyard outside is a possible spot though there tends to be cars parked there so if the steps of the main Brompton Oratory are free that that is the obvious place to go.
Little Brompton Oratory wedding photographer testimonials
|
|
Maria and Tomasz, Ealing, London – Wedding photographer at the Little Brompton Oratory, Brompton Road and 58 Princes Gate, Kensington, London |
Little Brompton Oratory, Brompton Road, London W1J 9LN Tel: 020 7589 6664
For more information and to check our availability for your wedding day at Little Brompton Oratory contact us today