Abney Park Chapel Stoke Newington

Alicia & Ali

Abney Park Chapel Stoke Newington

Alicia & Ali

Alicia & Ali's wedding.

Alicia and Ali’s wedding was relaxed, creative and very much their own.

They chose the beautiful Abney Park Chapel in Stoke Newington for their ceremony... a restored Grade II listed chapel surrounded by the trees and greenery of Abney Park.

After the ceremony, confetti and photographs around the park, everyone headed across Hackney to Lanzarote Works for the reception.

Two very different London venues, a bus full of wedding guests and a day that never felt overly formal or staged.

Exactly my kind of wedding.

THE CEREMONY

Hidden away in the heart of Abney Park, the chapel is quite a setting for a London wedding.

Built in 1840 and designed by William Hosking, it’s the oldest surviving non-denominational chapel in Europe. After an extensive restoration, it’s once again being used for ceremonies and events.

Inside, the Gothic architecture and tall windows give it an intimate, atmospheric feel... while outside you're surrounded by one of London's most unusual historic parks.

For Alicia and Ali, it was where everyone came together, they said their "I dos"... and the celebrations properly began.

Elegant orange cursive text reading Abney Park Chapel on a solid black background.

JUST MARRIED

There are few better ways to leave your wedding ceremony than walking through a wall of confetti.

Alicia and Ali came out of the chapel to everyone waiting for them outside... followed by hugs, congratulations and that lovely bit of chaos immediately after a ceremony when everyone wants to see the newlyweds.

A happy couple in white bridal dresses walk through cheering wedding guests at a historic stone church.

Two brides celebrate their wedding ceremony at an outdoor woodland altar with family and friends.

ALICIA & ALI

I never want the couple photographs to feel like disappearing from your own wedding for an hour-long photoshoot.

A little wander, a bit of time together and some photographs along the way is usually all we need.

For Alicia and Ali, it was also a chance to step away from everyone for a few minutes before heading back in and carrying on with the party.

FROM ABNEY PARK TO LANZAROTE WORKS

With the ceremony finished, it was time for the next part of the day.

Alicia, Ali and their guests jumped on the overgraound train and headed across to Lanzarote Works in Hackney.

I love this part of a wedding day. The ceremony is over, everyone relaxes, the drinks start appearing... and the journey itself becomes part of the story.

Smiling brides on the overgraound train with all their wedding guests

Two brides in white wedding dresses walking hand in hand at a train station platform with guests.

Two brides in white wedding dresses stand on an orange staircase at a London train station platform.

Two brides in white wedding dresses walk through a London Underground station tunnel together.

The reception

Lanzarote Works couldn't have been much more different from Abney Park Chapel... which is exactly why the combination worked.

A creative studio and event space in Hackney, it gave Alicia and Ali a relaxed, contemporary setting for the rest of their celebration.

Food, drinks, speeches, conversations and plenty of laughter... without the day suddenly turning into a formal wedding reception.

A blurry rainbow pride flag hangs in front of the Hackney Downs Overground station sign in London.

A red sticker reading Lanzarote Works on a textured wire glass window with industrial shadows.

A bride in a white dress delivers a wedding speech into a microphone while guests watch.

A wedding reception in an industrial warehouse venue with guests, a man in a kilt, and vintage speakers.

A man and woman dancing at a lively wedding reception party in a dim venue with string lights.

Happy wedding guests in colorful dresses dancing and laughing at a lively indoor reception party.

THE LINE-UP

Not your traditional wedding group photo.

With everyone together, we decided to do something a little different.

Rather than another conventional line of people smiling at the camera, we created Alicia and Ali’s Wedding Line-Up... bringing everyone together for one big editorial-style group portrait.

One photograph. The whole wedding party.

And definitely one for the wall.

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WHY THIS STOKE NEWINGTON WEDDING WORKED

Abney Park Chapel and Lanzarote Works made a brilliant combination for a London wedding that didn't feel conventional.

Two completely different spaces, plenty of character and a journey across Hackney connecting the two halves of the day.

Stoke Newington setting

Abney Park gives you greenery, architecture and some fantastic photographic backdrops right outside the chapel.

Brilliant for photographs

Gothic architecture and woodland at Abney Park... followed by an entirely different contemporary look at Lanzarote Works.

Two venues, one adventure

The journey across Hackney became part of the wedding rather than simply getting from one venue to another.

A reception they could make their own

Lanzarote Works gave the second half of the day a completely different, relaxed and creative feel.

A ceremony venue with character

Historic, atmospheric and very different from a traditional London wedding venue.

PLANNING AN ABNEY PARK CHAPEL WEDDING?

If you're getting married at Abney Park Chapel, Lanzarote Works or somewhere else around Stoke Newington and Hackney, I'd love to photograph it.

My approach is relaxed and documentary... capturing the people, atmosphere and moments that actually make your wedding yours, without turning the day into one long photoshoot.