MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Having lived in Manchester for much of my life, it feels particularly special when I’m asked to shoot a city centre wedding. My mind’s lens is always bursting with ideas for incredible wedding photos in the city I love so much! City weddings offer something so different, and the contrast of chic bridal glamour against the grittiness of a bustling city always results in iconic and unique wedding photos.
As an industrial city, Manchester is overflowing with interesting architecture, unusual landmarks and cool corners, all within walking distance of one another, so the options really are endless. Whether you’re looking for the grand traditional aesthetic of Manchester Town Hall or a boutique hotel with stunning city views, Manchester is overflowing with options from ceremony right through to reception. Not only is there a vast array of venues and locations on offer, but the accessibility of a city like Manchester means your wedding party can easily move between venues, and – even better- you can quickly sneak away as a couple to capture some urban shots out on Manchester’s historic streets.
FOR CHIC BOUTIQUE HOTEL WEDDINGS
Who doesn’t love a boutique hotel!? Stepping off Manchester’s busy streets and into the glamourous lobbies of Manchester’s finest venues makes you feel worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but with everything you need conveniently on your doorstep. From the chic sophistication of Great John Street Hotel, to the five-star decadence of Hotel Gotham, Manchester is peppered with incredible boutique hotel venues that will give your wedding day the wow-factor. We particularly love hotels which offer roof terraces, providing the ultimate panoramic photo opportunity for newlyweds. King Street Townhouse’s famous rooftop infinity pool is a favourite with brides-and-grooms-to-be, with stunning views of Manchester Town Hall providing an iconic backdrop to a good old Northern knees-up!
FOR URBAN STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
Between ceremony and reception, why not steal an hour as a couple, or with your bridal party, to get those cool street shots that city weddings are famous for? Turn heads in the Northern Quarter, where street art, beautiful brick walls and urban architecture create a photo opportunity on every corner. Or why not head to Castlefield, where canal-views, historic steel bridges and cobbled streets provide endless opportunities for unconventional wedding photos?
If architecture is your thing, there’s no building more stunning than the recently renovated Manchester Central Library. Originally constructed in the 1930’s– and inspired by the Pantheon in Rome, Manchester Library’s iconic spherical dome, column pillars and white Portland stone gives a distinctly European vibe; the ideal spot for cosmopolitan couples to capture spectacular wedding photos.
FOR HISTORIC VENUES WITH WOW-FACTOR
Manchester mixes the modern with the classic, but if luxury hotels aren’t your thing, there are a whole host of historic hotspots to host your city-centre wedding. If you have visions of exposed brickwork, original features and intricate stained glass, venues such as Victoria Baths and Albert Hall will surely hit the mark. These iconic spaces are part of Manchester’s rich heritage, and their beautifully restored architecture works so well when contrasted against a modern wedding aesthetic; neon lights, trestle tables and floral chandeliers can bring colour and personality into the venue.
Or, for all-out grandeur, the truly stunning Grade II listed Gorton Monastery is an extraordinary place to get married, with romantic Gothic features at every turn. Another popular wedding venue is the moody and industrial Victoria Warehouse, a live music venue come function space, with steel beams, vaulted ceilings and quirky rooms making an exciting space for creative couples to host the ultimate party.
FOR YOUR DESTINATION WEDDING
Ok, so we can’t turn Manchester into Marbella, but if you’re planning on doing your nuptials abroad, it’s likely that you may need to have a legal ceremony in the UK. Rather than down-playing the day and saving all the fun for the sun, why not make the most of your local ceremony and capture photos to mark the occasion? Without guests to please, you can escape into the city as a couple and capture those special moments of just the two of you. These photos will feel so different to your destination wedding shots and having both will give you lots of choice and let you look back on your legal wedding fondly. Getting married abroad and not sure where to start? Read our Destination Bride Guide for everything you need for planning a wedding outside the UK.
The huge range of Manchester city centre venues are sure to bring excitement, vibrancy and variety to any wedding day. How could you not have the best day of your life in the best city in the world?! If you’re planning your nuptials in Manchester, we would love to help you plan incredible photography that you’ll cherish forever.