Museum of the Order of St. John Wedding | Harry & Noi
Regular readers of my blog will know that I am always fascinated by the history of the wedding venues that I shoot at. Harry and Noi came up with a classic one for their relaxed and stylish London wedding – the Museum of the Order of St. John in Clerkenwell, London.
The Knights of St. John (also known as the Knights Hospitallers) were one of the original mediaeval chivalric orders. They were founded at the time of the Crusades in the early 12th century. Originally associated with a hospital in Jerusalem that cared for injured or sick pilgrims to the Holy Land, their tradition of looking after the sick has continued through the centuries. Their best-known legacy nowadays is the St. John Ambulance service.
The Priory at Clerkenwell was established in the 1140s as headquarters for the English branch of the Order. The remaining buildings include the Priory Church and gardens on the other side of St. John’s Square, and St John’s Gate (which includes the Chapter Hall and Council Chamber).
Wedding ceremony in St John’s Chapter Hall
Harry and Noi’s civil wedding ceremony was held amid the splendour of the Chapter Hall – surrounded by coats of arms and portraits of past Priors of the Order. After the signing of the register, everybody took a short walk across the road to the Cloister Garden, for champagne and canapés and some family group photos. The centrepiece of the garden is a 200-year-old olive tree.
After some time to chat and relax in the garden, Harry and Noi and their guests returned to the Chapter Hall for their wedding breakfast. My coverage concluded with some photos of Harry and Noi cutting their cake, before leaving them all in peace to enjoy the rest of their day!
Here are some of my favourite images from the wedding – many congratulations to Harry and Noi!