Liverpool Cathedral, Liverpool

Wedding Photography at the Liverpool Cathedral

It is difficult to write about a religious structure such as Liverpool Cathedral from a commercial perspective because the two do not sit very well with each other. As a local Liverpool wedding photographer, I have captured images at many of the fantastic churches in the Liverpool area but Liverpool Cathedral comes into its own in terms of wedding photography in Liverpool. I think that it would be crass to write about this as a venue from a commercial perspective, the most appropriate discussion here should relate to the history of the cathedral and the impact this has on wedding photography at Liverpool Cathedral.

Liverpool Cathedral is significant in historical terms for a number of reasons. Liverpool itself owes a significant amount to the sea and the development and growth of the city itself arose from the industrial revolution and the need for a suitable commercial port. The cathedral is relatively very new, the foundation stone being laid in 1904 by King Edward VII. The cathedral is therefore historically significant and at the time, it was the largest religious building project in the country, attracting a host of famous architects to submit for the opportunity to design and build. The paradox is that this is a Church of England cathedral designed by a Roman Catholic whereas the Roman Catholic Liverpool Cathedral was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens who was Anglican. The winner of the design was Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, also famous for the design of the red telephone box and Battersea Power Station. In fact, there are several architectural similarities between the two buildings, the four corner chimneys of Battersea are clearly of the same structural design but without the detailing of the central tower of Liverpool Cathedral.

The Lady Chapel is the oldest part of the cathedral, being completed in 1910 and the location of the most intricate detailing. The further additions to the cathedral moved from the traditional gothic styling to a more modern design and it took until 1978 to actually complete the entire building of the cathedral. The Lady Chapel is a more intimate space and structurally interesting in terms of the detailing in comparison with the rest of the building. This part of the building contains the gothic detailing that was a trademark of Scotts famous grandfather, the architect Sir George Gilbert Scott who built and renovated a large number of churches and cathedrals in the 19th Century and designed the stunning St Pancras Station (in my view).

Perhaps or almost certainly, the single most endearing part of the building is the striking and imposing belltower. This stands at just over 100m tall and is one of the tallest existing churches in the world. It is also home to the heaviest working peal of bells in the world so you will never be able to complain about your wedding day bells! Looking up to the central belltower is almost compulsory and it is certainly one of those rare experiences in life where a man made structure can compete with natures beauty. This area is perfect for wedding photography at Liverpool Cathedral, the natural light that shines through allows the Liverpool Cathedral wedding photographer to capture immense images, full of detail without loosing the focus of the primary subject that would be the bride and groom. This really is a building that has a stunning character and beautiful and original detailing and structure at every angle!

Rob is a local Liverpool wedding photographer and a very big fan of Liverpool Cathedral as you can see. Rob has captured many weddings at virtually all of the best wedding venues in Liverpool including Liverpool Town Hall weddings and St Georges Hall weddings. If you would like to see images, click on the link to Palm House wedding images or Knowsley Hall wedding photographs and the Hillbark Hotel weddings in the Wirral so that you can get an idea of our wedding photography style.

© Rob Sanderson - The wedding Photographer, Liverpool, Manchester and Cheshire, Tel 07775 503659