Kyle booked me for his Belfast wedding because he wanted photographs that looked like their wedding - not just a wedding. Matt is older, Kyle is younger, and so they’ve both seen enough generic wedding photography to know exactly what they didn’t want.
They also walked down the aisle to the Revenge of the Sith soundtrack. Not ironically. They are both genuine Star Wars fans and it was completely right for who they are. So when we got to the Duke of York Alley after the ceremony and I handed them their umbrellas and said ‘lightsaber fight, Obi-Wan and Vader style’, they didn’t hesitate. The wide shot that came out of it is probably one of the best frames I’ve made at a wedding.
The Wedding - The Basis
A same-sex civil ceremony at Belfast City Hall on Saturday 4th April 2026. Ceremony at 1:30pm, reception at Henry’s on the second floor, coverage running from 1pm through to 9pm. A small, tight group of people who genuinely wanted to be there. No filler guests. That energy comes through in the images.
I flew in from Birmingham that morning. Ryanair, early flight, two hours to walk the venue before coverage started. Belfast City Hall is not a building you want to arrive at cold or last-minute as its extremely packed and has weddings almost back-to-back on a busy saturday approaching the summer.
Belfast City Hall: What It’s Actually Like
Belfast City Hall is genuinely one of the most architecturally interesting civic wedding venues in the UK. If you can’t decide between museum, Gothic cathedral, and city hall you don’t have to. It’s all three in one building. Belfast City Hall is not a registry office. It looks like someone built a cathedral, changed their mind halfway through, and decided to make it a seat of government instead. You've got Gothic stonework sitting next to marble corridors sitting next to rooms that feel like they belong in a museum. It shouldn't work. It does and it looks gorgeous on camera and in person all the whilst doing so.
The second floor has a gap in the middle; a circular opening that looks straight down to the ground floor. I stood up there before the ceremony and got a top-down shot I couldn't get anywhere else that day and it was unlike any other venue. If you want those eagle-eyed shots then this one is a no brainer. The red carpet staircase is where I put the group. It let me capture everyone as I shot from the top and everyone's face is clear, nobody's hidden behind a shoulder or peeking over one too.
The registrar, Neeve, was excellent. She allowed flash, (which matters because the interior light all the while atmospheric was low and warm). Without flash you’re working against the room. With it, the space opens up.
What the venue websites don’t tell you: City Hall is busy. On the day of Matt and Kyle’s wedding there were at least six ceremonies ongoing. Four civil, two cultural. It was either one every hour or so and the cultural one's were on a constant basis (live hosted). You feel it and you see it. The wedding team are well-drilled and the flow is managed so you're not panicking but you’re not the only couple in the building. If you want to feel like the city stopped for your wedding, City Hall isn’t quite that. It's also an open museum so be wary of tourist footfall and attraction.
If you want a building with genuine architectural drama and a central city location, it’s hard to beat.
Belfast City Hall: What Worked
The ceremony room itself was exactly the right setting for them. The cathedral glass panes, the aisle, the formality of the room and then Revenge of the Sith playing as they walked in. It was over the top in all the right places.
After the ceremony we moved outside and the city did something I didn’t expect. People on the street congratulated them. Not performatively, genuinely. A couple of people stopped, said something warm, kept walking. It's not eye-stopping anymore and people added to the day in ways you would expect in 2026 for Belfast.
The Duke of York Alley is a narrow cobbled street in the Cathedral Quarter. It’s where the portraits felt most like Belfast and least like a venue shoot. We went here to take some photos outside after we did the civic exterior and the photos here felt more intimate than they did at the civic hall.
The group at Henry’s was warm and relaxed. Small enough that everyone knew each other, big enough that there was real energy in the room. The kind of reception where you’re photographing people who are genuinely having a good time rather than performing having a good time.
Belfast City Hall: What Was Harder
Henry’s has a very low ceiling. Lower than I’ve worked with at most receptions. Low ceilings and flash are a specific problem as the light bounces unpredictably and about one in three frames look like how I intended whilst the rest look like I fight physics on the side. So I didn't throw my camera in the bag and walk off, no, I adapted as the evening went on and found the angles that gave me the most consistent results, but it’s worth knowing if you’re planning a reception there. Bring a photographer who’s comfortable working flash in difficult spaces and ensure your guests aren't sensitive to flashing lights.
A handful of tables weren’t interested in being photographed. That’s completely fine and I never push it. People don't want a camera in their face or from afar so I just work around it and focus on the thirty people who were. You end up with a gallery that’s genuinely representative of the people who wanted to celebrate rather than a forced round of everyone with faces that look doom and gloom.
Focusing more on City Hall, the venue itself moves quickly. With six weddings in a day the staff are efficient and you feel the pace. Portraits inside the building happen in a specific window after the ceremony before the room turns over. Knowing that in advance and having a clear plan for where you’re going next (in our case straight to the marble stairs and then out to the Cathedral Quarter), means the day doesn’t feel rushed even when the venue is moving at pace.
What Matt & Kyle Said - ★★★★★
We couldn’t be happier with the incredible work Shabaan did as our wedding photographer, this April. From start to finish, he made us feel completely relaxed and at ease, which really shows in the photos.
We had our photos taken around Belfast city centre, and he captured the atmosphere perfectly — every shot feels natural, vibrant, and full of character. He has a fantastic eye for detail and really knows how to make the most of the surroundings.
The portraits are absolutely stunning, the group shots were organised effortlessly, and the informal moments he captured are some of our favourites. Nothing felt forced or staged — just genuine, beautiful memories of the day.
Am I a right for you?
If you’re planning a same-sex wedding in Belfast and you want someone who’ll fly in, walk the venue before you arrive, work with flash across an eight-hour day, and come back with images that actually look like your wedding then this is probably the right fit.
If you want a photographer who’s been shooting Belfast weddings for twenty years and knows every venue coordinator by name then that’s not this. There are local photographers who do that well. The difference is the aesthetic and the approach. If the work on this page looks right, the rest usually follows. I shoot editorial and my aim is to ensure your work looks high-end and clean whilst still human.
Matt and Kyle wanted something editorial and unhurried that still caught the energy of the day. That’s what they got. If that’s what you’re looking for, get in touch.
Planning a Same-Sex Wedding in Belfast?
If you’re planning a same-sex wedding in Belfast — City Hall or elsewhere — and want to see more work or talk through what your day might look like, the Belfast page has more detail on how I work and what the city gives you photographically pre
