Photoshoots at 10-11 Carlton House Terrace – A Case Study

The Brand Studio

Last year, we welcomed Helen and Louise from the Brand Studio to our venue for a gorgeous photoshoot. They were looking to create a portfolio of branding images for professionals in the wedding industry and chose 10-11 Carlton House Terrace as the backdrop for their showcase. The Brand Studio specialise in creating compelling and unique visual brand stories and editorial content for wedding, lifestyle and beauty businesses.

There were several factors to take into account for the Brand Studio in choosing their photoshoot venue, but they ultimately chose 10-11 because of the choice of beautiful settings our Georgian Townhouse can offer.

The duo knew what kinds of backdrops they needed for their shoot. The hurdle was that they wanted a variety, ranging from neutral to ornate, in order to create a number of different looks. We were delighted to be able to offer a host of different styles all under one roof, making it easy for the shoot team to capture a wide assortment of shots without the need to hire multiple venues.

Helen shared: “We chose 10-11 Carlton House Terrace for it's gorgeous classical decor, high ceilings and natural light. It's unusual to come across a venue in Central London that has a such a broad range of styles across different rooms. Using a number of spaces ensured that we could provide different looks for each of our clients and have multiple set ups being arranged throughout the day, so we could move swiftly from one to the other.”

The objective of the photoshoot was to capture some personal branding photos for small group of wedding professionals, showing them in an elegant, stylish environment alongside beautiful props and staging.

As weddings are one of our specialities, we love having wedding professionals visit. They can be a tough crowd to please, but we were so delighted to hear that they “hugely appreciated the beauty of the building as well as the central London location. They all felt that it was a dream wedding venue!”

Whilst the Studio’s shoot at the venue coincided with a large filming booking, our team worked hard to ensure they were attended to throughout the day and the shoot ran smoothly from start to finish.

In response, Helen said: “The staff were all so helpful in accommodating us. They seamlessly worked around the filming schedule for a huge blockbuster movie and were very helpful with delivery and pick up for props and furniture.”

“I think I would say that despite being super busy with filming, we always felt that the team were working really hard to look after us. We dealt with a number of members of staff, but they were all aware of our needs and we felt that the team worked really well together.

"We never felt we were being passed from one person to another or needing to re-communicate the same things at any time.”

We understand that photoshoots often need to run dynamically on the day to ensure you get the right shots. Something you thought would work on paper doesn’t always come out the same way in practice, and so we like to give as much flexibility as possible to every shoot.

The Brand Studio team “loved having the ability to roam around the building. Inevitably on shoots, things change on the day and what you thought would work might not. It was great to feel that we weren't restricted in our choices or timekeeping (within reason!).”

“We especially loved the Music Room with the beautiful panelling and fireplace which was perfect for one of our florists to decorate and the bay window in the Council Room is a gorgeous light filled spot!”

We thoroughly enjoyed hosting this shoot and came away confident the Brand Studio team enjoyed their time here too, but we had to ask - would they use our London photoshoot venue again?

Helen concluded by saying: “We'd love to use 10-11 Carlton House Terrace again, absolutely!”

Here are just a few more of the elegant shots from the day…

Blackburn Bridal

We hosted Blackburn Bridal during October 2020 for a photoshoot featuring their new collection of cocktail dresses. They needed a portfolio of images to promote the dresses on their website and across social media, as well as a couple of bridal images to use as new social media content. Blackburn Bridal offers bespoke bridal and cocktail couture from their elegant boutique in South East London.

With a refined vision and a precise brief, Blackburn Bridal founder, Russel Blackburn, came to us already keen to use 10-11 Carlton House Terrace for his upcoming shoot. After a contact of his recommended the venue, their team did some further research online and finalised 10-11 as their setting of choice.

One of the core aspects of their brief was to use a photoshoot venue in central London that also offered lots of natural daylight. On top of this, being able to utilise our gorgeous range of spaces as different backdrops was also important.

We were delighted to be able to meet all three criteria, with a number of our rooms offering panelling, some with ornate gilding and others with large, imposing windows.

Russel pointed out that whilst planning their shoot “the website with interactive floor plans was particularly helpful at getting a feel for the space ahead of the shoot.”

Our job is to make sure every photoshoot is a success, but 2020 has given the venue team more to take into account than usual. Currently, there is a throughout set of measures in place to ensure every shoot we host is safe and compliant with the latest COVID guidelines. However, we’re also committed to making sure these impact the shooting process as little as possible.

Commenting on the venue's COVID procedures, Russel said the team didn’t find that it impacted the day at all.

“Everything ran smoothly and the venue was able to accommodate us perfectly. We were able to shoot everywhere we wanted to and didn't feel the processes affected our shoot outcome in the slightest.”

As with the Brand Studio, staying flexible both in the run-up and on the day is key for a productive photoshoot. There’s always likely to be some change of plan, so we’re always prepared to accommodate when it happens!

Russel shared: "The communication with Carlton House was fantastic from start to finish. Our contact, Amie, was extremely efficient at coming back to us on all our questions and couldn't have been more helpful.”

“They were very accommodating when we decided to change the concept of the shoot at the last minute from bridal to occasion wear. They were also very flexible with us in the lead up to the shoot when our dates needed changing.”

When the big day came around, it was a dream shoot. We think the gorgeous dresses really came into their own against our Grade I venue’s variety of elegant backdrops. Our team stayed on hand throughout the day, ready to help with props, furniture, sets and anything else they needed.

As the Blackburn team experimented with different spaces and angles, it became nearly impossible not to pick a favourite. Russel shared his with us: “My absolute favourite spot was against the gold gilding detail on the walls in the gallery area - this provided a beautiful backdrop to complement our cocktail range."

"The large floor to ceiling windows in the Music Room was also fabulous and great for photography with all the natural lighting. We were able to utilise the balcony area too which was an added bonus on the day.”

Ultimately, he said: “We can't compliment the team enough. They were extremely efficient on the lead up to the shoot and then on the day were on hand to help move furniture around and assist with anything we needed.”

“We'd love to shoot again at the venue and use some of the other rooms - the staircase area in particular as we didn't have chance to utilise this time.”

London photoshoot venue for hire

Our Grade I listed Georgian townhouse provides a stunning backdrop to a wide range of shoots. Whether you're looking for somewhere to contrast a new collection of urban fashion and streetwear, or a setting that works in harmony with more traditional styles and products, our team and venue will be able to accommodate it.

If you're interested in using 10-11 Carlton House Terrace as a photoshoot venue, the team will be happy to help. You can contact them at info@10-11cht.co.uk or on 020 7969 5224.