Wedding Photography at the Empire Music Hall, Belfast
Our tips from behind the scenes…
We shot the first ever wedding at the Empire Music Hall in 2012. More than a decade on, we're still photographing weddings here, and it still surprises us. That's not something we can say about many venues.
The Empire is a Victorian-era former church on Botanic Avenue in south Belfast - three floors, a mezzanine, a stage, multiple bars, and decades of gigs, comedy nights and Belfast life absorbed into the walls. It's a venue with real character that - luckily for all of us - also happens to do weddings.
Photo spots
The Empire is compact, and that’s good for creating wedding vibes. The dancefloor is where a lot of the best moments happen - all the energy, the merriment and chaos. The mezzanine is one of our favourite spots, looking down over everything below. We have a photograph of Sarah & Aaron from that first wedding in 2012 - leaning over the mezzanine rail, watching their own party unfold beneath them. We love that image. The stage is brilliant for the same reason; we never know what's going to happen up there, and the camera always drinks the craic in.
Outside, Botanic Avenue gives you something completely different. Old brick, graffitied walls, passing traffic, city life carrying on around you. It adds an energy to documentary shots and portaits alike, and suits the venue perfectly.
Light
The Empire can be dark and atmospheric inside, as you'd expect from a Victorian music theatre - dark wood, red tones, stage lighting. It creates a richness that photographs well. You can choose to have the blinds up or down on the tall windows. Tim works with whatever light is available: the ambient glow of the room, the dancefloor, the stage. He'll sometimes add a handheld flash, which gives the images an editorial quality - somewhere between documentary and something you might find in an old music magazine. Outside you're at the mercy of Belfast weather, but things always work out.
The vibe
Couples who choose the Empire often have a connection to it before the wedding conversation even starts - from gigs, student nights, years of comedy club Tuesdays on Botanic Avenue. They're not looking for a polished hotel wedding. They want a great night that also happens to be their wedding. Music matters. The dancefloor matters. A room with real history matters. They tend to have their own thing going on aesthetically, and the Empire gives them the space to express that rather than absorbing them into a house style.
In practice, that means the photographs look different here than anywhere else we shoot.
How the day usually works
The Empire works best for an evening reception following a ceremony elsewhere in Belfast. City Hall is nearby and a popular choice - the contrast between the formality of the ceremony there and the looseness of the Empire works well. We've also had couples marry at the Ulster Museum beforehand, and occasionally the Ulster Hall.
The open-top Belfast sightseeing bus or a vintage Routemaster is a brilliant way to move guests between the two - everyone travels together, the city becomes part of the day, and it tends to be one of the things people talk about afterwards.
Catering is flexible - the Empire works with outside caterers, which gives couples real freedom. Tables are pub-style rather than formal banqueting, which means people move around naturally. No seating plan required if you don't want one. The mezzanine is worth mentioning too: even guests who aren't on the dancefloor feel completely connected to what's happening below.
Practical things
When is the Empire available for weddings? Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Tuesdays and Saturdays are not available for hire.
Is catering provided? The Empire can provide a buffet, or you can bring your own caterer. The Yellow Door is their recommended option for a more formal meal.
How many guests? The venue holds up to around 400, though most wedding receptions use it more intimately than that. It still feels very buzzy with 100 people.
Is it just an evening venue? Primarily yes - most couples use it for their reception after a ceremony elsewhere in the city.
A couple of weddings we've photographed at the Empire:
The first ever wedding at the Empire Music Hall - Sarah & Aaron
Yaz & Owen - City Hall and Empire Music Hall Wedding