Red Routemaster Bus Weddings

The Red Routemaster Bus is a popular choice of transport for couples getting married in London as it gives them the convenience of getting their guests from the wedding ceremony to their reception without worrying about parking or finding cabs and at the same time enjoying a trip down memory lane, re-living a time when we could hop on and off these wonderful old buses. It is a fantastic way to travel in London, and usually the company hiring you the bus will plan the journey so that some of the great London tourist sites or places of interest are passed along the way.

The groom can act out one of his his boyhood dreams of being a bus conductor, but of course he will never admit it.

The double-decker bus was designed by London Transport in the 1950’s. The first Routemasters entered service with London Transport in February 1956 and the last were withdrawn from regular service in December 2005. A total of 2,876 Routemasters were built with 1,280 still in existence. Some Routemasters still run on the London Heritage routes, 9 and 15. The open platform, while exposed to the elements, allowed hopping on and off in places other than official stops, something we can no longer do with modern buses.

I’ve had the pleasure to photograph a number of weddings where a Red Routemaster Bus was the transport chosen by the Bride and Groom and I have enjoyed every moment of the journey and to be honest I have always been sorry to reach our destination and for the journey to end. As a reportage wedding photographer I walk around the bus both upstairs and downstairs throughout the journey taking photographs of the guests, and I think this makes me feel like the conductor when these buses were in service as he was the only person who could walk around the bus during the journey.

Some popular wedding locations in North London where a Red Routemaster Bus is the transport of choice are Islington Town Hall and Stoke Newington Town Hall, both of these locations are situated where parking is very difficult to find, so a bus is perfect for weddings at these locations.

This bus is a British and London icon, I hope they keep running for many more years to come and it is a wonderful addition to your wedding day.

This lovely couple met when they both worked on the Number 11 bus route in London. It ran from Fulham Broadway into the financial heart of the City of London, Bank station. On Victoria and Tom’s wedding day they surprised Tom’s grandparents by having the number 11 route and garage details on the front and back of the bus, what a lovely idea and these two youngsters were soon reacquainted with their old bus. Without the number 11 bus route, there would never have been a wedding, how amazing is that!

Victoria and Tom’s wedding was at Colchester Town Hall, so these old buses get around, they don’t just transport wedding guests in London.

Guests arriving at London Fields Brewery for Nina and Finn’s wedding. When you have over 100 guests to transport from Islington Town Hall to your venue in Hackney you can’t beat a bus, it’s quick, no parking problems for your guests and most of all it’s great FUN!When you look inside the driver’s cab you realise how basic these buses really are, you won’t find any computers in these old ladies. Just a big steering wheel (no power steering) a speedo, some knobs and a few switches.

If you’re planning a wedding with a Red Routemaster Bus please get in touch with me to find out whether I’m available for your date, or to request information on prices.