About the studio
Marne & Lyle is a partnership, not a studio-with-associates. Every wedding we take is photographed by the two of us, together. Not a principal and a second shooter, not a lead and an assistant, not a rotating roster. Both of us, every wedding, from morning to first dance.
We met at a weekend course in documentary photography at the RPS in 2017. Six months later we started shooting weddings together as a test. Seven years on it is still the only wedding model we find interesting. Both perspectives. Both cameras. Both taking photographs that are allowed to fail.
In their own words
“The best wedding photography does not announce itself. You do not remember the photographer being there. You remember a picture that reminds you of something true.”
Helena Marne, 2024
The partnership
Helena Marne
Photographer, Partner
BA Photography (LCC), RPS Associate, Guild of Wedding Photographers
Ten years in editorial portrait photography at British Vogue and an independent agency before weddings. Specialism: available light, observational. Shoots mostly medium-format film.
Theo Lyle
Photographer, Partner
BA Fine Art Photography (Glasgow School of Art), RPS Associate
Eight years in documentary fashion photography across London and Paris before weddings. Specialism: movement, mid-light, colour. Shoots predominantly digital with a film backup body.
“We would rather turn down ten bookings than under-cover one. A wedding is a single day. You cannot reshoot it.”
Theo Lyle
Seven years
Five dates, a hard cap, and one decision to stay independent. The partnership has had more offers to expand than to leave it alone, and we have taken none of them.
2017
Marne and Lyle meet at an RPS documentary workshop. Shoot their first wedding together five months later as a favour.
2018
Formalised the partnership. Ten weddings in the first year.
2020
Settled on a hard cap of fourteen weddings per year. Turned down an acquisition offer from a wedding-industry group.
2023
First international season. Shot weddings in Italy, France, and New York.
2025
Seven years partnered, 102 weddings covered to date, approximately 70 couples refer friends.
Guarantees
Every wedding contract we issue commits us to: both photographers present, twelve-week delivery of the curated gallery, medium-format film and digital combined at no additional charge, and a complete refund of your deposit if either of us is unable to shoot. Nothing depends on the small print.
If you are unhappy with the final gallery, we will re-edit at no charge. If you are still unhappy, we will refund the full fee less our travel costs. That has not happened and we hope it never will. But the guarantee matters more than the number of times it has been claimed.