Stowe Gardens wedding photoshoot hire
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to attend a Sony Alpha day at Stowe Gardens in Buckinghamshire. Stowe House, which sits in Stowe Gardens, is a fantastic and luxurious 18th Century wedding location and the most perfect backdrop you could imagine for photography. More recently, I’ve done a wedding at Stowe House and you can view a selection of the photos by follow the link above.
Stowe Gardens wedding photography
What I didn’t know about Stowe when I first visited the gardens was that in addition to the main house, there are five other locations within the 250-acre grounds licensed for civil weddings — each one beautifully unique. These include the Palladian Bridge, the Temple of Ancient Virtue, the Rotunda, Temple of Concord and Victory, and the Temple of Venus.
The Temple of Concord and Victory can take up to 120 guests for your ceremony and has space outside for a large marquee. The Temple of Venus offers something more intimate, accommodating 40 people for a ceremony inside or up to 500 outside.
I don’t have the details for weddings at the Rotunda, the Temple of Ancient Virtue or the Palladian Bridge, you would need to check with Stowe Venue Hire.
How About a Stowe Wedding Shoot | Buckinghamshire Wedding Ideas
If you absolutely love Stowe but your pockets aren’t quite deep enough to host your entire wedding there, despair not. Because you can hire the grounds for your own private photoshoot session and relive your wedding day in the most iconic setting imaginable.
Your session can last up to three hours but it will need to take place either before or after public opening hours (07:00–10:00 or 17:30–20:30). Count me in for the late shift and maybe the early one at a push – I’m sure the mist on the lake will make it worth getting up.
But back to your wedding shoot. As part of the deal, you’ll have use of a golf buggy and a knowledgeable guide to help you reach the best spots for your photos.
You may need to do a bit of walking as well so bring your trainers because many of the bridges and paths are not accessible in the golf buggy.
I also recommend bringing a warm coat to throw round your shoulders between shots and while you’re travelling in the golf buggy. You can take it off and leave it in the buggy when you get to each location.
The cost of a photoshoot session is £500 (photographer not included) and booking in advance is essential.
It’s a truly remarkable opportunity to be photographed in such a historic and romantic setting — and your session fee goes directly towards conserving this beautiful National Trust landscape for future generations.
If you’re getting married soon,use the link to check my availability for wedding photography and post-wedding shoots at Stowe or anywhere else for that matter.
Stowe Gardens weddings
You can find more information about weddings and photoshoots at Stowe by visiting the National Trust’s Stowe Gardens page.
If you’d like to see more examples of my work in the county take a look at my Buckinghamshire Wedding Photography page.