Kew Gardens Wedding Photography: The Complete Guide to Permits, Pricing and the Best Locations

One of the few London wedding venues that offers a completely different backdrop, depending on which glasshouse you're in, is Kew Gardens. A ceremony with the ironwork of the Temperate House is nothing like a ceremony in the Nash Conservatory, and nothing like a portrait session on the Broad Walk in April blossom. That variety, which is the primary attraction for couples considering Kew Gardens wedding photography, also poses some questions that the majority of photographer bios don't answer: What permit does one actually need? How much does it cost to hire the venue? How do you get great photographs once the light is dimmed within a 19th century glasshouse?

This guide addresses all three and also the places to construct a timeline about.

Why couples choose Kew Gardens for wedding photography

Kew is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a working botanic garden, not a purpose-built event space, and that's exactly what makes it photograph so well. A total of five separate glasshouses with distinct architectural qualities are surrounded by 320 acres of formal gardens, woodland and lakeside paths. Warm, airy, and humid are the qualities of the Palm House, which are brought into contrast with the scale of the Temperate House and a quiet corner of the Rock Garden, which are all found within a single walk-on space in the last gallery.

Another reason why Kew Gardens is so good is that of light. The curved glass in the glasshouses allows daylight to pass through instead of being blocked, so you'll get soft even light that you don't find in a marquee or hotel ballroom. In the gardens, outside, there are photography in mind but not the main reason, as long sight lines down the Great Broad Walk Borders, enough trees to provide open shade on bright autumn or spring afternoons, and enough seasonal planting to make it look like completely different shoots on a spring wedding day and an autumn wedding day.

Kew Gardens wedding venue packages and what they mean for photography

Kew is not a 'generic' space for hire. There are four packages for venue and a couple chooses one depends on which building a photographer is able to access and how much time is available between buildings.

Note to anyone with a specific date in mind: The Intimate package is not available during the refurbishment period, from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027, as this will involve the closure of Cambridge Cottage.

Packages of Kew Gardens included Guest capacity

Intimate (Cambridge Cottage)

• Cambridge Cottage and Duke's Garden
• Up to 80 seated, 120 evening
• £3,000 to £4,800 depending on day

Classic

• Nash Conservatory, Princess of Wales Conservatory or Sir Joseph Banks Lawn, The Orangery
• Up to 200
• £11,000 to £13,500 depending on day

Luxury

• Nash Conservatory, Princess of Wales Conservatory, Temperate House
• Up to 230 dinner dance, 300 standing
• £21,000 to £23,500 depending on day

South Asian wedding

• Nash Conservatory, Princess of Wales Conservatory, plus a choice of Orangery or Temperate House
• 200 to 400 depending on choice
• £12,000 to £24,500 depending on room and day

The South Asian wedding package

Kew's South Asian wedding package deserves a mention in its own right, as it is designed for a day that most London and Uk venues would not be able to fit comfortably with a large number of guests and multiple ceremonies. It combines the Nash Conservatory for a religious ceremony, which is usual here, and the Princess of Wales Conservatory with a selection of the Orangery or the Temperate House for the reception with a working capacity of up to 400 for a standing reception, and the dinner dance in the Orangery or the Temperate House. For couples who are planning a Hindu wedding, Kew also has a section of speciality South Asian suppliers for couples to choose from, apart from the photography.

This package is the one that should benefit the most from pre-planning when it comes to photography. When the Asian wedding photography and videography team does a shoot at three different locations in one day, they need a shoot schedule that factors in the possibility of a room that will need to be buggy while the others are working.

Photography permits at Kew Gardens: what you actually need

Most couples are confused and that is where Kew has two completely different systems depending on what type of photography is taking place.

If you have your wedding ceremony and/or reception at Kew (booked above through one of the packages), then the venue hire booking will cover your photographer and videographer. On the day of your wedding, you are not required to get a separate permit for your wedding photography team to shoot within the areas rented by the agency. Kew does have a list of recommended suppliers of photographers and videographers who have experience with the venue, but of course, you could bring your own photographer and videographer with you; these are just optional suggestions. The policy is to check with Kew's venue hire team when booking to ensure that the venue policy on accredited/external suppliers does not change.

If you are looking for portraits, an engagement shoot or a proposal shot within the gardens outside of a venue hire booking, it's another story altogether. Kew offers individual photography permits for sale on site:

For weddings, engagement and/or a proposal, it should be £75 plus VAT.

• Family or maternity permit: £75 + VAT
• Student permit: £50 + VAT
• Artist permit (painting or drawing): £75 + VAT

There are a few rules that are applicable to all of them. A permit must be purchased 24 hours in advance of the visit; permits will not be sold at gate on the day. It will include photography throughout the normal opening hours, on a pre-arranged date, but it will not include entry to the garden which will be charged on top of the standard ticket price. Email Kew Monday to Friday at the time of the day to make a purchase.

There's a third category though: commercial filming and photography for brands, magazines/campaigns that operates on a totally different pricing model, relative to crew size and time spent on set, and is not connected to either of the above. When in doubt, Kew's commercial media team will confirm what type of shoot it is.

Best locations inside Kew Gardens for wedding photography

• Palm House: The most photographed of Kew's glass houses, and the most challenging to photograph. There is a constant change in the lighting inside, as it passes through the curved glass with the clouds outside, which is hot, humid, and dense with tropical planting. It is about being patient, rather than having a shot list in mind. Please note that the Palm House will be closed for a large-scale multi-year project that will restore the house to a net zero status in 2027, and will close again in 2028 so couples looking for 2027 and 2028 should consider the Temperate House and the Princess of Wales Conservatory.
• Temperate House: The biggest Victorian glass house in the world, now restored, with two white spiral stairs and walkways raised above ground, providing a photographer with real height and depth. This is the space covered in detail below and the reception venue for both of the Luxury and South Asian packages.
• Nash Conservatory: The most naturally lit ceremony space at Kew, with soft, directional light which is excellent for the afternoon. It's the ceremony location for all 4 packages.
• Princess of Wales Conservatory: 10 different climates in one building, from desert to tropical, which provides a lot of variety in a small building. Ideal for smaller group photos and for quiet portraits of couples, taken away from the hectic event atmosphere.
• The Orangery: A Grade I listed Dining Hall featuring high ceilings and arched windows which are utilized for dinner dance on the Classic and Orangery based South Asian packages. Guests pour out onto the terrace overlooking the Great Broad Walk Borders in summer, a time that can be included in the timeline for golden hour portraits.
• Cambridge Cottage and Duke's Garden: The Intimate package's setting is a period building with a private Garden. Closed for refurbishment, until August 2027, as above.
• Outdoors: The Great Broad Walk Borders, the Rose Garden, the Japanese Landscape near the Pagoda, the Redwood Grove, all are good for photos and do not need room bookings for if they are within the couple's booked hours. The rise and fall of the seasons are more important here than indoors: The Rose Garden is at its best in summer (June-July), the Japanese cherry blossoms in late March to April, and the Redwood Grove is best throughout the year due to the tree canopy.

Low-light photography techniques inside the Temperate House

If the bride and groom stay in the Temperate House for two of their four packages, it's important to explain what exactly goes on in a glasshouse at night.

1.     White balance shifts hard toward green: Ambient light becomes quite green when the glass and foliage cover the camera, and then it is lit by artificial light sources. Make sure to shoot RAW and make a custom white balance for the space, not relying on the auto white balance, so as to save on the correction work you will need to do later and so as to maintain accurate skin tones in mixed lighting.

2.     The dynamic range is extreme after dusk: There will be bright pools under uplighting, or the dancefloor and dark corners under the upper canopy of the glasshouse all within the same frame. Often times, a dark background with good exposure to the faces and letting the background go darker is the better choice when shooting such a large space as this one.

3.     Fast primes earn their keep here: An f/1.4 or f/1.8 lens helps to keep ISO under control past the sun, and the shallow depth of field also serves to isolate a couple from a cluttered, plant-heavy background. This only requires a lens swap between the ceremony and reception, and a 35mm will cover about 95% of the distance.

4.     Bounce light off the architecture, don't fight it with direct flash: This is because it is important to avoid blown-out skin tones and to avoid a flat look given by a direct flash in a reflective glass room, this is achieved by angling off camera flash up into the structure instead of directly at the subject.

5.     Plan the golden hour into the transfer time, not around it: If the ceremony is early in the day, the time between the drinks reception and dinner dance is a great time to catch the light because the sun is low enough that it comes through the glass at a slant, not straight down. The most important aspect of these weddings is that you find time to build up 20-30 minutes of that transfer time into the day's schedule, rather than use it as spare time.

Best time of year for Kew Gardens wedding photography

• Spring (late March to May): Blossom and fresh growth (especially in Japanese Landscape area) and the softer light makes it suitable for outdoor portraiture as well as conservatories.
• Summer (June to August): The longest daylight hours and the Rose Garden is in full bloom, but also the busiest tourist season of the year when a part of the shoot is not conducted in a private hire window.
• Autumn (September to October): Redwood Grove and Broad Walk Borders turn warm and gold in the fall and the reduced daylight in the afternoon provides good directional lighting.
• Winter (November to February): Winters are quiet, and favor the glasshouses, where the difference between warm inter and cold nights is the most marked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit for wedding photography at Kew Gardens?

If you're shooting a personal shoot, either an engagement session or a proposal photos, then only. Your photographer is included in the venue hire package, and does not require a separate permit if your ceremony or reception is held at Kew. Personal Photography Permit - £75 + VAT for wedding, engagement and proposal photography. Must be purchased at least 24 hours before the event.

How much does it cost to hire Kew Gardens for a wedding?

Depends on the package. The Intimate package begins at around £3,000 plus VAT, the Classic package at £11,000 to £13,500, plus VAT and the Luxury package and South Asian package (which includes the Temperate House) at around £21,000 to £24,500 plus VAT depending on the day of the week.

Can I bring my own wedding photographer to Kew Gardens?

Yes. Kew's list of recommended photography and videography suppliers is not compulsory but advised and couples are free to take their own team with them when booking their wedding package. Please double-check current terms with Kew's events team when booking.

Is the Temperate House good for wedding photography?

Yes, especially for couples who wish to have height, look and architectural detail in their pictures. It is the world's largest Victorian glass house featuring two spiral staircases and walkways up higher. The most important thing is light; it looks great during the daylight hours and requires careful management when event lighting comes into play in the evening.

Is Cambridge Cottage available for weddings right now?

Kew's Intimate wedding package will take place at No. Cambridge Cottage which is closed from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027 for refurbishment.

What's the best time of day for photos in the glasshouses?

Toward the end of the day (late afternoon) when the sun is lower in the sky and can shine through the curved glass instead of straight down through the roof. This provides light with greater direction within the conservatories and for portraiture on the surrounding lawns, both of which are softer than midday light.

Planning your Kew Gardens wedding photography

The first two things you'll need to get sorted out before you book your package are which glasshouses you want to have photographed and how much transfer time you want between the glasshouses. The second part, the building of the buggy tours into the day's running order, can be assisted by an escorted tour by Kew.

If you're getting married at Kew Gardens and you want the wedding photographer or videographer that already knows how the venue operates, the permit system and how to handle all the different light conditions in each glasshouse, make contact with Memory Filming to discuss your wedding date.