Tunbridge Wells wedding photographer
I photograph weddings in Royal Tunbridge Wells and across the Kent and Sussex border. A proper spa town with Georgian and Victorian streets, and open countryside a few minutes' drive in any direction.
I have photographed weddings just outside the town at High Rocks, and at Kingdom near Tonbridge, so I know this corner of the Weald.
This page covers the venues couples ask me about, where to take photographs in and around town, how I work on the day, and what it costs. I am a London wedding photographer, and Tunbridge Wells is under an hour from the city by train.
Weddings at High Rocks
Built around a sandstone outcrop that is now a scheduled monument, with bridges between the rocks and woodland paths running through it. It is not a venue where you photograph the building. You go down into the rocks, and the tree cover keeps the light soft even in the middle of the day. There is a steam railway platform in the grounds too.
See Jack and Kim's High Rocks wedding, where the bridesmaids broke into an unplanned lip sync, and Shannon and Lucas at High Rocks.
Weddings I have photographed in Kent
Near Tunbridge Wells and further into the county.
Adrian and Charlotte
A wood and glass clubhouse up among the trees, with a roof deck looking out across the Weald. Floor-to-ceiling glass keeps the rooms bright, and the grounds and farmland around it are good for portraits. A church ceremony first, then a getaway in a Lamborghini.
See the wedding
Weddings at Hever Castle
Anne Boleyn's childhood home, a double-moated castle with famous gardens, further west of Tunbridge Wells but easily in range. My Hever Castle page has more.
Hever Castle weddings
Weddings at Leeds Castle
Further into the county, near Maidstone. See Lilai and Sisi's wedding there, and my Leeds Castle page.
Leeds Castle weddingsAlso in Kent: Holly and Dan at The Orangery, Maidstone. Across the border, my Sussex wedding photographer page covers the venues on that side, and the full list of places I have worked is on my wedding venues page.
Wedding venues in and around Tunbridge Wells
The ones couples ask me about most. Check current packages and availability with each venue directly.
The Spa Hotel
An 18th-century country house on the edge of town, in 14 acres with three spring-fed lakes. Ceremonies can be held outdoors at the Spa Temple overlooking the lakes, or indoors in the Royal Suite.
The Royal Wells Hotel
On Mount Ephraim in the middle of town, for smaller, relaxed weddings. Handy if you want guests within walking distance of everything.
Salomons Estate
A Victorian manor in 36 acres at Southborough, just north of town. Its Science Theatre, built in the 1890s with galleries on three sides and a restored organ, is used for ceremonies, and it is a room like no other in Kent.
Penshurst Place
A 14th-century manor house with its medieval Baron's Hall, in a 2,500-acre estate with Elizabethan gardens, about ten minutes from Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells.
Hever Castle
Anne Boleyn's childhood home, a double-moated castle with famous gardens, further west but easily in range.
High Rocks
Just outside town, built around the sandstone rocks. Two of the weddings above were here. The one venue on this list where I would tell you to leave the building out of the pictures altogether.
Photographs in and around the town
You do not need a car for any of the first three.
The Pantiles
The colonnaded walk around the old spring, and the most distinctive part of Tunbridge Wells to photograph. Early in the day or on a weekday, it is quiet.
Calverley Grounds
A public park a short walk from the centre and good for portraits. If your venue is in town, this is the easiest green space to reach between the ceremony and the meal.
Dunorlan Park
The other park I use, with more space and a lake. Both parks are public, so expect other people about, and neither needs a car.
Countryside close by
The Kent and Sussex border is a few minutes out of the centre. Even with a venue in town, you can have a green backdrop without losing half an hour. The Weald gets sun and rain in the same afternoon, and mist over the fields is worth more than a clear sky, so build a little slack into the timings rather than fixing the portraits to the minute.
How I work
Documentary for most of the day. I stay out of the way and photograph what actually happens: the nerves before, the faces during the vows, your dad on the dance floor at eleven. I do not direct anything during the ceremony.
Family groups get done quickly, because nobody enjoys standing in a line and it shows if it drags on. Ten combinations take about fifteen minutes, so agree the list in advance. For portraits I do not arrange you into shapes. I give you somewhere to walk and something to talk about, and work around you, and twenty minutes is plenty.
In the morning, I photograph the details first (dress, shoes, rings, anything borrowed or handed down) and then leave people alone. The best frames are usually of somebody helping somebody else. Tell me if something is significant: a grandmother's brooch looks like any brooch to me unless you say so.
Collections for Tunbridge Wells
Three collections, every image edited, and your full gallery within a week. The full breakdown is on my wedding photography prices page.
Ceremony, groups, portraits and the start of the reception.
- For smaller weddings and register office days
- Every image edited
- Private online gallery within a week
- Full print rights
Preparations through to the first dance.
- The one most couples choose
- Every image edited
- Private online gallery within a week
- Full print rights
The whole day, from the first cup of tea to the last song.
- For long days and two venues
- Every image edited
- Private online gallery within a week
- Full print rights
Getting married across the border? My Sussex wedding photographer page has the venues and collections for that side.
What couples say
We had Barrie come by and photograph our civil ceremony / wedding registration at Old Marylebone Town Hall. We wanted it shot in an elopement style as it was just one of the many pre- weddings events …
Barrie was fab! He knew Old Marylebone Town Hall really well (even the registrars knew him). He made us feel comfortable and took us to really cute places to get some special shots. Would highly recom…
Barrie was the photographer for our civil wedding ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall and he was great! Professional, friendly and creative throughout the day. The photos are amazing, stylish and ple…
Barrie is incredible! He is a total pro and the best in the business! We love our photos so much. We got married at trading boundaries and he was the perfect photographer. So special. Thank you Barrie
Barrie was such a great photographer for our wedding from start to finish. He was so friendly and make us feel so calm and relaxed on our big day. The photos he took were amazing and we loved all of t…
Tunbridge Wells wedding photography questions
Do you photograph weddings in Tunbridge Wells?
Yes. I photograph weddings in Royal Tunbridge Wells and across Kent and Sussex, including at High Rocks just outside town and at Kingdom near Tonbridge.
What are the best wedding venues near Tunbridge Wells?
Couples most often ask about The Spa Hotel and The Royal Wells Hotel in town, High Rocks just outside, Salomons Estate in Southborough, Penshurst Place and Hever Castle.
Where can we take wedding photos in Tunbridge Wells?
The Pantiles is the most distinctive spot, and Calverley Grounds and Dunorlan Park are both good for portraits without needing a car. The countryside on the Kent and Sussex border is only a few minutes away.
How much does a wedding photographer in Tunbridge Wells cost?
My collections are £1,350 for five hours, £1,800 for eight and £2,200 for eleven, with every image edited. A second photographer is an optional £1,250.
When will we receive our photographs?
Within a week of the wedding, in a private online gallery.
Have you worked at our venue before?
Possibly. I have photographed weddings at High Rocks more than once and at Kingdom near Tonbridge, and further into Kent at Hever Castle, Leeds Castle and The Orangery in Maidstone.
Do you photograph weddings in Sussex too?
Yes. Tunbridge Wells sits on the border, and I photograph weddings across Sussex too. My Sussex wedding photographer page covers the venues on that side.
Getting married in or around Tunbridge Wells?
Send me your date and venue and I will let you know straight away whether I am free. I read every enquiry myself.
Rather use the longer form? Head to the contact page
Barrie was the photographer for our late November wedding at the Old Marylebone Town Hall and we are absolutely delighted with the photographs. He was able to capture all the crucial moments before, d…