Goodwood House Wedding Photographer
Weddings at Goodwood House, The Kennels and the Goodwood Hotel, photographed quietly by someone who has known the estate for well over a decade.
Goodwood House sits in 12,000 acres of West Sussex parkland, a few miles north of Chichester. Most people know it for the Festival of Speed and Revival. That's a big part of why it's such a good place to get married. I've photographed more than forty weddings at Goodwood House. I lived in Chichester for twenty years and was one of the house's recommended photographers, and Goodwood still uses some of my wedding pictures in its own marketing.
It has been home to the Dukes of Richmond for more than 300 years. The rooms have real weight to them, the grounds go on for miles, and there's a motor racing story running through the whole estate. You get a country house wedding that doesn't look like anyone else's.
Over a decade of weddings on the estate
I know the rooms, how the light behaves in them, and where to take you for twenty minutes without a long walk in your wedding shoes.
I've photographed weddings in the House itself, at The Kennels, and getting ready at the Goodwood Hotel. I know how long it takes to get from one place to the next, which doors to use, and where the light will be at four o'clock in October. That means less standing around for you and your guests.
On the day I work quietly. I'm not the photographer shouting instructions across the lawn or stopping the day for a forty-minute group list. I photograph the wedding as it happens, take the two of you away for portraits when the light is right, and the rest of the time you'll forget I'm there.
BarrieWhere weddings happen at Goodwood
Most couples use some mix of three places on the estate. They're close together, so the day never feels spread out.
The Yellow Drawing Room
Yellow silk on the walls, windows onto the gardens and portraits of the Dukes of Richmond looking on. The silk throws colour back into the room, so everything looks softer than it would in a white room. With low sun through the windows it barely needs any help.
Dinner and the Ballroom
Red walls, chandeliers and old paintings, and a room for candlelight rather than daylight. I always take a few wide frames of the room set up before guests come in, because it won't look like that again. Then the first dance and the party.
The Kennels
The old hunt kennels, restored as a relaxed, clubhouse-style venue. Smaller, warmer and more low-key than the House, with parkland right behind it.
The Kennels guide →The Goodwood Hotel is where most couples get ready and a lot of guests stay. Prep photos there are quiet and unhurried: the dress, the rings, the speech being finished on the back of a menu. Some of the best pictures of the day come out of that hour.
Ellie and Geoff, autumn at Goodwood House
Geoff turned up in a silver BMW i8 and Ellie arrived in a classic Jaguar. They married in the Yellow Drawing Room with vows they'd written themselves, then we took the Jaguar out onto the Festival of Speed hillclimb while the trees were turning.
More from GoodwoodMartin and Debbie's winter wedding, with Christmas trees and log fires in the House
Where to take portraits at Goodwood
Fifteen or twenty minutes when the light is right, and you're back with your guests before anyone notices you'd gone. None of these need you to walk far or change shoes.
- The front of the HouseThe columns and the portico, in sun or in shade. It's also where I'd do family groups.
- The south lawnBig old cedars and open space. Best late in the afternoon.
- The hillclimbA tree-lined private road with a lot of Goodwood's story in it. If you've got a car on the day, bring it.
- Behind The KennelsLong grass and long views across the parkland, if you're marrying there.
If it rains, the House has plenty of room and plenty of windows, so we just move inside.
How a Goodwood wedding usually runs
Every wedding is different, but Goodwood days tend to follow a rhythm I know well. This is roughly how it goes from where I'm standing.
Morning, at the hotel
Most couples get ready at the Goodwood Hotel, so I start there. Natural light, the dress, the rings, and the moment someone close to you sees you ready for the first time.
Arrivals and the ceremony
I get to the House ahead of the groom. Goodwood and cars go together, so arrivals are usually a bit of a moment. For the ceremony I stay out of the aisle and work quietly from the sides.
Drinks and portraits
Drinks on the terrace and a wander in the gardens. I take the two of you away for fifteen minutes. Group photos come from a list you send me beforehand and take about twenty minutes.
Dinner and the evening
Speeches from a distance on a longer lens, so the reactions are real. Then the first dance and the party. If there are fireworks, tell me beforehand so I'm in the right place to get you in the frame.
What Goodwood wedding photography costs
Collections, priced by the hours you actually need. With getting ready at the hotel and the evening in the House, most Goodwood couples choose Classic or Premium.
Ceremony through to the speeches.
- For smaller weddings and daytime receptions
- Ceremony in the Yellow Drawing Room
- Drinks, portraits and family groups
- Wedding breakfast details and speeches
- No evening party coverage
Preparations through to the first dance.
- The standard full Goodwood wedding day
- Getting ready at the Goodwood Hotel
- Arrivals, ceremony and drinks
- Portraits on the estate
- Speeches, cake and first dance
Preparations through to the last dance.
- For big celebrations where nothing gets missed
- Everything in Classic
- The evening party and dance floor
- Fireworks, sparklers and send-off
- An unhurried pace across the whole day
A second photographer is £1,250 and worth thinking about with a big guest list. Albums are quoted separately. Albums and extras are explained on my wedding prices and collections page, and if you're still looking at venues nearby, see my Chichester and Southend Barns pages. The rest of the county is on my Sussex wedding photographer page.
What couples say
A few words from couples I've photographed, in Sussex, London and further afield.
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…
Goodwood wedding questions
How many weddings have you photographed at Goodwood House?
More than forty, with ceremonies in the Yellow Drawing Room and evenings in the Ballroom. You can see Tom and Louise's Goodwood House wedding and Anna and Paul's winter wedding here. My collections start from £1,350, and your gallery comes back within 24 hours for a smaller wedding and within a week for a full day.
Where do weddings take place on the Goodwood estate?
Mostly in three places. Goodwood House, with ceremonies in the Yellow Drawing Room and the evening in the Ballroom. The Kennels, a smaller and more relaxed venue on the estate. And the Goodwood Hotel, where most couples get ready and a lot of guests stay.
Have you photographed weddings at Goodwood House?
Yes, for well over a decade, at the House, The Kennels and the Goodwood Hotel. That includes Ellie and Geoff's autumn wedding and Martin and Debbie's winter wedding, both on this site.
Where are the best places for photos at Goodwood?
The columns at the front of the House, the cedars on the south lawn, the tree-lined Festival of Speed hillclimb, and the parkland behind The Kennels. Inside, the Yellow Drawing Room has lovely window light.
What's the best time of year for a Goodwood wedding?
Every season works. Summer gives you long evenings, autumn has some of the best light of the year, and winter weddings with log fires and Christmas trees in the House are underrated.
Do you photograph weddings at The Kennels?
Yes. The Kennels is smaller and more relaxed than the House, with parkland right behind it for portraits.
How much does a Goodwood House wedding photographer cost?
My collections are £1,350 for five hours, £1,800 for eight and £2,200 for eleven, with every image edited. Galleries come back within 24 hours for smaller weddings and within a week for a full day. A second photographer is an optional £1,250.
When will we get our photos?
Within 24 hours for a smaller wedding and within a week for a full day, in a private online gallery with high-resolution downloads and no watermarks.
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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…