Tower Bridge Wedding Photographer
The most requested backdrop in London, and the easiest one to get wrong. Potters Fields, the walkway under the towers, the foreshore at low tide, and Shad Thames three minutes behind it.
Everyone photographs Tower Bridge. Almost nobody photographs it from anywhere new.
It is the most recognised landmark in London and the one couples ask me for most often, and the difference between a picture of a bridge with two people in front of it and a picture that is actually about the two of you comes down to where you stand and what hour you turn up. I have been photographing couples here for over twenty years, on wedding days and on pre-wedding sessions, and none of the spots below need a permit.
Where I photograph around Tower Bridge
Potters Fields Park
The whole bridge, clean, from the grass, with nothing in the frame you have to work around. It is the shot most couples have in mind before they arrive.
The south bank walkway
Right beneath the towers. Heavy stonework, strong leading lines, and a sense of scale you never get from further back.
The foreshore
Steps down to the shingle at low tide, with the bridge above you and the sun going down the river behind it. Check the tide before you count on it.
Shad Thames and Butlers Wharf
Cobbles, Victorian warehouses and the overhead walkways. A completely different feel, and sheltered when the wind comes off the river.
Sunrise, or the last hour
At sunrise, around six in summer and later in winter, you get warm light down the river and an empty south bank. It is the only time of day you can stand wherever you like and take as long as you want.
The other window is the last hour of light from the south side, when the sun drops behind the bridge and throws the towers into silhouette over the water. That is where the blue and red dress pictures come from. Between ten and five the place is solid with people and the light is flat overhead, which does a white dress no favours at all.
I plan Tower Bridge as one stop on a route rather than a destination. Shad Thames and Butlers Wharf are three minutes away, and St Paul's and the Millennium Bridge are under ten minutes by cab. There's more of my London wedding work on the home page.
What you are allowed to do
- The bridge and the walkwaysPublic. A couple being photographed needs no permit and no fee, at any hour.
- SecurityThere is a presence around the bridge through the day, and they will move on anyone blocking a footway or setting up lights and stands. I work handheld and keep moving, and in twenty years it has never cost me a picture.
- Potters Fields ParkA managed park. Couples walking through and being photographed are fine; a formal shoot with kit is the sort of thing they can ask you about.
- Inside the bridgeThe Walkways, the glass floor and the Victorian Engine Rooms are a ticketed attraction and a hire venue. Anything in there is arranged with them, not turned up to.
If you are getting married at a venue nearby, the City of London page covers those, and the London pre-wedding page covers how a full session runs.
What a Tower Bridge shoot costs
These are my London pre-wedding sessions. Tower Bridge is included in both, alongside whatever else fits into the route.
A focused session at the big landmarks.
- For shorter trips and tighter itineraries
- Tower Bridge and Shad Thames
- 80 edited high-resolution images
- Itinerary built around your trip
- Gallery within 24 hours, no watermarks
Room to move across the city properly.
- The full London pre-wedding day
- Tower Bridge, Shad Thames and several more landmarks
- 150 edited high-resolution images
- Outfit change included
- Golden-hour coverage, gallery within 24 hours
More on how these sessions run is on my London pre-wedding page, and if you're planning to propose there, see proposal photography in London. If you want Tower Bridge portraits as part of a wedding day rather than a separate session, that sits inside the wedding collections on my London wedding photography prices page, which start at £1,350.
Tower Bridge photography questions
Do we need a permit to photograph at Tower Bridge?
No. The bridge, the riverside walkways and the parks either side are public, and a couple being photographed needs no permit and pays no fee. There is a security presence through the day and they will move on anyone blocking a footway or setting up lights, so I work handheld and keep moving.
Can we get married at Tower Bridge?
Yes, inside it. The North Tower Lounge is the room licensed for civil ceremonies, and the high-level Walkways, with the glass floor, take around 250 standing or 120 seated for the reception. The Victorian Engine Rooms are used for receptions too. Licensing and capacities change, so confirm the detail with the venue for your date.
What is the best time of day?
Sunrise, around six in summer and later in winter, when the light comes down the river and the south bank is empty. The last hour of daylight from the south side is the other one, with the sun behind the bridge. Between ten and five it is crowded and the light is flat overhead.
Can we get down to the river?
At low tide, yes. There are steps down to the shingle, and it gives you the bridge above you and a clear run up the river behind. It depends entirely on the tide on the day, so it is something I plan around rather than promise.
What else can we fit into the same session?
Shad Thames and Butlers Wharf are three minutes' walk, and St Paul's Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge are under ten minutes by cab. A five-hour session covers Tower Bridge and several other landmarks without rushing.
How much does it cost?
A London pre-wedding session is £850 for three hours or £1,250 for five, with every image edited and the gallery delivered within 24 hours. Tower Bridge portraits on a wedding day are covered by the wedding collections, which start at £1,350.
Want the bridge in your photographs?
Send me your dates. I read every enquiry myself and I'll come back with a route, the tide times and an honest answer about the light.
Rather use the longer form? Head to the contact page