Venue guide · Oxford
MAGDALEN COLLEGE OXFORD WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Magdalen College was founded in 1458. It has a 144-foot bell tower, a herd of deer and the river along its edge, and it is pronounced "maudlin".
The college says chapel weddings are for alumni, staff and current members. Its venue hire page lists the Hall (seats 160), the Old Kitchen Bar (reception for 120, with a riverside terrace) and the lawns (up to 200). Whether outside couples can marry or hold a reception there is for the college to confirm: magd.ox.ac.uk/venue-hire
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Photographing a Magdalen wedding
Magdalen gives you more variety in one place than most venues manage: dark old rooms, the cloisters, then the deer park and the river right on the doorstep.
Inside: the chapel and older rooms are dark, with high, narrow windows. I work with the mood rather than trying to flatten it, and I don't use flash during the service.
The cloisters: shaded, symmetrical and full of soft, bouncing light. If the sky is doing something unhelpful, this is where we go.
The deer park and Addison's Walk: ten minutes out among the trees and the water gives you photographs that look nothing like the stone. It's worth building into the timings.
Timing: Magdalen is on the tourist trail. The quieter light is early and late, and the most relaxed portraits happen a step or two off the main route.
35mm film for the romance, digital for the documentary truth of it all.
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About Magdalen College
Magdalen's cloisters and grounds are why couples ask about it. According to the college, the Hall seats 160, the Old Kitchen Bar holds a reception for 120 with a riverside terrace, and the lawns take up to 200.
The college says chapel weddings are for alumni, staff and current members. Whether outside couples can marry or hold a reception there is for the college to confirm, so ask them early: magd.ox.ac.uk/venue-hire
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Magdalen College wedding FAQs
At a glance
Weddings: the college says chapel weddings are for alumni, staff and current members. Check with the college what applies to you.
Spaces listed for hire: the Hall (seats 160), the Old Kitchen Bar (reception for 120, riverside terrace) and the lawns (up to 200).
The college: founded in 1458, with a 144-foot bell tower and a herd of deer.
Venue hire: magd.ox.ac.uk/venue-hire
Where are the best places for portraits at Magdalen College?
The cloisters and the grounds, subject to what the college allows on the day. Ask them first.
How much does a wedding photographer cost in Oxfordshire?
The Documentary Collection is £2,200 for ten hours, with film included. All three collections are in the Lookbook.
Based in Oxford, travelling further when needed
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