Venue guide · Oxford
NEW COLLEGE OXFORD WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
New College is one of Oxford's grandest wedding backdrops — a fourteenth-century chapel, a cloister that's barely changed in six hundred years, and gardens tucked so deep into the city most guests won't quite believe they're still in Oxford. It's the kind of place where the architecture does half the work before I've even raised a camera.
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Photographing a New College wedding
New College is one of Oxford's oldest colleges, despite the name, and it has two things almost nobody else can offer: medieval cloisters and a stretch of the old city wall in the garden.
The chapel: vast and dark, with the light coming in narrow shafts. I photograph it for the mood it has rather than lighting it flat.
The cloisters: cool, shaded and built round an old holm oak. The light is even and forgiving, so this is where the calmest portraits tend to happen, whatever the weather.
The city wall: the lawns, the mound and the old stone give you space and a backdrop you won't find anywhere else in Oxford. A few quiet minutes here is worth it.
Timing: like every central college, it's on the visitor trail and has its own rules about access. The best light is at the edges of the day.
35mm film for the romance, digital for the documentary truth of it all.
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About New College
New College was founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham, and its chapel seats 200. The college says chapel weddings are for current and former members, plus some staff and school families, so for most couples the connection comes first and the wedding follows.
The chapel is licensed for Church of England marriages only, not civil ceremonies, and there is no full reception. The college offers drinks and canapés in the cloisters for an hour after the service. Dates are limited and booked well ahead, so contact the Chapel Administrator early: new.ox.ac.uk/chapel
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New College wedding FAQs
At a glance
Ceremony: chapel for current and former members of New College only, no flash, photographs from the organ loft only · no civil ceremony licence
Best suited to: couples with a New College connection who want architecture over a long reception
Light: cloisters and gardens, one hour of drinks and canapés before the day moves on
Where are the best places for portraits at New College?
The cloisters round the old holm oak, which are shaded and even whatever the weather, and the gardens along the old city wall. Check with the college what you can use on the day.
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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