OXFORD WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
I grew up in Oxford, which means I've spent a fair amount of my life walking round tourists who've stopped dead in the middle of Broad Street. It also means I know the city well enough to work with it rather than against it on a wedding day.
Oxford weddings are their own thing. Small rooms, old stone, narrow lanes, a lot of rules, and very good light once the sun drops below the college walls. I photograph them the way I photograph everything: mostly leaving things alone, stepping in when it helps.
35mm film for the romance, digital for the documentary truth of it all.
Getting married in the city
Most Oxford weddings fall into one of three shapes, and each one photographs differently.
College weddings. Chapels, quads and halls, usually with conditions attached: membership, term dates, guest numbers, where you can and can't stand. I've written guides for the colleges I'm asked about most: Magdalen, Christ Church, New College, Balliol, Keble, Worcester and Exeter. The Bodleian has its own guide too.
Civil ceremonies in town. The Oxford Register Office on Tidmarsh Lane for small ceremonies, or Oxford Town Hall for something bigger with a proper staircase. Both work well for couples who want a short ceremony and a long lunch.
Museums, gardens and hotels. The Ashmolean, Medley Walled Garden, and city hotels like the Randolph on Beaumont Street and the Old Parsonage at the top of St Giles.
How I work in Oxford
Timing around the city. Central Oxford is busy most of the year, so I plan couple portraits for the quieter windows: early evening, or a side street rather than the Radcliffe Camera at two on a Saturday.
Rules are part of the job. Colleges often limit where photographers can go and when. I'd rather know those rules before the day than find out from a porter during the speeches.
Moving between venues. Ceremony in one place, reception in another is common here. I build the walk or the drive into the timeline so nobody's sprinting down the High in heels.
Old buildings, low light. Chapels and panelled halls are dark. That's fine. I work with the light that's there rather than flooding the room with flash, which is also why film suits these spaces so well.
Oxford weddings I've photographed: Clara and Hermione at Worcester College, and Laura and Ugo's Oxford city wedding. Further out, there's the whole Oxfordshire guide.
Oxford wedding FAQs
How much does a wedding photographer cost in Oxford?
The Documentary Collection is £2,200 for ten hours, with film included. Every collection is laid out, with prices, in the Lookbook.
Do you know the colleges' photography rules?
I know the ones I've worked under, and I always confirm with the college before the day, because rules change and every college has its own.
Can we do portraits in the city centre if our venue's outside Oxford?
Yes. Plenty of couples marry out in the county and still want an hour in town. We'll plan when and where so it doesn't eat your drinks reception.
Do you photograph register office weddings?
Yes. A short ceremony on Tidmarsh Lane followed by lunch somewhere good is a perfectly sensible way to get married, and it photographs well.
How far in advance should we book?
Most couples book 12 to 18 months ahead, especially for Saturdays in summer. Early enquiries are always welcome.
Do you travel outside Oxford?
Yes, across Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds and further afield.
Oxford's been photographed a million times. Your wedding in it hasn't.
Oxford, the Cotswolds
And further afield
Send me your date, your venue and a line or two about the day you're planning. I'll reply within a day or two, usually sooner.