Rousham House Wedding Photography

A Jacobean house and William Kent's garden above the River Cherwell, north of Oxford.

Bride and groom holding hands, the bride's white bouquet held in front of her dress
Bride swirling the skirt of her gown in a stone doorway
Long reception tables laid with glassware and wooden cross-back chairs Bride and groom walking hand in hand through long grass beside an old timber barn WW208129Bride in a lace strapless gown smiling in soft lamplight as she gets ready Back of the bride's lace gown and long veil trailing across a gravel path Emotional older guest wiping away a tear after seeing the bride in her gown Bride and bridesmaids in sage green walking along a gravel path beside a brick barn Bride walking up the aisle past lanterns and standing guests WW209820
Bride fastening an earring while getting ready for her weddingBride in a puff-sleeved dress smiling as she looks away from the camera Bride holding a bouquet of red flowers in a room with a green concrete wall Bride and groom meeting a brown horse in a hillside field WW104494Black and white photo of the couple kissing beneath the bride's veil untitled-1714Black and white photo of the bride sitting on a wooden gate as the groom leans in to kiss her
White blossom on a branch in soft window light, shot on film Wedding flower arrangement of roses and blossom in a glass vase, shot on film Urn of garden roses and greenery on a stone pedestal, shot on film untitled-10097Black and white photo of a bride holding her long veil out wide behind her Gilt-framed portrait above a white fireplace decorated with flowers Couple standing at the altar of an ornate church as guests look on

Getting married at Rousham House

Rousham was built around 1635 by Sir Robert Dormer and is still the Cottrell-Dormer family's home. William Kent remodelled it in the 1730s and laid out the garden most people come for: temples, statues, a cascade and long walks down to a bend in the Cherwell.

It takes only a few weddings a year, usually with a marquee on the lawn, and it feels like somebody's garden rather than a venue. Details change, so check the current ones with Rousham directly: rousham.org

Bride in her gown standing by a lamp-lit window before the ceremony
Bride holding her bouquet in an open field
Bride and groom kissing in front of a tall green hedge

About Rousham House

Rousham House is near Steeple Aston, about 12 miles north of Oxford. The garden, by Charles Bridgeman and William Kent, is one of the earliest English landscape gardens.

It is a family home first. Ceremonies and receptions are usually held outside or in a marquee, and accommodation on site is limited, so guests tend to stay in the nearby villages: rousham.org

Bride and groom kissing on a staircase beside a stained glass window Couple embracing beyond a stone fountain on a tree-lined garden path Bride in a short white dress and sunglasses posing at an iron gate draped with roses Bride and groom in a pale suit kissing on sunlit stone steps Bride and groom walking up a grassy hill towards a horse on the skyline Red poppies scattered through a meadow of long grass Bride looking back at the groom across a field of long grass and poppies Black and white photo of the bride sitting on a wooden gate as the groom leans in to kiss her

At a glance

Weddings: a small number each year, usually in a marquee on the lawn.
The house: Jacobean, built around 1635, remodelled by William Kent in the 1730s.
The garden: Bridgeman and Kent, from 1737, on a bend of the River Cherwell.
Staying over: limited on site; nearby villages have more.
More: rousham.org

Where are the best places for portraits at Rousham?
The walled garden, the clipped yew hedges and the walks down towards the river, if the family allows it on the day. Ask when you book.

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