Chester Wedding Photographer
Roman walls and medieval Rows in the city, and a Victorian castle eleven miles down the road.
Wedding photography in and around Chester
Chester is a lovely place to start a Cheshire wedding. Around the old city run the most complete Roman and medieval walls in Britain, and inside them are the medieval Rows and the cathedral. Head out of town and Peckforton Castle is about eleven miles away. The Wirral, Knowsley Hall and the gardens of rural Cheshire are all within reach too.
I’ve been photographing weddings in this corner of Cheshire for well over a decade, and Peckforton is the venue I know best. I was there for Sophie and Jack’s candlelit wedding and Louise and Ant’s New Year’s Eve wedding. Poppy and Dan’s winter wedding even began with a horse-drawn carriage. A little further out, I photographed Geo and Anthony at Knowsley Hall. At Ashleigh and Rob’s Thornton Manor wedding, their Great Dane was guest of honour.
Some of my favourite Cheshire days have been at home, too. Fee and Sancho married at her family’s house, and Rachel and Bert in the grounds of Rachel’s childhood home. I usually stay nearby the night before, sometimes in the campervan. That way I’m there from the start of the morning, with no traffic to worry about.
Wedding venues around Chester
Peckforton Castle is a Grade I listed Victorian castle near Tarporley. It hosts one wedding a day, and its Great Hall takes you from the ceremony to the last dance.
On the Wirral, Thornton Manor in Thornton Hough was once the family home of Lord Leverhulme. Ceremonies can be in the Library or outdoors along the Lime Tree Walk, though a fire in 2022 damaged part of the house, so check which rooms are in use. Knowsley Hall, near Prescot in Merseyside, sits in a 2,500-acre walled estate and holds ceremonies in its Stucco Ballroom. To the south-east, near Nantwich, Combermere Abbey holds ceremonies in an Edwardian glasshouse.
Then there are private homes and gardens all over Cheshire, which are often my favourite kind of wedding.
A Chester wedding day
If you’re marrying in the city, the register office holds ceremonies in the Merchants Suite, a bright room in Merchants House that opened in 2024. Afterwards, Chester is made for a portrait walk. The walls run for almost two miles around the old city. The Eastgate Clock, above one of the old gateways, was added in 1899 for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. It’s said to be the most photographed clock in England after Big Ben.
The Rows, galleried walkways dating from the 13th century, run at first-floor level along the four main streets, so you have cover if it rains. Grosvenor Park was laid out by Edward Kemp and opened in 1867. It looks over the River Dee, and three medieval arches were moved there from elsewhere in the city.
Out in the countryside the day looks different again. At Peckforton, that might mean vows among birch trees and portraits under a stone archway. At Fee and Sancho’s, it meant signing the register against a garden wall covered in climbing roses. At Knowsley, guests strolled up a long, straight drive before a first dance under the chandeliers.
Why couples choose Chester
- History on the doorstep. Roman walls, medieval Rows and a cathedral give a city wedding a real sense of place.
- A castle down the road. Peckforton is about eleven miles away, so you can have the city and a castle in the same weekend.
- Every kind of wedding. From the register office to stately homes, a castle and private gardens, there’s a setting for every size of day.
- A photographer who knows the area. After many Cheshire weddings, I know the venues, the light and the wet-weather options.
Planning a wedding in or near Chester?
See more on my Cheshire wedding photography page, or browse my castle wedding photography. Then get in touch and tell me about your plans.
Questions couples ask
Do you charge extra to travel to Chester?
No. Travel and accommodation within England are included in every collection, and I usually stay nearby the night before.
How much does a Chester wedding photographer cost?
My full-day photography collection is £1,750, and full-day film is £1,500. You can add a mini film to photography for £500 (half day) or £750 (full day), with travel and accommodation within England included. See prices for what’s in each collection.
Can you film our Chester wedding as well?
Yes. Add a mini film to any photography collection, or book a full film. See my Cheshire wedding videography.
Where are the best places for wedding photos in Chester?
The city walls, the Eastgate Clock and the Rows are all in the historic centre, and Grosvenor Park overlooks the River Dee. If it rains, the covered Rows keep you dry.
Weddings near Chester
Fee & Sancho – Cheshire Wedding Photography
Geo & Anthony – Knowsley Hall Wedding Photography
Sophie & Jack – Peckforton Castle Wedding Photography
Lucinda & Oliver – Peckforton Castle Wedding Photographer Cheshire
Poppy & Dan – Peckforton Castle Wedding Photographer
Katherine & Rishi – Peckforton Castle Wedding Photography
Nearby venues and areas
Planning a wedding elsewhere? See all my Cheshire wedding photography or browse every venue I’ve photographed.
